. The trade union membership of Austria
U aaid to be 20r,031.
Nine nw unions have recently been or
ganized in Dallas, Text.
Memphis unionists contemplate build
tfig a lilw temple to cost $20,000.
Shipbuilders (Iron) at Portsmouth, N
tl., and Bath, Me., have organized.
Tacoma (Wash.) longshoremen have
made a demand for tbe cloned snap.
A Building Material Tcamnters' Union
as organised recently in Han J one, Oal
The Coppersmith' Union in New York
report that it helper are being organ
ized. The work of organizing the machinist'
tpprenticca of the Pittsburg district ha
begun.
At a meeting recently held in Grass
alley the Nevada County Labor Council
was organised.
' A reduction ia the hour of labor in
the rubber factories of Providence, It. L
kaa been granted.
The Mankato (Minn.) Trade and La-
tar Amenably ha gone on record a favor
ing a truancy law. .
Three minister were recently seated aa
fraternal delegate to the Toledo (Ohio)
Central Labor Union.
International Steam Shovelmen'e Union
kaa formed a local of all steam ahovel
worker in Oakland, Cat.
Flndlay, Fostoria and Tiffin, three en
terprising citlee of tbe Buckeye State,
nave formed a trl-clty labor congress.
New York police have formed an or
ganisation to obtain tbe eight-hour day.
They are asking aiwlHtance of tbe union
men.
Nashville (Tenn.) machinist have a
Dew acale. Those working in tbe machine
hop of tbe city will receive 83 1-3 cent
n hour.
Labor organization of America have
gained 1,204 new anion during the past
year, embracing a membership of 300,000
individual.
Sacramento (CaL) glas worker have
reached an agreement with their employ
era and returned to work. Doth aide
anade concession.
Quite a number of Boston (Mas.) la-
ting political resolutions or discussions
ln the onion' meeting.
V Strike benefit were paid to the amount
43,009.58 and death benefits of $20,
"Une International Association of
s in the last fiscal year,
a of 1,110,000 kroner (X300,-
- . J a - . - i . . .
-om aycauni mr sinse uenenis ana
Wwta boycotted nnlnn men dnrln h
last three year by the uniona of Sweden.
During 1905, twenty-three new organ
isation in England registered under the
, isatlona diaaolved or had registration can
' celed.
.All the buildieg trade of Nashua, N.
' IT- ttSVS rfocMltft tr .- mm m unit -
request the eight-hour workday and a
25-centa-a-day raise for each . trade on
May 1.
In a decision recently rendered by Jus
tice Stafford, of the Supreme Court of the
Diatrict of Columbia, the right to Issue
- aa unfair list waa uphald and decided to
he legal.
After many weeka of effort, represents'--
tires of the Master Horseshoer' Associa
tion, of Minneapolis Minn., and the union
- journeymen have succeeded in reaching a
Joint working agreement.
Jewelry workers In Chlcasn. III.. ha
. went on atrlke to obtain an eight-hour
u, uave caueu on me smite ana re
turned to work. Many of the shops af
fected have been operating with non-union
workmen.
The Woman's Trade Union League of
Great Britain ia now on a solid founda
tion and la ateadily growing In number
and Influence. Tb increase in member
ehlp during the year Just closed was more
than 11,000.
,To discover to tbe last cent Just what
it cost a family of five to live In these
time of high price I the chief object
of aa Investigation, plan for which have
been announced by the Charity Organisa
tion Society f New York City. .
In tbe future all cigar made in Wash
In ct on. D. C Will hoar tho nnlnn 1.H-I '
aad the men who Inaka thn wilt h tii
full union wages, tbe Clgarmakera' Union
having been successful n placing It scale
before the local manufacturer.
If, aa expected, all member of the Al
lied Building Trade Uniona in Washing-,
ton, D. C go on strike to help the Plumb
era Union la it fight against the Mas
ter Plumbers' Association, between 6,000
aad 7,000 men will ahortly be idle in that
city. j... ...
I ' pm. 4 r i t . . ...
auv niuciitu c nKnilwa VI ULDOT Will
aoon begin a campaign of political edu
cation among Ita million of member and
their friend. The statement ha been
made on good authority that the working
men will figure aa aa "important factor"
in tbe groat national struggle of 1908,
aad that tbey will have to be reckoned
with by the political manager of all par
tie. Labor Commissioner M. J. McLeod of
Michigan is preparing an amendment to
tbe laws governing the employment of
women and girls. The employment of
girta under 21 yeare of age during the
night In factories and store ia prohibit
ed, and it ia proposed to make this apply
. to all women. The commissioner will try
also to limit the hour of labor a week
for women and girls to alxty in stores a
well aa factories.
