SPORTSMEN ON
BRYAN’S TRAIL
Charge He Failed to Follow
Direction of Legislature As
To Game Protection
Lincoln, Neb., Jan. T (Special)—
The late governor has received a
second broadside, this time from the
organised sportsmen of the state. A
little while ago the purebred stock
men charged that the, governor, In
order to make a showing of cutting
down state taxes, disregarded the
order of the legislature to expend
$286,000 for eradicating bovino tu
berculosis, and because they got the
appropriation In spite of his opposi
tion he expended but $42,000.
The sportsmen now say that he
didn't even spend a dollar of the ap
propriation they got through, which
provided for the sinking of wells in
lakes and ponds so as to prevent the
usual winter destruction of fish be
cause the deep covering of ice pre
vents them from getting enough oxy
gen. They say that the governor illd
this to make a showing, when in
fact not a dollar of the money came
from general taxation but from
fees paid by those who fish and hunt.
HAVE SQUABBLE
OVER VACANCY
Different Opinions Held as
To Situation in Nebraska
County
Harttngton, Nob., Jan. •. (Special)
—A controversy which may result
In n contest and battle royal between
a number of democrats on one side
and republicans on tho other, baa
arisen here over the vacancy ex
isting in the county commissioner's
office of the second district in Cedar
county. The clashing of the political
leaders Is the result of various opin
ions regarding who should hold this
position in place of the late W. E.
Reese, of Randolph, who was elect
ed to the office at the last election,
but died suddenly, December 30, af
ter having tiled his bond but before
assuming the duties of commissioner.
County Attorney Millard and
County Treasurer Nelson encouraged
by others who believed a vacancy
existed, called a meeting and ap
pointed Boyd J. Carroll, twice a can
didate for tho office and backed by
a number of tho democrats. County
Clerk Schnger refused to attend this
meeting, claiming there was no va
cancy and later, when Mr. Carroll
presented his bond at the office of
County Judge Bryant for approval,
the judge Informed him that no va
rancy existed and therefore his ap
pointment could not be accepted.
An opinion has been received from
Attorney General O. S. Spillman
which holds that as Mr. Reese died
before he -as urned the duties of
county commissioner he really dkl
not occupy tho office and so no va
cancy occurs. Tito attorney general
said that the incumbent, A. B. Shiv
erly, of Laurel, should hold over un
til his successor'is elected and qual
ified. So the final decision rests up
on the question whether Mr. Reese
qualified by filing his bond or did
not on account of not assuming du
ties.
NEW HEAD TO GUARANTY
FUND COMMISSION
Lincoln, Neb., Jan. •- -K. C. Knut
son, of Genoa, has retired as chair
man of the bank guaranty fund com
mission. He Is succeeded by Kirk
Grigs, of Hastings. As secretary of
the state department of trade nnd
commerce, Mr. Grigs automatically
becomes chairman of the guaranty
fund commission, a body created by
the legislature of 1023 to handle fail
ing banks which may he turned over
to it by the department of trade and
commerce. The work of checking
securities amounting to about $10,
000,000 held by the department for
insurance and trust companies lias
not been completed.
BILL TO PREVENT
CROSSING ACCIDENTS
Lincoln, Neb., Jan. » (Special)—
In an effort to stop the slaughter ot
Nebraskuns at railroad grade cross
ings, Representatives Miner and El
liott have introduced a bill that will
require every operator of a vehicle
to come to a full stop before cross
ing any railroad that traverses the
state highway s>sten. The bill pro
vides that the state highway de
partment shall design two signals
for the use of county boards. One
of these will contain the words,
"Railroad 400 feet." The other will
aay "Stop.” One of each of these
signs will he placed at a designated
place utt the side of each right of
way. The county board Is given dis
cretionary power to put them on all
other railroad grade crossings in the
county.
