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About The Omaha morning bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 1922-1927 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 2, 1924)
The Morning Bee MORNIN G—E V E N I N G—S INDAY THE BEE PUBLISHING CO., Publisher MEMBER OF THE ASSOCIATED PRESS The Associated Press, of which The Pee is a member. Is exclusively entitled to the use for republication of all news dispatches credited to it or not otherwise credited in this paper, and also the local news published herein. All rights of republication of our special dispatches are also reserved. BEE TELEPHONES Private Branch Exchange. Ask tor the Department AT lantic or Person Wanted For Night Calls After 10 P. M.; -s Ann Editorial Department. AT-lantic 1021 or AT. 1042. 1UUU " OFFICES Main Offices—17th and Feraam Council Bluffs—15 Scott St. S. Side. N. W. Cor. 24th and N. New York—World Bldg. Detroit—Ford Bldg. Chicago—Tribune Bldg. Kansas City—Bryant Bldg, fit. Louis—Syndi. Trust Bldg. Los Angeles—Higgins Bldg. San Francisco—Hollrook Bldg Atlanta—Atlanta Trust Bldg. WALL FACED BY THE DEMOCRATS. The boy who whistled as he passed the grave yard now has his imitator in the wonder workers of the democratic party. They are going through the motions of preparing for a national campaign, and spend much time telling each other about the sorrowful predicament of the republican party. One of the things they enlarge upon is the election of Magnus Johnson in Minnesota, forgetting or ignor ing the fact that the result of that election was as much a setback to the democrats as to the repub licans; some folks profess to believe that it was most disastrous to the minority party, for whatever else it did, it ended any hope the sachems may have entertained for winning the North Star state. Another sign of victory for them is seen in the election of a democratic governor in Kentucky, a state that ha3 been democratic almost continuously for longer than half a century. Purely local issues decided the choice of the voters there last year, and the outcome has only the remotest bearing on the questions of national politics. Whenever the democrats turn from contemplat ing these and a few other similar spectacles, they are confronted by the most hopeless of situations. The years of greatest unemployment in the history of the nation have come when the democratic party was in power. Under Wilson we had the depression of 1913-14, when millions of men sought for work in vain; again it came with the enforced deflation of 1920-21, with all the distress that follows idle factories and interrupted industry. Read the reports of prosperity that come from all parts of the land, incident to the recovery that came with republican victory and the re-establish ment of republican policies. The readjustment of war debts, the reduction of the general debt by bil lions of dollars, lower cost of government, steady reduction of taxes, all the manifold items of im provement in conditions that have taken place in the time since a republican president and congress came into office. Contrast this with the attitude of the democrats, who, for partisan purposes solely, have desperately and continually opposed everything the republicans have sought to do to relieve the country. Even now we are told that a democratic con gressman from Nebraska has discarded a democratic senator from New York because the latter Is in favor of the administration plan for reducing the tax bill by more than $300,000,000 a year. Of course the democrats want to reduce taxes, we take their word for that, but they will not join the republicans in an honest effort to bring about that result. In simple terms, the old party of the donkey is playing politics, addressing its efforts to the prejudices and passions of the people and not to their common sense. We can not tell what congress will do, but the record of the last two years is made up, and it shows that the republicans have made good on the promises of the Chicago platform. Prosperity has been restored, debt has been re duced, exasperating and onerous tax levies have been done away with, and further cuts in the schedule are certain to be made. Our democratic brethren will find it difficult to get under, over, or around that wall of actual achievement. NOMINATION IN SEARCH OF A TALKER. Next to passing the buck, picking the candidate for vice president is the greatest of American in door sports. Just now it is going at high speed. No trouble to decide who will run for president. The backers of each of the several aspirants so far named feel certain their man is going over at the convention, and so they want to make sure that the tail of the ticket is one who will give support t^ the head. One of the specifications for the present is that the man must be an orator. In the case of Cal Coolidge, this may be understood, but why should it he necessary to