Betail Drug Clerka' Association of San
Francisco, Cat., ia taking steps toward
establishing a better wage acbedule and
the enforcement of tbe State ten-hour-day
law, which is being violated by a large
ouuber of drug store proprietors.
Tbe last rensua ahowed that more than
5,000,000 women were engaged in gainful
occupations and that their average wage
waa lesa than $270 a year and that more
than 50 per cent of them were not 24
years old. Tbe censu also ahowed that
the proportion of women employed In fac
tories is increasing more rapidly than that
f men.. ,
The laboring men of Hamilton, Canada,
are so jubilant over electing a candidate
for the Dominion Legislature that the
talk now is of indorsing candidate for
mayoralty and for aldermen. '
Chicago (111.) German Hod Carrier
and Building Laborers' Union, No. 1, bus
just completed a labor temple in that
city, costing In all $100,000. and paid for
entirely from Ibe union' treasury.
Tbe American Federation of Labor will
r-sUter with the Secretary of Stat of
lurto Rico aa a labor party. It baa
uluated a ticket In several nimiicipali
:' a and candidate for the House of Del-
t-a.
Hetod FroU.at of IeaarlvaaU
Hoa4 Isnimki ftaddealr,
Alexander Johnston Cassatt Presi
dent of the Pennsylvania Railroad. On-
pany, died suddenly nt 111 residence) la
Philadelphia Frk'jy. Mr. Cassatt had
oeen in 111 health for nearly a year.
IIli condition waa 'aggravated by an
attack of whooping cough which ho
contracted from- hla grandchildren
while at Bar Harbor In September. He
never entirely recovered from the cf.
fecta of the attack. ' '
Aside from being the head of the
Pennsylvania railroad, Mr. Cassatt waa
President of six other coinpnniea and
a director In twenty-three, concerna,
principally traunjtortatlon companies,
bank and trust companies. Ilia wealth
ia estimated nt between $50,000,000
and $73,000,000. Aa a railroad man
bis career was remnrknblo.
Mr. Cassatt was born lit Pittsburg,
Dec. 0,1830. Ilia father, Roliert S,
Cassatt moved to Kurope when the
son waa a child, mid young Cassatt re
ceived much of bis education on tbe
continent. Ills first work waa In Oeor-
't'f.
A. J. CASSATT.
guv where be was employed as a civil
engineer on tbe construction of a new
railroad. 'This lasted but a short time,
and then Mr. Cassatt became a rod man
on the Philadelphia division of the
Pennsylvania. Two years biter he was
made an assistant engineer on tbe con
struction of tbe railway linking the
Pennsylvania to tbe Philadelphia and
Trenton railroad. In 1805 bo left the
Pennsylvania for eighteen months, be
coming superintendent of motive powei
and machinery for the Philadelphia A
Erie railroad, but In 1 807 be was back
with the Pennsylvania again, In the
same position as he had held on the
Erie. ,
nis next big promotion came in 1870,
when be was appointed general auner
tntendent of the Pennsylvania, and the
following year he waa made general
manager of all tbe Pennsylvania rail
road lines east of Pittsburg and Erie.
For two years, from 1878 to 1880, Mr.
Cassatt filled the oftlce of President, in
the absence of Thomas A. Scott from
active work, and In 1809 be was made
President
Mr. Cassatt married Miss Lois Bu
chanan, a nioce of President Buchanan.
Hla son, Robert Keslo Cassatt, Is mar
ried to Miss Minnie Drexel Fell of
Philadelphia.
lit . j
I
Responsibility for the wreck on the
Southern, Thanksgiving day, which caus
ed th death of President Spencer and
aix others, baa been placed upon 0. D.
Mattoi, the block operator at Rangoon
station, Va.
. It ia believed that thla winter 10,1)00
persona from the middle Weat will visit
New Orlean and Cuba. Last year th
Illinois Central carried about 5,080 teur
lata. The moderate coat of th trip to
either New Orleans or Cub and the time
consumed are factors In the popularity.
The Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul
railroad ha announced the issna of $100,
000,000 of new atock. to be offered to
shareholder at ' par on the Installment
plan, bearing interest at 5 per cent, the
proceeds to be uaed in financing the Pa
cific coast extension and numerous branch
lines.
