THE SEMUWEEKLV TRIBUNE, NORTH PLATTE, NEBRASKA.
OPPOSES FEDERAL
RAIL OPERATION
labor Leader Says "Political
Autocracy" Cannot Conduct
So Great an Industry.
WANTS GOVERNMENT TO OWN
Declares Men Operating Roads Have
Made Life-Study of Work Change
Would Give More of an Equal
Opportunity.
Washington, Aug. 11. "Organized
labor Is not willing to have the gov
ernment opornto the railroads becnuso
It does not believe bo great tin Industry
enn be conducted by nny political au
tocracy," Glenn 13. Plumb, author of
the l'lumb plan for control of tho
roads, declared before the house lntcr
ntnto commerce committee.
In resuming his testimony Mr.
Plumb was asked by Representative
Sweet why, if tho government was to
own tho roads, his phm did not give it
authority to operate.
"Because we do not believe In op
eration by nny government body," tho
witness replied. "We do not believe
this grent Industry can be conducted
by any political nutocrncy. If wo lenve
flpcrntlon In tho hands of political np-
polntecs we would place the rullway
systems ultimately In the bunds of
politicians, and that, wo admit, cannot
be safely done.
"Tho men operating tho roads have
made a life study of It. We have pro
vided nn Incentive to actuate every
employee, and in this bill we have re
moved restrictions placed upon them
by capital."
"You believe then," Mr. Sweet asked,
"that your plan will give more of nu
equal opportunity to those engaged In
railroad work?"
"We believe It restores to those In
this Industry that equal opportunity of
which they hnve been deprived."
Representative Raybum referred to
the brotherhoods' schema as a "soviet
system."
"I don't know much nbout Russian
affairs," Mr. Plumb retorted, "so I
enn't say as to that."
"Rut would you consider It fair to
workers In other Industry to socialize
ihe railways solely?" Mr. Ruyburn
nsked.
"This plan, or modlfiactlon of It,
can be applied to every Industry based
on government grant or monopoly,"
Mr. Plumb said. "It can be followed In
all these."
Mr. Plumb repented ngaln that the
Idea he advanced would lead to opera
tion of the service and not of tho
profits.
Declaring that ho wished to sub
stantiate his assertion made previous
ly during the hearing that threats to
unseat members of congress were a
part of tho railroad unions' propa
ganda In favor of tho Plumb plan,
Representative Webster Introduced
Into the record a stuck of several hun
dred form letters addressed to him.
Ml were printed and Identical In word
ing on letterheads bearing the name
if the brotherhoods of railway car
men and clerks.
"Wages have been Increased, the
workday- shortened and labor and the
family have had more of the necessi
ties of life under the present govern
ment control," the letters said. "Ho
who obstructs tho government In tho
policy of control or ownership becomes
our direct enemy, nnd shall be posted
throughout tho land. It ahull bo our
chief policy to remove him from any
political lino of trust tho public bus
given Into his keeping."
"Do you Indorso thut as a part of
tho educntlonul plan you said you were
making In favor of this bill?" asked
Mr. Webster.
Mr. riumb said ho did not Indorso
tho wording, but remarked that "any
body of citizens had tho right to use
the ballot to protect any rights they
may think are In danger."
"The men are following tho example
which has been thrust upon them by
the opposition," ho continued, "It
shows the condition throughout tho
country. The mind of tho worklngman
Is like n bed of tinder and, seeing n
gleum of hope, he resorts to anything
to attain It."
BIG CONCESSION TO MINERS
British House of Commons Passes the
Seven-Hour Mine
Work Day.
London, Aug. 11. The house of com
mons ndopted tho hill providing for u
seven-hour day In the mines.
Belgium Ratifies Peace Treaty.
Brussels, Aug. 11. Tho chamber of
deputies unanimously ratified the
peace treaty with Germany.
Illinois Bank Is Held Up.
Chicago, Aug. 11. Four youthful
whlto bandits nnd one elderly negro
held up tho South Holland Trust and
Savings bank, South Holland, III,, nnd
escaped with about $7,000, of which
$:5,000 was In cash.
North Dakota Buys Flour Mill.
