DEATH charge
WILL BE FILED
Injuries Inflicted by Rob
bers Cause Death of
Howells, Neb., Man
Schuyler, Neb., - <UP>—
Murder charges will be filed against
the four men who beat and robbed
Joseph Semerad, 77 years old and
his daughter, Miss Rosie, of near
Howells. Neb., Monday night, if
they are apprehended, it was
learned today, following death
Thursday of the aged man.
Semerad died suddenly while
walking to the farm of his son. The
attending physician expressed be
lief that a severed artery in the
head, sustained when the robbers
beat him, caused death, and that
he also may have surrered from ex
posure due to being left bound to a
tree for several hours.
Miss Semeral. who was thought
to have been the most severely in
jured, is expected to recover.
State officers were convinced that
the robbery was committed by men
familiar with the premises and who
knew Semerad well. Semerad was a
Bohemian, and two of his four as
sailants spoke Bohemian as their
native tongue.
Confidence was expressed that
the guilty men will be captured.
WAYNE ATTORNEY SPEAKS
AT WOMEN’S CLUB MEET
Wayne. Neb.. _ - (Special)
— Fred S. Berry and Mrs. Grace
Walsh Lutgen, both of Wayne, are
scheduled for speeches at the con
vention of the Third District Feder
ation of Women’s Clubs, at Madi
aon today.
Delegates and alternates from
Wayne are Mrs. A McEachen, Mrs
E W. Huse. Mrs. F. S. Berry, and
Mrs. J. G. W. Lewis.
WILL ACCEPT COLLEGE
WORK IN HIS HOME TOWN
Fremont. Neb.. _ (UP)—
Midland college's history depart
ment, which has been without an
Individual head since Dean E. Clyde
Xander resigned in 1926 to become
president of Thiel college, Green
ville, Pa., is to be headed by William
Zimmerman Jr,, a Fremont man,
who will receive his doctor of phi
losophy degree from Cornell univer
sity, at Ithaca. N. Y„ this spring
He will take over his new duties
June 5.
Zimmerman graduated from Mid
land In 1922 and after teaching
three years, one at Dwight, Neb.,
and two at Luther college, Wahoo,
he entered the University of Ne
braska to receive his master of arts
degree in 1926. Since then he has
been at Cornell. At both the Uni -
versity of Nebraska and Cornell he
has served as an assistant in the
department of history.
RECENTLY CLOSED BANK
AT BRUNSWICK. REOPENED
Brunswick, Neb., „ (Spe
cial)—Through the aid of 150 farm
ers. the Brunswick State bank,
which was closed recently, opened
Its doors Thursday.
MUSIC CONTEST
AT DA GROVE
Schools of 21 Western Iowa
Towns Entered for April
6 and 7 Event
Ida Grove, la., (Spe
cial)—Central and East high
schools, of Sioux City, Mapleton,
8torm Lake. Cherokee, Ida Grove.
Lake City. Oto. Manson. Aurelia,
Early. Newell. Cherokee (Immacul
ate Conception), Bronson. Battle
Creek. Schleswig, Kingsley, Dan
bury, Lake View. Lawton and Gal
va schools are entered for the dis
trict music contest to be held April
6 and 7 in Ida Grove. The con
test begins Friday evening and lasts
through Saturday with sessions in
the morning, afternoon and evening.
Four girls glee clubs, four boys'
glee clubs, two bands, two orches
tras. three small instrumental
itennru- U lineal nemme O'? ruto 1 enlne
n —r--- ■ — — o- - -r-. — - * — — —- — - — ■
7 violin solos, two vlolincello solos
3 wood wind solos. 8 brass and 10
piano solos will be included in thr
program.
YOUNG LIVESTOCK DOING
EXCEPTIONALLY WELI
8pencer. Ia.. <Special!
Paul Busenbarlt. county agrnt,
states that the early pig crop is nor*
mat and that the weather has been
very favorable for them. There will
be many more p g* during the next
two or three weeks,
Among early chickens there have
been few losses and moat of the
early hatches have proved to be 100
per rent healthy. Although therr
may be a frw losses from adverse
conditions there Is no contagious
disease of any kind
A few early lambs have arrived
and have averaged about 100 per
cent
A large number of calves have ar*
rived largely the beef breeds The
largest bunch reported Is at Pred
Hcbnwdt * six sn:lea north of here
LOOK* I IKE THEY
VOTED rtll fNIMMLl.