The Northern Pacific tall way an
nounces a plan to increase its atock by
$05,000,000. The whole Issue will be of
fered to stockholders at par on the in
stallment plan, although the Northern
Pacific stock has been selling at 210. Tbe
proceeds will go to tbe development of
the property.
The annual report of the Union Pa
cific railroad ahowed au incrense of near
ly $8,000,000 in grout tranRportatlon re
ceipts, while the lnome from Invest
ments amounted to $10,329,815. At the
aame time the fiied chargea were reduced
over $2,000,000 through the retirement
of bonds. The total surplus waa $12,
232,249 after allowing 8 per cent on com
mon stock and a charge to the reserve
fuud.
A machine that will burl coal into thf
firebox of a locomotive at the rate of 20C
shovelfuls a minute, if necessary, will
lighten the labor of the firemen on many
of the engine of the Northwestern road.
An order has been placed tor 700 of these
mechanical stoker at a cost of $350,000.
The General Manager' Association,
representing the New York terminals of
the Erie, Jersey Central, Lackawanna,
Lehigh and Baltimore and Ohio lines, an
nounces that it will stand by it offer
to give 4 cent an hour advance to yard
couduclor and brakemen, but would not
concede tbe 5-ccnt increase demanded.
Chairman Knapp of the Interstate com
merce commission, commenting on tht
preseut a shortage In the Northwest
suid that the whole country was In a
state of congestion, and that the railroad
are in a condition of Inefficiency rssulting
from demands which exceed present ca
pacity. v Various manager bad it ex
tremely difficult to secure the additiona
help that la needed for iccreaed busi
ness, while those already employed hav
reached a Condition, through overwork
where they eo longer have ambition. Thi
condition exl.-ita in almost ail Industrie
he say, aa "Vi-Il aa in that of tbe rait
road. (' 1 ( ( '
- ,
f ' !
a. rv 7 -ea ip T v w 'w
Fenr of a Japanese-American' war
pervade all tbe nations except Amer
ica and Japan. New York Mall.
The names of the new Spanish Cab
inet are familiar to those, who buy the
two-for-u-quarter brands. Washington
Times.
If men jeiit hnlf as mnch money on
philanthropy ns they do on politics, this
would 1)0 a pretty nice world.- New
York Press.
What's tbe matter with Kansas? This
time It Is tbnt tbe ears of corn are too
long to go ' luto the shelters. New
York Tribune.
' President Roosevelt said that If the
simplified spelling did not prove accept
able he would abandon It. Well? Chi
cago Tribune:: ,
When there Is an npietlte there Is a
way. In prohibition Kunsns, It Is said.
they sell lieer In plugs, like tobacco.
New Yift-k Tribune. .
It's astonishing what a lot of mancy
a man could have made If he bad trust
ed to luck Instead of relying on Judg
ment. New York Press.
They are arresting . Councllinen In
Pittsburg for bribery. Well, If that's
going to spread what time there will
be! Philadelphia Press.
Eight McCarthys ran for office In
Boston, but only three were elected.
The Hub should create more office! at
once! New York Herald.
There Is no question of race suicide
with the head of the Mormon Churrh,
with hi five wives and forty-five chil
dren. Philadelphia Record. '
Marie Corelll Is convinced that mod
ern woman is not ready for the suf
froge. Certainly not. If she was shed
huve It Philadelphia Inquirer, .
If the President uses the big stick on
the Lumber Trust be may make It
abandon Its "say nothing, but saw
wood" policy. New York Herald.
Tbe woman who boldly declares that
she will find the North Pole Is well
aware that there Isn't a mouse In the
Arctic Circle. Philadelphia Ledger.
It Is easy enough to become famous.
All you have to do is heave a rock at
marriage, the family or the Ten Com
mandments. New. York Evening Sua
The name of tbe new postmaster of
Honolulu Is Kapohaklmoheva. It beats
everything bow those Irish grab off all
the political plums. New York Herald.
So rapid Is the march of prosperity
In the States of Washington and Ne
vada that the supply of fuel Is unable
to keep up with It Philadelphia Rec
ord. '
To 8end $200,000 n year on clothes
is an accomplishment, but It does not
compare with the accomplishment of
siH'udlng only $200 a year. New York
American.
It Is beglntilug to be suspected they
are manufacturing some of those high
waymen ( brles In Pittsburg Just to en
able tbe town to show off. Philadel
phia Press.
