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About The frontier. (O'Neill City, Holt County, Neb.) 1880-1965 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 9, 1936)
SEEN and H EARD around the ' NATIONAL CAPITAL A By Carter Field % FAMOUS WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT ^ WASHINGTON.—There will be a lot of oratory about the Iniquities of the Canndian reciprocal trade agree ment on the floors of the house and senate in the next few months, but a good deal of the steam has been removed from the punches expected from the Washington and Oregon lumber interests. Lumber had to be In tlint treaty. Canada was more wrought tip about the imposition of that special duty on lumber—added when the copper, oil and coal Interests were getting their specific protections — than about anything else. Her point ap pealed particularly to Secretary of State tVmlell Hull because she could ejislly demonstrate that she had been buying two dollars’ worth of American goods for every one dollar of Canadlnn goods bought In the United States. Ami Mr. Hull doesn't like tnrllTs anyhow. But once lumber was put In the Canadlnn treaty, the Pacific North west hit the celling, and stayed there for some time—hit the cell ing so hard that trusty scouts re ported to Postmaster General James A. Farley that If the election were held today both Washington and Oregon would go Republican—or rather, would go anti-Roosevelt There were plenty of conferences here on that news. No one not familiar with the electoral tables, which Insiders have been Juggling here for the last few months, would realize how big that news was how bad to the New Dealers—how grand to Republicans. For with New England concededly out the window—as confirmed by every poll—It Is Imperative for President Roosevelt to make a pret ty clean sweep In the West. Wash ington has eight electoral votes, Oregon five, but those thirteen be come mighty Important if the whole Northeast Is leaning Republican. Woodrow Wilson carried Washing ton, but lost Oregon, but he car ried Ohio, and that big bloc of elec toral ”otes Is far from safe for Roosevelt, from all present reports. Promises Made As a result of all this worry there was some conferring with officials of the lumber associations. All sorts of promises were made. Canada was to stagger her shipments to the United States, so that Canadian lumber would not be dumped up to the full quota allowance during any one period. Lumber was to be given more consideration In various other treaties which are on the tire. Big efforts will be made by the State department to open up new markets for American lumber. Some of the lumber men hnve been pretty well taken Into camp as a result. They promise to smooth down their senators and representa tives on Capitol Illll. They even promise kind words for the admin lstratlon. But some of the promises made are not so easy of fulfillment The trouble lies In that “most favored nation” clause, which Is dear to Secretary Hull's heart. To Illustrate, tills country might Induce some country anxious to buy a lot of lum ber to reduce Its turlff, and thus open up a new market for the American lumber interests. But the moment that nation did that she would also be reducing the tariff to precisely the same degree to every other nutlon. Which would mean that Canada would have the same opportunity, on an equal basis, and probably without any quota restriction. So the net result would be the same as If Canada shipped that lumber into the United States. Mr. Hull, it Is learned, hojies to wiggle out of this problem by more quota juggling, though admittedly quotas run contrary to the spirit of the “most favored nation” clause. Union Hours on Farm Union hours for farm hands Is the latest farm relief suggestion. Sounds weird to men who were boys on farms, and cruder still to farmers at first blush. But there Is a real Idea behind It, and you may be hearing a lot about It before election day. For—although the suggestion Is now being weighed In the secret de liberations of certain Department of Agriculture officials, it may Just possibly be the Republican farm plank—that long sought substitute for AAA furm benefits and proc essing taxes. Of course there would be nothing like the Adamson eight-hour act for railroad workers, or even the mini mum wage laws of certain states. It would have to he approached with far more delicacy. For instance, there would have to be nothing compulsory about It at all, and no effort could be made to apply It to farmers owning and cul tivating their own acres. The idea would be to put it in the form of a bonus paid to each farmer for every hired hand regularly em