get a speaker to second Hiram Johnson? He can talk for himself and for the vice president, too, and not half try. So now they are picking on Henry J. Allen, late governor of Kansas and public speaker extraordinary. Senator Capper has been turneS down, because he does not talk, and that brings the Kansas equation up to Allen, who can talk, and will talk, and may even talk too much. When James Hamilton Lewis dawned on Omaha, invited to address the bar asso ciation, he put out a feeler in favor of Senator Norris, who also can talk, and will talk, and some times talk too much. Jim Watson of Indiana is another talker who has been referred to, and there are others. All of these mentioned ought to tickle the vanity of each who has been named. Wouldn’t it be a heavenly relief if the candidate for vice president were as silent as the president? A campaign without oratory has never really been tried in America, hut there must always be a first time. Why not let the voters hnve a chance to talk over the men and the measures among themselves, and come to their own conclusions once? Homespun Verse —By Omaha’s Own Poet— Robert Worthington Davie ENJOYMENT. I like to watch them as they grow And talk and laugh and smile; I Uko to watch them as they go About and me beguile; I like to hear the things they any With ecstasy and pride; I llko to watch them ns they play Completely satisfied. I like to have them come to mo When day’s drear course is run; 1 like to list attentively To all they say they've done; I like to rock them as they ask, And see their blue eyes gleam Until—If rocking i« a task— I wonder what Is dream. J like to hear their welcome home When evening comes, srid l Rejoice as I go forth to roam With their sincere goodby; I like to please them ns I can— And all In all I'm glnd To be a common working man Because I am their dad. 0 NEBRASKA DELEGATION COULD DO IT. Scotts Bluff national monument in the extreme western part of the state is one of the historic spots of the commonwealth. It is deserving of more con sideration at the hands of the federal government than it is getting. As a national monument it shares in a biennial appropriation of $10,000, and as there are 30 of these national monuments the share re ceived by the Nebraska monument is about $150 a year. But it has never yet received even one-half of that amount. The Scotts Bluff national monument comprises about 2,300 acres of rugged beauty, the peak of Scotts Bluff, rising 4,666 feet above sea level, being the central point of interest. Instead of being a national monument this spot should be made a na tional park, with an annual appropriation for its maintenance and improvement. It is really the east ern end of the foothills of the Rocky mountains, and the dividing line between the plains and mountain country. Of easy access, this scenic spot could easily be made one of the great pleasure resorts of the middle west. It affords a wonderful opportunity for the establishment of a national preserve wherein might be preserved the bird and animal life now so rapidly disappearing. If the Nebraska delegation in congress would make a concerted effort to change the status of this scenic resort from that of a national monument to that of a national park, the desired result would not be hard to obtain. The national monument was es tablished by presidential proclamation, but an act of of congress is required to establish a national park. Because of its beauty and its historic importance, Scotts Bluff, which is really a mountain and not a bluff, should be designated as a national park, and the Nebraska delegation would merit praise were it to get busy and see that this is done at the earliest possible date. REAL TEST OF THE PUDDING. Some Homer of the future was furnished ma terial for an epic down at Washington on Saturday. On many an occasion has Magnus Johnson, dirt farmer extraordinary, snorted in high derision at the pretensions of Henry Cantwell Wallace to the title of farmer. A dirt farmer is one who really farms, who jocund drives his team afield, and with his share turns the stubborn glebe, as Gray puts it, and in the evening “homeward plods his weary way.” Many a time and oft has Magnus done this, watching the sun that arose over Duluth in the morning sink to rest behind Moorhead. What Magnus knows of farming he gained by honest sweat and much of hard < labor. On the other hand, Mr. Wallace got his training i in agriculture at Ames, a mighty good school, and j one that stands high in the list of colleges. He has i been a stock breeder and an editor, and has made 1 something of a success in both, lines of endeavor. Yet Senator Johnson questions whether Secretary Wallace knows anything about farming, and has not hesitated to say as much. The issue being thus joined, a trial must follow. So the contestants adjourned to the farm at tached to the soldiers’ home near Washington, and there