Mirnandoah. la. . • -Elf*
ty wen dllfr .-nt person* received
voles tor mayor of Essex at the elt»
elect ion when votera wrote in thr
Maine* of whom they pleased No
ticket* were nominated C. H 14)*
jedal.i war elected mayor Other
officers are W C Pendleton, a»
vsmii •' E Hanson. treasurer a*d
councilman Alfred Ear. f D HU ■
**nm. Walker E Carlson C J
Cwrtaon and LKdph Hanson
FARMER ASKS *5,000 FOR
LOSS OF OLD WALNUT TREE
Omaha, Neb., —
The unsparing woodman who
chopped down a walnut tree 100
years old has been dealt a legal and
financial blow by the district court
here. Emmet N. Hanley, Nashville,
Neb., a farmer, was granted an at
tachment of $5,000 against the Des
Moines Saw Mill company and E. O.
Stife, manager. Manley charged that
the company without his permission 1
cut down a tree which was a land
mark on his property for 50 years
The tree was four feet thick at
the base, 100 feet high and shaded
the entire yard. He said it was
valued at $2,500, but added it wa
“worth double that amount to me.’’
The attachment was obtained to
seize logs and equipment of the com
pany at. Nashville.
NEW RULING IN
MORTGAGE CASE
' Nebraska Supreme Court
Decides Against Bank
Newman Grove
Lincoln, Neb., (Special
—The supreme rourf decided the
quarrel between the First State bank
of St. Edward, Boone county, against
the Newman Grove State bank oi
Madison county, over the liens they
had originally on property belong
ing to Sam Nikalasson. The New
man Grove bank took title from the
owner so as to be in a better posi
tion to defend its claims a su
perior title, but the supreme aourt
holds that in doing so it lost the
1 right to claim that the St. Edward
bank mortgage was usurious be
cause it called for 10 per cent, in
terest and the pa'yment of ti ; mort
gage tax by the owner. The court
holds that the defense of usury is
persocal to the owner and cannot
■__—___l_i_-a i-_
wv ■ uvvvuoi miiJ |/iv.»vi\ u niv aiviu
I er of a junior mortgage expressly
1 taken subject to the mortgage to
which the defense Is sought to be
applied.
The court laid down some new
law with respect to mortgage fore
closure practices. It says that a sub
sequent mortgagee may not add to
the amount secured by his mortgage
the sums he paid for Interest upon
j a prior mortgage, done for the pur
pose of avoiding foreclosure at the
time, where authority so to do is
not contained in his own security.
In such case he is subrogated to the
lien of the prior mortgage to the
| extent of the payments, and. in or
der to recover them on foreclosure
of his mortgage, must plead the
prior mortgage lien and facts show
ing such a breach of conditions
thereof as give a right to fore
close that mortgage.
GTTIZENSHW* QUESTIONS
PUZZLE MANY NATIVES
Norfolk, Neb. , (Special>
—Mrs. Mary Lartwood, a native
American, who 14 years ago mar
ried an Italian who had not taken
out his naturalization papers, ap
plied here the other day for citi
’.enship papers. Two of the ques
tions asked by the examiners she
could not answer. They were." Who
would become president if Mr
Coolidge died?" and "What is the
name of the highest law of the
United States?”
A poll made at a local newspa
per office showed that a dozen at
ieast native-born, white Americans
ould not answer the questions, eith
?r. One thought the chief justice of
the supreme court would become
president, if both president and vice
president died. Another thought it
would be a cabinet officer, but he
ildn’t know which. Another thought
he highest law of the land was the
upreme court.
TYPEWRITERS STOLEN FROM
PLATTE CENTER SCHOOL
Platte Center, Neb.,
, UPt—Thieves entered Platte Cen
ter high school and took seven of
the eight typewriters owned by the
commercial department. The ma
chines. all nearly new, were valued
it more than $t>00.
- ♦ ♦ - ■
OKMEK LABOR GROUPS
END THEIR CONFERENCE
St. Paul, Minn. —
representatives of farmer and labor
groups In several northwest states,
terminating a conference here, late
Wednesday, decided to Join with
"other progressive organizations” in
-ailing a national political conven
tion in July.
While disavowing any leadership
ill plans for a third ticket In the
national political campaign this
year, the conference agreed to give
Its support to such a movement if
generally indorsed by other similar
groups throughout the country.
Terming itself the “northwest
conference of progressives." the
meeting he-e declared its primary
Interest was in formulation of plans
for a closer working arrangement
between "the progressive movements
in several slates of the northwest."
Authorized delegates participating
in the conference included men
from Minnesota. Wisconsin. Colo
rado. North Dakota. Iowa. Illinois
and Idaho, while a number of oth
ers took part In the conference
merely as Interested persons.