Penalties-are provided for ail per
sons who fall to bring their machines
to a complete atop when within
twenty feet of the track, and for
those who deface or destroy the
LEGION POST OFFICERS
CONFER AT MITCHELL
Mitchell. S. I).. Jan. . (Special)—
Poet officers of the department ot
the American Legion of South Da
kota. meeting in conference at
Mitchell Friday, urged legislation on
an approp-'ation for the construc
tion at Pierre of a memorial building,
which would house not only the var
ious state offices of the Legion, hut
also government departments of the
state, which are now without ade
quate office space, due to crowded
conditions at the capital. The of
ficers recommended that the build
tag be built at once
UNIQUE BRIEF
Leaves Blank Space to Give
High Court Officials
Time to Forget
Lincoln, Neb., Jan. (Special)—
A new style In briefs was Introduced
by N. P. McDonald, Kearney attor
ney, In filing a document with the
supreme court. The first page eon
talrs a statement of the case, and
the second one Is blank save for a
few printed lines which say that
the blank space is left to that the
court may have a chance to rest af
ter having read the brief of the ap
pellant and to allow It to forget. If
possible, the disrespectful language
contained therein.
McDonald Is attorney for Jens C.
Skov, a Buffalo county rural mail
carrier, who secured a $15,000 Judg
ment against A. E. Atkins, wealthy
citizen, for alienating the affections
of his wife. Skov savs that he never
found out,/until after his wife told
him she was leaving him, that Atkins
lad been paying her visits so often
while he was out an Ills trips that
nil the neighbors had remarked
about them.
Atkins claims that (he court erred
In allowing Skov to testify that he
(Alkins) had tried to settle the case
out of court and that Skov found
his picture in Ills wife’s effects.
RAILROAD HAS
IGNORED'ORDER
Now Nebraska Board De
mands Explanation About
The Matter
Lincoln. Neb., Jiin. . (Special)—•
The Northwestern railroad was cited
by the state railway commission,
Monday, to appear next Saturday and
defend the conduct of officials In not
obeying a recent order with respect
to the service between Long Pine and
O'Neill. Last August It was perm.tted
to reduce this service by combining
(he equipment of trains numbers 2 and
11 in mixed train service. It was
especially enjoined upon them that
they must provide passenger accom
modations and handle mall and ex
press. Complaints front Atktnson and
other towns recite that the company
Is running these as regular freight,
trains v ith a caboose and no mail or
ox pres;.
PROPOSED TO KEEP
HIS EYE ON BRYAN
Lincoln. Neb., Jnn. (Special)— .
George K. Johnson* former state en- i
glneer who recently filed charge? j
against Governor Bryan, answering
t' ose lodged with the legislature In
the governor’s farewell message, says
that he ts ready to appear before any
committee. Joint or otherwise, but
that he ts not pressing the matte, il
the members do not care to taste time
for it.
Mr. Johnson says that he will see
l-owever, that if Bryan runs again1
for governor that he fa «.*•-« an in
vestigation of the charges, and that :
he does not propose to allow him to !
take advantage of the governorship j
to make charges ho says are un
founded.
LIFTS EMBARGO
ON TEXAS CATTLE
Lincoln, Neb., Jan. (Special)—
J. J. Cantwell, bend of the bureau of
animal Industry has been authorised
by Secretary McLaughlin of the
stnti* department of .agriculture, to '
lift the embargo upa . shipments of
cattle and sheep from Texas, Imposed
some time ago on account of the foot
and mouth disease. All s uch ship
ments may now move freely through
or Into the state. Only a part of
the Texas territory was ' .icluded 111
ihe original embargo or"..or.
MURRAY ELECTED ’ iEAD
Or PRESS ASSOCIATION
West l’otnt, Neh., Jan. •*- -At the
meeting of the Northeast Nebraska i
Press association here. M. W. Mur- I
ray, editor of the Pender Times, was ,
elected president. Other officei s
are: C. It. Ruble, Leigh World, vice
president; j. 1*. O'Furey, Hartlngton
News. secretary-treasurer. C. O.
Carlton. Oakland Independent, and C.
R. Nevtn, Laurel Advocate, were
named directors. A banquet was
tendered to the association by toe
West Point community ciub. P. M.
Moodl was toastmaster and among
tile speakers was Judge W. P. War
ner. of Dako’a City, regent of the
state university.
