THE O'NEIl FRONTIER
D. H. CRONIN. Publisher.
^NEILL. NEBRAOKA !
The small boy is becoming rapidly
one of the most prized labor assets in
Italy, according to a recent report of
the ministry of labor. There is a small
hoy famine in all business offices, and
the wages of the boy from 12 to 15
years hare increased from board and
lodging and $2 or $2 a month to $12
to $21.
-—
Greau Britain is again considering
the arieptioa of a uniform decimal sys
tem •( weights, measures and currency.
The movement was started by tho
British Imperial council of common ■,
which ur;w,d that the system be adopt
ed s# %r»dc relations with foreign
Countries might bo developed.
A ''steeper" has been discovered in the
Ohio law regulating hours of labor for
worse*. The word "city" exclude.: v il
lages and Attorney General Turner
ruled Ibitt the law limiting the hours
of wsaraa workers under 21 j i t of
age (tens not apply to mercantile es
tablishments in villages.
A curtails possible source of value in
uncoastetorod waste is revealed by a
British chemist's tliought thal tobacco
ash contains 20 i>er cent of potash, lie
estimates that the ash of a cigar con
tains #.i> grains of potash; that of a
cigarct, \.7i grains, and tlial of an or
dinary pipe of tobacco, 1.6 giants
11 fi. Herrasti, of VVasterly, Ft. I.,
conducted some experiments to deter
mine h»w much pressure a lien’s egg
woutit stand. Ttie force was applied
through the long axis of the egg and it
was found that brown eggs broke at
an ajnsrage pressure of 122 pounds and
white ncus at a pressure.of 112.2.
Frodonlck Woodman, of Bangor, Me.,
tells ttiie story; Two hunters Irt an
automobile saw a deer come out of the
busting «ad walk along the road. One of
the men tool; aitn and was about to fire
when .Mother deer stepped out beside
the llos*. Tho hunter changed his aitn
and gel both with one shot.
A turnip raised by Harry A. Nicker
son, of Boothbny, Ale., weighed 20t4
pounds when pulled from the ground,
and measured more than a yard around
at file largest part. It Is of the or*
dinam wlrite variety, and all the others
In tin bod were of tho usual size.
Tmgalg-slx wealthy farmers living
■ea#B»or!', Colo., have leased 820 acres
to'be planted to beans In tho spring,
the pKorveds, or such part as neces
sary.. to be used to defray expenses to
seo the games of the world’s series In
1911.
The erection of pyles for electric
wires has been facilitated by the in
tenlim of a truck for the purpose. It
reeoitWr picked up four 40-foot chest
nut poles, carried them 200 feet, and
deposited thepi In holes in 25 minutes.
Kugewe Heth, an uviutor of Chicago,
asks *31,000 damages from John S.
Berger. Heth was compelled to leave
his machine in Berger’s cornfield over
night. The cows nto the wings. Berger
hail IB»th arrested a* a trespasser.
Two girls, students at the University
of tTiMfornla, have concluded au ex
pi'iimMt which consisted in living on
permute. For three months they ate
milling else but these nuts. The pea
nut# oast 16 cents a day.
line of the oldest houses In Bath is
that owned by IJr. William .1. Rouse. It
■was built by Jonathan Phllbrook In
1743. The frame Is of hewn lumber,
16x7 laches, and the corner posts are
1! inches square.
Tw# new wireless stations have been
established by the Colombian govern
ment, ane at Aracua. on the Colombia -
Venezuela frontier, the other at Orocue,
on tlio Meta river, some 200 miles east
of Bogota.
Almost a whole gymnasium ts con
tained la a new chair in which a seat
ed person, by pulling straps over ills
shoulder*, manipulates levers and
w.eigliis that exercise most of his
muscles.
Miss Beryl Smithson, of Seattle.
Wash., runs an elevator In an office
building. Although still in her teens,
she drives to work In an automobile
bought with her savings from her ele
vator job.
The Turkish government has taken
tip a project for the Irrigation of nearly
liiMVofl# acres of the Adana plain, the
t’Uicia of antiquity, at a cost of *17 -
600.000 and eight or 10 years of work.
l'uring the last few years refriger
ation has steadily received more and
more attention In Russia. A boom in
cold storage construction was expect
ed there when the war broke out.
