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About The Omaha morning bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 1922-1927 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 19, 1923)
The Morning Bee MORNING—EVE N I N G—S U N D A Y THE BEE PUBLISHING COM Publisher. MEMBER OF THE ASSOCIATED PRESS The Associated Press, of which The Bee is a member, Is exclusively entitled to the use for republication of all news dispatches credited to it or not otherwise credited in this i paper, and also the local news published herein. All rights of republication of our special dispatches are also reserved. BEE TELEPHONES Private Branch Exchange. Aslc for the Department aT lahtle or Person Wanted. For Night Calls After 10 P. M.: 1 OOO Editorial Department. AT lantie 1021 or AT. 1042. OFFICES Main Office— 17th end Farnem Council Bluffs—16 Scott St. S. Side, N. W. Cor. 24th and N. New York—World Bid*. Detroit—Ford Bid*. Chicago—Tribune Bid*. Kaneae City—llryant Bid*. St. Louie—Syndi. Truet Bid*, -oa Anceles—Higgins Bid*. San Francisco—Hollrook Bldg. Atlanta—Atlanta Trust Bids. COME TO THE MOURNER’S BENCH. Certainly the hands of the reparations commis f on ara tied by the conflict of interest between France and England. However, Lloyd George can scarcely believe that the United States is the one to cut the knot. Although he does, in his Chicago speech, show some slight conception of the American viewpoint, thus stepiping out far in advance of any other European statesman, yet he does not gauge at the full the skepticism and disgust of Americans with the policies of Europe. What the old world needs is a bit of the old fashicned conviction of sin. Before any return of settled peace can be made, these countries must admit, at least in their own hearts, that they have been pursuing unwise, mistaken and ruinous objects. Nations, particularly those of the other hemi sphere, are not unselfish. It’s no good, Lloyd George making professions of the high-minded and disinter ested moral purpose of his native land. The atti tude of the British cabinet toward the German prob lem, if it actually has any definite position, can not be said to be based on anything else than self-in terest. There are, for all that, many fine passages in the address of this grizzled war leader. Passing over his appeal to the cupidity of Americans—his declaration that there are millions for us in foreign trade if we can save Europe from its own blind pas sions—it must be admitted that St least he knows conditions over there. He says: "Until European prosperity Is restored the con tinent can not be relied upon as a customer for world products. "What is the matter with Europe? Exhaustion. Europe is exhausted after the most terrible struggle any continent ever passed through. Between 10, 000,000 and 15,000,000 of its picked young men were slaughtered on the battlefield. Many more died of the pestilences which are the gruesome partners of war. Twenty millions at least of their best men have been mutilated and have become a burden on the resources of others. "One hundred and eighty thousand millions of dollars were spent or lost by the belligerent coun tries In waging war and scattering desolation. The machinery of trade and commerce Is almost com pletely shattered. Hunger and plagues will stalk through Europe, destroying young and old with their cruel fangs. Every day I read of bread rlota where men are ahot down in searching for bread to feed theelr hungry children. "How many children have died as the result of this war? No one can tell; but the recording angel la keeping an accurate account of every little head that droops. "This Is the condition of Europe five years after the war Is over. "Why doesn't Europe settle down? The people of Europe are industrious and hard working and In time they will repair the ravages of war and that time would be considerably shortened if It were not for one or two disturbing elements. "Undoubtedly the most serious local disturbance is that which Is associated with the question of reparations. Upon that I should like to dwell, for It Is the problem of the moment. It is more; It is the problem that dominates the future of world peace.” When these countries, now so disturbed by their own mistakes, come to the mourner’s bench, then can American aid be of service. And then will it be available. It is at this point that the appeal of Lloyd George falls short and leaves his American audience cold. If this be the message that he came across the At lantic to deliver, his journey has been in vain. “HORSEHAIR SNAKES.” An indignant subscriber takes this newspaper to task for printing as a “Mother Nature’s Children” story a letter from another subscriber who asserts that he knows horsehairs will develop into snakes if properly placed in a rain barrel or other recep tale for water, and left undisturbed for a reason able length of time.' Far be it from us to take sides in any con troversy about horsehair snakes. Admitting that we entertain some doubts about the evolution of horsehairs into snakes, we know better than to dispute it, thereby calling down upon our devoted heads the anathemas