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About The frontier. (O'Neill City, Holt County, Neb.) 1880-1965 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 7, 1935)
N*cb. State Historical Society LEGISLATURE NOW t READY TO START WORK IN EARNEST With All Bills In The Question of Liquor Regulation One of Main Issues Before Legislature. By James R. Lowell With the 20-day limit for intro ducing bills terminated, Nebraska legislators can now tackle in earnest K the manifold serious problems that | confront this final bi-cameral ses sion. The 1935 record of bills in troduced was 1,036 compared with 1,070 two years ago. However, it is possible for the governor to in troduce or cause to be introduced any bill or bills he may desire, and it is considered probable that a measure may yet find its way into the legislative hopper, calling for a 1 cent increase in the gasoline tax as a means of raising §2,000,000 for relief. The administration’s “official” liquor bill made its debut early last week,- and is aimed particularly at the “bootleggers,” according to its 19 introducers. Attorney Gen eral Wright says the bill combines the best points of liquor control ex perience in seven of Nebraska’s neighboring states which he visited early this winter at Cochran’s re quest. In order to frustrate the bootleg gers, the plan would make liquor available at so reasonable a price that people would have no incentive to patronize illegal vendors. It would require every city in the state to try out legalized liquor * before exercising the right of local option, and it would not be until two years after the law went into effect that local communities could hold “dry” elections. Major features of the bill are creation of a three-member state commission which would hold lic ensing power; generally speaking, on-sale and off-sale licenses would t not be issued to the same premises, large hotels in Lincoln and Omaha excepted; separate licenses for sale of beer and, hard liquor authorized by the drink; $300 on-sale license in cities under 25,000, and $400 in Lincoln and Omaha; cities and towns could not levy occupation taxes to exceed the amount of the state license; near beer would be subject to same regulations as full strength beer, and spiking would be prohibited; the commission could hire a secretary at $3,600 a year, and such other employes as necessary, while the commissioners would receive $5,000 the first two years and after that $4,200 a year, the first terms to be two, four and six years, and after that six years thruout; licenses would be limited on a population basis, giving cities of less than 1,500 population two on-sale and two off-sale licenses and one more of each type for each additional 1,500 persons. The bill appropriates $100,000 for immediate expenses of the liquor commission. All taxes and license fees tvould be placed in a liquor control enforcement fund, to be appropriated at the discretion of the legislature for enforcing the law. Estimated total revenue is estimated at $500,000 to the state. A state liquor store plan was in troduced by Rep. Steele (R), of Kimball, and Rep. Cushing (R), of Ord. It would create a “Nebraska liquor authority” to have a mono poly on liquor sales. Rep. Porter (D), of Albion, bobbed up with an other bill to outlaw near beer, after having had one such measure killed by the house. Porter has reinforce ment this time in the peson of Rep. Weber (D), of Leigh. Sen. Mattson (D), of Kearney, introduced a proposal providing that state liquor stores be estab lished, with any town or village ob taining a license for sale of liquor in the original packages upon ap plication of its council or officials. A state liquor commission of three members would be appointed by the governor. The most important bill to be signed by the governor to date is the one sponsored by the chief ex v ecutive to ban the gold as usury in Z noth private and public contracts, other bills signed include the usual appropriations measures for legis lative expenses,. S. F. 95 by Bullard (D), McCook, permitting writing of surety bonds for state officers in amounts of over $100,000 under conditions of limited libality for each bonding company participat ing; H. R. 86 by Ratcliff (D), Tren ton, clearing the way for negotia tions with representatives of Kans- i as and Colorado in order that plans may proceed for Arickaree irriga tion project in southwestern Ne braska (H. E. 87 by same outhor, also signed by the governor is a companion bill to H. R. 86, and merely opens negotiations with the state of Kansas, whereas H. R. SG did the same for the sate of Colo rado.) The house has been debating, but has taken no final action, on a pro posal by Cone (D), of \ alley, ex tending the mortgage moratorium bill for two more years. There is talk of broadening the scope of this bill to include notes and con tracts upon which real estate mort gages are based. Two new tax bills have appeared. Cushing, who saw his income tax bill go to the beheading block two years ago, has introduced a similar measure. It would tax both per sonal income and corporation in come, the individual schedule run ning from 1 per cent for the first $2,000 up to 5 per cent in incomes over $5,000. Every single person with an income of S500 a year or more, and every married couple re ceiving $1,000 and up a year, would be