ployed throughout the year who was not made to work more than a given number of hours per day, on the average—a liberul bonus, which would make the thing attractive. Every one concedes the need for something of the sort. Farmers and farm bands are still working ub surdly long hours for this day and generation. Yet the average product per man hour has increased on the farm as much as In many highly mechanized lines of industry. It Is not only farm machinery which has brought about this increase In productivity per hour of employ ment. It is tietter fertilizer, more intelligently chosen, and it is bet ter seeds, producing larger yields for the same amount of work. This Increase in yields per man hour of work ranges from 14 times in the ease of some farm products down to 2V6 times. But the last figure Is the minimum. No Restriction There would be no disposition, of course, to restrict the bonus only to farmers whose hands had not worked more than the maximum numl«*r of hours set on any one ■ day. It would he applied on the average number of hours for the number of working days specified for the year. There is some sug gestion of making this average as low as eight hours, though others advocate starting at nine. During the harvest season, of course, no one would propose that hours he restricted. But long hours at harvest time would mean leisure later on to balance up the average. Another advantage Is pointed out by advocates of this new bonus plan. It Is that many farmers now employ extra help only at rush sea sons, such as harvest time. If the bonus were made liberal enough, it Is contended, farmers would lie In clined to take on, say, one more hand for regular work, tnklng some pains to find employment for Mils hand at non-rush times, and tints enabling the employing farmer to claim the bonus. Ihe effect or tills, or course, as sunilng It worked, would be to pro vide more regular employment on the farms, and curtail to just that extent the pressure for Jobs In the cities at the very time need for em ployment In urban centers Is the greatest—through the winter. And It would cut down—to whatever ex tent It succeeded—the number of drifters, so frequently one of the toughest problems of charitable re lief in winter. Cut Out Bond Salesmen There was a time when, at June commencement times, half a dozen or more of the more popular young men in the graduating class of each big college, especially the eastern ones, would be approached hy big Investment banking houses. The young men. If they accepted the of fice became bond salesmen. They tried to capitalize their college ac quired popularity, especially If they bad been lucky enough to win their letters on the football team or crew, selling Investment securities to the mothers, fathers, aunts and uncles of the girls at whose houses they laid visited during college vacations. Franklin D. Roosevelt and Jesse II. Jones are giving themselves no concern about this Interesting de velopment of our college and social life as they calmly go about elim inating the need for bond salesmen of any sort, popular or merely ex pert, college graduate or oftlce-boy developed. The point Is that the RFC Is put ting the bond selling business on the shelf—retiring it to the pages of our economic history. If Roose velt and Jones succeed In their openly stated objectives, this once very pleasant and profitable, us well as eminently respected, means of earning a living will be no more. Every one lias known for some time now that one of Roosevelt’s aims was to reduce the cost of cap ital—to force interest rates down. It has proved very satisfactory In reducing the interest charges on the government debt. There has not been time—und It may not come —to test what would have happened to private financing. Pleases Stockholders Naturally, this Is very pleasing to the railroad stockholders. It Is a far cry from the old days when bonds were often sold paying from 5 to 7 per cent, and with a commis sion to the bankers in addition. For the government to loan the com panies money at 4 per cent cuts the carrying charges for that portion of the capttul almost in half. But who is going to pay the ex pense of marketing bonds In the future? That is the nub of the whole ques tion, as far as the disapproved bankers’ commission—one-half of 1 per cent for underwriting in this case—is concerned. It is another question entjrely from merely re duced interest rates. In the Illinois Central case the stockholders will benefit $1,000 a year for 15 years on every $100,000 borrowed—the life of the proposed bond Issue, from the reduced Interest rate. They will benefit an additional $500 on each $100,000 from saving the un derwriting fee. But tills last $500 saving is not per year. It is spread over the whole 15 years, for the underwriting fee, or hankers’ com mission, Is charged only when the bonds are sold. C Western Newspaper Union. On Hia Way to the Dining Table. Prepared by National Geographic Society, CWaehlnKton, D. C.