An American built locomotive of the
decapod type In hauling a train 2 SOt
feet long, with a load of 4,424 tons,
broke the European records for hauling
a heavily loaded freight train.
Ira Black, age 75, of Palermo. Me,
husked out 163 bushels of corn, made
4 7 long traces, picked nearly all the
apples on his farm and gathered the
garden vegetables this fall.
Wilt lata Graham, of Blue Point N
Y„ built a model of the great sphinx
of Egypt ill his front yard. This model
is just one-seventh the size of the real
sphinx. It weighs 42 tons
Aztec corn 1,000 years old was re
cently planted In Kansas. It grows
much faster than modern corn and the
grains will he at a premlmum.
Paraguay has valuable forest re
sources. the most important of which is
quebracho, particularly rich hi tannin.
Apparatus to enable a man to cut
his own hair or th«t of other men with
out instruction is a recent; invention.
A folding handle, which can be car
ried in a pocket, is Intended to lie used
with a post card to form a fan.
The importation of patent medicines
containing Ingredients detrimental to
health is prohibited in Ecuador.
Germans have developed a process
for spinning kapok fibers Into yarn
that can be woven into textiles.
There is *500,000.000 capital invested
In I'nited States lumber plants.
A new baby carriage which Includes
receptacles for clothing, can be folded
to resemble a suitcase when not used
for its principal purpose.
Gold, silver, copper, coffee, sisal, tex
tile and other libers, rubber, hide* and
skins, tobacco and sugar form Aiexl
C08 chief exports.
The women of Cupri have acted os
porters lor ages, while many of the
tnen sell coral specimens.
Beal pups horn mi the Prlhnof islands
were more numerous by 10,450 this year
v.
PLAYED A
E ON ITSELF
As a Result. There Will Be No
Probe of a Car Short
age Until Next
July.
Lincoln, Neb.. Feb. 12— The house
I-;.i veil a Joke on itself Friday when it
(oiled to line up sufficient supporters
for a bill to pay for an investigation
o. di M'd by that body early in the ses
: ion. The house had appropriated 11,
.'.id ‘.o investigate the railroad car
shortage and it was the opinion of
many of (lie members that the afore
dd shortage could he ended in a short
• me. The railway commission put on
, r. extra force of men at railroad
headquarters to find out what had be
come of all the cars usually on Nebras
ka roads, and why they were not In the
ate. The linancc committee put in an
emergency appropriation, but when it
cam* to voting it, not. enough members
of the house could be found to give the
necessary 67 votes for the bill with
the emergency clause attached. After
several members had scolded the mem
bers for being tightwads and debt
dodgers the hill, without the emer
gency clause, secured 70 votes, but it
was then too late to make the money
Liable before July next. It is ex
cel ted the senate will correct the omis
sion. The objectors said the commis
sion ought to have known without
having to spend any extra money.
The Insurance Bill.
A determined effort will be made in
(lie house Monday to resurrect the in
surnnee agents' combination or anli
competition rate bill. The committee
reported it for indefinite •postponement,
oniy one of the nine members favoring.
This was Trumble, of Sherman, a mem
ber of the legislative committee of the
agents' association. The objection to
the bill is that while it pretends to give
the state, authority to tlx insurance
rates, the federal court has held repeal
edly that the state has no authority
to fix the, maximum rate at which a pri
vatc- person or corporation may sell
What it has to dispose of. This leaves
(he bill merely a legal authorization
of the present combination rates made
bv rating bureaus of the companies.
