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About The frontier. (O'Neill City, Holt County, Neb.) 1880-1965 | View Entire Issue (March 28, 1929)
MAKES REPORT OF 1928 FIRES Nebraska Official Tells Gov ernor 79 Deaths Were Toll of the Year LINCOLN, NEB.— (UP)—Fires throughout the state last year caused 79 deaths, and Injuries to 143 per sons. John C. Trouton, state fire marshall reported to the governor in his annual report. A total of $2,001,853 damage was done to buildings and to contents of build ings, the reported stated. The deaths were divided as fol lows 41 men, 23 children and 15 women. Eighteen fatalities were caused by starting r,res with kero sene and 15 were caused by gasoline explosions. Playing with matches took a toll of 10 and electricity caused 9 deaths. Of the 143 injured, 74 were men, 38 were women and 31 were chil dren. Gasoline explosions led the list of causes with 42 injuries, Starting fires with kerosene was given as the cause of 18 accidents and kerosene explosions caused in juries to seven while seven firemen were burned fighting fires. The total value of the building afire last year was $28,773,125 and the total value of the contents was $11,192,268. The buildings were in sured to the extent of $$11,912,268 and their contents were insured to the amount of $9,948,056. There was a total of 1,405 fires during the year, the report said. Of this number, 200 were caused by sparks from chimneys and 96 were caused by overheated stoves and furnaces. Electric curling irons and flatirons were responsible for 18 fires and motors backfiring was listed as the cause of 12 blazes. Two Omaha "hootch" stills over heated and caused fires and smok ing in bed caused seven. Mice and matches caused seven blazes and the careless use of matches by per sons was the cause of 18. Thirty nine fires were accredited to the use of clgaretes, cigars and pipes. POWER CONCERN LOBBY WINNER Municipal Plant Plan Said to Be Directed by Elective Equipment Concern LINCOLN. NEB.—(Special)—The power trust lobby, as it is designated by tlie lobby which has been back ing the legislative program of the Nebraska league of municipalities, has apparently won out in what has been one of the hottest fights of the session, off the floor, and in which members have been button holed to the limit. The power company representa tives have loudly proclaimed that the league is but a name used by Fairbanks, Morse and company, manufacturers of electrical equip ment, to advance their business in terests. which lie almost wholly with the municipal plants. It also has a financing department, and has been conducting a vigorous campaign to induce towns to buy equipment from it under contracts that do not call for payment until the net earnings have wiped out the debt incurred, it is asserted. The league program covered a number of phrases of the business, all of them dovetailing to the end that the power companies might be prevented from buying any more of the smaller municipal plants. In addition to this it was proposed to allow the towns having municipal plants to run transmission lines out -5 miles in each direction, and in this way supply farmer demand nnd also sell to towns at rates lower than they can make current, Just as the power companies have been doing. The plan has been criticised as a covert attempt to link up all the municipal plants in such a way that evenualiy it would be a state power company. As the bills come out of the house committee the distance municipal plants may build out into the coun try is cut to 10 miles, and in the construction of such lines the towns may not enter into contracts to pay for them out of future earn ings, but must follow the accustomed methods of submitting the question to a vote of the people and selling bonds to pay the cost. This practi cally kills the plan, as the distance fixed will take care cnly of rural demands and will prevent a linkup of municipal plants, and as it will be an almost impossible task to get voters in a town with a municipal plant to build out into the country, there being no profit now in supply ing farmers because of their small demand expressed in terms of amount cf current used. The senate spent mest of Wed nesday on similar bills, and as they were finally advanced several con tained the same provisions as in the house bills. Another bill ad vanced was fought unsuccessfully by the power interests. This re quires a CO per cent vote cf the people to lease a municipal plant to anyone or to buy current from an outside source. DYNAMITE CAP EXPLODES AND GIRL LOSES FINGERS MORRILL—(Special)—All of the fingers on her left hand with the exception of thumb and forefinger were lost by