proceeded to establish each his claim to the honorable title of farmer. Some farmers may ques tion whether the test was a fair one, but it was adopted, and on its outcome the settlement depended. A nice gentle cow was provided for Henry and an other for Magnus, and they set about to milk in feverish competition. At the end of ten minutes a halt was called, and each found to have extracted the same amount of milk from the impassive cows. This is supposed to establish that Henry is a dirt farmer, or that Magnus is not. Either way, the result is impressive. What the cows had to say about the affair is not reported. We will wager that one good active dairy hand could milk more with one hand in the same time than both the hon orable gentlemen did with two. -I-__ A change in the rules of the house is being worked out to meet requirements of the progres sives. What the people would like to see is some sort of rule that will keep congress on the job till something is done. Last year the Pacific belied its name by causing more disasters than ever on its record. Not all of this can be blamed on the ocean, as for example, the loss of the seven torpedo boats. When a deputy sheriff can not get the jail open to receive prisoners it must be a sign of something. On the face it looks as if a wideawake night watch man might get a job there. A hen down in Jersey has laid an egg with “W” on it, and the sooth sayers insist it stands for “Wil son.’’ Maybe, but why not for war, as it did in years gone by? What ahout the poor bootlegger, caught on the way from Canada with a cargo of cheer for the New Year celebration? The blizzard was not well timed. Henry Dunn says that Omaha is the best be haved city in the world, and he is right. But he doesn’t dismiss his police force on that account. Nineteen-twenty-three was not such r had old year after all, but its gone to join all the others, so let it rest, and dig for a better year in 1924. Figures on the number of tram passengers for 1922 read like the amount in rubles one would have to pay for his fare downtown on a street car. Camden (N. J.) police have discovered n brand of hootch that will remove acid stains. Does it burn with a bright blue flame? Council Bluffs set one mark Omaha can well afford to shoot at; Its fire losses in 1922 were less than half those of 1922. Henry Ford nmy be a maker of bogies, but he knows also how to make something else which is more worth while. And the money to pay for the roads was there all the time, just waiting for the governor to say the word. When agricultural imports exceed exports in the United States balance sheet, it is time to begin an inquiry. An Omaha detective can talk in three languages, but the best man is he who can keep his mouth shut in one. No matter what a cold and cruel democrat may say, Roy’s heart is true to Hennery. Joe Hummel! is stocking Rivcrvlew park with ’possums. Whose vote is he after? Ice clop is next to be harvested. When Cider Tastes the Best -——- By CATHERINE ELIZABETH HANSON - When autumn paints its ruddy glow across each hill and dale, And Jack Frost plays at hide-and-seek through orchard, wood and vale, Then comes the cider-making time—the old horse walking round, The apples crunching in the cogs, a mellow soothing sound, The press with rye straw mingled with the pulp of red and gold, The luscious cheeses dripping with a cadence yet untold; And then the foaming tub of juice, with boys and bees about, And, too, the straw with which we draw the mellow liquid out. Oh, that is when it tastes the best, a straw poked in the foam, And we upon our bended knees to draw the cider home! A golden goblet if you will, or cut-glass and the rest, But when we draw it through a straw is when it tastes the best. Then, later, when the cogs are stilled and all the cider’s made, With 20 barrels in a row behind the old mill’s shade, With 20 bung-holes waiting there to make a youngster smile, I’d give a heap to take a straw and linger there awhile. I’d like to straddle every cask and sample every one, And sozzle in that apple juice until the day was done; And then I’d like to go to bed and dream that I were still Astraddle of a cider cask down under Martin’s mill. For that is when it tastes the best, a straw poked in the foam, Humped over on a cider cask fo draw that sweetness home. A golden goblet if you will, or cut-glass and the rest, But when we draw it through a straw is when it tastes the best! “77/F TeOPLVS VOICE” I Editorial from reader* of The Mornfno Bee Reader* of The Mernlnp Bee are Invited to ute thle column freely for expreeilon on matter! of publlo Intereit. Promoting the Dairy Industry. Idncoln.