Arthur Mullen, who was a lobbyist for
the bill two years ago, is said to have
again been enlifftr'd. and between norl
and Monday, when the house meets
again, it is expected a lot of pressure
will be brought from home business in
terests that the Insurance men feel
they can call.
when, by it vote of 22 to 8, the Snn
dall bill, reported to the general file,
wits recommitted for consideration
along with the hill sent over by the
house, where three fourths of the mem
bers voted for It. The suffragists have
pledges from enough senators to carry
it, but they suspect some of these are
not very strong 111 the faith. The op
position argues that the question was
settle,] in November. 1914, by the ref
erendum, when full suffrage was de
feated. As the referendum amendment
prevents the submission of the same
question until three years have passed,
they say it is a violation of the spirit
of thin measure to ask for limited suf
frage now, and that senators ought not
n» listen. Against this it Is urged that
the referendum bar would not have
prevented limited suffrage from being
submitted last year, as the proposi
tions are nol the same. They cite the
democratic national platform, which
declared in favor of suffrage and rec
ommended that il be adopted In the
states as laying a charge upon the 23
democratic senators to support the bilL
SHOOTS SELF WHILE
PHONING TO FRIEND
—
Charles Eberly's Friend Begged
Him to Stay His Hand—
Was Despondent.
Omaha, Neb. Feb. 12 -Calling up a
Council Bluffs friend front his room at
a local hotel, Charles Eberly, 54, last
night told the former that 1h* was about
to blow his brains out. He did so !
while the friend pleaded with him to I
stay his hand.
“Listen and you’ll hear the shot.”
said Eberly to H. A. lathrop, 508 Har
rison street. Council Bluffs. Lathrop
heard it. Despondency because he had
lost his position in a loan office ami
failed to find other work is believed
to have been the cause of the sui
cide. The only known relative is Vera
Eberly, a niece, living in Honolulu.
Eberly entered the hotel about 7
o’clock and asked for a room. The clerk
in charge told him there were no va
cant rooms, and it is said Eberly grew
angry and demanded that he be ac
commodated. The clerk finally com
plied by giving him the room. Eberly
had no luggage. He took stationery
with him from the desk and wrote the
name of Lathrop, with the latter’s ad
dress, on a sheet of paper, following
l his by his own name. He then got La
throp tfn the telephone.
“He told me he was going to blow
his braird out.” wild Lathrop. I
pleaded with him not to do anything
like that, and told him 1 would be rigid
over. He said that I should not come
and told roe K> listen for the shot. I
could hear him weeping for a moment,
then 1 heard the shot.”
Eberly was a widower, with no chll
dren.
APPRENTICES AT WASHINGTON.
Newport, R. 1.. Feb. 10. A brigade of
U00 apprentice seamen with a band w ill
go to Washington to take part in the
inaugural ceremonies. In accordance
with orders received at the naval train
ing station here today. This Is the first
time the brigade has been asked to take
part in the exercises.
CHICAGO POSTMASTER.
Washington, Feb. 10.— William U
Carlyle has been selected for postmas
ter at Chicago.
BALTIC SAFE IN PORT.
New York. X. Y„ l'>b. lfl. Thf
steamship Baltic, of the White star
line, has arrived safely at Liverpool
according to « cable message received
here tonight by officers of the com
puny.
The message besides announcing;
that the Baltic had reached her piei
said: “.‘til well."
There vere two Americans among
her 44 passengers. The steamship took
to Knglnnd a full cargo of munitions.
No report had been received last
night from the Adriatic. There is one
American on the Adriatic,
However, Its Supporters Believe
They Have Enough Votes
in Senate to Pass
Measure. . |
—
Lincoln. Neb., Fob. 10 The .senate
Judiciary committee* sat in solemn .staid
Thursday afternoon in the senate
chamber on the house hill permitting
women to vote for president and vice»
preaident and municipal officers. Th<1
bill was vigorously opposed by a group
of anti-suffragists from Omaha, and it
was supported by equally eloquent suf- 1
fragists, principally from Lincoln. The
antis said that they didn’t want to have
the ballot thrust upon them and that
the majority of the women did not
want it.. The women have limited suf*
frage now. the right .to vote for school
officers, but riot 10 per cent of them
avail themselves of the opportunity
The suffragists say they want the. baN
lot to enable them to participate in the
determination of questions vitally af
fecting them, and yet, said the antis*
they didn’t take and do not take the
chance offered to take part in those
matters that determine the conduct of
the schools which their children attend
They objected to partial suffrage any
way.
'Ilie chances are that the senate will
kill the bill. The suffragists have as
surances of friendliness towards it from
22 members, five more than they need,
but they are doubtful if the neQessa**y
number will stand hitched.