and denunciations of those of an earlier generation who just know it’s so. We also entertain some doubts about the efficacy of mumbling a few magic words over disfiguring warts with a view to making them vanish as the mists before the rising sun. But brave though we may be in the face of physical danger, we lack the courage to face those who just know it can be do done because they had seen it done many a time when they were boys and girls. The old formula for locating a lost jacknife, or a mislaid marble, the same being to expeeprate in the palm of one hand, then smite the palm after reciting the words, “Spit, spat spy, don’t you tell me no lie, but tell me where my jacknife is,” will doubtless be scoffed at by this sophisticated genera tion. But far be it from us to scoff or jeer, well knowing that to do so would be to call down upon our devoted head the denunciations of those old sters who just know it is the proper way because they themselves have located many a lost jacknife, or marble, or top, by just that simple method. The man who protests against what he calls the “horsehair snake bunk” need not expect get any rise out of us. It is not our controversy. We even refuse to take chances by posing as an in nocent bystander. Horsehairs may or may not evolve into snakes, for all we care. And as the last and final word from us upon this mooted question, we refuse to undermine the faith of any man or woman, whether that faith be in the evolu tion of the horsehair or the magic removal of nestiferous warts. It appears from prohibition enforcement reports that the international boundary line is very easily bounded by agile bounders. Between David and Dame Lloyd George we ought to be able to get the real facta about the situation abroad. President Coolidge may find it difficult to main tain party harmony with so many organs out of tune, 4 , PLAYING SQUARE WITH THE BOYS. As might have been expected, the announcement from the American Legion that it would not cease its activities in behalf of the bonus bill has brought a wail from down east sources. The New York In dependent declares that its opposition to the soldiers’ bonus is founded on principle. "Patriotism,” de clares the Independent with a fine display of self rigHteousness, "is not a question of dollars and cents.” Of course it is not. If it were patriotism and profiteering would be synonymous, and there are in dications that in certain quarters during the time of our participation in the world war they were so considered. The Independent seems to take it for granted that the real patriots regained at home and coined money, while some four millions of the best youth of the land were merely doing the day’s work when they offered their lives in defense of the coun try and its citizenship, including the patriotic profi teers. The principle upon which the Independent bases its opposition to adjusted compensation is really no principle at all. The ex-service men are not asking additional pay for the services they rendered. They are merely asking that the nation make good its promises to compensate them in some measure for what they lost in wage and time while wearing their country’s uniform: merely asking that they be given something like art even break with the fellows who remained at home and enjoyed perfect safety and good health while holding unusually lucrative jobs. Paying a buck private fighting overseas the muni ficent sum of a dollar a day and making him set aside half of it for dependents, and then paying a ship riveter or a spruce cutter $12 or $16 a day, really does not look like dealing justly. The ex service men are not asking that they be paid in full for their services. All the gold in coin or bullion would not suffice to discharge that debt. But they are well within their rights when they ask that the country compensate them in part for the wage loss they suffered as compared with the wage earners who remained at home. To make good on that promise, so freely made when we were fearfully scanning the skies for Ger man Zeppelins and expecting at any moment to hear the roar of German guns bombarding our seaports, is not “merely throwing a sop” to the ex-service men, as the Independent would have us believe. The ex service men are not asking charity; they are not asking for anything that is not coming to them. They are merely asking at least a partial payment of what was promised them. Not payment for their services, for they'know as well as the New York Independent knows, that the country can never pay that debt, not even in a million years. They arc merely asking that they be given an even chance in life with the fellows who remained at home; that the country make good in part the difference between the wage they drew as soldiers and the wage they drew on the jobs they cheerfully laid aside when the country called on them. They are not mouthing any sonor ous phrases about patriotism, leaving all that sort of thing to the New York Independent and other pub lications of like class, that are as badly frightened now at the thought of paying for dangers diverted as they once were at the thought that perhaps money