FARMER MILS HELP. AND
MAVtt HE RI AMEN NO ONE
BeotUbtuff Neb. <UP
Clovd Thompson, farmer who
lived nine miles north of Boottsblufl.
'tided hie Ufr by shooting hunself
through the head with a rifle, late
Wednesday.
Thompson, son of John Thomp
son, left a note keying that he
blamed no one for his act He was
m good health and his financial af
fairs were In good condition He
silted himself by placing *tr muscle
jf a rifle in ho mouth and pulling
the trigger with Ms foot
Out Our Way
II
By Williams
_
'
WM'Y MOTHERS GiEf GRAV, ^
-The OB&ERvATqRV._
_wa u » *»T orr ■>« nca unvicc. me
uStandardized State Doles” Might
Undermine Individual Competition
From Barron’s Financial Weekly.
Under the drear but less repulsive garb than “govern
ment dole,” the American Association for Labor Legislation
will press its “standard bill for the “old-age pension,” in
the 1929 session of 42 state legisltures as well as in congress.
It proposes “modestly” that any 70-year-old citizen who
has lived continuously in one state for 15 years, if not worth
more than $.5,000, shall be paid by that state an amount suf
ficient to give him, including his own earnings and income,
a daily maintenance of one dollar.
Montana and Nevada adopted the old-age pension sys
tem as fur back as 192.1, at the very time when one of the
best reading topics of the day was the British dole, itk inutil
ity, premium on irresponsibility, sloth, extravagance, and the
whole round of zig and petty vices which lead to the poor
house.
If the progress the association in emancipating the
worker from tlfe dut>*‘of providing for his own, his wife’s,
his mother s, his father's old age, and in opening a new out
let for public expenditure, equal in diameter to the sum of
all other legitimate and unlawful outlets, is to be halted, it
will most likely be, not because the system is violative of the
rights of private property and creative of a Stalin despotism,
but because the standard bill cannot prevail against its own
ahsurdit
^ et even the standard bill can fall back on precedent.
Tn more than one state the taxables carry a school budget
providing for nurses, dentists, apothecaries, milk, meals and
school tickets, stadiums, ball oourts, fields and halls and
physical culture.
In more than one township so burdened the tax collec
tion dare not refuse to collect taxes on the installment plan,
when such terms are offered.
The penitentiary is equipped with auditorium, stag*,
playground and athletic apparatus.
1 lie dehumanized poorhouse” has its movies, radios and
other dehumanizing diversions which have made the fire
place no longer the sanctuary of senectitude.
^ hy, indeed, it will be asked, should old age be denied a
statutory guaranty of one dollar, when the super-luxuries
of bodily culture, of science and refinement are given by the
state to the children of the rich, poor, strong, weak, apt,
inept, native, foreign, newcomer and oldtiraer alike? To that
question the who cares mood of the hour does not intend
to reply.
Only its own shortcomings threaten the standard bill.
1 hey are crude, clumsy, inequal, unfair, according to one
an income at the most not exceeding $1S0 while guaranteeing
to another a maintenance of $:t65.
Yet these very shortcomings are fruitful bolshevistic soil,
readily yielding to improvement, to larger benefits to elastic
classes of all ages and physical conditions. Standardized
state doles conceal but move toward a more distant goal—a
>>tate subsidy that will dispense with a full day's work for a
full day's pay.
War and Wishing.
From the New York Times.
One reason for the lack of en
nusiatic public response to Secre
tary Kellogg s diplomatic notes and
ecent address on the subject of
enouncing war, is a general feei
ng that he has left the matter too
nuch In the air of merely a pious
i&piraUon. What he wants, we all
rant, but when we stop to think
'bout it, we know that the only
ray to abolish war is to put soine
hing effective In Its stead Hostil
ties cannot be averted ay simply
ashing that they might never oc
iur. Mr Kellogg himself virtually
dmita that the disclaimer of war
n the pre-amble to the recent ar
titration treaty with France has
10 binding effect It is really no
nore than an amiable flourish of
ntrrnational friendship And evt
iently. one might go further and
*y that a universal treaty, such
TS* farmer* Handicap.
Senator Capper of Kansas.
A com pari tun of actual rates
•liows the Canadian wheat grower
n Saskatchewan paying a Height
ale of II cents per 100 pound*
or a haul of M* mile*, while for
taul* of almost identically the same
lutaiKe the Montana wheat grower
joys 11 cents and the Kansas tarm
rr must pay MS cent. On loi-ger
tauls the handicap placed on the
wheal farmer* of the United mate*
is practically a* great, fm hauling
hi* wheat JTM miles from Regina.