YOUNG WOMAN HANGS
SELF iN CLOTHES CLOSET
West Point. Neb.. Jan. * —Paulino
Stepunek. 22-year-o’d daughter o.'
Anton S’epanek, res Jlng near How
el's, Neti., commit, id suicide b;#
hanging herself from a hook in a
clothes elo-et. For the last two
weeks stie had not bean feeling well
WOMAN’S BURNS
CAUSE HER DEATH
Dubuque, la.. Jan. - -Mrs. Kthel
Harris. 2o years old died in a hospital
here Monday from burns suffered
Saturday when an overheated stove
ignl.ed her clothing.
TWO SPEAKERS ARE
FORMER SCHOOLMATl’.S
Pierre. S. D, Jan. -Felicitations
were exchanged last wee!; by Speaker
C. S. McDonald of tbe South Dakota
house of representatives and Speak
er \\V C. Edson of the Iowa house of
representatives over their elections to
the speakerships of their respective
state legislatures.
The exchange of congratulations
had more than ordinary significance
because <he two speakers were school
mates at the University of Iowa
xhere they were students together tt
.$00-01
SLUMP BLAMED
ON STATE LAW
Nebraska Marriage Business
Goes Across the Border
Lines
O’Neill, Neb., Jan. t (Special)—
Marriages within Holt county have
been reduced more than per
Cent, per year since the enactment
of the eugenic marriage law, accord
ing to the statistics of County Judge
C. J. Malone. But 33 marriage
licenses were Issued by the judge
and three marriages performed by
him the last year. Licenses issued
In 1922, the last year before the law
became effective, totaled 108 and
that year he performed 32 marriage
ceremonies. The small show’ing
of last year does not mean,
however, that Holt county young
people have decided to follow lives
of single blessedness, for Holt
county marriages now are consum
mated mostly in Council Bluffs, Sioux j
City and Yankton.
GIVEN NEW TRIAL
FOR UNUSUAL REASONS
Lincoln, Neb., Jan. 2 (Special)—
George Marchand. 2' years old,
Richardson county farmer, convicted
in Nemaha county of a statutory
crime, won a new trial on unusual
grounds. He admitted having had
intimate relations with Grace Kamel,
daughter of a neighbor, both in
Richardson and Nemaha counties,
but his attorneys contended that as
he had first defiled the girl in
Richardson county he could not he
convicted of the offeroa charged in
Nemaha county, because the vital
element of that offense was that he
had ruined a girl who was previously
chaste. They said that this could
not be true because her chastity was
lost by their previous relations.
The supreme court holds that this
is the law. and that as the trial
Judge restricted the Jury to deter
mining whether his other charges
that she had been guilty of like of
fenses with three other farmer boys
were true, he must lie given a new
trial. Marchand introduced in evi
dence a small volume of letters from
the girl. The supreme court says
that while thrse teemed with vul
garity and immodest expressions and
would not bo written by a pure
minded maiden they contained no
confession of guilt.
GUARANTY FUND NOT
REQUIRED TO PAY
Lincoln. Neb., Jan. * (Special)—
The state deposit guaranty fund won
a $20,000 suit in supreme court when
that body he’d'that the First Na
tional bank of Glendale, Cal., and C.
C. Cooper must look for reimburse
ment from other sources on the cer
tificates of deposit they hold in the
failed Home State bank, of Dunning.
General claimants will get little or |
nothing. Cooper sold the bank in
3 020 to six cltlsens of Dunning, tak
ing a $20,000 note that was after
wards taken up and the certificates
of deposit issued. This latter action
was taken on the security of a
credit for that sum in a bank at
University Place, which was placed
on its books on the security of
notes issutd by the six men. The
supreme court says that as this
credit was tied up with a restriction,
that it could not be drawn upon un
less the notes were paid it made the
y.lude transaction a loan, and that no
person, whether they claim to he
nnocent purchasers or not, can
cash in on certificates of deposits
unless actual money was placed in
the ban’: issuing them.