Blsmnrck, N. D.. Aug. 11. Tho stato
of North Dnkota, through the Stnte
Mill and Elevator association, has pur
chased n flour mill and Is now locat
ing four largo mills and terminal elevators.
"GIVE ME THOS
W VOUK WHlk
URGES FIRING SQUAD
LABOR LEADER OFFERS REM
EDY FOR PROFITEERS.
Houste Body Told Rail Men Have
Made No Plans for Strike
Want Lower Prices.
Washington. Aug. 7. Organized la
bor has no concreto suggestion for re
ducing the cost of living, but it may
Inter advocate a firing sqund for prof
iteers, Warren S. Stone, head of the
Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers,
told the house interstate commerco
committee.
Frank Morrison, secretary of tho
American Federation of Labor, told
the committee that labor would not bo
disappointed If it failed to have Its
railroad plan adopted Immediately.
It would simply gird Itself for tho
educating of the people to tho point nt
Which congress would bo sufficiently
impressed.
Mr. Morrison said ho believed that
tho Plumb plan would be so satisfac
tory that there would be no occasion
for railroad employees to strike.
"The railroads under this plan' he
said, "will bo run without profit, with
wage-earners and public getting all the
benefit, the public n lower rate and the
employees n reasonable compensation."
Questioned by Chairman Esch after
ho had presented his formal statement,
Mr. Stone snld tho railway brother
hoods were entirely opposed to return
of the roads to the old system of con
trol. In the event congress rejected
tho Plumb plan, It would bo tho policy
of labor to create enough sentiment
out of congress to force Its adoption.
"Wo have not and do not make nny
strike threats," he said. "Wo hnvo not
even demanded an increase In wages;
preferring a reduction In tho cost of
living."
Asked by Chairman Esch if he had
I any concrete suggestions, Mr. Stone
I replied:
"I think we might possibly offer
mnny suggestions. Wo hnven't them
In concreto form at this time. It might
i bo that before we get through wo
' would advocate a firing sqund for
i some people."
I Mr. Stone added that unless con
gress found a solution of the high
cost of living problem within a few
months America would see "its very
worst period."
"The people are not going to
starve," said he. "They are going to
die fighting."
NEW KING RULES HUNGARY
Archduke Joseph Forms Ministry to
Replace Peldll Government Peas
ants Hunt Communists.
Budopcst, Aug. 8. The allies' mis
sion In this city delegated government
al nuthorlty to Archduke Joseph Wed
nesday night, when tho Peldll govern
ment resigned.
Paris, Aug. 8. The peace conference
was advised that tho newly formed
Uungnrlan cabinet, headed by Jules
Peldll, had been overthrown and thnt
Archduke Joseph had established a
ministry In Budapest.
The message to tho conferenco re
garding the cabinet stntcd that the
members of the social democratic gov
ernment, while they were In session nt
tho national pnlace, were arrested by
Hungarian police. The coup d'etat
was corrlcd out without disorder.
Peasants are reported to be hunting
down communists who hnve fled to
tho country from Budapest. It Is al
leged thnt they are being Incited in
this work by tho Roumanlnns.
Find Bodies of Sailors.
New London, Conn., Aug. 11. Tho
bodies of Arnold Henderson, Chester,
III., nnd Sidney G. Uhllk, Ilnmllton, III.,
seamen, drowned when the submarlno
G-2 submerged with nn open hatch two
weeks ago, have been recovered.
Ready for Packer Suits.
Chicago, Aug. 11. United States At
torney Charles F. Clyno returned to
Chicago from Washington with the
complete plans of tho federal govern
ment for tho criminal prosecution of
the five big Chicago packers.
E RAILROADS!"
PACKERS UNDER FIRE
"BIG FIVE" TARGET OF U. S. AT
TORNEY GENERAL PALMER.
Charges Clear Violations of Antitrust
Law Hoarding Defined as Crime
Goods Will Bo Confiscated.
Washington, Aug. 8. Developments
In tho government's drive on the high
cost of living popped out so fnst that
they tumbled over one another.
Attorney General Palmer announced
the bringing of antitrust suits against
the five great pncklng concerns Ar
mour, Swift, Wilson, Morris and
Cudahy.