and promises would not suffice to bring out the hoys to avert threatened dangers. It does seem strange that whenver it is proposed to divert a little money from channels leading towards New York there comes a sudden revival of patriotism to avert the threatened danger. Equally strange is the fact that the chief opposition to the proposed adjusted compensation comes from those quarters that had most at stake in the matter of property when war threatened, and where war's big profits accumulated most rapidly. The Independent’s talk about conscripting money and industry along with men in the next war is be side the question, which is: Are we fcoing to make good, at least in part, the promises we made to the boys when they joined the colors, or are we going to follow the advice of the New York Independent and welch on the job? When those who coined millions of profits be cause of the war come forward and throw those profits into a common pot to be divided among the lads who made those war profits possible, we may hope for a speedy settlement of the controversy about adjusted compensation. The only other solu tion in sight is for the government, which means all of us, to make good its promises to the boys who fol lowed the flag to victory. And if we are to judge by the attitude of those who made the millions the one solution i# to compel them to join with others who are willing to make the largest possible pay ment on the promises made. Jacob Loose, millionaire Kansas City manufac turer, who died a few weeks ago, bequeathed $1,000, 000 to be held as a trust fund for the benefit of the poor and needy of that city. Here’* hoping that Omaha’s millionaires may live for many years, but—1 A comparatively few liars may show up in civil service examinations, but just think what might happen if all applicants for federal fat jobs were • taken at theeir word about their qualifications. Messrs. Haynes and Volstead need not throw any fits of apprehension when we remark that Mr. Ne braska Farmer is pretty well corned up these days. “Why does the moon shine?!’ queries the Louis ville Courier-Journal. If it wants to read a lot of answers let it ask, “Where is the moonshine?” It Is now asserted that bees are color blind. At least they pay little attention to color when they get excited, as perhaps you have noticed. Homespun Verse , —By Omaha’* Own Poet— Robert Worthington Davie TRUST AND PROMISE. He is old. hla hair la gray, And he looka aloft today, Viewing something far away That cheers, beguiles; He Is dreaming happily Of the days that used to be, And he proudly speaks to me— His boy—and smiles. He Implores me to attain Honestly and not be vain Toward sincerity for gain As I go down Through the changing ways of tine I shall ever strive to climb To an altitude sublime— To high renown. Glad I promise him to be All he may expect of mo, While I'm privileged to see The beacon bright. May my promise be sincere, May 1 do my duty here— Day by day and year by ycat— To hla delight. % “THE PEOPLE’S VOICE’’ Editorial tram raadira ol Tha *ornli>» Baa. Raadara ot Tha Maralat Baa ara Invltad to uaa thli column traaly tor axaraaalaa on mattcrc at public Intcrcct. Senator Norris Replies to Railroad Plea. Waupaca, Wis.—To the Editor of The Omaha Bee: 1 have read with a great deal of interest the answer to my article on freight rates, written hy .Mr. Baldwin, vice president of the Burlington railroad. .Mr. Baldwin makes quite an ex tended argument tending to show that the western farmer, particularly in Nebraska, is prosperous, and he thinks it bad policy to give publicity to the world that the farming industry is in a "sick” condition. According to his idea, it is the duty of the farmer, re gardless of conditions, to suffer in silence, make no complaint, lest he ad vertise to the world the lack of pros perity in agriculture. That the farmer has been playing a losing game since the war is such common knowledge and so generally understood by all classes of people that no argument is necessary. I can fill the columns of The Omaha Bee with testimony from all parts of the agricultural west showing that agriculture, not only among the wheat raisers and the stock raisers, but among the fruit men, has been for several years in very much of a depressed condition. Fruit men of the Pacific coast have gone into bankruptcy by the hun dreds, and yet the price of their prod uct, when it reaches the consamer in the east, is so high as to prevent its sale to those who are poor. In my article I was complaining of the enormous stretch between the producer and the consumer. I cited high freight rates as one of the rea sons. I did not claim this was the only reason, but I believe it to be more important than any other cause. It Is one of the main features in the high cost of living. Even though we concede for the sake of argument that the railroads cannot afford to lower the rate, the fact that the rates bear down with ruinous effect upon the farmer must be conceded. He is the one who suffers more than any other clans. This is because he does not fix the price either of what he produces or of what he buys. He cannot add the