SECRETARY OF
FAIR ELECTED
George Jackson, Former
Speaker of Nebraska House,
Given Place
Lincoln, Neb., Jan. (Special)—
The state hoard of agriculture elected
George Jackson, of Nuckolls, former
speaker of the house and long a mem
ber of the state fair board of man
agers as Its set_'"'V»ry in charge of
tne exposition. K. V'.. Danielson, who
retired after eight years’ service to
make connections with a concession
company, was presented with a watch
and chain
K. R. Purcell was elected president
and T. H. Wake, of Seward, and A. J.
Weaver, of Falls City, vice presidents.
W. B. Banning was again chosen as
treasurer. The directors are made
up of the following: First district,
C. H. Gustafson. Lincoln, and A. J.
Weaver, Falls City: Second. Charles
Grau. Henning on; Third, A. W.
Lamb, Albion, vthus. Graff. Ban
croft and W. K. VonSegren Wayne:
Fourth, K. J. Mitel.’ll, Deshler. T. H.
Wake, Seward, and W. H. McGaffin.
Jr„ David City: Fifth, George Jack
son, Nelson, K. Sinner, Culberton and
R. R. Vance. Hastings; Sixth, C. S.
Hank, Chaaron; Charles Dobrey. St.
Paul and Irl L. Tolen, Ord.
The board of managers for the fair
will he: A. W. Lamb, Boone county;
Jacob Suss Sarpy, Perry Reed Ham
ilton; Irl L. Tolen Valley.
CADDY SUES GOLF
PLAYER AT FREMONT
Fremont, Neb., Jan. . -Hearing
of the $10,000 damage suit of Albert
Tracy, jr„ by his father, against Mrs.
Winifred Johnson, Frtmont r*olf
player, is on In district court. Albert
Tracy, junior high school hoy, was
acting as caddy for Mrs. Johnson on
t^c Fremont golf course when lie was
hit in the eye by a golf ball driver,
by l.ouis Zlotkey. removal of the
eye was necessary, ar.d claims against
Mrs. Johnson and Zlotkey were filed
Through an Insurance company
Zoltkey made settlement for $4,000.
OLD MEMBER
BOARD SEATED
Contest Over “Vacancy” in
Cedar County May Be
Aired in Courts
Hartington, Neb., Jan. - (Special)
•—Continuing the contest regarding
the legally qualified commissioner of
the southern district of Cedar county
which was brought about by the sud
den death of \V. E. Reese, of Randolph,
on the eve of taking office after be
ing elected at the November election,
Boyd Carroll, appointed to fill the
office by County Attorney Millard,
appeared at the meeting held to re
organize the board, and demanded
that he be seated as the commission
er. Retiring Chairman, Alfred An
derson, asked for his credentials and
Mr. Carroll replied that his bond had
not been aproved by County Judge
Bryant. Then A. B. Shiverly stated
that he bad an approved bond and
was present as the legally qualified
ccmmissioner of the district. County
Attorney Millard gave opinion that
it would not be best to seat Mr. Car
rol], The board seated Mr. Shiverly.
County Attorney Millard said that
he still be’n that a vacancy existed
and thai Mr. Carroll should have his
bond approved as the legally appoint
ed commissioner, regardless of the
opinion of ' Attorney General O. S.
Spillman that there was not a vac
ancy and that A. B. Shiverly, of
Laurel, the incumbent, should hold
over until his successor was elected
and qualified.
It is expected Carroll will bring
mandamus proceedings against .Judge
Bryant, compelling him to approve
Carroll’s bond and if it is legal his
rights will be sustained in the courts.
TRAGIC DEATH
IS AFTERMATH
Principal in Omaha Ro
mance Dies By His
Own Hand
Omaha, Neb., Jan. .-Lying face
down, with a towel wrapped around
hts head and one frozen hand clutch
ing an empty chloroform bottle, the
body of a man Indentified as Lee
Kolster, estranged husband of Addie
Kolster, the “flower girl," wras found
on the hank of a creek six miles
south of the South Omaha city limits.
The romance of Kolster and the
“flower girl” began last spring, when
Kolster rescued her from a man who
tried to kiss her. They were married
July 3.