At the same time the attorney gen
eral ordered all agents of the depart
ment of justlco to arrest profiteers,
hoarders and other contributors to
soaring food costs. Tho first arrests
came in Pittsburgh whore a concern
was wholesaling sugar nt 14 cents n
pound.
Food hoards may ho confiscated by
the government.
Intermingled with the cost of living
situation was tho decision of the sen
ate Interstate commerce committee to
notify the president that It disagrees
with his suggestion for a spcclnl wage
board to (deal with railway employees'
demands. Tho committee holds tho
president has sufficient nuthorlty al
ready to deal with tho situation.
Antitrust suits against the five big
meat packers will bo Instituted Imme
diately by tho department of justice.
Attorney General Palmer announced
that the evidence before the federal
trade commission nnd committees of
congress Indicated "n clear violation of
the antitrust laws," nnd that he had
ordered "prompt action accordingly."
Isldor J. Kresel of tho New York
law firm of Jerome, Rand & Kresel
will have charge of tho case.
TAKE 22 MEN; RAID STILLS
Illicit Whisky Made at Elgin Seized
by Chicago Revenue Men
Prisoners Are Held.
Chlcngo, Aug. 7. Twenty-two men,
fourteen stills and several hundred
gallons of Illicit whisky were brought
to Chicago after Internal Revenue
Agents L. C. Ketlr, Mathow Weydert
and Perry Fullmer descended on El
gin, III., and raided an alleged Illicit
still. The men were nrralgned before
United States Commissioner Mark A.
Foote and held for further hearing In
bonds of $1,000 each. The men arrest
oil were: John Drahoca, II. II. Juby,
John Meyers, Joseph' PItkl, Steven Or
bin, Georgo Sole, Steven Slohodn, Stev
en Szosz, George Vlnrestzto, Joseph
Kunos, Clark Wyounghonnl, Joseph Po
tus, Peter Abrnhnm, Steven Iioros,
Frank Captain and his brother Joseph
and John Czekh
MORE YANK BRIDES ARRIVE
First German Women to Come to U.
S. Since 1917 In Port.
Now York, Aug. 0. The first Gor
man wnr brides to come to thp United
States since 1017 nrrlved here aboard
the army transport Great Northern
from Brest. They were Included
among 210 young women of various na
tionalities who married American sol- !
dlers ubrond. The Great Northern
also brought nbout 22 officers, l.fiOO
troops and 8.1 welfare wrirkors. The
battleships Wisconsin. Maine. Kenr-
surge, Alabama, Illinois and Kentucky
arrived with contingents of midship- !
men, recent gruduntes of the United
Mates nuvul academy at Annnnolls.
aboard. They are on a practice crutso. i
Poles Occupy Minsk.
Paris, Aug. 11. Dispatches tmm
Wnrsnw curry the onnonnepnintit h
tho newspapers there that Polish 1
troops have occupied tho city of Minsk. '
Minsk Is some 200 miles east of tho
borders of tho old province of Poland. 1
Demand for General Kruska.
London, Aug. 11. The surrender of
General Kruskn, commander of tho
German prison camp at Knlsor, hns
been demanded by the allies ns tho
flist of the German officials to be tried
for violation of International law.
TELLS HINES TO
El RAIL STRIKE
President Instructs Director Gen
eral to Fix Wage of the
Workers.
DECIDE DEMANDS ON MERITS
Wilson Insists, However, Men Must
Return to Work First Action
Taken After Committee Decides
Legislation Unnecessary.
Washington, Aug. 0. President Wil
son took tho railroad wage crisis Into
his own Jinnds and told tho striking
railroad shop employees to go buck to
work If they wanted their demands
for Increases considered.
His request for legislation having
boon regarded ns unnecessnry by the
senate committee on Interstnto com
merco, tho president snld n duty had
been Imposed upon him to net nnd ho
did so in no uncertain way In n letter
to Director General Hlnes, which, In
effect, orders railroad strikers back to
work and to obey tho authority of
their national organizations.
Tho president notified tho director
general to Inform tho railroad shop
men thnt their demand for Increases
would be considered on its merits, but
thnt:
"Until tho employees return to work
nnd ngaln recognlzo tho authority of
their own organization tho wholo mat
ter must be nt n standstill."