Lola Johnson, 10 years old. daughter of Mr. and Mrs. G. R. Johnson when a dynamite percus sion cap exploded in her hand. She found the caps lying in the ditch behind the school house. A num ber of playmates vx?re found to have the caps also. Kers blewup when she pricked it with a pin Workmen are supposed to have lei’- , tfceoa there ASKS COURT TO UPHOLD DEATH PENALTY VERDICT LINCOLN—(UP)—Pointing out that premeditation and malice were proved in the conviction of Morris Swartz before he was sentenced to die in the electric chair, Attorney General Sorensen asked the supreme court Thursday to uphold the ver dict of the Douglas county jury. SEED POTATOES ARE IN DEMAND Nebraska’s Crop of Certified Stock Nearly All Deposed of Last Year LINCOLN, NEB.—(UP)—Nebra ska certified seed potato growers produced 16 per cent less certified seed last year than in 1927, and of the 152,400 bushels certified all but 2.400 bushels were of the Triumph variety, says the state and federal division of agricultural statistics. Production of certified seed in the United States last year set a new record in 10,365,087 bushels, which was 45 per cent more than the 1927 crop and 35 per cent larger than the previous record production of 1924. Nebraska production for the last four years has been 121,200 bushels in 1925, 60,200 in 1926, 181 500 in 1927 and 152,400 last year. About two thirds of the 1928 crop was sold early at contracts approxi mating $1.80 per bushel but later bids were 90 cents, f. o. b., shipping point. There are 21 states producing < ertified seed potato's ami all but 8, of which Nebraska is one. showed a marked increase in harvest of cer tified seed last year. Prices generally were 50 cents per bushel lower than in 1927 and 75 cents per bushel lower than in 1926 when the total United States production of certi fied seed was but 5,081,708 bushels. The five leading varities in num ber of bushels certified last year were Cobbler, Graen Mountain, Tri umph, Russet Rural and Spaulding and Rose. DENIED RIGHT TO SUE STATE Attorneys Seeking Return for Depositors in Closed Banks Are Balked LINCOLN, NEB. — (UP)—Denied (heir request by the house claims committee for the right to sue the state for $2,215,000 of the bank guaranty deficit, Attorneys Clinton Campbell, of Lincoln, and William J. Holz, of Omaha, have not de termined what will be their next step. Attorney General Sorenson told the claims committee, which Thurs day night denied the attorneys’ re quest, that legislative action is needed before suit can be brought ngainst the state. 'Tire attorneys have intimated, however, they will bring suit in district court even though they fall to gain legislative sanction The claim is made on the ground that the state failed to levy the full amount of the assessment against the bankers during 1921 for 1924 to pay losses In the bank guaranty fund. FORMER GOVERNOR’S WIFE HEADS NEBRASKA I). A. R FREMONT—(UP) — The twenty seventh annual conference of the Nebraska Daughters of the Ameri can Revolution was to close Friday with the selection of next year’." conference city and completion oi business matters. Mi’s. Adam Mc Mullen, of Beatrice, wife of the former governor, was elected state regent to succeed Mrs. York Hun man, of North Platte. Other offi cers elected are: Mrs. E. H. West cott, of Plattemouth, vice state re gent; Mrs. H. J. Czrey, of Kearney, recording secretary; Mrs. Fred Lwird, of Fremont, auditor, and Mrs. R. E Knight, of Alliance, reg istrar. BUS LINE OPERATOR HITS FINANCIAL SNA', LINCOLN— (Special)— Mrs. Ida N. Bartunek, who has been operat ing bus lines between O'Neill and Sioux City. O’Neill and Gland Is land. O'Neill and Valentine and Valentine and Cliadrcn, ran up against a legal snag before the state railway commission, where she had made application to turn the prop erty over to a corporation the Pioneer Bus line that she organ ized, and have it issue $10,000 worth of stock. She said she had Invested more than that sum in the plant and that a considerable pari of the money had been lost through op eration and depreciation of the four cars used The commission held that it was restricted, under the law, to ac cepting as the value upon which se ' uritles may be used the present fair value of the tangible proper ty, plus a reasonable sum for goodwill and going concern value, which it fixes at a total oi $2,500 It finds that the buses then,selves are not worth much more than the Incumbrance of $1 200 Rgainst them. In allowing $2,500 of stock to be sold at 85 cents on the dollar, the commission requires that this incumbrance be paid off. YORK PREPARING TO DEDICATE ITS AIRPORT YORK—(UP)—With contract for equipment and lighting fixtures