—To the Editor of The Omaha Bee: The dairy industry has been favored, perhaps above other lines, by free advertising. During the last two years this publicity has Increased and It Is now conspicuous In many of our states. The dairy Industry has proven to lie dependable and sure of profit Dairy communttles and states show more prosperity, larger bank accounts per capita and are not easily stam peded by the ups and downs of gen eral business. Because of this fact there Is a growing sentiment in favor • if dairying and nil classes of busi ness are joining in, for they know the farmer must lead when prosperity advances. Of course It takes more than ad vertising and publicity by speech or press to build a business. First of all, there must be cows, and the better the cows are the more sub stantial will be the business. It re quires money to buy cows. This tpeans either cash or credit, and the farming community that Is chancing from wheat and grain growing to dairying has a real financial problem. The hanker as a rule Is sold to the dairy Industry. He knows of Its stability and reward. He realizes that where farmers keep a good grade of rows they have a sure snd dependable income and are able to pay pash for most'of their necessities .Such farmers market a part of their crop through their cows. Much raw inaterlal which would otherwise bo wasted Is turned into a profitable product and the soil Is built up and their farms Increased In value. Thero is steady employment for their men and boys throughout the year and they always have something to sell. So we note today that the banker, as a rule, favors the dairy Industry and will give a cow buyer the prefer ern e when It pomes to a loan. The cow keeper's success Is most Important, for If he cannot make his cows pay a profit he will quit, snd this will discourage others from going In: therefore It Is very Important that every row keeper understands the principal economic features connected with the care snd management of cows. He should realize first that the most profitable cow In the dairy Is the dairy cow, and to get the best returns front a cow she must lie given good care and liberally fed. The greatest loss to our row keepers Is due to the fact that they fail to supply their cows with necessary nourishment. Under feeding a dairy cow Is a sure way to lose profit in the business, 1« cause an animal first of nil will main lain life and will take life's require ments first from the food. A thou sand-pound cow needs considerable focal each day to maintain the thou sand pounds, snd ns a rule the more a cow will consume the more profit she will make, because she will have ho much more food for production. rhls, of course, Is on the ground thn» I ho cow Is a dairy animal. A beef animal will get fat If fed a large amount of food. Not only must we feed liberally, but also cheaply. The wise feeder understands that a ration must bo cheap as well ns nutritious. The biggest bill of experse In the dairy business Is the feed of lbs cow, end the second Is labor. Roth ttoms are important, but tbs feeding Is the easiest ono to handle. The simple problem of furnishing hn animal with Its requirements can be mastered easily. Thern Is a largo list of food stuffs fo chnoHe from and their prb-» and their nutritive value should de termine their selection. As a rule corn or cane silage and legume lia\ will tie found the best and cheapest roughage. In promoting this branch c>f agrl culture then, wo must keep In mind that If we wish lo really build a great dairy Industry In our community we Daily Pro ye r For *hs love of Chrlet constrnlnrth u*. —II Cor. r, 1«. Our Father In Heaven, we hip Thy children, redeemed by Christ our ^ ^ vlor and Klder Frother, and wo ooiu" to Then In Ills Name. Forgive nur sins. Deliver us from all the guilt and power of sin. Take the Jove nf It • >ut of our heart* Make our love nf Thee to glow, l et It hum out nil the dross of evil, and burp* I us constantly to gracious net* r»f kindly ministry done to others In the Master’s yin me and for His sake fJIve in a clear vision of our ever present Savior h* an abiding Friend. Grant that we may be transformed by thus beheld in* Him. growing dally more and more like Him In the desire of our hearts, the words of our lips, and the things we do and reft tin fiom d« hu; Hlcsa with us all other «. suppl\ nj' their every n«*d. and i.ivln-. them grace and guidance Mike the gos pel light shine out brightly In all lands, bringing peace and spiritual prosperity, and drawing all men to Christ, and together In the bonds of Christian unity and i»rofherltness. We ask all this, as we prnv for grateful hearts, in the name of Hint Who died on Calvary. A turn J II I10MUKHUER, It. D., Cl*V*Und, O. must encourage the right kind of rat tle and the right kind of feeding first of all. A good many people worry about the market, and there is a lot of wasted argument along this line, for really the market will pretty much tkke care of Itself. I have never seen anyone have trouble in finding a market for dairy products. No farmer is so independent when it comes to a market as the dairy farmer. He ran sell either milk or cream to scores