Rat* to the port of Quebec the
Canadian farmer pays 23 cento a
bushel The Kansas farmer for s
as the Secretary of States desires,
would have no great value In ac
tually outlawing or lorever prevent
ing war If It confined itself to vague
and magniloquent protestations of
a desire for enaless peace. There
must be. as Professor Shotwell
points out In the latest number of
Foreign Affaires, positive, definite
and workable alternatives for war
if war is forever to be banished
among the civilized nations.
This in an international concern,
and must be dealt with internation
ally, Secretary Kellogg has grasped
this truth so far a* clearly per
ceiving the need of the widest co
operation. but has not gone the full
length of advocating international
agencies for the accomplishment of
the object which he ha* at heart.
He l* for arbitration, in ita limited
sphere, for conciliation, for confer
ence But. a* professor Shotwell
w*. a mere conference between
shorter haul at 1800 mile* to Bal
timore. pay* 38 cenu. and the Ne
braska wheat groan who ships less
than I 500 mile* to New Onearit for
export is charged 38 4 cents a bushel.
Numerous other instances typical
of the whole export grain height
rate structure might be cited, but
there are sufficient to show the
heavy handicap placed on the
American fanner
The Canadian railway ccmmU*
sioner* in ordering reduced export ,
ratee to apply to wheat raised in
Canada specifically stated (hat oar
own Interstate Commerce lommk
sion bw> laid an undue share of
the bur let of general transoorte - |
TASTE.
By Carlyle.
Taste, if it mean anything but
a paltry connoisseurship, must
mean a general susceptibility to
truth and nobleness, a sense to
discern, and a heart to love and
reverence all beauty, order good
ness wheresoever, or in whatso
ever forms and accompaniments
they are to be seen. This surely
implies, as its chief condition,
not any given external rank or
situation, but a finely-gifted
mind, purified into harmony
with itself, into keenness and
justness of vision; above all,
kindled into love and generous
admiration.
two nations in danger of embroil
ment will not necessarily suffice
to keep the peace. Larger inter
ests must be brought in. and a wider
circle of conferees invoked. Here is
where the eflectivness of American
anti-war diplomacy is seriously
hampered. There exists a great in
ternational organization for re
straining would-be belligerents, but
from it the United States holds
aloof. Secretary Kellogg speaks
with great respect of the League
of Nations, but is now disabled
from working freely and fully with
it. Thus, his plight—we may say
our national plight—is an illustra
tion of the remark of Goldsmith that
it is “the solecism of power” to de
sire strongly an end without in the
least being willing to adopt the
means to it.
Private Enterprise.
From the Omaha World-Herald.
Whenever the suggestion is made
that the government retain control
of the natural resources of the
country in the interest of all the
people, as in the development ol
nyaro-electric power, it is always
met by the objection that private
enterprise is invariably more effici
ent and better than public.
That undoubtedly is true, when
It applies to the conduct of a strict
ly private business. But when it is
applied to private enterprise en
gaged in the development of one of
the public's natural resources it is
distinctly not true. Witness the bi
tuminous coal industry. Witness the
oil industry. Witness the lumber in
dustry.
Greed, waste, graft, imposition
upon the public have marked their
course almost from beginning to
end.
It would be difficult to find any
where on earth a business worse or
ganized and worse conducted than
the coal mining industry of Amer
ica. The thing has become a na
tional scandal. Its only parallel
probably is to be found in the same
industry in England. Starvation
wages to the miners and burden
some prices to the consumers is the
result of turning over this vastly
important natural resource to priv
ate enterprise.
In-view of the record made by pri
vate enterprise in these fields
the Senate does well to adopt the
Norris plan for the operation of the
Muscle Shoals power plant.
..." - --»♦-——.
Four Crops a Year.
From the Illinois Central Maga
zine.
Tiie successful raising of four
crops on the same land in less than
a year Is reported bv a farmer liv
ing in southeastern Mississippi The
crops were rabbage. Irish potatoes,
corn and cowpeas The same farmer
boasted of strawberry shortcake
from March to June, fresh [teas,
turnips, mustard, green onions, rad
ishes. lettuce and the like In No
vember. tic worth of satsuma or
anges from one tree. 167 bushels of
Irish potatoes to the acre, a hat ,
crop worth Mk an atre and 250
pounds of pecans from a single
tree.
tlon coat on the basic product of
grain, which In proportion as It :
gives purchasing power, causes tht :
movement of other traffic. The |
producer in the United States
suffers material Injury from the
higher grain rates thus imposed
—•*- -
Q Was Alexandria. Va, ever
part of the District if Columbia?