for the York airport let, local aviation enthusiasts are preparing for a formal dedication of the field some time in April. The government has leased a por tion of the field for installation oi a blinker beacon which will operat: during the hours from twilight un til dawn and signal to the passing airmail fliers. The trans-continenta airmail route will be changed soon fo pass over the north edge of the city The New Tight-Fit Hng Hipline (Poeert by Bully Plane) Only infrequently Joes q model so attractive as the above come out ol the ateliers of the Paris dressmakers. It shows the new glove-fitting hipline in a creation of biege crepe designed for street wear. The rope of pearls od•** a distinctive touch. Boulder Dam After Six Years After six years of slow grinding in the national legislative mill, Boulder dam has moved rapidly in the last month. Shifted from Boulder canyon to Black Canyon on the Colorado river by the special engineering board's report, It has struggled through both houses of congress, made its way through both Houses of congress, made its way through the bureau of the budget and the secretary of interior's of fice, and finally passed the White House pertais. The president’s signature has just made a law of the Swing-Johnson bill, embodying this most ambitious of all projects for harnessing a riv er. Carrying an appropriation of $165,000,000 to build a vast system of flood control, irrigation and hydro electric works, this measure is de igned to open a new era erf devel opment in tlie southwest. As amended by the Senate and approved by the House, the bill meets many of the objections raised against the original measure. It pro vides a more adequate sum lor con struction and' puts the burden of repaving the cost of the ai.-Ameri car&anal upon the water users ben efited. instead cf upon reevnues from the power plant to be erected near the dam. Also it nukes a more equable division of water be tween Arizona and California, al lotting H .900,000 acre-feet annually to the former and 4,400,000 to the latter, as against 4.C00.000 In the earlier bill. Congress side, tepped a decision or. the most debated feature of the measure—whether the power plant should be built and operated by the government or by private com panies. The bill leaves this question to the secretary of the interior, thereby greatly increasing interest in Mr. Hoover's selection of a man for that post. It can reasonably be argued that determination of gov ernmental policy such as is here in volved belongs more properly to congress. This loophole for federal operation offered the only likely ground for a veto by President Ooolidge. who had Insisted repeat edly that the government should not "go Into business.” The next hurdle the project mus surmount is the possible failure of six of the seven states In the river's basin to ratify the Colorado river compact—as required by the bill. At present Utah and Arizona are standing out. Furthermore, Arizona has indicated she will carry her protests against federal allotment of her water and power resources into the courts. Legal opinion is divided on the merits of this issue and linal adjudication is likely to be obtained only by tedious litiga tion. Apparently Bowlder dam .still has a long way to go, and greater efforts to conciliate Arizona and obtain her co-cperation would have smoothed the road it must travel. Capper’s Embargo. If the Kellogg multilateral treaty was a gesture toward the League of Nations, what can be said of the Capper embargo resolution except that it is the spirit and virtually ate substance of the league covenant it self? It provides sanctions against any nations violating the treaty, and that was one of the provisions in the league covenant that kept this country from ratifying it. Senator Capper's plan is meant to buttress the Kellogg treaty. It is meant to force the signatories to keep faith with it. The Capper resolution reveals that those advo cating it recognize that the signa tories w’ont’ keep faith with it un less they are forced. The resolution would apply the necessary force by the embargo method, which is an economic sanction. It would au thorize the president from this coun try “of arms, munitions, implements of war or other articles for use in war," to any conutry that had vio lated the treaty. This is nothing more nor less than Keeping on Top. Prom Answers. Clayton (to friend who has got into financial difficulties!: I sea you still travel first class. Other: If I travel second class I meet all my creditors. Q. How long have advertising mediums been used? M. T. A. Advertising is of great antiq uity. Egyptian advertising over 4, 000 years old has been