The president nlso said, referring to
the "rnreful consideration" which the
administration Is giving to tho high
cost of llvlug, thnt this was a tlmo
"when every employeo of tho railways
should help to make the processes of
transportation moro easy nnd econom
ical rather than less, nnd employees
who are on strike nro deliberately de
laying a settlement of their wage prob
lem and of their standard of liv
ing."
"They should promptly return to
work," tho president's letter to Direc
tor Hincs snld, "and I hope that you
will urge upon their representatives
the Immediate necessity for their do
ing so."
"I hope that you will mako It clear
to tho men concerned thnt tho railroad
administration cannot deal with prob
lems of tills sort, or with nny problems
affecting the men, except through tho
duly chosen International officers of
tho regulnrly constituted organizations
nnd their authorized committee.
"When federal control of tho rail
roads began tho railroad administra
tion accepted existing agreements be
tween tho shopmen's organizations
and the- several railroad companies
and by agreement machinery was cre
ated for hnndllng the grlovnnces of
tho shopmen's organization of all the
railways, whether they theretofore
hud hud tho benefit of definite agree
ments or nor.
"There can be no question, there
fore, of tho readiness of tho govern
ment to deal In n spirit of fnlrness
and by regular methods with any mut
ters the men may bring to their atten
tion. "Concerted nnd very careful consid
eration Is being given by the entlro
government to tho question of reduc
ing tho high cost of living. I need
hardly point out how .Intimately nnd
directly this matter affects every Indi
vidual In tho nation, nnd If transporta
tion Is Interrupted, It will bo Impossi
ble to solve It."
Immediately upon receipt of the
president's letter Director nines urged
tho strikers to return to work In tho
following letter:
"Washington, D. C Aug. 0. Ince
ntive Council, Railway Employees' De
pigment, Amerlcnn Federation of Ln
bur, B. M. Jewell, Acting President
I 'car Sir: I Inclose n letter I huvo Just
rcrclvod from tho president relntUo to
the wage matter. It Is obvious thut It
Is of tho hlght st Importnnce, not only
In tho Interest of the public but In the
interest of the employees themselves,
thiii they shall Immediately return to
work.
"The situation having been clarified
by tho definite Indication that emigres
does not wish to take action In tho
premises, tho railroad administration
stands ready to take tip the wage ques
tion on Its merits with the duly accred
ited International officers and their au
thorized representatives as soon ns tho
employees return to work.
"WALKER D. IIINKS,
"Director General of Ilnllroads."
Soldier Killed at Dance Hall.
Des Moines, Aug. 0 Private Hlrum
Iieehon, stationed nt Camp Dodge, wns
fatally shot by n policeman, George
weisn, nt a dunce nun. tiio shooting S
was tho result of n dlsputo between
i lie police and the soldier over refusal
to admit Deeben and another soldier
to tho hall. 1
Manhattan Car Line Quits.
New York, Aug. 0. Its treasury ex
hausted and unable to obtain further
renllt, the Mld-Crosstown Rnllway
compnny, operating crossfown cars on
2Sth nnd 29th streets, Manhattan, sus
pi nded operation.
American Will Be Umpire.
Paris, Aug. 0. Rrlg. Gen. Harry II.
Rnndholtz, on the Interallied mllltnry
commission uppolnted by tho allies to
arrange a settlement at Ruchurest will
lcavo hero for Huugury as soon ns
possible.
FAIR
BODIES
FOOD CONTROLLERS ASKED TO
APPOINT COMMITTEES.
WAR TIME SYSTEM REVIVED
Attorney General Proposes to Know
What Profits Retailers Are Mak
ing. Men Asked to Serve Free.
Washington, D. C Attorney Gen
eral Palmer has started a movement
to ascertain how much of tho high
cost of living Is due to excessive
profits by retailers.
In a message to all state food nd
mlnlstrntors who worked with Ad
ministrator Hoover during the wnr,
the attorney general requested the ap
pointment of n fnlr price committee In
each county to. Investigate what Is be
ing charged for retail necessities and,
If ln excess of what the coinmltteo
considers Just, to publish n list of fair
prices for the guidance of the public.
This Is the "extra legal" mentis of
reaching profiteering, which Mr.