Kolster, a "doll rack” operator,
took his bride on a tour with a car
nival. On his return to Omaha at
the end of the season, Kolster re
ported a “successful and happy trip,”
but early In December ho told police
his bride had departed with $620
and had gone to the home of her
mother, Mrs. Della Fisher, Lewis, la.
The day before Christmas. the
bride filed suit for divorce, charging
cruelty and non-support, and alleging
her husband had forced her to sell
flowers on the street to support him.
BOARD OF AGRICULTURE
URGES BIG APPROPRIATION
Lincoln, Neb., Jan. ~ (Special)—
Members of the state boa,-J of agri
culture are asking for *311,000 ap
propriations at the bT.nds of the leg
islature, and Tuesday afternoon
called In a body on the governor to
enlist his support of their program,
the major part of which includes
$200,000 for a new boys and girls club
building with the ground floor used
as horse barn. The remainder is for
premium money and maintenance.
Governor Bryan cut down their chief
requests in his budget message to
$35,000.
SECRETARY AGRICULTURAL
BOARD QUITS PLACE
Lincoln, Neb., Jan. . (Special)—
Secretary F. R. Danielson presented
his resignation to the state board of
agriculture at the annual meeting
George Jackson of Nelson, former
speaker of the house and a member
of the board of fair managers, Is the
man picked a.- likely to succeed him.
The election Occurs this \fternoon.
WANT LINCOLN MAN
FOR INSURANCE BUREAU
Llncoli., Neb., Jan. (Special)—
J. R. Dumont, one of the outstanding
fire insurance agents of Lincoln, who
operutes a large agency there, has
been drafted by the insurance inter
ests of the state to become a candi
date for head of the state bureau
Mr. Dumont’s name has been pre
sented to the governor, with a strong
list of endorsements. The place
pays hut $-'>,000 a year, and Mr
Dumont was finally induced to con
sent to let his name be used be
cause of tile desire tor a strong and
experienced man at its head. Gov
ernor Bryai ran the department with
a chief clerk and no head, and -paid
her $11)0 a month. This has not
been satisfactory to the insurance
men.
STOLE BRANDED CHICKENS,
THIEF ADMITS GUILT
Laurel. Neb., Jan. . -Tracing
stolen chtckens by means of a branc
mark which had been put in the web
of their feet, A. K. Maun found part
of them at a poultry market in Cole
ridge and the rest of them at Wake
field where they had been sent from
Coleridge, and led- to the arrest of
Ingar Nielson, a young man living
near Laurel. When arraigned in
court the man refused counsel and
pleaded guilty. He was bound over
to the district '^.urt on a $500 bond.
If Military Training Means Less
Back Talk, That Alone Justifies It
From The Philadelphia Public Ledger
Some persons think that a military school for boys means an
enormous mischief to their minds, as if it encouraged them to
think only of trench mortars, bombs, poison gas and other devices
for killing and maiming humanity.
Opponents of Plattsburg aird similar training camps forget
the main thing in such discipline, which is that it teaches a youth/
to react immediately, without debate, to a command. Elbert
Hubbard in his little magazine ladled out a deal of mush, but he
did hammer home a good idea when he wrote that -famous screed
called “A Message to Garcia.” That word was carried by a sol
dier who knew that the message was much more important than
the messenger. So it is always. An institution is bigger than
any man that serves it. The minute the man thinks himself
larger than his employment his usefulness is impaired or extin
guished.
Back talk is the bane of business. No one wants a lot of glib
extenuations and excuses. What makes the tired business man
tired? Having to listen to the bucks passed and the alibis of
fered by men who blundered or sideutepped and who refused to
accept squarely the blame for what they did.
What most exasperates the overdriven teacher in a school?
The flip impertinence of the boy or girl whose saucy tongue is
nimbler_than the brain.
“He being willing to justify himself.” It is one of the com
monest of human failings to stand explaining ouicelves and de
claiming against the great injustice done us when we ought to be
moving on to set mind and hand to the next task. It is the work
that matters, not tbe talk. The ultra-sensitive person is the bane
of any enterprise—household or public—that haa to done
no matter whose feelings are hurt.