At any rate, President Roosevelt
having seen It, we can at least feel
assured that the Panama Zone has not
been moved from Its anchorage. New
York Press.'
Justice doesn't travel on leaden heels
In Center, Texus, where a criminal waa
arrested, tried, convicted and executed
within the space of two hours. New
York Herald.
The undertakers at Butte have form
ed a combination and advanced the
price of funerals. That Is running the
trust business into tbe ground. Wash
ington Times.
A couple of hundred French Deou-
ties left the Chamber when Bonl de
Castellane came la. It would aeem
much simpler to put Bonl out New
York American.
Bonl de Castellane says hla "matri
monial entanglement" haa not lost him
a single friend. Of course, to lose any-
thing one must first have had It New
York American.
Andreas Dlppel, tho tenor, has been
robbed of $3,000 worth of Jewels. With
this and tbe Caruso episode tbe onera
season may consider itself launched.
New York Mull.
Life seems to be made uo of mowlna
the lawn when there Is no furnace to
be stoked, aud when there Is no mow
ing to be done of stoking the furnace.
New York Press.
President Roosevelt has nominated a
manufacturer of tabasco saue'e for Civ
il Service Commissioner. Going to
aiake It hot for the spoilsmen! Phil
adelphia North American.
Secretary Bonaparte says that tbe
annual cost of the navy represents
only $1.8,1 iKr capita. By that method
of calculation a 28,000-word presiden
tial message divided among 83,000,000
men, womeu aud children looks like
too short an allowance. New York
World.
It now transpires that Seuutor-eloct
Davis' name Is not Jefferson, but Jef
fries. IVrlmps that accounts for his
pugilistic proclivities, couversutional as
well as otherwise. Washington Her
ald. The war lu Brooklyn over the oxtor
tlons if the Beef Trust takes a queer
form. The mob smashes the butcher's
windows aud then throws kerosene on
bis meat You can't seem to bust one
trust without boosting another. New
York World.
Judge Peter S. Grosscup of the Uult
ad States Court of Appeals for North--th
Illinois, heartily agrees with the
.lew that judges should not be above
rltlclsm. There ore few more eon
ttant all-around critics. New York
Suu.
.. What Is needed to-day lu America la
mother Webstar whose voice can echo
,'iwin ocean to ocean t "And let the
.acred obligations which bavo devolved
jii this generation, and on us, sink deep
into, our hearts !" Philadelphia
Ledger. k
' 1 :
ACEl) UY Ultf ISSUES.
STATE LEGISLATURES ALL HAVE
LONG CALENDARS.
Railroad, Insurance, Primary Rle
lloa aad Other Thing Lawer
Fares Take Lead While Car Short
; aad Fas Aliases Coma Jlest.
A mighty din from legislative forges
Is about to begin to evho throughout
the West as the general assemblies
convene nnd lawmakers take up the
sledges to hummer out reform enact
ments. Few States are without live
Issues of a varied and s ween In 2 char
ncter. and the vesr 1!H)7 nrnnilscs to
be prolillc hi new laws more or lessx
urnstic.
Railroad reforms stand foremost
among the question that confront the
legislator. The movement In favor of
more rigid restriction Is general In Its
scope, and the anvils will ring with
the beating out of statutes that ranee
from anti-pass measures to acts estab
lishing a 2-eent fare, the latter forming
the chief Issue lu at least eight West
ern States.
Corporations In general are In for
treatment more or less severe, agita
tion being on for new banking laws
that will protect dejKisltors more ade
quately, for new Insurance lawa that
will bring fire and life companies more
directly under the supervision of State
commissions. , and for new taxing
schemes that will provide for greater
revenues from public utility concerns.
Changes lu the political system also
ore up for action In several common
wealths, four of which are pledged to
follow the lead of Illinois nnd Wiscon
sin In the enactment of a law that will
give direct primaries, nnd that will give
the electors a chance to scalp party
bosses and stifle ring rule by taking
Into their own hands the matter of
picking party candidates.
The liquor traffic, too. fwlll be an lm
portant part of the year's reforms. - In
five States local option laws are to be
presented. Their fa to Is problematical,
but the fact that they will form part
of the legislative grist has led to a
lining up of the liquor elements and
the temperance forces In preparation
for fierce battles.
The question of taxation will be an
other bone of contention In nt least
eight States, and measures are being
prepared that provide for chances In
the revenue systems. In Illinois a fight
will be made to make the railroads and
other public service corporations pay
all Stare taxes Instead of Imposing
them on holders of general property,
while In Wisconsin there will be an at
tempt to pass nn act for a graduated
income tax.