Senate Up With Its Work.
The senate is well up with its work,
notwithstanding its frequent layoffs,
and is now taking the afternoons off in
order that the committees may grind
out enough bills to^teep the whole body
ift work. The houj^e adjourns at 3
o’clock every afternoon in order to al
low the committees to work, but its
general file now has about 40 bills on it.
Doctors After the House.
Tlie house is being bombarded by the
doctors of the state, who are divided in
sentiment over whether the present
board of health secretaries should be
fired in a body and a new one created
that is not to act in health matters
unless the state board of health, com
posed of state officials, calls for its
advice, or whether they should be re
tained and in the enlargment of the
staff and new duties and the appoint
ment of the members their recommen
dations and assignments govern. Sev
eral of the secretaries have drawn fire
because of their political activities, and
the clashes between the different
schools forms another reason for the
row. Tho bills are to tie sent to tho
head of the federal bureau of health to
determine which meets his approval,
that being another point in dispute.
Tho house recommended for passage
a bill permitting the city of Valentine
to go into the real estate business.
When tho government abandoned the
fort near there, it sold all tho land to
the city at $1.25 an acre. Most of this
has been given away fur public pur
poses, but the city has 180 acres lying
close to the city. It asked and secured
permission from the house to plat tile
land, sell the lots and use the money
to build a system of sewerage. The house
also passed a bill which permits entry
men under the federal reclamation
projects to vote and to have all other
privileges of private land owners.
Tile senate had a real good laugh
when, among a number of telegrams
read by the secretary, one was read
from Frances B. Heald, a well known
suffrage leader, asking members to
“promote suffering." The erudite tele
graph operator had originally spelled
it suiferige, and a waggish senator had
change this to suffering.
The house insurance committee lias
reported for Indefinite postponement
the hill barked by fire insurance agents
and a big lobby, which had for its real
object the abolishment of competition,
although branded as an antidiscrim
ination bill. The committee found that
the federal court had held a state could
not fix insurance rates, and the only
vote cast against putting it to death
was east by a member w ho is on the
legislative committee of the Insurance
agents’ association.
The stern senate has relaxed the
rigidity of its rules. A few days ago
It passed one harring everybody from
the floor when bills were on t,hlrd read
ing. This compelled the wives of sen
ators to retire, and the sergeant at
arms construed tt also to include the
newspaper reporters. Thursday the
senate amended the rule so as to permit
ihe reporters to attend.
For a Direct Vote.
Tlie house Thursday afternoon
passed without a dissenting vote a hill
that will enable Nebraskans hereafter
to vote direct for candidates'for presi
dent and vice president. The onl»
bracketing in the hill is that of the
names of the two national candidates
In order to conform to the national
regulation with respect to electoral col
leges the governor is required to ap
tsjint those who represent the success
ful candidates- the state conventions
of each having previously nominated
them.
EXPLAIN TRUST CHARGES
TO TRADE COMMISSION
Chicago, Feb. 9.—The federal trade
commission today heard the *se o.
the A. H. Dick company and the^Keosty
company, manufacturers of mimeo
graph machines and supplies.'■" changed
with attaching to their machine?
I license restrictions in violation of the
Clayton anti-trust law.
The defense of the companies is that
supplies tailed for by the restrictmr
prohibits the use of any other materials
The supreme court decided some
| years ago tliat restriction clauses wort
legal, but the Clayton act. passed snne.v
declares them illegal.
FIND NEGRO HANGED.
Procter. Arise., Feb. 9. The body of
James Smith, a negro, was found hang
ing from a telegraph pole near here
after it was thought he had escaped a
possu* which pursued him to a swamp.
Smith was charged with 'killing a dep
uty sheriff.
MAY ASK PAPERS NOT
TO PRINT SHIP NEWS
Washington, 1). O.. Feb. 9. The en
tente embassies here have asked the
state department if some steps cannot
he taken t«> cease publications of sail
ings of vessels and publication of mani
fests of ships going into the war zone.
Officials realize that there is no war
rant of law to prevent publication of
sailings, but some step may be taken
to ask American publishers to refrat*r*
from printing them on the ground of
national policy.