freight and pass it on, like the ordinary business man. Mr. Baldwin alleges that the War Finance corporation has loaned *12, 000,000 to the farmers of Nebraska, and that *11,000,000 of this loaned money has been repaid. Suppose this is true. Is that a demonstration that freight rates are not too high? Why was it necessary in the first place for the farmers of Nebraska to borrow *12,000.000 from the War Finance corporation? How did it happen that the farmers of Nebraska became so Involved in debt when they were pro ducing such enormous crops? Of course, the War Finance corporation did not loan *12,000,000 to the farmers of Nebraska. They loaned It to the banks and trust companies. The farmers got very little additional money. They simply got extensions on what they already owed, and this money loaned to the banks enabled the banks to carry them farther, j I am writing this letter where I do not have-siecess to the records, but I can show by the records hundreds of instances where the farmers of the mlddlewest have met with a loss In stead of a profit, entirely on account of high freight rates. I call to mind now a man In northern Nebraska who owned a large hay ranch. Two years ago he cut his hay any stacked It. It remained In stark until It rot ted. His principal source of Income was hay. He had a large amount of money Invested In his ranch. He had 1.500 tons of hay In the stack. From the time this hay was put In the stack until It commenced to rot and spoil, there was never a day when he could have haled the hay. hauled It to the station, shipped It to market and se cured a sufficient price on the market to have compensated him for the actual expenditure of the necessary funds In lallng and hauling the hay to the railroad station and paying the freight. The freight on hay had dou bled from the year before, and the year before the freight was exceed ingly high. He was able to tell within a few tons as to the amount of hay he had. He was able to compute to the cent what It would cost him to bale It and haul It to the station He knew the exact amount of the freight and just what the commission would be on making the sale at the market. If the freight had been the same as the year before he would have been able to have shipped the hay and made n very little money. Freight alone stood between him and success. Freight alone was the cause of a total loss of hl« labor and the Income from his ranch. One of the leading hanke of New York City Issues a monthly bulletin reviewing the flnanclaal and commer cial condition of the country. In one of these bulletins a year or so ago T read a list of shipments of products from Florida to the New York mnrket. Many carloads of va rious southern products were shipped to New York and sold on the mnr ket, which did not bring enough money to pay the freight and the sale commission, and everybody knows the commission was a very small Item compared with the freight. I have seen the returns made to s western stock man where he shipped two carloads of fat lambs to the Chi cago market. After the freight and the fee to the commission man were paid, he did not have enough money left to buy a meal of lamb chops at a high class hotel. The record or investigation mane hy the agricultural committee of the senate about two years ago will show hundreds of Instances where tenant farmers were not able to har vest a crop of corn and deliver It to market without a financial low. Many such men abandoned the farms they were on after a crop of corn had ma tured. Tho wheat farmer of the west has been particularly struck by these ad verse conditions. It has cost more to produce tho wheat than he can get for It In the market after the freight haa been paid. The peculiar condi tion la that everybody who handles this product makes money out of It except the man who produces It. The commission man gets his regular fee. The railroad Its regular freight charge. The producer gels a loss und the consumer has to pay an ex orbltant price. Tho fact that a Nebraska farmer haa a note at the hank, and that the Aggregate payments of the Nebraska farmers reach the enormous sum named hy Mr. Baldwin, la no argu ment that freight rates are not too high. If the farmer must contribute everything that he produces In order to pay his note, and flnda himself poorer at the end of the year than at the beginning, It Is perfectly evl dent that his condition Is pitiable and tiint some remedy must, be devised for his relief. Ths prevailing Idea seems to he to In somt wsy add to the price that the former receives for his product nnd let It he added on to Ihe price that the consumer must pay. U there Is no loss and no extravagance and no overcharge on the product from the time If leave* the producer until It reaches tho consumer, then this metli ml would he .lust and fair. Hut I am ns anxious to protect the consumer ns I am the producer. Tho conguiner Is alrendy overburdened with high prices, and If vou add still more, you take another step in disjointing the entire framework of our civilization. What ought to be done is to bring the producer and the consumer closer together-—lessen the cost of