MANY TOWNS PAYING DEBTS Nebraska State Auditor’s Report Shows Improved Financial Condition Lincoln, Neb.—(Special) - During the month of February $482,184 worth of bonds were approved and registered by the state auditor’s of fice, of which $460,350 were refund ing bonds. The $21,834 new bonds Is the smallest amount that has been is sued by cities, villages, school dis tricts and other bond issuing units of the state in any one month dur ing the last 10 years, according to the report issued by State Bond Examiner Lawrence. The report shows $202,523 bond" paid and cancelled in February. With the payment of $9,900, Bat tle Creek finished paying on a water bond issue of March 1, 1911 and a sewer bond issue of August 1, 1921. The $8,000 paid by Lindsay wiped out an issue for a town hall dated August 1, 1917. Wayne, with a payment of $15, 973, paid off the February 15, 1928, intersection paving bonds. Other payments included: Bloom field, $2,000: Coffee Lake Drainage district in Cherry county, $1,000; Ewing, $1,000; Ewing school dis trict, $3,000: Pierce, $1,000; Pierce county rural school, $500; Wake field, $1,000; Walthill school, $1,000; Winside, $2,000; West Point, $41,000. FREE TOT IN KILLING CASE Coroner’s Jury Finds Shooting Was Done f by Accident Broadwater, Neb. — (Special) — A coroner's jury here exonerated LaVerne Thompson. 9 years old, of intentionally killing Eddie Hutch inson, 12 years old, holding the kill ing was accidental. LaVerne told Eddie to hold up his hands and shot him with a revolver, which he found in the pocket of a coat left on a tractor. County Attorney C. O. Parry after the inquest filed a complaint in county court charging that the Thompson boy was being brought up without proper parental care. When the hour for the trial arrived it was found his mother had taken him to Omaha and placed him in Father Flanagan's home for boys. The county attorney ordered that the boy be returned to Bridgeport to appear before the judge. He said he did not object to the boy’s going to the Flanagan home, but felt that the Thompsons should i. t be al lowed to dictate the policy of Mor rill county. TELEPHONE COMPANIES REPORT ON REVENUES Lincoln, Neb.—(Special)—The an nual report of the Northeastern Telephone company, filed with the state railway commission, shows that it Just about broke even dur ing 1930. The company serves 240 stations at Walthill, 95 at Winne bago and 122 at Rosalie, a total of 457, a loss of eight. The company has total assets of $56,103. Rev enues were $15,422 and expenses $12,991, leaving $2,431 profit. Of this $600 was paid as taxes and $1,800 as interest, leaving $30.86 for profit. Stock outstanding totals $19,756. %The Blair Telephone company, which serves 1,103 subscribers at Blair, 135 at Fort Calhoun and 224 at; Kennard, reports revenues of $42,951, expenses of $33,832 and a net telephone income of $9,118. Of tliis sum $2,570 was paid for taxes end $4,450 for interest, $2,098 being passed to surplus, which totals $25, 8&3. The aampany paid no dividend oh the $171,737 of assets reported. It lost seyen subscribers and ended the year with 1,462. Stock and bonds outstanding total $108,200, * The Citizens Telephone company of Blair, which serves a total of 1,202 stations at Malmo, Prague, Morse Bluffs, Weston and Elgin, had revenues of $26,178 and ex penses ef $19,598. Of its operating incoma of $6,380, it spent $3,420 for interest and $820 for taxes, passing $2,140 18 to surplus. It has prop erty valued at $123,678, and paid no dividends on the $69,759 stock out standing. These companies are manajid by E. C. Hunt, who also holdii stock control. GIVEN PRISON TERM, RECEIVED STOLEN PROPERTY O’Neill, Neb.—(Special)—Orlow Caldwell was sentenced to two to seven years in the penitentiary by Judge Dickson in district court when he pleaded guilty to a charge of receiving stolen property. ■ Stolen harness was found in his possession by the sheriff from Win ner, S. D. Six sots were found, five under the hay in the mow and one hanging in the mow. Perrons in the eastern part of the county identified the harness as theirs. Two young men from the south eastern part of the county have been held in jail charged with steal ing the harness. Caldwell says the boys sold It to him. NEBRASKA HAS NEW WOOL CLIP RECORD Lincoln, Nc-b.