After Appropriating $80,000
for Hcg Barn at State Fair,
House Eliminates
Forest Board.
I.ir.coln'. Neb.. Keb* 10. The lion ••
after passing a hill appropriating $Mi.
000 for a new ft or barn at the stat,e fair
grounds, took an economical streak and
defeated, 50 to 39, a hill making the
temporary forest station commission
permanent. The commission cost about
$1,300 the last two years, but one of
the most effective arguments against it
was by the chairman of tlip finance
committee who dug up a warrant issued
to W. Ball, of Valentine, one of the
commissioners, for $IS0 expenses for a
recent junket to Washington. One of
the items w as $13.50 for telephoning and
telegraphing. The chairman wondered
if Mr. Ball spent the money advising
Ids Nebraska friends of his safe ar
rival. The house had developed little
opposition until the hill came up for
passage.
Thirty-three votes were recorded
against the hog burn appropriation.
One was by McAllister, of Dakota, who
said that he was unwilling to vote for a
palace for hogs while so many of his
fellow citizens were forced to live in
shacks. Reischek was against it be
cause he did not believe the state should
vote $b>0,000 for a building for hogs to
occupy four days in a year when there
were not sufficient accommodations in
the insane hospitals to care for the
wards of the state. Taylor voted for it
under protest, his protest being based
on the fact that the state board of agri
culture, which supervises the expendi
ture, is a self perpetuating body.
Supreme Court Debate.
The only debate in the senate was
over a bill drafting the district court
judges of the state in groups of three
to help the supreme court catch up with
its work. This would give three judges
already on the payroll this sort of work
,till the time, thus supplanting the court
commissioners, an illegally constituted
body, who draw $13,000 a year for their
work.
The senators insisted that if the dis
trict judges had time enough now for
that work there were too many judges,
and they did not believe this was true.
Howell, of Douglas, had suggested it
ms a means of lawfully doing what it is
admitted is not strictly legal.
Pass New Bills.
The following bills were passed on
third reading:
o. r . il, uy iiuwi'ii—i ui tti itvt-i
$50 a month for janitors and engineers em
ployed by the Omaha school board.
S. F. 72, b.v McMullen—Drunken drivers
of automobiles 10 De subject to a fine of
from $100 to $300 and three to six months
in jail, and liable to damages in the mini
mum sum of $300.
S. F. 74, by McMullen—Theft of an auto
mobile punishable by line of from $100 to
$300 and from three to six months in jail.
H. F. X6, by Chappell—Authorizes suspen
sion of Judgment in misdemeanor cases.
H. F. 133, by Robertson—Referees' sales
to he held any place in the county desig
nated by the judges.
S. F. 40, by Neal—Publication in one is
sue each week in daily, tri-weekly, semi
weekly newspaper sufficient for legal no
ticos.
S. F. 7:1 by Moriarity— Increase court
bailiff's pay to $3 a day and those in Doug
las county to $1,500 a year.
S. F. 125, by Spirk—Prohibits the post
ing of advertising matter or posters or
bridges.
Do Not Want Any Concessions
to Suffrage Advocates From
Nebraska Soions.
Lincoln. Neb., Fob. 10.—-A delegation
of Omaha women opposed to the lim
ited suffrage bill that passed tlie house
yesterday bombarded the senate and
succeeded in arranging for a hearing
before the committee during the after
noon. The senate staged a wrangle
over whether the secretaries should
read private telegrams to senators fa
voring suffrage, but dedlded to allow it
Four bills were passed by the senate,
two relating to salaries in Douglas
county. The other two were bills that
had already passed the house. One re
quires railroads to build at least fO
miles a year on unused right of way
partly constructed or forfeit ownership.
The other reduces the time allowed for
appealing to the supreme court from
six months to three.
The house fought for an hour or two
over a bill intended to put the trailing
stamp firms out of business by levying
a *5,1)00 yearly license, but finally killed
the measure.
The city of Y’alentine was permitted
to lay out in town lots a quarter sec
tion it owns, and a school of irrigation
was established at the Seotts Bluff ex
periment station.