distribu tion and thus benefit both. One of the things that I strove to show In my article was that this could be done by thee reduction of freight rates. I called attention to the Issue of watered stock in railroad capitaliza tion, and Mr. Baldwin in effect argues that it is immaterial how much stock is issued. According to his argument, all the watered stock and all the stock dividends that have been issued In the past have not Increased freight rates nor increased the burdens of the pro ducer and the consumer. Mr. Bald win will have difficulty In sustaining this argument. Every time a railroad asks for an increased rate it calls attention to the fact that it has not been able to pay dividends to its stockholders at as high a rate as they are entitled to receive. It Is the first argument made for the Increase of rates. For the three years before the war the great railroad of which Mr. Baldwin is an efficient officer, made an average dividend of over 22 per cent on its stock. For the time that the govern ment had this great railroad it paid to the stockholders annually 22 per cent on their stock holdings. After the railroads were turned back to the stockholders by the government the government guaranteed an income on the stock of this railroad, as it did upon all other railroads. The Interstate commerce commis sion, under the law. was directed to fix rates, after the expiration of this guarantee provision, that would bring In a reasonable Income. I believe they decided that 5V4 per cent is such reasonable income, and are levying rates In order to produce It. This means that many of the great railroad systems will receive a much higher Income, and the Burlington railroad is now making much more money than that for its stockholders. The payment of interest on the bonds and an Income on the stock is and al ways has been the one Important Item to consider In the fixing of rates. Mr. Baldwin says that I am mistaken about this stock dividend. He alleges that It was not paid by the public at all. Where did Mr. Baldwin’s rail road get this $60,000,000 that It pre sented to the stockholders? Did the stockholders pay this money Into the j corporation? Is It not true that they received It from freight and passen ger rates paid by the public, and is it not true that during the time they were accumulating this enomous sur plus the stockholders were receiving a very large return upon their stock investment? And, if this be all true, then let me repeat my question that I propounded In my original article: To whom did this $60,000,000 honestly and rightfully belong? Ought it not in some way have been returned to those who contributed it in the way of freight and passenger rates? But instead of thus returning it to the people who contributed it and who honestly and morally ought to have title to it, it was given as a bonus to the stockholders. And afterwards, for all time, those who are patronizing the Burlington road must pay addi tional freight and additional passen ger rates in order to bring an in come upon this $60,000,000 that, as a matter of common honesty, was their own property. And why should the stockholders have it? What had they done 'that gave them any moral right or title to this enormous amount of money? Who made all the watered stock of the railroads of the country valuable? It is common knowledge that there is watered stock in the capitalization of railroads, running into the billions. Much of it sells on the market above par. Who gave It this value? Was it not those who pay freight? And when they were converting this water into gold, were they not making con tributions that were unfair and un just? What right has a public serv ice corporation to demand that Ita capitalization shall be doubled or tre bled and rates charged sufficiently high to the producer and consumer as to convert this worthless stock Into value equal to or above par? Mr. Baldwin takes me to task be cause I said that In the consumer's purchase prlc^ there was a larger item for transportation than for pro duction, and he cites several instances to show the incorrectness of my as sertion. Of course, when this propo sition la applied to some specific in stance, selected with a view of dis proving It, it la very easy to show that in that particular case it la not true. He gives an instance of ship ping livestock to Chicago; shows how much the producer gets and how much It pays for freight; and how- It appears In that case that the amount he paya for freight la much leas than the amount the owner of the etock receives. But he has not followed this product to the consumer. He has simply gotten It in the hands of the packer. The packer Is not the consumer. He, like the railroad, Is another middleman, getting his profit out of the product as it travels from the producer to the consumer. After the packer gets through with It, it is probably shipped back to with in sight of the farm where the stock was raised, and the freight is again added. In that particular case, even after It has been reshlpped to the town from which the atock was originally shipped. It may still appear that the freight did not equal the