required to file individual tax returns and pay a minimum of $3. However, there would be exemp tions of $5 to each single person, $10 to each married couple and $1 additional for each child. Corpora tions would pay a flat 4 per cent tax on all net income of more than $1,000. The new sales tax, introduced by 15 members of the house headed by George E. Nickles, of Murray, provides a 2 per cent tax on all re tail sales, and on professional ser vices. It exempts farm machinery sales from tax. Every business house in the state would be re quired to take out a $1 permit. Proceeds above the cost of admin istration, which is limited to 2 per cent of collections, would go entire ly to the local school fund. New minor tax measures include bills levying a tax on chain filling stations and on natural or mixed, gas transportation thru mains. Rep Bock (D), of David City intro duced a resolution memorializing congress ^to set up a federal tax credit corporation to make loans at 2 per cent interest to distressed tax payers so they could pay then local taxes. Among the skeleton bills rushed in as the time for introducing bills drew to a close was one by Demo cratic Floor Leader Haycock of the house, appropriating $1,000,000 for a state relief fund. This is in-! tended as a vehicle to carry what-1 measures are required to meet the federal demand for state partici- '■ pation in the task of giving relief. J NERA Administrator Haynes,home , from Washington, where he went accompanied by Chairman Frank Throop of the state relief com- j mittee, Rep. Nickles and Sen. Cal lan, chairman of the respective leg- j islative finance committees, said I that federal officials are willing to cooperate in every possible way, but that they insist Nebraska can raise $4,000,000 with which to match the $17,500,000 that Wash ington will pour into the state each year for the biennium. Washing ton will allow the $2,000,000 a' year that the counties are now put ting up for relief as part of the $4,000,000, leaving $2,000,000 to be raised. Legalized betting on dog races, J red, white and blue, school houses, separate fishing and hunting lie- i enses, compulsory carrying of $10, 000 accident liability by every car owner, and barring of women from state employment when their hus bands make more than $1,800 a year, are among the other meas ures that legislators have to ponder over. Holt Farmers Showing Much Interest In 1935 Tree Planting Program With the supply of honey locust and soft maple Clarke-McNary trees practically exhausted, Agri cultural Agent Reece this week urged Holt county farmer? 10 make I applications for other broadlcaf and evergreen varities. The original supply of 15,000 honey locust and 15,000 soft maple has gone rapidly, Earl G. Maxwell, extension forester at the Nebraska college of agriculture informed Mr. Reece. Chinese elm, always pop ular with local people, is proving a favorite again this year, but a supply of 275,000 is available for spring farmstead planting. Holt county farmers are showing an unprecedented interest in the 1935 tree planting campaign car ried on by the agricultural exten sion service and have made applica tion for 17,900 seedlings and trans plants. Last year a total of 40,000 were distributed here. Need for planting this spring is imparative, Farester Maxwell says, as cutting of timber for fuel has been heavy this winter. In many cases, all trees are being cut and no plans for replacing are being made. Maxwell believes it would be far better to trim or thin out heavily timbered areas and leave young trees for future growth. j " S. J. Weekes Re-elected To Board of Occidental Building & Loan Ass'n S. J. Weekes returned last Thurs day night from Omaha where he had been sitting as a member of the credit committee of the Agri cultural Credit corporation and also attending a meeting of the stock holders of the Occidental Building & Loan Association, of Omaha, of which Mr. Weekes has been a mem ber of the board of directors for the past eight months. At the meeting of the stockhold ers last Thursday Mr. Weekes was re-elected to the board of directors for a four year term, his previous election to the board being to fill a vacancy. The Occidental is one of the largest building and loan associations in the state and it is a distinct honor that has come to this county and to Mr. Weekes in his selection to the directorate of this institution for the second time. EDUCATIONAL NOTES Eighth grade examinations were held Friday, Feb. 1, with about a normal number taking the exam inations. They will be held again April 25 and 26. Both the seventh I and eighth grades will write at this time. Teachers’ examinations will be held again April 20. All applica tions for new numbers must be mailed to the county superintend ent a week before the examination date, then the numbers will be mailed out to the conductor of the examination. Rural school . board directors meeting will be held on Feb. 16. All rural school board directors are urged to attend. A number of im portant measures will be discussed at this time, including bills before the state legislature. Wednesday and Saturday have been set aside as office days at the county superintendents office. The superintendent may be found in the office on other days, however. This is done for convenience of people wishing to see the super intendent. When not in