The great live Issue of general Inter-
est thioughout the general assemblies
or the West, however, Is that dealing
with the railroad companies. There are
nve phases to the auestlon. the most
drastic nnd Important relating to lower
passenger fares. In eight States 2-cent
fares will be fought for. Accompany
ing tue reduction In fares is a ceneral
movement to abolish the pass system,
and seven Stntea are preparing to toll
the knell of the annuals with which
the railroads have kent on the pood
side of lawmakers nnd politicians. The
passing of the pahs, It Is expected, will
be attended by bitter contests.
Tho live issues which iLlll encnire
the attention of lawmakers of the va
rious States may be summarized ar
follows:
Car Shortage North Dakota. Colo
rado, Michigan, Missouri, Nevada. Ore
gon, Nebraska, Washington, Idaho, Wy
oming, Minnesota. Reciprocal demur
rage the main hope.
Railroad Regulation North Dakota.
Colorado, Texas, ; Michigan, Missouri.
Nevada, Indiana, South Dakota, Oregon,
Nebraska, Idaho, Kansas, Washington,
Utah, Minnesota, Illinois. Create new
railroad commissions or strengthen exist
ing one.
Two-Cent Fares North Dakota, Tex
as, Missouri, Michigan, Indiana, South
Dakota, Nebraska, Minnesota. Fight
will be bitter.
Anti-Pas Measure North Dakota.
Missouri, Illinois, South Dakota, Nebras
ka, Kansas, Minnesota.' Severs! assem
blies virtually pledged.
Direct Primary Elections North Da
kota, Colorado, South Dakota, Nebraska,
Washington, Kansas. Four States pledg
ed. Governor in others favor. Bosses
will oppose strongly.
Liquor Traffic; Colorado, Missouri. In
diana,' Washington, Illinois. Local op
tion or more drastic State regulation.
Taxation W isconsin, Texas, Nebraska,
Oregon, Washington. Minnesota, Kansas,
Illinois. . Aimed thieiiy against public
service corporations Entire revision of
several codes. J
Income Tax Wisconsin to consider bill
for graduated tnx. Other States expected
to have hot fights. ,
State and Private' Banks Illinois and
Kansas particularly propose drastic new
laws to protect depositors. Other States
to fail iu line.
Miscellaneous California and Nevada
to entertain bills against prlxe lights;
Wisconsin to sterilise feeble-minded and
insauo and establish, pension system for
the nged ; Texas to wipe out cotton buck
et-shops; Illinois to rehabilitate charita
ble institutions and to pas new charter
for Chicago.
Insurance North Dakota, Texas,' In
diana, Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri, Cali
fornia, Minnesota, Uliuois, Wisconsin.
Avalanche of bills expected, some radical
sud sweeping. -,
Thla aad That.
dipt. Edward Dumaresque, who recent
ly died at Luuuford, Taxuiania, in hla
104th year, had been a peusioner as cap
tuin for seventy-nine years.
Ex-Secretary of State John W. Foster
will continue his private diplomatic career
by serving as one of China's delegatea ta)
The Hague peuco conference next year.
It is said on authority of a member of
the family that Chauncey M. Depew will
be seen in the Semite when that body
convenes In 1 Veembcr.
Senator Beveridge- several year ago,
after a visit to Ariioua and New Mexico,
was Kent $.,0H) worth of stock in a mine
in that section, llei returned the stork,
which I said to-day to be worth $1,500,
oh. .: j
Solomon Gompera.1 father of Samuel,
the president of the American Federation
of Labor, lives In Rokbury, Mass. He ia
78 years old and hag been totally blind
for nine years. He was born in London,
where he joined a trade union in 184V
Evidence of the use tie general pub
lic is making f the great Library of
Congress la to be found In the record of
visitors to the building during the last
flacal year. The visitors numbered
about 812.000. This was a dally aver
age of 2,213 In the 3G2 days on which
the library was open to the public. The
only days cj which (he great bronze
doors were closed throughout the twen-ly-four
hours were July 5, the funeral
day of John Hay, July 4 and Christ
mas. Almost a double force Is required
for the building, w hich Is ojon virtual
ly day and evening the year around.