amount of money received hy the original producer. But there are thousands of other cases where the reverse le true. Our governor Is st this time bring ing coal Into the state to relieve the consumers from exorbitant prices. I have soon a statement, Itemizing the sale price of this coal, nnd It appears that the cost of the coal Is less than the freight from Illinois to Nebraska. I think this Is universally true of a great deal of the coal that Is used In the state. Even In the western part of the state the original cost of the roal nt the mine where It le put on the ears le. ns a rule, lees than the freight chargee from the mine to the place of consumption. I would be glnd If 1 were where I had access to the records, to give columns of In stances where this is true. I think we ought to consider tn this connec tion that the cost of the coni st the mine has some transportation charge Included In It. High freight rates Is one of the principal causes of the high cost of living. The labor cost st the mine In pro ducing this coal Is Incrcused very ma terially because on all the things that the laborer uses and consumes there Is a high freight charge, increasing the cost of living and thus Increasing the cost of labor. All tho machinery at tho mine from the pick and shovel of the miner to the high priced ma chlnery that operates ths workings of the mine, have In their cost a freight charge, ami If freight chargee are too high then all these overhead expenses have within them an Item of transportation that unreasonably Increases the cost, so that, ns a mnt ler of fact, the cost of production not only of coal, but of everything else at tho place of production. Increases In price on account of the high freight nitre It follows, therefore, thst If freight rates were reduced not only SPARROWS’ TRICKS. A few years ago I had occasion to change trains at Lincoln, Neb. Hav ing an hour or two to wait, we took a short walk. It was raining. Out side one of the fruit stores were some boxes of fruit. One compartment con tained peanuts. The sparrows would fly in and eat the Bhelled ones. We could have put out our hand and touched them, but they Just put their heads on one side as if to dare any one to dispute their right. They were very amusing, and it will always be a mystery to me how they could be so tame and daring. E. PIXBKK. Bayard, Neb. would the direct cost of transporting coal and other articles be cheapes, but the cost of production would like wise be less. Hut It Is quite Immaterial whether my assertion Is technically correct or not. I have no way of averaging up all the products that are conveyed by the railroad from the producer to the cqnsumer. The fact remains that in many localities, on some of the vital and necessary things of existence tho railroad gets a larger per cent than the proproducer. Mr. Baldwin alleges that the pay ment of passenger and freight rates does not constitute a tax upon the people. He says it is no more a tax than the payment of a hotel bill. I have shown in my article that every body, upon everything, is compelled to pay transportation; that nothing escapes a transportation charge; that it is universal, and therefore the same as a tax. All people do not stop at hotels. No person is compelled to stop at a hotel. Everybody who wears anything, eats anything, or uses any thing. must pay freight. He cannot help himself. He cannot avoid it. It Is like a tax. We all pay it. I can not conceive of anything except the air we breathe that Is free from a trans portation charge. I did not complain of this. "It is one of the necessary things in our civilization. I called at tention to it to show its Importance and to demonstrate that all people, regardless of class or occupation, are dlrectlyt interested in the transporta tion question. But I will not argue with Mr. Baldwin on this point. He can call it something else if he wants to. The thing that I am particularly Interested In is to see that this uni versal charge that everybody must bear is not exorbitant; that It is re duced to as near actual cost as pos sible. It la alleged by Mr. Baldwin that without the railroad service Nebraska farm* woould not be worth cultWat Ing. Thia argument is not worthy of one who occupies the high position of Mr. Baldwin. I could answer it in kind by asking thia question: What would the railroads be worth if It were not for the farmers? But such argument gets us nowhere. The fact Is that the railroad is necessary for he prosperity of our people under our civilization. The fact is that rail roads would be a failure and would be worthless if it were not for the people who ride on them and who ship products over them. If the Ne braska farms become worthless, the Burlington road will go to the scrap heap. And If the Nebraska farmers are of no consideration to the Burlington road, then why did thrse wise mew build their road in Nebraska? Why did they not build it in the Sahara desert, where they would have no farmers to bother them? I have no sympathy with the railroad man who tells the farmer and the business man that they would be starving if it were not for the railroad that transports