discovered. Picture advertisements were used for the most part up to the time of and through the Middle Ages. The earliest newspaper advertisement is said to have been in Germany, 1591. article 16 of the League of Nation If no other result flows from Mr Capper's logical enough effort tc give the Kellogg treaty a substanci it undoubtedly lacks, the effort, least, goes to support the conten tion,made in the treaty debate that the treaty had no legs. Mr. Cap per would supply the legs. If the treaty is to march it must marcl on the old familiar legs of league covenant sanctions. Historically the embargo idea if not of ^ happy augury. Jefferson tried it and it prostrated this coun try’s commerce. It started the first secession talk heard in American history. As written, the resolution involves the widest divergence ol views as to what articles of com merce would be affected. "Other articles, for use in war’’ would seem to include about everything—food and olotliing as well as munitions. American shipping would simply be put out of business, as it was under Jefferson's embargo. If this is what the Kellogg treaty is to lead to. they were goed prophets who told us in the Senate debate that we were going into the League of Nations through the back door. -» « ______ More Bureaucrats. *5 < From Ohio State Journal. Compulsory liability insurance for all onto drivers is proposed in a bill pending before the legislature The bill contemplates o state fund, administered by a bond of three member to be named by the secre tary of state, all drivers to make annual payments to the fund. This is a bit of experimental legislation that should not b: studied briefly cr passed in a hurry. It is an excursion into new terri tory. It cannot os studied thor oughly this session and n > effort to pass it should be made. There are sentiment and pity for the victims cf auto accidents that have caused many to wish there migh' be a bill of that nature fashioned, but in Massachusetts, the only .-tats that has tried it, the plan was not suc cessful and today is an admitted failure in its present form. Na form of insurance should be based on sentiment, and no surge of pity in the human neart is justi fication for a costly experiment in that field. Insurance is a highly organized, scientific line of business that calls for the best ability in the country when a new field is being pioneered. Insurance is good only when it rests on a scientific actu arial basis. Insurance thus far has been written on selected risks. It is unsafe to assume records on se lected risks can be duplicated when every applicant must lie taken- It is the reckless and careless risks that make the trouble and cause the cost to mount higher. The task of writing a workable measure of that sort nrav appear easy to those who view the iield without estimating the factors of importance that enter into the ven ture. It is a task that has defeated the best insurance minds thus far. It is no task for a novice in the insurance field. Every auto in ser vice should be covered, but the means for securing that desired result has not yet been found. After the lamentable failure in Massachu setts the lawmakers of Ohio sir. uld beware of daring the known and unknown dangers in that field. Let that bill die. Q. What was a masque? L. J. E. A. A masque was a species of dramatic entertainment which reached the highest popularity in the reign of James I, but which also was a favorite diversion at the ! courts of Henry VIII and Elizabeth. ! The masque probably grew out of | the “mummings” which are heard of in Eengland as early as 1377. Masques were commonly played be fore royalty and the nobility. The Rev. Ronald Bayne, writing of the , masque says: "Essential masque was the appeal of the moment to the eye, and the ear, the blaze of color and light, the mist of per fumes. the succession of rapidly | changing scenes and tableaux crowded with wonderful and brautl ful figures.” Playing- Ifookcv. From Answers. First Youth: So you aren't going to marry that school teacher? Second Ditto: No. I couldn't show up one night and she wanted me to | bring a written excuse signed by my parents. -»« Q. How many men did John Sullivan knock out in his tour of ! the countrv in 1883? J. A. R. A. In September. 