All the talk that eddies about a deed is transient; the product
oi men’s toil outlives the frantic voices or how they felt about it.
Great commanders in the constructive works of peace arc best
served—not for themselves but for the end in view—by those who
keep to themselves a thousand trivial objections they might raise
and put through the undertaking in silence and obedience.
The Lost Sheep.
De mas. xi ob de sheepfol’
Dat guards de sheepfol’ bln.
Look out In de gloomerin' meadows
Wha’r de long right rain begin;
So he call do hirelin’ shepa'd—
“Is my sheep, is dey all come in?”
Oh, den says de hirelin' shepa’d:
"Dey's some dey's black and thin
And some, dey's po’ ol’ wedda’s;
But de res, dey's all brung In,
But de res, dey’s all brung in.”
Den de mnssa ob de sheepfol’,
Dat guards de sheepfol' bln,
Goes down in de gloomerin* meadows
Wha'r de long night rain begin,
So he le’ down de ba’s ob de sheepfol’
Callin’ sof: "Come in, come in.”
Callin’ sof’: “Come in, come in.”
Den up tro’ de gloomerin’ meadows,
Tra’ de col’ nigl.t rain and win’.
And up tro' de gloomerin’ rain-paf
Wha’r de sleet fa’ piercin’ thiD,
De po’ los’ sheep ob de sheepfol’,
Dey all comes gadderin’ in,
De po’ los’ sheep o^ de sheepfol’
De po’ los’ sheep od de sheepfol’
Dey all come gadderin’ in.
—Sarah Pratt M’Lean Green".
Who Pays For Advertising?
From the Lumber World Review.
"Who pays fer the advertising?”
is one of the favorite questions,
ranking alongside of “How old is
Ann?” Or among crossword puzzle
fans it’s about on a par with “What’s
the old English coin worth 20 shil
lings, and spelled with three let
ters ?”
But who asks the auestionf
Not the consumer. He cannot see
that ho Is paying. Tretty hard to
make him dee when he goes in and
buys a kodak for $10 today that's
better than the camera he could have
bought ID years ago for $25.
Pretty hard to make her see when
the could not buy the ingredients
for a 12-cent can of one of Camp
bell’s meat soups for less than S®
fonts
No, one doesn’t hear the consumer
complain that he pays.
Nor does one hear the manufac
turer who doe; advertise complain
that he pays.
Take the story—not the one attri
buted so often to Emerson—of the
rat-traps.
Three manufacturers In a town
were doing about the same business
In rat-traps. The traps cost 15
cents to make, sold to the dealer for
20 cents and to the consumer for 30
cents. One day one manufacturer
set aside 1 cent a trap for advertis
ing. At the end of two years he
found his traps were costing him 9
cents. So he reduced his price to the
dealer from 20 to 15 cents. The
dealer cut his price from 30 to 25
cents. The new nne-up gave the
maker 40 per cent, profit on his sel
ling price Instead of 26 per cent,
gave the dealer 40 per cent, on his
selling price instead of 33 1-8 per
cent, and gave the consumer the trap
at a reduction of 6 cents or for 16
2-3 per cent, less money.
The story of Campbell’s is as con
vincing. During its advertising ex
perience (he Campbell Company has
cut Its selling expense from 7 1-2
per cent, to 2 per cent. And should
anyone fear that Camphell's adver
tising eats up that difference, he
may be reassured by learning that
advertising during this period has
dropped from 14 per cent, to 8 per
cent.
No, it doesn't seem to be consum
er* nor advertising manufacturers
vfho raise the cry "Who pays for the
advertising?”
Insurance and Suicide.
James V. Barry, in Insurance Field.
In nearly all suicide claims pre
sented there Is little or no evidence
that the insured, at the time of
making application for Insurance,
had any Intention to commit suicide
and thus defraud his fellow policy
holders.
By way of demonstrating this
lack of intent it may be said that
during the year 1923, on regular or
dinary business, the disbursements
Inspired.
From the I,os Angeles Times.