The largest number of visitors In any
ojus day wag 5.284, In April, and tbe
smallest 444, on one of the hottest days
1j July. An Idea of the size of this li
brary may be obtained from the statis
tics for last year, which showed a gln
In the number of volumes of 34,620,
bringing tho number of books on tbe
racks up to 1,879,244. This total of
books, pamphlets, maps and charts and
pieces of music added last year wa
tl,385.
Borne of the postal Improvements ad
vocated In Cortelyou's annual report
are tbe parcels post, postal savings
bank, postal telegraph and telenhone.
abolition of railway speed subsidies.
additional subsidies to South American
and Australian steamers, low-rate pos
tal notes and the creation of a new
office, that of deputy postmaster gen
eral, with permanent tenure, ,who
would act as a sort of business man
ager for the entire service, besides cer
tain reforms In salaries and accounts.
The Postmaster General takes the hleh
ground that postmasters should not be
appointed as rewards for rollticnl ac
tivity. As to the deficit he says he is
less concerned about that than about
efficiency of administration and thinks
it unreasonable to charge anv one
branch of the service with responsibil
ity for the deficit
A plan for holding and developing
coal lands In the Indian Territory be
longing to tbe government has been
made public by Secretary Hitchcock. A
large corporation Is to be formed. In
which the Indian tribes and the gov
ernment are to control the stock, tho
mines to be operated by employes or
leased on a royalty. It will be the find
time In our history that the government
becomes a stockholder in a private cor
poration. The life of the company is
to be twenty-flve years, with option of
continuance or sale nt the end of that
period, the directors to be the Presi
dent of the United States, Secretaries
of the Interior, Treasury and Com
merce and Labor, Commissioner of In
dian Affairs and a member of each of
the Choctaw and Chickasaw tribes.
Senator Hale of Maine made the
declaration that two-thirds of the rev
enues of the government are' now de
voted to the payment of Inheritances
from past wars and expenditures for
future wars. He called attention to
the arguments of the army promoters
that It was no use to huve an army
unless you have guns and fortifications,
'and now that $100,000,000 had been
appropriated for . sea const fortifica
tions, the argument was, "what is the
use of having guns nnd fortifications
unless you hare men?" Thus, he said,
it was the constant pressure of the
army to aggrandize Itself first for men,
then for guns and then guns and then
men. On account of this vast expense,
Senator Halo said It was impossible to
get appropriations for the marine, for
river and harbor improvements and for
public buildings.
Secretary of War Taft in hla report
on the Philippines asks Congress to
support an agricultural bank by author
izing the Philippine government to
guarantee a dividend of 4 per cent on
$10,000,000, this being the plan which
proved so successful under Lord Cromer
In Egypt lie says the business condi
tions In the Islands, especlaly In tbe
sugar and tobacco industrials, continue,
and that the storm of last year de
stroyed $4,000,000 worth of the hema
crop. Work ia proceeding on a system
of water supply for Manila and on the
sewerage system. The complete paci
fication of tbe Island of Luzon Is re
ported with the capture or surrender
of tbe ladrone leaders, the only disor
der now being In Leyte and Sumar,
- : ;.
The House adopted a resolution In
dorsed by Miller of Kansas, directing
the bureau of corioratious to Investi
gate tbe causes of the high price of
lumber, and particularly whether thU
is due to the existence of a combina
tion in tho form of a trust or other
wise. The house also called upon the
Secretary of the Interior to glvo an ac
count of all public lands withdrawn or
reserved from entry.
In a recent report of the bureau of
navigation It Is shown that 03 per cent
of the enlisted men In the navy are
native-born Americans, and that dur
ing tho year forty-three per cent of the
men qualified for re-enlistment did re
enlist. It Is highly desirable that the
man behind the gun be a man of ex
perience, n ml It U best that the man
who may be called upon to Pght should
be born under tbe flag that floats above
his ship.
;
Although more than two hundred
thousand applications for jienslous
were received during the past year,
Commissioner Warder reduced tho ex
pense of the Pension ptllc by about
$200,000. At the same time the number
of pending claims were largely reduced.
The Interstate Commer Commls
lion has completed plans for the most
comprehensive and far-reaching Inves
tigation of railroad management that
has ever been undertaken, beginning
with the new year.
Tills P.EA1 SAStA CLAT79 AC TH1 NORTHWEST.
'Cincinnati Post
hi
BURN BARNS FOR FUEL.
tr Dakota Farmer Havo IVothlaai
Left hat Their Hoaae.