The hackers of the bill establishing
a stale boxing commission feared to
put it to a test in the bouse and bad it
laid over.
.—*—
STERILIZATION OF FIFTEEN
FEEBLE MINDED IS MADE
Lincoln, Neb., Feb. 10.—The state
board of control has reported to the
governor that during the past year the
sterilization of 15 feeble minded and in
sane persons 1ms been accomplished,
and 20 more are ordered operated upon.
The order applies only to persons who
are in such condition that they may
be safely paroled. None who require
permanent custodial care are included
The operation is not compulsory, and
in each ease it has been done with the
consent of the patient and relatives.
The board says that the feeble minded
are the most prolific and that they pre
sent the errs list danger to racial statu
da- Six of the 15 were women, but
In i->-: cases because of their disposi
tion to venery most of the women are
permanently retained. The bill applies
to persons committed to other institu
tions who become insane, but none has
yet come under the provisions of the
taw.
CARROLL RAPS THE
TORRENS LAW SYSTEM
Lincoln. Neb.. Feb. s.~ H. L. Carroll,
president of the Iowa Abstractors' asso
elation, told the members in attendance
at the Nebraska Title Men's asso
ciation's annual meeting that the Tor
rens law is not a good method of car
ing for titles. He said that in only one
county in Illinois bad it been tried nut,
and that was in Cook county, where the
title shirks had sufficient influence.
The expense was one argument against
it. and the other was that the loan com
panies want abstracts and not certifi
cates and won’t loan money on laud
where this is provided for.
NEBRASKA HOUSES
III BUSY SESSION
I
To Reconsider Bill Aimed at
School Teachers—New Bill
Strikes at “Quack”
Doctors.
Dincoin. Neb.. Feb. £—After the
house had decided to punish any school
teacher, superintendent or principal
who acted as agent for school book or
school supply companies, by forfeiting
Their employment, it decided it had
acted too hastily, and sent the bill back
to the committee of the whole for fur
ther consideration. It was found that
a clause in the bill might prevent a
teacher from sharing in the profits of
any text book he might write and
which might be adopted anywhere in
the state.
Hit at Quack Doctors.
The house thinks it has put out of
bus*)ness the regularly licensed doctors
who go into a town, open up an office
for a few days or weeks, advertise lib
erally and after securing notes from
afflicted persons, rndve on. The state'
law did not reach these men because
thc^v were rogulai, but this amendment,
introduced by Dr. I loffmeister, declares
such practice to be unprofessional con
duc! and thus bripgs them within the
statute which provides for punishment
for unprofessional conduct.
Doctors in a Row.
The doctors of the state are in a nice
little row over an effort made by one
faction to put the secretaries of the
state hoard of health out of business by
reorganizing the health bureau, placing
otic man in complete charge anc? mak
ing him the arbiter of what shall he
done and by whom. The bill came be
fore the senate Tuesday, but was sent
back to tlx? committee for a fuller ex
planation of its purposes. It carries
an appropriation of $25,000. increasing
salaries and number of employes.
The income of newspapers is threat
ened by a bill by Senator Neal, which
passed the committee of the whole of
the senate Tuesday. It says that one
publication a week is sufficient for
legal notices in newspapers.
Recommends Rail Bill.
The senate recommended for passage
house record 7, requiring railroads to
use their abandoned right of way or
else return it to the public. The rail
roads are fighting the bill because they
claim they own the land, but the sena
tors urged that as the land had been
given by the state for certain specific
use it reverted to it when such use
was not made.
To Fine Intoxicated Drivers.
i wo runs inirouucea Dy McMullen, or
Gage, senate files 72 and 74, were
recommended for passage. The first
provides that a. drunken driver of an
automobile may be fined from'JlOO to
$300 and sentenced to tail for a term of
from three to six months. It increases
the maximum fine for damages done by
a drunken driver from $100 to $300,
The other bill increases the maximum
penalty for stealing an automobile from
$100 to a fine of $300 and adds a jail
sentence of from three to six months.
Robertson's senate file 03, to levy a
'state wide tax of about $3,000,000 a
year to pay school teachers' salaries,
was laid over it lias request.