—WNU Service. NE of the largest of wild game birds which has been domesticated, the turkey has aecome “the national festival bird” of various countries. As a wild bird in North America, the turkey sup plied the numerous tribes of Indi ans and the early white settlers with “game” fowl In great abun dance, whereas In later times the domesticated turkey has provided kings and presidents, as well as the more lowly in rank. In various nations with a class of meat that has come to be regarded as essen tial In the proper celebration of certain holidays. The turkey Is the only race of poultry that originated In the Unit ed States. When Francisco Fer nandez, under the patronage of Philip II of Spain, arrived at the northern coast of Yucatan in 1517, turkeys were observed to have been domesticated by the natives. In 1518 Grijalva discovered Mexico and found domesticated turkeys in great numbers. Gomara and Her nandez refer to wild as well as do mesticated forms. Various Indian tribes fed freely upon turkey meat, obtained from both wild and domesticated flocks. The Aztecs were more inclined to domesticate the turkey than the northern Indians, but all tribes hunted the wild birds. The flesh was not the only part of the turkey used by the Indians. Feathers served to adorn the wear ing apparel, and they were also made Into robes and blankets, be ing twisted separately Into strunds of wild hemp and then woven to gether. In its original habitat the wild turkey ranged from the Atlantic coast to as far north as the Da kotas, and from southern Ontario to southern Mexico. It was not a nutive of the three Pacific coast states, nor of Idaho, Montana, Utah, Nevada and Wyoming. With practically u whole conti nent for his home, the more fa vored haunts of the wild trukey were the forests and brush lands, where food was abundant and there was some protection from natural enemies. He fed on acorns, seeds, berries, grass and insects, especially grasshoppers. Found Wild in Southern States. The clearing of the forests and brush lands for agricultural pur poses and the shooting of thou sands of birds by hunters were two of the most Important factors contributing to the gradual retreat of the wild turkey from northern and eastern states. It is still to be found in Arizona, New Mexico, Kentucky, Tennessee, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Arkansas, Colorado, Oklahoma, Missouri, Mis sissippi, Louisiana, Alabama, Georg ia, Florida, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia, and Mexico. Various state game departments are rein troducing the bird, and restocking depleted areas. Although there Is no douht that the wild turkey originated in Amer ica, there is much doubt us to iiow it got its name. Some early writ ers have suggested that the name “turkey” was adopted because of the supposed resemblance between the adornments of tlie fowl’s head and tlie fez worn by Turkish citi zens. But the most widely accept ed explanation Is that the name bears some resemblance to the bird’s repeated call-notes — “turk, turk, turk.” The turkey is not a migratory bird in the sense that ducks nnd geese migrate hundreds of miles from the south to the north in the spring and return in the fall, much to the delight of thousands of hunt ers. The wild turkey is a handsome bird of stately carriage, llis glossy plumage is mostly greenish bronze, with gold and coppery reflections. In the sunlight the effect is a de light to the eye. The feathers of the neck, breast, body, and back are tipped with a band of velvety black, thus accentuating the glow ing sheen of the remainder of the plumage. Gobbler’s “Breast Sponge." The wild gobbler is provided with an interesting appendage, which is not found on the females or on young gobblers. John James Audu bon, writing in 18:11, speaks of it as the “breast sponge," and it serves a very Important function. In the spring, during the gobbling season, this sponge is filled with fat and serves to sustain the bird: he usually eats little while strut ting, gobbling, and otherwise mak ing love to the females. As the mating season advances the gobbler usually becomes quite thin, as the reservoir of fat is used up. There Is no pairing off In cou ples, as In the case of many other wild birds, for the wild turkey male is polygamous in the extreme and loves a large harem. Bitter tights among the old males