—(UP)— Nebraska's wool clip dining 1933 reached a to tal of 3.081,030 pounds, according to estimates of the state and federal divirion of agricultural statistics. This was a new record high produc tion of w’ool in the state. The 1930 crop of 3,081,030 pounds compares with a previous high pro-* duct:on for the state of 2,850.000. Average weight per fleece last year was 7.3 pounds as compared to 7.6 pounds in 1929, A total of 395, 000 sheep were shorn as compared to 375,0041 sheep in 192®. 11 11 L__- — TAX EQUALITY LEAGUE MEETS WITH FAVOR Homer, Neb.—(Special)—The re cent organization of a Tax Equality league in Dakota county is meet ing with approval of both farmers and business men. The Salem Farm ers’ Union unit originated the move ment. BLOCK CHANGE HOSPITAL H Members of Legislature At tack Act of Board of Con trol as “Smooth Over” Lincoln, Neb.—(Special)—Mem bers of the legislature from Adams county, where is located the Tngle side state hospital for the insane, indicate an intention to block the transfer of Superintendent G. E. Charlton from the state hospital at Norfolk, with Superintendent Bab cock of Ingleside going to Norfolk. In a statement they make it plain they have no objections to Charl ton but they protest that Babcock ought not to be sent to Norfolk. The legislators recently conducted a secret investigation of complaints against Dr. Babcock's management of the hospital, and say that the state board of control is unwar ranted, as a result of the facts de veloped, in passing a vote of con fidence in the ability and integrity of Dr, Babcock. They say that it looks like an effort to smooth things over, when conditions were shown to be intolerable. Senator Vance says that the evi dence showed that not only were patients allowed to inflict cruelties on other patients whose charge had been given to them, but that at tendants had also been guilty of inexcusable treatment. One of the chief complaints against Babcock is that he made himself inaccessible, that he did not visit the wards of ten, and tbal he kept visitors with business to transart with him wait ing for long hours. They intimate that more industrial alcohol was used at the hospital than is usual at such institutions, and say that the federal bureau representative stated he would not renew the per mit if Babcock were retained. HOWELL URGES GOVERNOR TO VETO BRIDGE BILL Lincoln, Neb—(Special)—Govern or Bryan has been asked by United States Senator Howell to veto the Omaha bridge bill passed almost urgency of the Omaha delegation, unanimously by both houses on the Senator Howell says that a free bridge is certain to be built at Far nam or Douglas streets, and that the proposed toll bridge farther down at South Omaha never would get patronage enough to enable the $2,000,000 bonds that are to be voted to be retired out of tolls. The result would be that the community would have to pay the bonds. He also doubts whether any bond house would buy them when there has been no vote of tire people authoriz ing them. Governor Bryan says he will con fer with Douglas county members before acting upon the bill, which he says is a complicated measure, difficult to accurately diagnose. VALUABLE BULL CASE BACK FOB RETRIAL Lincoln, Neb.—(Special)—The su preme court has sent back to the district court of Dodge county for retrial the case where Mrs. Susan L. Thompson, who lives in Cum ing county, sued two West Point bankers, the Nebraska State bank of West Point and the West Point Na tional bank to recover for a bull she valued at $20,000 and which the banker sold for beef for $40. The court ordered that the retrial be limited to evidence as to the val ue of the animal which was levied upon by the bankers under provi sions of a chattel mortgage executed by sons of Mrs. Thompson, who are cattle breeders. The bull was sent to Emil Suhr, Dodge county, for keep, but the suit is dismissed as to him and the court says that since the bankers took property to which they had no right they must pay the damages. SAYS “OIL COMBINE GETS IN ITS WORK Lincoln. Neb,—Governor Bryan charges that the “oil combine” of Nebraska has concentrated its ef forts