House record 36, by Flansburg, to
shorten the time for uppeul to the su
preme court from six months to three
months, was recommended for passage.
Minimum Wage for Women.
The house passed house record 34, a
minimum wage bill for women in cer
tain designated employments, it says
that no less than $1 a day shall lie paid
to minors, not less than $1.20 a day to
women who are inexperienced in the
employment and not less than $1.50 a
day to experienced adults.
Overrule Rail Committee.
The house, after a lively debate, over
ruled tin* railroad commit tee. which*
had reported for indefinite postpone
ment a bill requiring railroad com
panies, a believer the headlight on ail
engine wenl out, to reejuire it to bo
sidetracked at the nearest station or
siding. The committee contended that
tills would create a great deal of delay
to passengers and stock, and in some
cases, on branch lines, would lav up
(rains all nighf. The majority of the
house, however, insisted, in view of the
Smilhfield wreck on the high line
which killed 31 persons, due to the
failure of headlights and the use of lan
terns. that the hill ought to go oh
general file.
Protects Guaranty Fund.
T. he house recommended for passage
a bill that bars from any claims upou
the guaranty fund any money that of
ficers. stockholders or employes of a
failing bank may borroy on certificates
of deposit. The experience with the
Oecatur bank was the moving cause.
In that case the officers borrowed $30.
000 from a South Omaha bank on their
notes, put the money in* the bank and
then gave the South Omaha bank a
certificate of deposit. After the bank
failed this claim was allowed priority,
along with other depositors’ accounts.
For Forest Commission.
A bill creating a state forest station
commission, with the governor at the
head, was also recommended for pass
age. The house oame within an ace of
killing one—permitting counties, cities
and villages to go lf» miles out and con
demn land for forest areas, anti it was
saved only by a motion to report pro
gress
W. R. Mellor Is Employed.
W. R. Mellor, late secretary of the
«tate board of agriculture.* has been
employed by state bankers, who have
chipped in a dollar apiece, to oppose a
law that will take out from any pro
tection of the guaranty fund time cer
tificates of deposit. A number of banks
are suspected of getting loans in this
manner.
The senate has passed a half dozen
bills, the most important one pioviding
for the appointment of accountants to
check up at stated periods all village
and school district treasurers.
Standing committees of the house
have reported for the* general file with
out recommenadtion bills providing for
the sale of school lands except those
on which mineral, oil or gas are found,
and for the sale of the property of the
Culbertson experiment station.
The house passed a bill that gives
farm landlords a lien on crops of the
same legal effect as n chattel mort
ga ge.
The senate killed a bill drafting dis
trict judges to act as supreme court
commissioners. ;md spent the rtmrr.„ng
on passing a bat h "f unimportant
measures.
Olson endeavored to have tailed if)
in be house his resolution asking he
president to warn all Americans .«*
keep off ve-sels headed f«*r (he sub
marine :< n». but he wav jockeyed out
of a hearing tor the ma being.
►ral trade commission today announced
that at the direction of the president
it would begin immediately ar> investi
gation of the high cost of foods m the
United States with special reference to
alleged violations of the untitiust laws.
The department of agriculture will
assist in ihr investigation. Alleged ma
nipulations, control anil conspiracies in
distribution of food will bi gone into
p.u titular ly.
The President's Letter.
President Wilson's lottri directing
the inquiry is as follows:
“An adequate supply of food prod
ucts is a matter of concern to the na
tion at all times. It is of peculiar im
portance at present. Our domestic food
supply is normally very large and has
become increasingly varied in seme re
spects it ha:; steadily expanded and has
kept puce with the increasing popula
tion. Unfortunately, this is not true,
however, of a large number of impor
tant staple products, including certain
cereals and particularly meats.
“While the population of the nation
has increased 26,000,000 since 1000, the
production of the two leading cereals,
corn and wheat, while tending to in
crease, had shown only a slight ad
vance, and that of meat products in
the same period has shown an increase
of only 2,500,000 pounds, a decrease
of 29 pounds per capita."
Some Headway Made.
“Much can be done and is being done
to change this situation through im
proved methods of production and
through the control or eradication of
plant and animal disease. But there
are problems also of distribution, and.
in some respects, the problems present
ed in this field are the more difficult.