An Italian with a street piano had
been playing before the house of a
very Irascible old man. who furiously
and with wild gest’culations ordered
him to "Clear off.” The organ grinder,
however, continued to grind away, un
til finally the out man had him ar
rested for disturbance.
At the police court the magistral
asked why he did not leave when re
quest.d to do so.
“No undefstan’ mooch Inglese." wa;
the reply.
"But,” said the magistrate, “you
mast have understood what this man
meant when he kept stamping his feet
wrid waving his arms.”
"No, net know.” replied the Italian.
•"VWsHu he coma dance to my tuuaic.''
-i-- - —
SEEING
H. H. Siegele.
Methinks that young folks cannot
see
The face of opportunity,
Else if they would they'd spend
their youth
In search of helpful, lasting
truth;
When I was young I was the
same.
I worked hard for a short-lived
fame;
I studied music, song and art,
And I knew a lot (but just in
part).
Of science, too, I knew some
things;
Of nations, historians and kings;
Of sun and moon, and starry sky,
I knew a mighty lot—and why?
J thought, because I passed the
test,
Thvt I was very near the best;
Hut as the years crept on, 1 found
That all my thinking was un
sound ;
That knowledge gained through
out my youth
Was but the "hadow of the truth;
And now, methinks, I cannot see
My greatest opportunity.
of one of America’s largest in
surance companies in suicide claims
aggregated $588,460, the number of
deaths involved being 207. Of this
total number of deaths only 18 were
on policies in force less than one
year, arid in 14 of these deaths,
claims were settled by the return of
premiums paid. Policies in force
five years or more represented 116
of the 207 suicide cases. There was,
of course, no intention to commit
suicide at the time these policies
were applied for.
Careful investigation further dis
closes that there is no evidence pro
duced by a review of homicide
claim payments over the period of
trie last 12 years to show that the
existence of insurance on any life
was an incentive to homicide. In
1923 the company above referred to
paid a total of $723,788 in homicide
claims, this being 1.2 per cent of the
total of all claim payments.
It is gratifying to know that dur
ing the last 12 years there has beer*
a gradual decline in suicide cases,
not only among policyholders of in
surance companies, but also in the
general population. Improvement in
the homicide death rate has also
been observed during this period.
The World-Conquering Bun.
From the Springfield Republican.
Street-car and subway systems
are everywhere on the rack of bus
competition. Mr. Casson, writing
from London to the New York Even
ing Post, says there is now but one
prosperous street-car system in tha
British empire and that is at Cape
Town, South Africa. Even Cape
Town reports falling receipts. In
England he reports that such
places as Sheffield, Birmingham,
Manchester, Portsmouth, Notting
ham and Lincoln are moving from
street cars to buses.
In London alone the municipally
owned "trama" are losing $500 a day
and this is not due to municipal
ownership and operation. It is due
to the buses. The London County
Council evidently does not forbid bus
competition. The result Is that the
apparently prosperous local trans
portation agency Is the London Gen
eral Omnibus company, which pays
9 per cent dividends. Its buses
this past year have been carrying
nearly one-half of all passengers
carried by public utility conveyances,
and they are carrying a larger pro
portion all the time. The people pre
fer them.
The subwAys In London arc barely
bolding their own; they manage to
pay 4 per cent, dividends but they
cannot raise new capital without the
government’s backing. The tendency
in England must be toward munici
pal ownership of surface “tram"
and subway systems, if they are to
survive under bus competition.
Municipal ownership must mean
throwing the burden of the deficit on
the taxes.
Bascom Should Knovt.
From the Baltimore Sun.
Bascom Slemp said at a dinner in
Washington:
“A foolish man who keeps out of pol
itics because he thinks politicians are
corrupt was reading the comic strips
the other night when his young son
said:
“ ‘Pop. what’s political economy?’
•• ’Political economy,' the foolish man
answered, ‘is—er—well, I guess po
litical economy Is the science of not
buyin’ any more votes than you ac
tually need.’ "
A little crown of withered natural
flowers was ft.und set about the gold
•..'address of King Tut ankh amen,