All the world now knowa of the dis
tressing privation on the great weatara
prairie Juat passed through by the ambi
tious settlers owing to the coal and fuel
famine, bnt few realize the utter destitu
tion caused by the need for fuel. ,
There have been many tlmea la history
when people were forced to burn treas
ures to keep warm, bnt never before on
the prairie haa fuel been ao scarce. One
hundred and fifty miles southwest of
Fargo, N. DM is a settlement of Russian
farmers who have recently coma to the
State.' When tbe coal question came -up
and tbe railroad could not supply fuel
there was nothing for them to do 1 ut to
chop up their outbuildings for fuel to
cook with. Tbe question of keeping a
steady fire for heating purposes was at
an end.
One family named Roustoff, wtlch came
to the State In the spring, had1 no fuel
in the house nor oil for lamps. Tbe sta
ble was used for cooking purposes and
tbe other outbuildings followed. The
horses and the cattle were turned loose
to seek shelter on the prairie and to be
victims to any blizzard tbit might over
take them. Then the platform around the
pump waa made Into fuel, then the wag
on boxes and later the wheels.
Everything about the farm except what
waa needed about the house to keep out
the cold waa sacrificed to keep the kitch
en atove burning long enough to cook the
beef and make the coffee. The family are
well after the awful ordeal. They say
it ia worse than in Russia, for there tbey
have plenty of fuel. ,
At Grantham, a email town, the fuel
shortage was as bad. Two families mov
ed into one bouse and chopped np the
other bouse for fuel. One day a train
went through and forty men attacked the
crew, but found extra locks on tbe coal
cars and tbe coal of poor quality, so let
the train proceed. A man named WaJl
dran traded a load of wood for three
horses. At Renning several families
burned bushel after bushel of oats and
said that it held fire like coal.
The farmers had plenty of money and
went to the stores and "purchased suffi
cient supplies of canned and dried fish
and fruit so that with what the house
wives had in store the question of food
was not a serious one. The cold weather
waa the most difficult to endure. Many
settlers and old farmers hauled out the
old hay burners which were in vogue
many years ago and used the long wild
grass in their barn yard stack for fuel.
This did good service.
One of the luckiest things connected
with the coal famine waa the fine weather.
While It waa very cold through South
and North Dakota, there were no atorma.
Bad a blizzard awept over the country
while the acarcity of fuel waa at ita
height there would have been a great lose
f human life and of live stock. ' "
Real estate men fear a fall in land
prices owing to the fuel situation thla
winter. They claim that inasmuch aa the
railroads have been unable to haul coal
to them and the grain from them there
will be a mnch greater shortage ot cars In
the year to com unless aome thing ia done
to relieve tbe congestion. No one can
devise a plan.
In South Dakota the great elevator
are overflomg with wheat and corn and
other grains are being etored away on
the farm in the best way possible. The
atock ia the only thing the farmers and
ranchmen are able to move. Thla pro
vides them with plenty ot money, bnt
money cannot buy coal.
In the western part of North Dakota
are many hundreds of people who went
there last summer to secure cheap lands.
They went with small amounts of money
and spent it in getting aa much land aa
they could. Tbey built insufficient bouses
to keep out the cold, and thus when the
cold soap came and the coal and wood
ran out the suffering was intense."
American Bnffraalat Criticised.
Lady Cooke, one ot the leading women
suffragists of England, who has just com
pleted a brief of investigation of the
suffrage movement in tbe United States,
said before sailing for home that It was
apparent that American women are satis
fied to rest content with the privileges
granted to their sex through the warfare
carried on by Susan B. Anthony, Eliza
beth Cady Stanton and other early asso
ciate. So far a she could ace, tbe suf
frage movement in America was sleeping
or taking an indefinite rest. She declar
ed that the movement in England now
rep rented nearly 600,000 active sup
porters and was supported by some of the
most distinguished women in official and
aristocratic circles.
The Ohio' Hecord Versa.
The new battleship Ohio, which wa
constructed by the Union Iron work of
San Francisco and which has been a flag
ship of the naval forces in the far East,
arrived at New York Dec 2, having
aalled 50,000 miles without (training a
rivet Her coming is pursuant to the
policy of withdrawing battleships from
the Asiatic eiuodron.
Trypola Cancer Treat meat Falls.
Notwithstanding the reported success
ful experiment of Dr. W. J. Morton of
New York In treating cancer by mean
of trypsin, the recent testa made In tbe
London cancer hospital bave not met with
auccea. Tbe hospital authorities say
that they atill know ot no eacceasful
treatment beyond the use of the knife.
a
TO MAKE SWAMPS USEFUL. J
Cade
Proposed Plaa Ther
Woovd
Bloaaoaa aa tho Rose.