the office he is out in the field visiting schools. Representative L. G. Gillespie drove up from Lincolrt last Friday and spent Saturday looking after business matters in the city and. interviewing constituents. Lloyd says they are getting along fairly well at Lincoln, but of course they have not as yet had any of the major bills before either branch of the legislature. He looked for con siderable activity during the com ing week on the liquor bill and the pari-mutuel racing bill, as com mittee meetings and open hearings will be held on them during the week. Lloyd returned to Lincoln Sunday. The Busy Hour Club was held at the home of Mrs. Ralph Ernst on Thursday, Jan. 31. All members were present. The following of ficers were elected for the coming year: Mrs. Clarence Wayman,presi dent; Mrs. John Miller, vice presi dent; Vera Miller, secretary; Linda Wayman, treasurer, and Irene Her shiser, news reporter. The mem bers sewed quilt blocks for Mrs. Ernst. A delicious luncheon of sandwiches, pickles and salad was served by the hostess. The next meeting will be held at the home of Mrs. Ed. Wayman, Thursday, Feb ruary 28th. Mary Lou Hammond, of O’Neill, a freshman at the Wayne State Teachers College, has been chosen a member of the freshman com mittee in charge of preparations for a carnival event to be held at the college in the near future. OLD AGE PENSION COMMISSION FIXES PENSION AT $2.00 Forty Applications Allowed By The Commission Out of A List of More Than Seventy. A meeting of the old age pension commission was held at the court house Monday', Feb. 4. All mem bers were present except D. W. Gimmell, of Ewing. The committee found some 70 odd applications, and after a care ful checking about 40 of them were allowed. The remaining applica tions are to be giveh further con sideration. * A number of the applications disclosed that the applicant, by reason of age and other disqual ifications, were not entitled to a pension. The commission fixed the month ly pension at $2.00. This may be increased or decreased Allowances were made for the month of Feb ruary, and those granted pensions will be paid not later than the 10th of March. It will not be neces sary for them to call for their pen sions as the money will be mailed to the postoflfice address appearing on their applications. The list of pensions is still incomplete. Holt County Famous For Biggest On Earth Another feather has been added to those in Holt county’s “biggest hat on earth," and this time it is a Missoury canary—a mule—and ; he is the property of Dr. H. L. Ben- ! nett, O’Neill veterinary who lately moved his mammoth beast from near the Holt-Keya Paha county line northwest of here to a stable near this city. The mule, Tom, stands 17 and one-half hands high at his withers, or 70 inches. His weight is close to 1,700 pounds in thin flesh and with the proper feeding for weight he should make one ,j»n with ease. That may make him the largest “animule” on earth. The length of Tom’s ears is around 15 inches. He is very well built, resembling a mouse or young jack rabbit and he is gentle, having been worked in harness. An at tempt at leading Tom resulted in his rapidly backing, just like the rest of his tribe. He occupies a whole double stall and when he lies down it is doubted if he can stretch full length or width. He often bumps his head on the haymow flooring above him. Tom recalls some‘other mam moth animals and some human be ings, the latter now with us, whose size is extraordinary, all Holt county products, or at least Holt county raised. There is the team of horses owned by Frank Brady, of near Dorsey, supposed to be in his ownership at this time, Tom and Barney, both bays, both having their left eye out, both about 12 years old, both weighing 3,000 pounds and both as ! gentle as June breezes. It is a mystery how even Brady can tell one horse from the other. -This team has been with a circus and there they were the stellar at traction of the show. Pedro, steer owned by Carl Dan ielson, north of Spencer, while not exactly a Holt county product, was close enough that he got that i mysterious something, “riso” or | what makes ’em big, and he at tained a weight of 3,080 pounds. He was exhibited at O’Neill several years ago just west of the old Ne braska State bank building. Pedro WARNING AND NOTICE An epidemic of Small Pox exists ; in the City of O’Neill, Nebraska, which is a communicable and con- j tagious disease. All physicians and other persons within the city on j discovering the existance of this i disease are bound under the laws of the City of O’Neill, Nebraska, j and those of the State of Nebraska to immediately notify the Board of Health, or Dr. L. A. Carter, City Physician. Any person whomsoever who vi olates any of the Quarantine laws of the City of O’Neill, will be sub-! ject to penalty as provided by law. BOARD OF HEALTH, of the City of O’Neill. Nebraska. -John Kersenbrock, t Dr. L. A. Carter, Frank Phalin, John Martin, Members, Board of Health. died some months ago just as his fame was spreading and he was about to make his owner some big money. Lubbers, horse weighing 3,250, said to have been owned by one of the Mellors of the Redbird country, was the largest horse in the world and he, too, was with a circus where he was the “whole show." Lubbers died. No harm should be done here in mentioning that about