Palmer recently Indicated was under
consideration. He has frankly admit
ted from the start that there was no
means to prosecute directly n man
guilty of extortion In prices. Retailers
who are gouging the ultimate con
sumer will hnvo to bo disciplined by
public sentiment, which officials have
no doubt Is sufficiently nlert to tho
situation now to act vigorously, In
clonr cut eases.
Hoarders, on the other hand, can be
renehed through the wur-tlme food
laws or the Sherman net, and Mr.
Pnlmer requested the state food ad
ministrators to transmit to lihn nny
evidence of hoarding or other viola
tions of the law which they might en
counter ln their work, with tho
promise that the government's luw en
forcement machinery would net
promptly.
"There Is n pressing necessity for
the restoration of normal conditions,"
Mr. Palmer's telegram said, requesting
tho men who did such effective work
during the wnr to take up the burden
again. They were asked to servo with
out compensation, the nttorney general
believing thnt the public service to be
performed now Is as Important as
when the country was engaged In hos
tilities, nnd thnt no pntrlotle citizen
would refuse the cull of duty.
Congress on Monday commenced
consideration of the high cost of living
problems by giving consideration to
the legislative recommendations mndo
by President Wilson In his nddrcss.
Tho cost of living question now over
shadows oven the pence treaty and
mnny other important affairs nt tho
cnpltol.
'The department of justlco bus on
nouncod that hoarded food stocks will
ho taken over by tho government nnd
plnced upon tho market to help re
establish operation of tho luw of sup
ply and demand.
Loaded Car Leaps Into Flames. -
Montreal Seven persons were burn
ed to deojth In u fire on a scenic rail
way nt Dominion park, nn amusement
resort near this city. Tho cause of tho
fire Is unknown, but It Is believed It
wns started by n lighted cigarette or
match.
The fire stnrtcd In "Tho Mystic
Mill," and the names' laid hold on tho
skeleton structure of the railway.
When the firemen nrrlved the mill wns
n blitzing pyre nnd u few minutes
Inter thnt part of the railway con-
strttctojl over tho mill fell with a
crush Into the roniing furnace. A car
filled with merrymakers took a futul
leap Into the flames.
Coming from tho mill could ho
heurd moans of agony nnd cries for
help but the firemen found It posslblo
to rescue only a few of the men, wo
men nnd children trapped In the
blazing structure.
Coal Shortage a Reality.
Des Moines, la. Tho midwest and
southwest nro threntened by tho most
serious coal shortage In years, primar
ily because the mines now nro work
ing only nbout half speed becnuso of
the failure of the people to "shop
early" In laying In next winter's sup
ply of fuel. This Is Indleated by pro
duction figures made available to lo
cal initio operators nnd labor olllcluls
by tho United Slates geological sur
vey. According to these figures the
020 mines In Iowa, Arkansas, Kansas,
Missouri, Oklahoma mid Texas now
ore working an average of only :i.4
days a week and producing li(17,8 lf
less tons per week than tholr normal
output.
First German to Be Tried.
London. The surrender of General
Kruskn, rnmmuiidor of the German
prison citinp nt Kaiser, has been de
manded by the allies us the first of
the eiioiny o'llleluls to bo tried for vlo
lntlons of International law during tho
war.
Clemenceau to Attend League Meet.
Pnrls. Premier Cloniencenu prob
ably will attend the meeting of the
league of nations In Washington this
autumn, tho Echo do Paris reported
recently.
Power to Seize Foodstuffs.
Minneapolis, Minn. Tho city coun
cil has empowered tho mayor to seize
and take control of nil food storage
warehouses here with a view of tin
dcrtnklng tho distribution of food
stuffs seized therein at cost to the
consumor.
GOVERNMENT SELLING FOOD
Omaha Postmaster Made Distributing
Agent In Zone Comprising Six
Middle West States.
Oinnhn, Neb. Col. G. S. Ringham,
chief qttarterinnster officer at the,
Omaha army depot, has commenced
the sale of foodstuffs hold hero by the,
government. The snlo Is being made
oy case lots, under n schodulo of
prices Issued nt Washington, and now
In the hands of nil postmasters.