upon the house of representa tives committee on cities and towns to kill his bill providing for the cre ation of municipally owned and op erated gasoline stations. The bill was recommended for postponement following a commit tee hearing last week. A move to overturn that report probably will be made. Denouncing the action Qf the committee headed by J. W. Small wood (representative of North Platte, the governor charged the oil and gasoline interests with “ex tortion and profiteering" at the ex pense of the Nebraska automobile owner. "I cannot believe the legislature will permit that decision to stand as the decision of the peoples’ law making body," Byran added. DEPOSITORS RECEIVED S179.ll! Lincoln, Neb.—According to a re port issued by Clarence G. Bliss, re ceiver for the department of trade and commerce, a total of $179,112.49 was distributed to depositors in failed state banks during the month cf February. This sum represents liquidation of assets of nine institu tions. Included in the list are: Bank of Ottis and Murphy at Humphrey, $22.36991; Newman Grove State bank, $27,448 81; Farmers State bank of Belgrade. $13,862.72, making a total of 60 per cent; Knox county tank of Verdigre, $36,118.77. Four Spuds to a Yard i Idaho's claim to being the “potato state” is firmly established b;* lese four giant spuds which were grown near Burley, Id. A few yard, f such potatoes would suffice to feed a family all winter. Vera Jones ; showing how the four measure well over a yard in length. KANSAS ‘BURBANK’ DEVELOPES SEEDLESS FRUITS, MELONS - i Success Also Includes Cher ries, Plums, Apricots and Cucumbers Newton, Kan.— —“Inventing” tUcdless fruits and vegetables is the Jiieciislty of D, G. Klassen, Newton horticulturist. But the trick is to get him to tell what he has done. Several years ago announcement was made of his discovery, after five years of experimentation, of a hardy variety of seedless tomato. The result was a flood of corre spondence from three continents, countless orders for plants, theft of several valuable specimens from his greenhouse, and such confusion in the reticent Klassen’s affairs that he swore never again to tell of his discoveries. Only on the eve of his departure from Newton in search of more fa vorable climatic conditions for his research did his success in grow ing seedless melons, cucumbers, cherrjes, plums and apricots become known. He also has discovered how to change the season of the apricot tree to reduce the likelihood of damage from late spring freezes. Klassen’s first seedless tomato vine grew to a length of 37 feet, the tomatoes attaining such size that baskets were hung beneath them for protection. On the market they brought $1 a pound. Formerly Klassen greatly feared being robbed of his horticultural se crets by “plant pirates,” and would Starts Young MARJORIE BURBANK Botany is Marjorie Burbank’s hobby, and it's probably because this 12-year-old girl’s uncle was Luther Burbank, who was no slouch when it came to juggling oranges and grapefruits. Marjorie lives in Jasper National Park, in the Cana dian Rockies, and she has been col lecting wild flowers. She has a cellection of 214 which she gathered in the Athabaska Valley. - - —-— Why Secrecy Now? Prom St. Louis Post-Dispatch. In withholding from the Senate foreign relations committee docu ments covering the London naval conference, is not President Hoover slipping away from the postwar rule of diplomacy—"open covenants openly arrived at?” When Woodrow Wilson an nounced this policy as one of the results of the World war, it was received with acclaim by the civi lized world. The policy was em bodied in the covenant of the League of Nations, which requires all treaties of member nations to be submitted and recorded for the information of all nations. The world has been cursed by secret negotiations of heads of na tions and by secret alliances and understanding between govern ments which fomented war. Pub licity for treaty negotiations and for all treaties was regarded as a beneficient peace-preserving revolu tion in the dealings of government al heads and diplomats. Interna tional dealings and agreements were to be open and above board. “Openly arrived at,” we take it, means that