1883 he made a tour of the United States last ing rbout 0 months, during which he offered $1,000 to any man he could not defeat in four rounds. During that time he knocked out about 50 men. FOUR HELD FOR ASSAULT ON PROHIBITION AGENT ALLIANCE—(UP)—E. Moyer, 35 years old, an Omaha undercover prohibition agent, was reported Tuesday to have been assaulted by four men at Hemingford Monday night after making an arrest. The men were alleged to have beaten the officer to unconsciousness, tak en his gun and star and gone to Crawford where they were cap tured. The four men taken into custody are Fay E. Clarke, 24 years old, pro fessional prize fighter; William Ir win, Melville Burkett and Lyle Burkett. The assault was reported to have followed the arrest of M. Burkett. Moyer had only partially recov ered Tuesday. DEMANDS RIGHT TO JURY TRIAL Nebraska Woman’s Appeal Carried to Supreme Court LINCOLN, NEB.—(UP)—Tht right of defendants in liquor pro secutions to demand trials by jur ies in the lower courts of the state was argued before the supreme court Tuesday. Judge Proudfit granted, on application, a writ of mandamus asked for by Mrs. Katherine Gar ton, charged with illegal sale, re quiring County Judge Fulton, of Fillmore county to give her a jury trial, as demanded, after she had entered a plea of not guilty, the judge refusing. Judge Proudfit held to be uncon stitutional that section of the liquor law which said that “magistrates and police courts are hereby vested with jurisdiction to try without jury all violations of this act and all or dinances wherein the penalty does not exceed a fine of $100 or im prisonment for a period of three months.” He said this was repug nant to the constitutional guarantee that the right to trial by jury shall be held inviolate. Elmer E. Thomas, representing the Anti-Saloon league, appeared as a friend of the court. He said he had written the law and he ex plained the conditions which made it necessary. Attorney General Sor enson also appeared and said the matter was one which should be settled as soon as possible as judges throughout the state differed in opinions on it. RETURNS WEDDING FEE TO BUY HONEYMOON GAs Omaha—“Imagine may embar rassment,’’ a Lincoln, Neb., bride groom sighed to Municipal Judge Sheehan, whom he had aroused from sound slumber after midnight to tie the knot, “when I discovered my car had no gas and that I had given you the last of my money.” Judge Sheehan was puzzled when, after he had performed the cere mony. he noticed the couple sitting in their parked car apparently mak ing no effort to leave. After over coming his qualms, the husband of a few moments returned, forced to sacrifice pride for the price of gaso line. Judge Sheehan returned the bill tendered him for officiating at the marriage, with the remark that, now married, the groom probably would have need for it. CLUB WOMEN TO MEET AT PLAINVIEW APRIL 3-4 PLAINVIEW—The 26th annual convention of the Third district Federation of Woman’s clubs will be held here April 3 and 4. A program has been arranged by District President Mrs. S. T. Frum, of South Sioux City. H. H. Wilson, an attorney of Lin coln, will speak on “America’s Part in Promotion of World Peace.” Prof. Newton Gaines, of the vocational training department of the Univer sity of Nebraska, and Judge B. S. Payne, Grand Island, also will speak. An address wall be given by State President Mrs. A. F. Nuquist. The programs will be held in the Metho dist church and a banquet will be served in the Congregational church. Mrs. George W. Kirk is general chairman of the banquet commit tee. The local club has elected the fol ’owing officers for the ensuing year: President, Mrs. Effie Taylor; vice president, Mrs. Lottie Kirk; record ing secretary, Mrs. Maxine Wilson; corresponding secretary, Mrs. Agnes Howes; treasurer, Mrs. Grace Wat son. These are all new officers wath one exception, Mrs. Watson having served as treasurer the past year. PAYS S125 AN ACRE FOP. MAI ON COUNTY FARM MADISON —(Special)— Albert Michaels has bought the farm of Mrs. John Scheer in Kalamazoo precinct for $125 an acre. It con sists of 40 acres, unimproved ad joining a tract of 80 acres owned by Michaels. TO ERECT OMAHA MEMORIAL O M A H A — (UP) — Harry Lewis Raul, Nevr York sculptor, will be engaged to erect a memorial monu ment for Omaha War Mothers’ Me morial association, it was de cided at a meeting here last night. Raul's design was selected after the mothers had considered work of several other artists. It will cost $87 000 and represent a mother on a tall granite shaft 'with arms around a soldier and a sailor. Grouped about the lower part of the -haft will be General Pershing and war nurses. UNIVERSITY ATHLETE IS HELD FOR TRIAL LINCOLN—(UP >—Newton “Red” Becker, former University of Ne braska trackman, was bound over to district court Tuesday on charges of assault with intent to do great bodily injury. He is alleged to have beaten a girl he was taking to Omaha two weeks ago. Upon her return to Lincoln she filed charges against him and he was arrested in Omaha where he had said he was leaving to loin the Illinois Ath letic club which “was in need of a cood miler.” STOP ABUSE OE ORPHANED BOYS Practice of “Adopting” Them for Farm Work Sea son to Be Halted OMAHA, NEB.