NAM
A Alexandria, originally called i
Beilehaven was a part of the ter- j
ntory reded te the United State* in
17W It was tetroreded In >664 and j
again became a part of Virginia in I
lie?
TAX SALES ARE
VITAL SUBJECT
Omaha Official Asserts City
and County Cheated
Out of Thousands
Omaha. Neb~ — (UP)—
The city council Monday voted to
appoint a committee to investigate
sales of delinquent taxes being con
ducted by county officials here.
City Commissioner Joe Koutsky
charged that the city and county
are loseing many thousands of dol
lars through the sales. Lots have
been selling for as low as $1 on
these sales—not enough to pay the
cost of advertising and conducting
the sale. Koutsky charged.
Koutsky pointed out that there is
plenty of chance for collusion in the
way tax sales are conducted in
Douglas county. There is nothing
to stop a purchaser from privately
turning the property book back to
the original owner, he said. Those
purchasing property at tax sales
become owner of the property after
they have held It for two years and
paid regular taxes on it, he said. It
is not necessary to pay up back tax
es which In many Instances amount
to hundreds of dollars which are
lost to county and city.
JUDGE BUTTON
BEING OPPOSED
Members of Dodge County
Bar Association Seek His
Defeat in Election
Fremont, Neb., __ (Spe
cial)—Attorneys who are members
of the Dodgge County Bar associa
tion have been holding meetings all
over the county to oppose the nom
ination of Judge F. W. Button,
who has been on the bench in the
Sixth judicial district for the last
15 years. The attorneys assert that
the judge does not have good Judi
cial poise, that he influences juries
by his actions and decisions and
that his continuance on the bench
is a stumbling block to good judi
cial practice.
At a recent mass meeting held in
Fremont, several Fremont attorneys
addressed the crowd in explanation
of their reasons for opposing the re
nomination of the judge.
TENANTS OCCUPY SAME
FARMS FOR MANY YEARS
Scotia, Neb., (Special*
—Believed the record for northeast
Nebraska, ohn Vance has rentd
the Elihu Fish farm for 30 consecu
tive years. He then moved off the
farm for a year or two, returned,
and has rented it altogether 32 years.
Robert Mitchell has been on one
rented place for 27 years. Mrs. Em
ma Hermsmeyer has been on the
same rented place for 23 years.
FEARS THAT COLD HAS
DAMAGED FRUIT CROP
Falls City. Neb.. (UP)—
Fears that Richardson county’s
apricot crop may have been slightly
damaged when the mercury dropped
to 18 degrees above zero this morn
ing are expressed. It will take sev
eral days, however, to determine the
extent of the damage.
ARGUMENTS TO BE HEARD
IN INCOME TAX CASE
Omaha. Neb., (UP)—
Federal Judge T. C. Munger will
hear final arguments in the $500,000
Updike income tax case today. The
defense rested late yesterday after
placing Nels B. Updike, millionaire
grain man and owner of the Bee
News on the stand.
Updike said an attempt had been
made by Collector A. B. Allen, of
the Omaha Internal Revenue bu
reau. to compromise all Updike tax
cases for $10,000. Updike gave Allen
a check for this amount but it was
returned nine months later.
Judge Munger Is expected to re
serve decision until he has time to
thoroughly study the large mass of
documentary evidence introduced in
the case. He announced briefs
must be filed early because he will
settle the case before May 15, If pos
sible.
The suit involves about $511,000,
principal and interest on income
and excess profit taxes of $373,911.54
claimed by the government to be
due from the Updike Grain com
pany for 11 months of 1917.
BAD ACCOUNT LOSSES
TOTALED BUT $49.(55
Madison. Neb., (UP'—
During 14 years as a retail mer
chant in Madison. E E, Burris, now
retired, lost only $49 85 In bad ac
counts. For five and one half years
Burris operated a variety store from
which he lost $15 In worthless ac
counts. The reat of the amount
was lost In the drug business over
a period of eight and one half
years Credit was extended liber
ally to Madison people and Burns
explained the showing was not due
to his own business ability but to
(he people of the community.
nrvrirr* or district
WILL MEET AT TRACY
Tracy. Minn - Dent!*#
from ibis section of the rule will '
•Mrruble here for the annual tvm
rention of the Bcuthem Minnronta
Dents! uaoriaiion Mav 34 to Nl
Twenty one counties are Included in
'be district and it D expected that
W win come here, Dr W J Ra,
cock of this cite mm that the pg..
•ram will include speaker* and clln
"** »n*n of state and national
repute lion.