of factories within or outside his state. Ho can make butter or chees on the farm, and If It be good get a fancy price, fie can put up his nvllk in fancy packages and ship it half way across the con tinent to a steady trade that will pay a good price for a high grade prod uct. States that are too far front the world market, namely, the seaboard, will do especially well to engage in the dairy business, for In this way they will condense their products. Butter is the most condensed article produced on the farm and can be -hipped to all parts of the world. We are not producing our own require ments and this country is Importing butter from many foreign lands and paying th» $ cents per pound tariff. The market Is not a question, but the cost of production Is a very big and important item. It requires considerable time to es tablish the dairy industry In a coun try, so we must not be discouraged by slow progress. Most men have to ioarn from experience, expensive and bitter as the lessons are. It requires considerable time to test out the herd. The poor animals must b* discarded ind good ones put In their places. Improvements will be needed in the wav of better barns, silos and milk houses. The man who complains that dairying doesn't pay nine times out ! "f ten has poor, unprofitable cows in his dairy. You will not find a silo on the place, neither will you find a milk house This farmer does not under stand the necessity of feeding a bal anced ration. The chance* are he will be keeping poor cows and giving 'hem Insufficient rations, which make profit Impossible. Nature has been generous with Ne braska and has riven us a land fa vorable to dairying We have the raw material, the climate, good wa ter and splendid means of transporta tlon. The hirgest expense connected with the dairy business Is the cost of feeding the cow. Here we find stock fond ns rheap or cheaper than In any other section. A great surplus each ve.-ir of hay and grain are shipped to many market* east, north and south. AlfaIfa and com are our leading crops, md those two make the base ami the best of stock food*. We will have no trouble competing with other sections when It comes to producing dairy product* cheaply, an we can promote dairying tiere and fee! that we nre doing a good work for all. A L. HAECKEIt. Divinity of Christ. Olhlxm, Neb.—To the Editor of The Omaha llee: fn (he discussion going on In regard to the virgin blrlh of Christ It would he well for the dis putants to read the first chapter of St. Mathew, where Christ's lineage Is traced fmm Abraham direct to Jo sepli, (not Mary). Ho the writers of thnt day evidently considered that Joseph was the veritable father of Christ s physical body, whatever they may have thought about hla spiritual origin. Otherwise they would have traced his genealogy down to Mary or her Immedlnte ancestors. If Joseph was not Christ s ow n fath- j nr, as far n.s wc know Joseph was no i relation, as kin, to Christ except i through King David, T* generations Itaek. Anil ngnln In Acts, third chapter, j .’•Id verse, It says; And Jesus Him -»elf began to he about 80 yeais of I age, being ( is was supposed I the Son of Joseph, etc. Now.” ns was sup posed * being In parenthesis, would Indicate Hint those three words were not In the original text, hut was prob ably an Interpolation by some later writer. Vnd there you will see Christs lliu ice traced front Joseph hark to Clod through Adam. Ho If Joseph was not the pin ileal father of Christ, there w is plainly an error In both of these lineages. El.I.lOTT LOOMIS. NET AVERAGE CIRCULATION for November, 192.1, of THE OMAHA BEE Daily.76.950 Sunday.79,265 Ddn not Include returns, left* ivrri, sample* ot papers spoiled In pi inline «od inr'udes no special ) ties or free circulation of any kind. B. BREWER, Gen Mgr. V. A. BRIDGE, Cir. Mgr. Subset ibrH and *wo»n to before we j I this <l»h day of Hecsmber, 1921. W II QUIVfcY. 1 (Seal) Notary Public i ■- -—- ■ . “From State and Nation” —Editorials from Other Newspapers—_ Personality in Journalism. From the Christian Science Monitor. It requires no reassurance from Mr. Cyrus H. K. Curtis to convince an interested public that under his ownership and management the New York Evening Post, which will be published by him after January 1, will lose none of its prestige or traditions. That newspaper, established under its present name about a century and a quarter ago, occupies an almost unique position in American Journal ism. Its history and the story of its progress since the day's of Alexander Hamilton, when it was launched as a champion of the federalists, form an Interesting chapter, not only in news paper making hut in national develop ment, politically, socially and indus trially. it has maintained a high standard, from which there has been no serious departure, no matter how strong the inducement. Courageously and consistently that newspaper has stood as