the year 1891 a man named Storm near Spencer, found his homestead held a petrified snake as large or larger than a barrel and hundred of feet long and with the head running straight down in the earth—and how much neck—well, where does a snake’s neck end, anyway? That question almost drove scientists nuts, or do scientists go nuts or demented? Anyhow, this stone snake received enormous publicity in 1892; Storm was said to have spent much money paying for dig ging in effort at recovering the snake’s head. Water, cave-ins and so on prevented, and the hundreds of feet of snake lying on the sur face ^vas reported sawed, loaded on flat cars and carted to the Chicago world's fair of 1892. The snake gave this part of the world a great reputation for doing things in a big way, or weigh, and it appears to have lived up to the advertising ever since. Take John Kersenbrock, of O’Neill, and Ira (Spot) Livingston, of Atkinson, both butchers—may be we had better let someone else take ’em—but at least let us con sider their size or strength. Kersenbrock used to be a Bur lington railway brakenian and his juggling barrels of salt, switch ing box cars and so on,on runs, now now is legendary on the O’Neill is legendary on the O’Neill-Sioux City length of the “Q.” Livingston weighed 435 pounds two years ago when he gave a story of Jiis life to a newspaper worker. A friend of his reported at O’Neill the other day that "Spot” is weigh ing 456 pounds now. Those are some of the biggest things of Holt or adjoining coun ties. Undoubtedly there are others. They do cause one to ponder—what is it makes ’em so big—something in the water or food—climate? “Towerists" should like to know so they may come and partake of our “climb-it.” Will Give Cash Prizes In State-wide Pasture Improvement Contest Final plans for a statewide pas ture improvement contest in which cash prizes will be awarded winners were announced this week in Lin coln by P. H. Stewart, extension agronomist at the University of Nebraska college of agriculture. Holt county farmers are expected to take an active part in the event. Sponsored by the Nebraska Col lege of Agriculture, the agricul tural extension service, the Nebras ka Crop Growers' Association and the Omaha Chamber of Commerce, the contest is designed to point the way toward an» improvement of pastures and popularize the best management methods. Arthur Peterson, a rperesntative of the agricultural extension ser vice, will spend his full time during the coming two months discussing pasture problems among farmers. Locally, Agricultural Agent Reece is now arranging for a series of “pasture meetings” where farmers will become acquainted with the contest details and pasture prob lems will be discussed. CARD OF THANKS. We wish to express our sincere gratitude and appreciation to the many friends and neighbors for their many acts of kindness sym pathy and tokens of love, extended to us during the illness and death | of our dear mother, Mrs. Tim Mc Carthy.—Her Children. CARD OF THANKS We sincerely wish to thank our friends and neighbors and all those who helped us during the#sickness and death of our darling baby. Your kindness will never be for gotten.—Mr. and Mrs. James Boyle and family. Ray L. Verzal, of O'Neill, has been appointed County Supervisor on Rural Rehabilitation for Holt county. His office will be in the relief or agricultural agent's office. Hospital Notes Mrs. Robert Ferris went home Monday, Feb. 4, feeling fine. Jean Kranig, 12, son of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Kranig, of Dorsey, was operated on for Ruptured Appendix Saturday, Feb. 2. Ht; is improving rapidly. Miss Bertha Schneider, of Page, underwent a minor operation Mon day, Feb. 4. Walter Fick, of Inman, went home Tuesday, February 5. Depression Has Small Effect On Marriages Notwithstanding the depression, the demand for marriage licenses continues about the same year after year. During the year 1934 there were 103 licenses issued in the office of County Judge Malone, compared, to 111 for the year 1933. For several years the number of applications have been just a little over 100 each year. As the pop ulation has been about the same for a number of years the law of av erages keeps the number about the same each year. Inman Dentist Is Declared Insane Dr. Wiliam C. Flora, dentist of Inman, was before the insanity commission last Monday morning, adjudged insane and was taken that afternoon by Deputy Sheriff Bergstrom to the insane asylum at Norfolk. Dr. Flora is about 60 years of age. He has been a resid ent of this county for a good many years at one time practicing his profession at Ewing, later at Cham bers and then at Inman. He had not been actively engaged in his profession for the past two years. Most of 2nd Corn-Hog Payment Checks Here Checks totaling Sl9,253.26 on regular payment contracts have been received in Holt county with in the last few days, and all the checks are expected to arrive with in a short time. This is the second payment to cooperators. Individ ual notice will be sent to each per son as soon as their check arrives. CONTRACT SIGN-UP DATES Contract writers will be present at the following places for the week beginning Feb. 11: Paddock, Feb. 11 at the Paddock town hall. Shields, Feb. 11, at the Shields town hall. Chambers, Conley and Shamrock, Feb. 11 at the Chambers town