the products that he produces and In which he deals. Neither have I any sympathy, on the other hand, with the man who denounces the railroad because it is a railroad These two classes are both alike; both selfish; both unfair. They are in fact the real calamity howiers. The truth ts that all classes of people are depen dent upon the railroads, and it is Just as true that all the railroads are de|>endent upon the people, upon agri culture and upon business. Either one would be a failure without the other. A railroad is a public service cor poration. It deals In a product (transportation) of universal use. Xo one. regardless of his business or his position can escape Its exactions. The people must patronize It and con tribute to It, whether they will or not. It possesaes some attributes of government. It has the right of emi nent domain. It has the right to condemn private property and take it for its use without the consent of lta owner. Any Individual or corpora tion possessing these attributes must be subject to public regulation. The public has a right to demand that it bo honest, fair and efficient. Its prof it* are rightfully suhjeot to govern mental regulation. In theory, the ex cuse for Its existence Is that it shall serve the public; but in practice the service of the public is a secondary consideration and the accumulation of money and property for its stock holders seems to be the first and often the only object of Its officers and man agers. Unless those who manage and control the railroads will realize that the excuse for the existence of private ownership is public service, economic ally and efficiently performed, and that If excess profits are made the public, who made the contributions constituting such profits, should lie given full lieneflt for such contrihu lions by the reduction of bonds, and through this means the reduction of rates, the result will eventually be that the railroads will he owned by the public and operated for service rather than for profit. u. iv. xonniB. | Daily Prayer | Follow after righteousness. godliness, fetth—1 Tim. 6:11. Our Father, teach ua how to apeak to Thee. May Thy Spirit lead ua Into the light, for we know ao little about Thee and are so dull and slow to learn. Wilt Thou forgive us when we do wrong, and keep us from going away from Thee. O Good Shepherd, the wilderness Is so large, and we so weak and so easily lose our way. Keep us from the wild beasts of sin. and may we never miss that path that leads to Thy fold. Bless our home today, and all who are in it. May we always be happy and loving, and seek to make all about us happy. Help us to have a shining face, and especially when we meet Thy other children who are sad and In trouble. Teach us to do as Jesus did when He forgot all about Himself in trying to help others. We thank Thee for all the good and beautiful things Thou nrt giving us every day. We pray Thee to help us to help Thee to make Thy world good and happy. And this we ask in the name of our Elder Brother, Christ. Who loved us and gave Himself for us. Amen. CHARLES R. FLANDERS, T).D.. London, Ont.. Canada. Job for an Optimist. An inmate of a certain penal insti tution was rather a victim of his own optimism than a criminal. He one day received a visit from the warden, who said: "I understand you were sent up for deluding the Public with a glowing mining prospectus.” "Yes,” sighed the too optimistic one, "that was all I did.” "Well,” continued the warden, "the government wants a re port on conditions in this Jail and I want you to write it.”—The Argonaut. Abe Martin «>UT?OU <*•*«* m Arrotyi o* rSss£1 It’s about got so if we git home intact w’e’ve done a pretty good day’s work. “Oh, boy! that’s cer tainly great liquor,” said Pinky Kerr, after he regained his breath an’ picked his hat up. Supposin’ Miamy would close down out o’ sympathy fer th’ coal miners, then what? One kin get an armful o’ roses fer a quarter in Califomy, but Hiram Johnson pre ferred a fountain pen. (Copyright. 3»23.) Tfellow Cab Helps Business Did you ever stop to con sider what YELLOW CAB has contributed to the business life of our community? Just as steam transporta tion cemented a loose federation of states into a united nation, so YELLOW CAB is helping to weld our city into an up-to-date metropolis. Outlying real estate de velopments have been stimulated through reliable, inexpensive YEL LOW CAB transportation. Shopping, for the house wife, becomes a pleasure, instead of a dreaded ordeal. Industrial concerns lo cated away from the central business district can avail themselves of YELLOW CAB service for less money than they can maintain private touring cars for the use of customers. y To the stranger arriving within our gates YELLOW CAB stands as a symbol of progress and a herald of hospitality. As a modern necessity, YELLOW CAB has won its place with the telephone and electric lights. In a word, it i3 today one of the vital sinews of our body politic. Hail them anywhere YeUqw ATlantic 9000 Rock Springs COAL This Coal purchased through Car* bon Coal & Supply Co., Omaha NONE BETTER Updike Lumber & Coal Co. Four Yard* to Serve You l