are common, the victor claiming the harem of the vanquished. The defeated male must perforce seek battle with an other for the possession of anoth er flock of females, or he is obliged to join a group of disconsolate “bachelors." The females select secluded spots for their nests and make a slight depression In the ground, Into which a few dry leaves are scratched. From eight to fifteen eggs, somewhat smaller and more pointed than those of the domestic varieties, are laid. After four weeks of Incubating, the baby turks, or poults, appear, covered with gray down, dotted with dusky spots, and with two dusky stripes running from the top of the head down the sides of the back. The down is soon re placed by feathers, which are re placed by another coat of feathers when the birds molt. The molting season begins in August, and by the latter part of December all of the old feathers have been replaced by new ones. The young gobbler acquires his “beard" in the center of the brenst by November and it continues to grow rapidly until the third year, and thereafter more slowly. Plenty of E*»emies. Tills large and magnificent wild bird bus always had numerous en emies, such as the fox, coon, mink, skunk, wolf, lynx, und coyote. Its bird enemies Include owls, eugles, and hawks. One writer says “There is never a moment in the poor turkey’s life that eternal vigi lance is not the price of its exist ence." Not only must the turkey be on guard every hour of the day, but it must also seek roosting places ttiut are more or less inac cessible to its natural enemies. For tills reason turkeys favor trees growing in shallow water, which seems to provide some protection from night prowlers. In early colonial days wild tur keys were very numerous In Massa chusetts, and at the beginning of the Nineteenth century they could be purchased for six cents each, while lurge birds, lunging from 23 to 30 pounds, sold for 25 cents each. When Cortez first visited the capital of Mexico, “no less than 500 turkeys, the cheapest meat in Mex ico, were allowed for the feeding of the vultures and eagles kept in tlie royal aviuries.” The turkey was lirst introduced into Spain in 1519 by Francisco Fernandez. From that country it spread throughout Europe and Eng land, being introduced into the lat ter country in 1524. There is a verse to the effect that: "Turkeys, carps, hoppes, picarel and beer, Caine into England all in one year." That the domestic turkey waa still relatively rare in 1541 is em phasized by the fact that in that year "Archbishop Cranmer prohib ited the appearance at state festi vals of more than one dish of tur key cocks; the female was too pre cious to be cooked at that period. Fourteen years later two turkeys and two turkey poults were served at a grand lawn dinner. Twenty years afterwards the turkey be came n Christmas dish witli the farmer.” In recent years dressed turkeys have been Imported into the United States from Hungary, Russia, Aus tria, and Ireland, and large num bers come from Argentina. Such (s the irony of fate; being indige nous to the United States and ex isting here in countless numbers, the wild turkey was domesticated, and later taken to other countries, from which it is now imported in the "dressed" form. In Texas, Colorado, and the Da kotas many flocks of a thousand or more birds are raised annually. Frequently these large flocks are herded on the prairies In much the same manner us are sheep and cattle. BRISBANE THIS WEEK Wilson for Earlier War? Prayer Plus Planes New Disease Danger Ethiopian Victory? Prof. A. M. Arnett of N^rth Caro lina university says it was not Wil son that kept this country out of war a while, but the country that kept Wil son out of the war longer than he would have stayed out. Professor Ar nett says he will prove, In a book, that Wilson wanted war in 1910, and was ————-— kept out or it Arthur Brisbane l*y three men— Champ Clark, Congressman Flood and Claude Kltchln, Democratic floor leader of the house. How deep should we have sunk In our depression If Woodrow Wil son had carried out his alleged plan and started the war one year ahead of time in 1916? How many millions of Americans would have been killed (they were always honored with front row places) ? How many tens of bil lions would have been added to the public debt and the repudiated debts of Europe? The archbishop of Canterbury, head of the oflieial Church of Eng land, has invited all European Christian communicants to join In prayer for peace, with resolutions outlawing all war. While the archbishop takes that desirable step the British govern ment works rapidly on 8,000 air planes of the fighting kind. Noth ing like airplanes