hall. Grattan, Feb. 12 at O’Neill. Lake, McClure, Feb. 12, at the Martha school. Ewing, Golden, Feb. 13, at the Ewing town hall. Deloit, Feb. 13, at St. John’s hall. Verdigris, Feb. 14, at Odd Fel lows hall, Page. Inman, Feb. 14, upstairs I. O. O. F. hall, Inman. Scott, Feb. 16, at Scott town hall. Steel Creek, Feb. 16, at Dorsey school. Iowa, Antelope, Feb. 16, at Dis trict 128. W'illowdale, Feb. 10, District 96. LEGION SHOW On February 19 and 20 the American Legion will present the O’Neill Dramatic Club in a three act mystery comedy, “Who Scared” produced by special arrangement with the Dramatic Publishing Company of Chicago, under the direction of Mrs. F. J. Kubitschek. Included in the cast of players are the following: Fritz McReynolds, Barney Walsh, Jimmy Tuor, Har lan Agnes, Ruth Oppen, Loretta Phalin, Bill Beha, Helen Givens, Grace Connolly, Jerry Phalin and Geraldine Cronin. M. C. Hull, who lives down on the Niobrara river, four miles east of the power plant, was in the city last Saturday and favored this office with a pleasant call. Last fall Mr. Hull fixed up an irrigation plant on his place, by carrying spring water down thru a garden. While he did not get the plant com pleted in time to be of much bene fit during the last growing season he says that he now has it arranged so that he can thoroughly irrigate six acres and he plans on having one of the finest gardens in the county during the coming season. Shobert Edwards spent Saturday and Sunday home with the folks. He is at the Ponca CCC camp. NO RESTRICTION ON BUYING OF FEEDER PIGS IN CONTRACT Farmers Finding Signing I p For 1935 Program JIuch Simpler Than Previous Year. The corn-hog section met one of the first problems of the 1935 corn hog producer when they issued rul ing 134 removing restrictions re garding the purchase of feeder pigs. The previous provision of the 1935 corn-hog contract and rulings seemed to work a hardship upon both sellers and buyers of feeder pigs in the drouth territory. The new ruling says that a con tract signer in 1935 can buy as many feeder, stocker, or breeding hogs as he wants to buy from any one, and the only requirement is that he make a definite record of the purchase and mark the pigs in some fcay so that he can prove compliance with his contract re garding the number he farrows himself. If this record is not ac curately kept, the pigs he buys will be considered as if they sure farrowed on the farm. Convenient blanks will be made available within the next few days and supplied to those who handle hogs in the county and also avail able at the office of the county corn hog association. The new ruling about feeder pigs is likely to remove a good share of the requests for a permitted pro duction under another ruling in the 1935 program. It will also put an end to some of the worry which prospective contract signers have had about pigs they have already bought and sold since Dec. 1, 1934. With proctically all of the com munity educational meetings out of the way, county corn-hog control associations are now turning their attention to the signing of applica tions with farmers. First reports indicate that 80 to 90 per cent of the men signing up first are those who will continue to operate their farms exactly as they did in 1934. The producer who continues to farm his land as he did last year, and who had a contract last year, can finish his application blank in 10 or 15 minutes when he comes to the sign up places arranged by the county association. Application writers say most of the farmers are agreeably surprised this year to find it is no trouble at all to make out the application. Quite a large proportion of farm ers who rent part or all of their land have not yet made their final arrangements with landlords for 1935, and are unable to make out their applications at this time. As sociations all over the state are preparing to keep the application signing open a few days after the regularly scheduled signing days in order to take care of the men who have not completed their leasing arrangements. The next step in the procedure will be the call for annual meetings in each of the communities, and the election of 1935 comunity com mittees. The chairman of each community committee is automat ically a member of the board of directors of the county association and will attend a directors meeting within a day or two after the com munity meetings are held. The 1935 committeemen will take charge of the program immediately after the board of directors meet ing. The meetings and elections will be in the nature of annua! meetings of an association which is continuing to function. They will in no sense be an organization meeting of a new association. O’NeiU High Loses To Butte Gamesters At Butte last Friday evening-the public school basketball teams of that city and O’Neill played and. the score was 31 to 30 in favor of the Boyd county aggregation. Sec ond teams of the two town’s schools tangled and O’Neill came out the victor, 19 to 11. The voters of Norfolk voted down a bond proposition at a spec ial election in that city last Tues day. The proposition was a bond issue for $17,000 for a proposed swimming pool and park projects. If the issue carried they intended to use the money to purchase mat erials, which were to be matched with about $30,000 for labor by the FERA. The vote was 1,066 to 972.