a rock against the surging tide of yellow journalism, faithful to Ideals which have been held sacred. But it has, like ail other larger newspapers in the American metro polis, passed from that stage in jour nalism when a newspaper was re garded as the messenger or interpreter of some dominant or guiding person ality. A contemporary of the Tribune, founded and edited by Horace Oreo ley; the Kun. the fearless exponent of the scholarly Dana; of the Herald, the courageous spokesman for the Bennetts, father and son. it was it self for many years the tablet upon which the venerable M'illian Cullen Bryant wrote. In those days news papers were identified closely with the men who edited and published them. It is not so now. Few outside the profession of newspaper making know, or care to inquire, the name of the person who stands in the position of (sponsor for a newspaper’s editorial and news policy. One wonders in Just what measure this loss of the identifying mark is responsible for the undeniable change In standards which is so generally apparent. The new publisher of the Evening Post is not entering upon an experi mental adventure in journalism. He has no need to define his policies, be cause these are already well under stood. It is an encouraging assur ance that the old traditions will be ob served and the old standards main tained. Those who for years regarded that newspaper as their own may safety continue to read and support it. Mr. Curtis says he believes there is room in New York for a newspaper which will tell the daily news "with out prejudice and without fear of the truth.” He is right in believing thus. There Is room everywhere for such a newspaper, and It is encouraging that this fact is becoming more and more generally recognized. That, perhaps more than the identifying name of a Greeley, a Dana, or a Bryant, should be the distinguishing trade mark of a newspaper's excellence. French Finance. From the New York Time*. It is re assuring news from Paris that the French government is mak ing a program of economy and of sound public finance a question of confidence with the chamber. By so doing on Saturday Premier Poincare secured a reversal of the previous vote granting a sort of bonus to civil ian employes of the government, on the ground of the rise in prices. The total sum involved was about a billion and a quarter francs, and the min lster of finance bluntly informed the chamber that the budget could not ensure such an addition. There would lie only two ways to provide for it. One would he by new taxes, which the deputies themselves were afraid of levying, and the other fresh borrow > ■» — The Old Playhouse Beneath a blooming haw tree’s beck ing shade. One-half a century ago 'tw.-is made. The kitchenette, we called It "dining hall,” Was where we loved to be the best of all. A match box boasted proudly In Itself. Cute acorn saucers on a pasteboard shelf. An upturned flsh kit flaunted rich mud pies With wild strawberry garnish. Shin ing eyes Of little cousin guests stared at Su sanne, My wax doll, throned on a corn-cob divan; Such curtseys we did make at her for fun In linsey-woolsey gowns by grandma spun. Brand new she was. For her sake raggedy Kllza and Sanrjantha came to tea. Our pantalettes, of linen, stiff and white, Gleamed over fabric gaiters, black as night. Hid round our necks to scare disease away. Wee bags of asafetida safe lay. ’Neath pinafores with neck banrjs high and tight— My, oh; but we were in the style, all right! The games our minds constructed and the tales— Before them modern day invention quails. As one who, having learned life, looks behind To view the old playhouse, again I find Sweet child contentment In earth’s simple things. And ding to them with joy as Ivy clings To oaks. Your young fire takes age chill off me— Uy merry make-believe that used to be! —Alta Wrenwick Brown. ing. But the latter, asserted the min ister of finance, would infallibly mean further inflation and pushing up the cost of living. For that reason alone the government was against it. If the chamber persisted in granting the Ismus. it would have to get some other cabinet to carry on the government. In the face of that ultimatum, there was nothing for the chamber to do but retrace its steps, which it did, however reluctantly. Kxchanpe has been running heavily against France for some time, and the minister of finance warned the cham ber not to do anything further to lower the value of the franc. Doubt less many causes have operated to depreciate the franc, but economists are agreed, especially those in other countries, that the chief cause of the decline has been doubt about the soundness of the financial policy of Franca. Its weakest point since the war has been the continued floating of loans to cover deficits in the budget. The excuse has been that this recourse was justified while waiting the pay ment of German reparations; but the