this negotiations by which treaties are framed are to be made public as well as the treaties themselves. Now. Mr. Hoo ver refuses not only to make pub lic, but to submit to the Senate foreign relations committee docu ments and correspondence relating to the London conference. Assur ance is given that there is no se An Orphan Letter Used. Photographs of the memorial to James Buchanan, 15th president of the United States, dedicated at Meridian Hill park in Washington on June 26. show that a strange and senseless convention has been followed. Because the Romans were careless of distinctions be tween the symbols for "v” and “u” an American inscription of an American name must be cut “James Bvchanan.” Most of those who visit the memorial will be intelligent enough to put two and two to gether and guess what the inscrip tion is meant to say but does not. There are other presidents in D. G. KLASSEN confide in no one save a yovnger brother, A. J. Klassen, who assisted him in the experiments. A new congressional act provid ing for plant patents, however, now gives growers protection in work of this sort. Its passage largely in fluenced the "Burbank of Kansas” to push his research, even at the cost of selling the greenhouse upon which he depended for a livelihod and finding a new "laboratory.” I cret understanding, but the reasor 1 offered is that "such action would ; be incompatible with public inter est and would endanger the succesi of future delicate international ne gotiations.” We can understand why when a treaty is being framed it would b« inadvisable to withhold informa tion, because it might create false impressions; but after the treaty is adopted and submitted for rati ficatic®, surely the people who are affected by it, and especially the pected to ratify it, ought to have legislative bodies which are ex pected to ratify it, ought to have full information of all the negotia tions. —- ♦ * THE RADIO Of all the things that I despise, The radio is first; And when it wmks, or when it won't, I don’t know which is worst. For when it works, the stuff I get Is advertising dope, Toothpaste or paint, or sox or hcse, Or some new brand of soap. And if I get something I want And really like to hear, That static does not murder it, Won’t happen twice a year. So you can have your radios And I’ll choose boiler shops; The latter make more racket? Yesl But in the night it stops. —Sam Page. -- --- Seeks Crown HP**' * 'fesvis.. LEO J. WINKLER Although the world's grain ex hibition and conference is not to | be held at Regina, Canada, until 1932, entries are already being re ceived from all over the world. One of the first is Leo J. Winkler, above, 23-year-old corn farmer of Jeffer son, Wis. He helps his father oper ate a 105-acre farm and has won many trophies at county, state and international corn shows. whose names this orphan letter is to be found. What defense could be made of inscriptions reading / \ “Vlysses Simpson Grant,” ‘Martin Van Bvren,” "John Qvinev Adams." \ “Rvtherford Birchard Hayes” or “Chester Alan Arthvr?” There aie no aesthetic reasons that support the use of “v” for “u.” In the cen tury and a half that the United States has been an independent na tion our language has developed enough individuality to deserve free dom from a Roman convention. How long must we tell school children that the alphabet consists of 26 letters except when it is used in in I scriDtions? NEBRASKA HAS 1G RECOGNIZED AIRPORTS Lincoln, Neb.—Nebraska has 16 recognized airports, representing a total investment of $431,000 accord ing to a department of commerce bulletin received here by Postmaster Trev E. Gillespie. There are eight muncipal fields in the state and a like number of commercial fields, the report shows. The average investment in the mu nicipal ports is $47,000 against $3,125 for those of the commercial variety. During the last half of 1930 and the first half of this year, $456,000 or nearly as much again as the to tal already invested was to be spent on municipal fields. Commercial field plans called for the expenditure of $11,000 during the same period. On January 1 there were 153 li censed airplanes and 93 unlicensed planes in the state, as well as seven gliders. There