Aa effort will be made daring the prud
ent session ot Congress to commit the
federal government to the policy of drain
ing swamp lands all over the country ad
Krn . tm Vlln .1 r 1 ! e : :ti i
. v. uiiturms win w viia
of ita leaders. The Senator has pi
pared a bill providing for the drainage
of all awamp landa under the auspict
of government engineer.
The measure provides for the creation
of a fund for conducting the drainage
operations on the installment plan. Con
gress to appropriate a million or two
dollars -every vear until the aum of $10,
000,000 or $20,000,000 ia on hand. A .
land ia reclaimed from a submerged ar
partially submerged condition, the bills
will provide for iu sale, and the proceeia
therefrom will be converted Into the
drainage fund.
Thla i similar to the plaa. under
which the national reclamation or irri
gation law operates. Tbe vastness of the
project involved in the Flint bill caa bo
understood when it ia atated that tlio
total area of awamp lands in the United
States la roughly 75,000,000 acres, or
about 120,000 square miles. Thla is over
half as large as the whole German em
pire and greater than the area of meat
States in the Union.
Virginia and New Jeraey contain a
large part of the total In the Dismal
awamp and the Hoboken flats. There Is
some awamp land in New England, bat
leaa than elsewhere, on account of the
generally hilly character of the ground.
Michigan contains nearly 8,000,000 acres
of swamp lands, Minnesota contain
more than that.
2mv .j-
mm
In tbe Commoner W. J. Bryan declare;
that even if the President desired a re
nomination the Republican party would"
not give it to him. Bryan appears to
think that Roosevelt'a radicalism has dis
pleased the Republican leaders.
United States Senator Bailey said he
had assurances of support from a ma
jority of the Texas Legislature and as
serted that he had never concealed the
fact that he had borrowed large sums of
money from H. Clay Pierce, the oil com
pany official. i
A mass meeting at Cooper Union, New
York, adopted resolutions urging the pas
sage of the Lodge resolution by the Sen
ate. Dr. H. Grattan-Guiness, acting di
rector of the regions beyond the mission
ary union, said it was impossible to dupli
cate the horrors of that country.
The once powerful Populist part tt
Kansas has decided to formally disband
and throw the remnant of iu strength to
the Republican organisation. Chairman
Hanna of the State committee says that
the Populists have been the foreruaaers
of the present Republican policy. -
Poultney Bigelow, the man whose criti
cism of canal methods was assailed by
both President Roosevelt and Secretary
Taft now comment, on tbe President
message that It will be time enough for
him to answer Ita misleading statements
when the President can find a single resi
dent of tbe canal zone who does not smile
at his report. ,
Mayor Weaver of Philadelphia, oa tAo
witness stand In the city's $5,000,000 fil
tration suit case against the McNtchol
Mack contracts, told how Israel Durham,,
tbe former Republican bos of the city,
bad dictated the appointment of Director
of Public Works Costello and other im
portant acts, including the raising of the
salary of John W. Hill, filtration chief.
The Japanese ambassador, Viscount .
Aokl, in an address to the Japanese busi-
ness men of New York, urged his fellow
countrymen to Btudy English and form,,
matrimonial alliances with wealthy Amer
ican families. He deplored the segrega
tion of Japanese children in San Fran
cisco, but admitted that it would be nec
essary to exclude some of tbe undesira
ble Japanese elements.
An organization has just been formed.
In New Jersey to be known as the Peo- '
ple'a Lobby. It is composed in indepen
dent Republicans end Democrats, and will
have branches in every county. Its pur-,
pose will be tie collection and disseml-i
nation of information regarding legisla
tion and the attitude of members of tbe
Legislature so as to secure the widest pos
sible publicity as to legislation.
State Comptroller Berry of Pennsyl
vania ha refused to approve the bill
of J. H. Sanderson and Joseph M. Hus
ton on account of furnishing equipment
and professional services for tbe new cap
Itol to the aggregate amount of $15H,.
OUO, notwithstanding that Gov. Penny
packer and Gen. Snyder constituted a
majority ot the board of public grounds .
and buildings and voted for tbe payment.
Mr. Berry said he wonld not O. K. them
unless compelled to do so by tbe courts,
and this wa expected to force the whole -question
of capital graft into tb court,
Zi if r. ntnvmrig
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