Under these Instructions goods can
ho sold by credit to muulcpalltlcs,
stnte, county nnd public Institutions ;
and by cash payment, forwarded un
der signature, to postmasters, acting
as agents for the parcel post, Roy
Scouts and employes of tho govern
ment. Postmasters ln this zone shull be
sold food for distribution through tho
parcel post. They will recetvu and
fill all orders for1 less than enso lots.
Persons In this zono should mull or
ders for any amount of food offered,
for sale to Postmaster Funning of this
city, and he will fill their order nnd
send It through the pnrcel post
These orders must be accompanied
by tho price of the goods and purcel
postage.
Food Is being shinned from ou&
quartermaster depot to another to
give persons in all districts equal op
portunity to buy.
Orders tilled by the ounrtormnstcr
depot directly will bo for case lots
only. Prices quoted by the War de
partment nro f. o. b. Omaha.
The Omulin zone Includes Ncbrnskn.
Cohmtdo, Wyoming, North nnd South
Dakota and parts of Utah nnd Iowa,
Says Europe Faces Famine. i
London. Europe faces starvation
the coming winter unless the United
Stutes extends credits for the pur
chase of food, according to a report
to the pence conference. The Amer
lcnn runner will not he nblo to snvo
Europe by mere production, the report
states.
"America's food surplus will rot in
the warehouses unless Eurono Is tided
over the present financial crisis," It Is
pohrted out. "Europe is unable to nay.
ofthor ln cash or commodities."
European labor tendencies also aro
menacing tho food situation, accord
ing to the Amerlcnn experts. Grent
Rrltuln's decreased coul output, for
instnnce, removes her greatest menus
of buying food.
Hoarding by snoculnlors Is the ex
planation given for high prices ln tho
United Stntos. Ry ollmlnntlng this
fnctor, experts believe Amerlcu enn
continue to export 18.000.000 tons of
food to Europe without seriously de
picting tier domestic supply. '
May Bring Dead Yanks Home.
Washington, D. C Apparently
there Is no French lnw prohibiting
the removal of tho dend bodies of
Amerlcnn soldiers from French soil
"for u period of three years from
.Jununry 1, 1010." The house foreign
nlVnlrs committee hail been Informed
thnt such u luw existed, but Secretnry
Lunslng wrote Chairman Porter that
while a bill along this line hud been
introduced lu the French Chamber of
Deputies, It hud not yet been noted
upon.
The foreign uffnlrs committee has
before It a resolution proposing the
immeilliito return of the bodies of the
Amerlcnn soldiers killed In the wnr. '
Cities to Take Food Allotment.
Washington, D, O.Under nn ar
rangement with the War department.
the entire allotment of surplus nrmy
lood stores for New York state prob
ably will bo taken un bv munlelnnll.
ties of thnt stnte for distribution nnd
then; will be no purcels post sales or
sales by other federal nuclides In the
stnte.
Fifty Killed in Riot.
Rerlln. Fifty persons were killed
during disturbances neur Chemnitz, u
railroad station .'18 miles southwest of
Dresden. Troops were overpowered
nnd disarmed by ii mob. Tho sol
diers' horses were sluughtered and tho
flesh distributed to the crowd. Many
wounded persons aro In tho Chemnitz
hospital.
Storage Stocks Larger.
Washington, D. C Although prices
of almost nil Important foods huvo
shown a substantial Increase during
the last year, stocks of food held In
storage on June 1, this year, were ap
proximately 150 per cent greater than
those held on June 1, 11)18, nccordlng
to u motiinruiidum showing the rela
tion between storage figures and
prices issued by the federal tnde
coinnilsfihi'n. Government stocks were
excluded from the comparison.
To Try Payors at Chicago.
Chicago, III. The government's case
against the live big packers will be.
placed before tho federal grand Jury
which meets hero two weeks hence.
This mentis thut criminal prosouutlon
will be instituted.
Sugar Prices Drop.
Chicago, III. Tvfo-cent reduction
ln the wholesale price of sugnr has re
sulted from Inquiries directed ugulust
the price of the commodity.
Strikers and Police Battle.
New York. Three persons woro
Wounded by revolver bullets, seven
others so badly beaten that they may
die and fiO or moro less seriously In
jured In scores of riots between strik
ers and police during the second day
of tho Rrooklyn street car strike.