were no glider pilots. The 215 licensed airplane pilots in Nebraska included 74 transport pi lots, 23 pilots with limited commer cial licenses and 118 with private licenses. Mechanics numbered 120. Data for the country as a whole listed 1,113 airports about equally divided between municipal and commercial. The nation's investment in commercial airports was $53,85G, 500 and in municipal $58,212,030. There were 15,182 pilots and 9,818 planes. WANT LAW TO TAX VENDORS Nebraska Towns Seek Way to Reach the Itinerant Merchant Fremont, Neb. — (Special) — Al len Johnson, city attorney of Fre mont, as chairman of a committee of city attorneys of Nebraska, in charge of the matter, is endeavor ing to frame an ordinance tc im pose a tax of some kind on itinerent vendors. A Fremont ordinance bearing on the subject, was recently held in valid by the supreme court. Now that quick transportation af forded by automobiles permits busi ness firms in larger cities to deliver goods to the doors of patrons in smaller places, it is claimed there is more urgent need than ever for a tax upon them or their delivery wagons. The proposition if an ordinance that would stand in the courts was discussed by city attorneys at a meeting in Piattsmouth and a com mittee headed by Johnson was ap pointed to study the matter. TWO PHONE COMPANIES SHOW NICE SURPLUS Lincoln, Neb.—The Cuming Coun ty Independent Telephone company of Wisner reports to the state rail way commission that it possesses a fixed investment of $117,921 and to tal assets of $123,707. Capital stock outstanding is $61,797, and the sur plus invested is $25,916. Revenues for the year 1930 were $29,219.52 and expenses $20,560.37. Of the $8, 659.15 operating income, $1,100 was paid for taxes and $7,122.37 passed to surplus. It operates 832 stations at Wisner and 324 at Beemer, a gain of 15 for the year. The Plainview Telephone ex change, an unincorporated company owned by C. W. Smith, reported the possession of assets of $76,934 and a surplus of $55,517. Revenues during the year 1930 totaled $13,966, and expenses $7,332, leaving an operat ing income of $6,633. Of this sum $380.40 was paid in taxes, and the remainder passed to surplus. The company serves 512 stations at Plainview, a loss of four for the year. HOUSE COMMITTEE TO VISIT STATE INSTITUTIONS Lincoln, Neb. — (UP) — Another Inspection of state institutions by house committee memebers is sched uled for this weekend, It is an nounced. This tour will be made by the fi nance committee of the house of representatives for collection of in formation desired by the committee to aid in drafting the appropriation bill for state institutions. The com mittee will be unaccompanied on the trip and will leave Lincoln Satur day morning returning Sunday night. Committee members will go first to Milford. The morning of Satur day will be spent at Milford and Ge neva. An hour during the afternoon will be spent at the state hospital at Hastings. Arriving at Kearney Saturday evening, the committee will spend the night at that place and will leave, Sunday morning, for Grand Island. Following the inspection at Grand Island the committee will continue to York and, after spend ing about an hour there, will return to Lincoln. - — . - XV. C. T. U. STATE MEET TO BE AT NORFOLK Norfolk, Neb. — (Special) — Nor folk has been named as the place where the next state convention of the W. C. T. U. is to 6e held. This was decided at a meeting of about 40 delegates from over the state in session here. The convention will be held some time in September or October. BOARD MEMBERS REFUSE TO TALK Lincoln, NA.-Members of the state board of control maintained complete silence relative to criticism of their transfer of Superintendent Babcock of the Hastings state hos pital to the Norfolk institution. Although statements given to the p-.ess Tuesday by Senator Vance republican and Representative W. M. Burr, emocrat, took direct is sue with the board's transfer an nouncement Friday members de clined to*discuss the situation. TRAGIC DEATH LIST MOUNTS Accident Totals in Nebras ka in Eight-Week Period Is Sixty Seven Lincoln, Neb.