Much work has been done, and. consid
ering the limited nature of the powers
under which it has been conducted not.
a little headway has been made, partic
ularly in obtaining and diffusing useful
information.
"Nevertheless, it is not yet clear in
many directions just what the nature
of the difficulty is or what measures
should he adopted to effect funda
mental improvements. Many necessary
facts are not available and it is ques
tionable whether any single agency of
the government at present possesses
the requisite power and equipment ic
secure the information needed to enable
both public and private instrumentali
ties to render their fullest services i«>
the public.
“it is obvious that there will he no
sufficient incentive to enlarge produc
tion if there does not exist an unob
structed economical system of distribu
tion. Unjustifiable fluctuations in price
are not merely demoralizing: they in
evitably deter adequate production.
Trust Charges Made.
it nas liven anegeu ueiure comrnu - i
tees of congress anti elsewhere that in*
course of trade in important food
products is not free, but is restricted
and controlled by aryicidial and illegal
means. It is of the highest public con- -
cern to ascertain the truth or falsity -
of the allegations. No business car. he
transacted effectively in an atmosphere
of suspicion. If the allegations are well
grounded, it is necessary that the na
ture and extent of the evils and abuse*
be accurately determined, so that prop
er remedies, legislative or administra
tive may he applied. If they are not
true, it is equally essential that the
public be informed to that effect, so
that unrest and dissatisfaction may he
allayed.
"In anv event, because of the grate
public interest which the food supply
effects the efficient maintenance of the
duties imposed on agencies of I he gov
ernment requires that all the important
facts be ascertained. To this- end the '
powers of such agencies should in
adequate, if in any respect they are non
deficient.
Storage Men Hit.
"Pursuant to the authority conferred
upon me by the act creating the fee
era! commission, therefore, i direct the
commission within the scope of its port
era to investigate and report the fact*
relating to tin- production, ownership,
manufacture, storage and distribution
of foodstuffs and the produets, or by
products arising from or in connection
with their preparation and tnamifac
ture; to ascertain the facts bearing on
alleged violations of the antitrust act*
.and particularly upon the question*
Whether there are manipulations!
trusts, combinations, conspiracies or r«
strain is of trade out of harmony with
the law or the public interest.
"1 am aware that the commission ha*
additional authority in this field
through the power conferred upon it
to prevent certain persons, partnership*
or corporations from using unfair
methods of competition iri commerce.
I presume that you may see fit to exci
cise that authority upon your own
initiative without direction from me.
"The department of agriculture has
been engaged for several vears in
studying problems of distribution. I
have noted that it has been proposed
in the congress to add to the funds of
the department and give it larger [tow
ers to conduct Its investigations As
its activities will touch phases of the
problem l am calling to your attention
whit'b may not be covered by your in
quiry and may furnish information »f
great importance for the purposes con
templated. r shall direct that depart
ment to cooperate with you in this en
terprise.
inquires MDOUt f* UfUIS.
“For the Adequate prosecution of Ito*
inquiry by both your commission a»#l
the department of agriculture it is es
sential that sufficient funds be avail
able. I accordingly request that y#u
furnish me at the earliest possible mo
ment an estimate for an appnopriati*w
if one is needed to supplement existing
appropriations to enable you sucres# -
fully to carry out the investigation.
A copy of this letter is being sent
to the secretary of agriculture with tbr
direction that his department cooperate
with you and with the request that h*
furnish an estimate for the funds mod
ed by his department.”
The secretary of agriculture, thw
trade commission announced. was
asked today for a conference to ar
range preliminary plans for the inves
tigation and to make estimates for ifr*
costs.
AMATEUR RULE DEFEATED.
New’ York Feb. 10.—The annua!
meeting of the United States National
Lawn Tennis association closed early
today with a fairly evtn break between
the east and the west on questions
which caused sectional divisions.
The association defeated the pie
posed amateur rule which would ba»
from amateur ranks players in the
sporting goods business, but all tb» ni«
portant notional championship tourna
ments. with one exception, wer»
awarded to <dubs in the Atlantic staters.