result has been to pyramid the In ternal debt of France, to pay the in terest on old leans partly by issuing new ones, and to push the total inter eat payment to a dangerously high figure. That the French themselves clearly 1 perceive that this process cannot go on indefinitely, und that the govern ment is resolved to stop It short wher» 5 it is. should help In restoring abroad confidence In French finance. It may A Handy Place to Eat Hotel Conant !6tb and Himty- Omaha rhe Center of Convenience Abe Martin When a wiie gees a husband gulp down a breakfast an’ light a big cigar an’ tear out fer tawn, leavin’ th’ dishes, it hain’t t' be wondered at she’d like t’ be a man. Th’ law regulatin’ th’ use o’ fire arms is .almost as effective as th’ law regulatin’ th’ use of firewater. fCopyritcnt. ISSt.) not at once stop the fall of th° franc, but it will at lc-ast demonstrate that the French government Is not to em bark upon unlimited Inflation with a final resort to the printing pres* in order to meet deficits in the public rt venue. The Spice of Life He—Hey, there's no swimming al lowed here. She—Why didn't you tell me be fore I got undressed? He—Well, there's no law against that.—Medley. “What! You don't know m*. Mr. Pester?" “No.’’ “Well—ha! ha!—that's funny. I know you!" “That Is nothing. I know myself. Ring off!—Kansas City Star. “And what." asked the Sunday school teacher, “Is the lesson taught us in the parable of the seven wise virgins?” Ninc-year-old Ruth held up h“. hand. "That we should always be on the lookout for a bridegroom." she answered —Boston Transcript. She^m-Williams* Paints VARNISHES, ENAMELS COMPLETE STOCK Barker Bros. Paint Co. 1609** Fsrnsm JA 4750 » —,1 Illinois Central System Tells of Achievements of American Railroads in 1923 The railroads of the country have a number of oustanding achievements to their credit for 1923. They handled promptly and efficiently, with no shortage of transportation, the heaviest freight traffic ever known. Notwithstanding that they performed this sendee at lowered rates, they materially strengthened their credit by improved net earnings as a result of reduced costs of operation. Thev stimulated business activity in all lines by extensive expenditures lor labor an t materials. They made substantial improvements to their properties. The freight traffic handled by the railroads in 1923 (with December esti mated) was 27 per cent greater than in 1922 and > per cent greater than in 1929. the previous record year. The following table shows the growth in Ireight traf fic bv 10-year periods in'the last forty years: Tons Carried One Mile lgg3 . 44,0*4.923.4-15 jgog .'.. 98.588,111,833 I nos .!. 173,221.278 993 19j3 '. 297.722.628,693 1923 (Peermber estimated). 430,000,000,000 Per Cent Increase Over 1883 its 293 576 876 The demand for freight transportation will increase in the future as it has in the past. Certainly no one believes that the United States has reached the limit of its commercial growth. That growth, however, can continue only if the rail roads are able to obtain the funds to increase their facilities to handle the larger traffic. A great deal has been said about the. necessity for restoring and maintaining the credit of the railroads. That can be done only by permitting the railroads to earn a fair return. The net return on tentative valuation realized by the rail roads in 1923 was about 5 per cent, which was a substantial improvement over the 3.33 per cent in 1921 and the 4.14 per cent in 1922. But 5 per cent is still short of the return set by the Interstate Commerce Commission as fair and reasonable. Business in all lines was active during the year, and labor was fully emploved at good wages. The railroads contributed greatly to these conditions by their extensive expenditures. In 1923 they paid out more than three billion dollars for labor emploved in railway operation. For materials and supplies they spent nearly two billion dollars. More than one billion dollars were devoted to im proving and extending their facilities. These large sums passing into the chan nels of trade, increased the demand for the products of all industries, including agriculture. During 1923 the public supported railroads he. rtilv in their plans for in creasing and bettering their service. We believe that this support will be contin ued in 1924. Public ‘confidence is necessary in order to enable the railroads t do their full part toward giving the country adequate transportation service. The achievements of the railroads during 192" should be a source of pride to the nation. The people of the United States are served by the most efficient rai’ wav transportation in the world and at rates that are remarkably low in comps son with the rates charged by the railroads of the other principal countries the world. Constructive criticism and suggestions are invited. C. H. MARKHAM. President, Illinois Central System