—(UP)—Accidental deaths occurring in the two week3 period from February 10 to Febru ary 24 brought the total for the first eight weeks of 1931 to 67, according to statistics of the Nebraska Press association. During the two weeks period of the report accidents accounted for 17 deaths, 2G9 injuries, of which 13 were permanent disabilities. The total number injured during the first eight weeks of the year now stands at 1,116, while the number of permanent disabilities occasioned from accidental causes has reached 52, the report shows. Of the eight weeks total, 592 in juries, 11 disabilities and 34 deaths resulted in motor vehicle accidents, Home accidents have accounted for 136 injuries, four disabilities and 16 deaths. During the two weeks period cov ered by the report, motor accidents accounted for 152 injuries, and nine deaths. Accidents with guns resulted in six injuries, one disability and two deaths. Falls accounted for the greater number of the remaining 31 public accident injuries. Industrial accidents accounted for injuries to 10 workingmen and the deaths of three. Farm accidents re sulted in one death, and 40 injuries GROWS ARTICHOKES FOR HIS BIG DROVE OF HOGS McCook, Neb. — (UP) — Ernest Markwad, successful Red Willow county farmer is preparing to plant another big plot of “sunflowers” this spring. At least that’s what his neighbors call his strange crop. They also accuse him of letting his farm grow up to weeds. But Markwad’s sunflowers are artichokes. He has found them to be fine feed for swine. Last spring Markwad planted two and a halt acres to artichokes as an experi ment. He’s going to double the acreage this season. “They are the most profitable crop I ever planted,” he says. Because he did not harvest his artichokes, Markwad is unable to tell definitely just how great his yield was on the small plot. He does claim that 300 hogs pastured on the small patch fattened and that there were hundreds of arti chokes left in the ground. The Jerusalem artichoke is a tu berous-rooted sunflower-like plant. The stems grow from six to eight feet high. The tubers have a high sugar content. Hogs root out the tubers. OMAHA REPORTS MOKE ACTIVITY IN BUILDING Omaha, Neb. — (UP) — A huge increase in building operations and good gains in grain receipts and shipments were the bright spots in Omaha business conditions for Feb ruary, according to figures compiled today by the industrial bureau of the Chamber of Commerce. Building operations last month totaled $937,896, which is an increase over February, 1930, of 1,343 per cent and over the average for the last five years of 521 per cent. For the 12 months ending February 28, 1931, they totaled $6,037,092 against $5,437,247 in 1930 or an increase of 11.2 per cent. ' Grain receipts in February totaled 6,046,800 bushels, an increase of 6 4 per cent over February, 1930. For the 12 months they totaled 78,870, 000 bushels an increase of 5.2 per cent. Grain shipments in February were 5,238,800, an increase of 13.3 and for the year 66,053,400, increase 4.1. _ CREIGHTON PHONE LINE HAD SMALL MARGIN Lincoln, Neb. —(Special)— The Northern Telephone company or Creighton, owned and managed by E. C. Hunt of Blair, has filed its an nual report with the state railway commission. The report shows to tal assets of $59 854, and outstand ing common stock of $40,000. Rev enues in 1930 were $15,326.82 and expenses, $13,229.09. The company paid $480 taxes and $1,600 in divi dends. It operates a total of 494 stations, 447 at Creighton and 47 at Niobrara. The Arlington company, a^so a Hunt corporation, reported assets of $49,171, and outstanding stock of $24,645. Revenues for the year were $10,309.39 and expenses $9,982. Aft er payment of taxes the company went into the red $153.22. It op erates 488 stations at the Arling ton exchange only. GIVEN SlO.tlO FOR I1ER HUSBAND’S DEATH Omaha. Nab.—(UP)—In a case tried without a jury, District Judge Fitzgerald Wednesday awarded Mis. . Margaret Sutton $10,670 for the death of her husband, Clifford, 32 years old, during a storm last Au gust. The Nebraska Power com pany was the defendant. During the storm the wind blew down a power company wire carrying sev eral thousand volts. The wire struck Sutton as he stepped from his au tomobile, electrocuting him. WIFE TIPPS OFF HER ERRING HUSBAND Omaha. Neb.—