—(UP)—Rev. E. d [ Flanagan, head of Father Flana | gan’s Home for boys here has re newed his campaign to stop the practice of farmers adopting orphan boys in the spring and turning them back to institutions when the fail farm work is done. The campaign, started a year ago, has borne excellent fruit, but there is still much abuse, Father Flana gan said. “Small boys were never cut out to do the work intended for a grown m a n,” Father Flanagan said. “Working them hard all summer and returning them to institutions, physical and mental wrecks is a most shameful practice. “Some grasping persons would take a homeless, dependent child and work his fingers to the bone as a mercenary proposition, but with public sentiment against such prac tices once aroused, these cases are gradually becoming fewer and few er." SEEKING RIGHT TO SUE STATE Attorneys of Depositors in Failed Banks Hope to Collect $2,215,000 LINCOLN, NEB.— (UP>—Twc lawyers, representing depositors in failed banks, will continue Wednes day their efforts to collect $2,215, 000 from the state. Tire two lawyers; Clinton Camp bell, of Lincoln, and William J. Holtz, of Omaha, were to present arguments before the house claims committee in an effort to obtain permission of the legislature to bring suit against the state to recover the money. The claim was first present ed to the state auditor who turned it over to the house claims com mittee. In their first appearance before the committee, late Monday, the lawyers declined to concede that legislative consent is necessary and essential as a foundation tor suit by bank depositors to recover the sum from the state, but they did admit such consent would be convenient to have. Attorney General Sorenson, how ever, told the committee that legis lative consent is necessary before suit can be brought against the state. The basis for the claims against the state is the contention that for four years, from 1921 through 1925, the state banking department failed to levy the full annual assessment against the state banks and the amount was not levied and should have been $2,215,000. Much of the testimony that has been presented in the Abie bank case, in which the state banks fought payment of the special as sessment, was introduced into the committee hearing. If legislative consent is obtained to bring the suit and the depositors are success ful, an appropriation would have to be made by the next legislature. THINK THEY WERE SWINDLED BY IOWA PHOTOGRAPHER BEATRICE—About 75 Beatrice working girls who paid from $3 to $15 with orders for photographs tak en by a traveling photographer have waited three weeks for their pic tures and still are waiting. The pho tographer, who said he was from a studio in Dos Moines, promised to have the pictures finished and returned within 10 days. The girls have begun to wonder what is causing the delay. They told stories of being ap proached on the street by a Miss Catherine Herring, who said she was the photographer’s assistant. She induced them to look over the man's work and after that, most of them were sold. "He took wonderful pic tures,” said one of the girls, "and almost all of us were pleased with the proofs and ordered pictures. We paid a $3 deposit and some of the girls paid more. We were to pay the rest when we received the pictures. The price was $10 for a half doz en and $15 for a full dozen and the enterprising photographer furnished evening gowns for the girls to pose in. WINNING ATTORNEYS LOOKING FOR PAV LINCOLN—(UP)—The five Lin coln attorneys who successfully at tacked recently the investment by the Woodmen of the World ir Globe Life company stock pretested in the supreme court Monday agamst the proposal of three Omaha attorneys that Judge Sheperd of the district court fix a lump sum as payment for the attorneys. The Lincoln attorneys said they were agreeable to having the record made so that the district court should fix the fees, along with a reasonable allowance to plaintiffs for expenses and costs, but they did not want any lump sum order. ODD FELLOWS PREPARE FOR DISTRICT MEETING VERDIGRE —(Special!—Prepara tions are going forward for the an nual meeting of the Niobrara Val ley I. O. O. F. association, which will be held the last week in April or the first week in May, probably May 2. The association will meet in Verdigre this year. T. A. Tikai sky is president and W. J. Svobcda is secretary of the association which includes the following iodges- Pag*, Orchard. Plahmiw, Bloomfield! Creighton, Magnet, i .ynci* Niobrara and Verdigre.