to back up elo quent prayer for peace. Uncle Sam has on his hands the job of preventing the spread of disease throughout the country and Its Importation from abroad. Doctor Curran, In charge of in sects for the American Museum of Natural History, warns New York it may be Invaded by malaria brought into northern New Jersey by a COO camp worker from the South. The anopheles mosquito, al ways present, lias been spreading the germs. He cannot do that un less he first bites a malaria car rier. Halle Selassie’s fighting Gen. De jezmatch Hailu Kebede sends cheerful news to his royal master: “We fought and beat the Ital ians from dawn to dusk; 1200 Ital ian white soldiers, twenty Italian officers, killed. Cannon, bombs and Innumerable batteries of machine guns made murderous concert against us, but God protected your humble Christian soldiers, and the Lion of Judah was victorious.” Ethiopians persist in their theory that they are the only Christians Involved. They say the Itulians are Catholics, therefore not Chris tians, which would amuse the Ital ians, if they had time for amuse ment. Rome calls the General Dejaz match dispatch “customary Ethi opian inaccuracy.” Former Governor Alfred E. Smith, booked for a big political talk in Washington, D. C., and in vited by Mrs. Roosevelt to stop at the White House during Ills stay in Washington, declines the Invita tion, explaining that he will have too big a crowd with him. Politicians do not think that the only reason. They expect Governor Smith to “cut loose" and say things ubout the administration that would not come gracefully from a White House guest. Mr. anil Mrs. Triplett of Jenkins. Ky., who have just received from heaven their third set of triplets, say: “We are just tickled to death, but Imagine our surprise." Besides nine triplets, the happy couple lm\e one set of twins, all eleven living and all fortunate. The baby born In a family that wants babies is the fortunate child. For the woman or man who does not want children, the wise thing is not to have them—for the chil dren's sake. Hitler knows what he wants, tells the rest of the world, and thus far the world has let him help himself. He wanted an end of the Ver sailles treaty and got it. lie want ed the right to build a strong battle lleet and England consented. Now he says he must have an air force as strong as that of France, and will proceed to build It. He demands also the return of all colonies taken from Germany. Austria will pay Uncle Sam on account of debt thirty million schillings, payment In American paper dollars. At the current rate of exchange Uncle Sam will get $5,634,000. Our paper dollars are convenient for Europeans, for they know, although we do not, that our dollar Is worth 59 cents. ® Kin* Features Syndicate, Inc. WNU Service. Famine By ALBERT P. TERHUNE © McClure Newspaper Syndicate. WHEN Forrest's new and badly built house began to settle, the mammoth steel door of his new and well built steel storeroom developed a tendency to swing shut unless it was propped wide. So, when Forrest ran back in doors after his start for the rail road station he rammed Ids folded gloves in the crack of the store room door to keep it from shutting behind him and imprisoning him. His family had taken an early train for the steamship, leaving him to lock the house. The servants had been paid off and dismissed the night before. Halfway to the train Forrest remembered he had not taken the silver basket from under the bed when it should have beeu transferred to the storeroom safe. Back he ran with some time to spure. He yanked the basket from its time hallowed hiding place and carried It to the safe. There spin ning the combination he opened the door, stuffed his gloves in the binge crack, stepped in and put the silver basket on a shelf. He turned just in time to see the insecurely stuck gloves tumble to the floor and the great door begin) to swing. He leaped to push it wide again. His shoe sole slipped cai the glassy smooth floor, lie fell prone. His out flung right hand hit futilely against the steel portal yet hard enough to smash his wrist watch. In an Instant he was on his feet again. But in less than an instant the safe door bad clanged shut. Forrest was a prisoner Iri a six by eight steel sheathed storeroom whose door’s combination lock could be opened only from the outside. Except for himself the house was empty. In another three hours his wife and children were to board the Gothla for a ten weeks' cruise of the Mediterranean. He himself had been heading west on a long busi ness trip. Nobody knew where he was and no one was likely to enter his house again for at least two months. Forrest sat down on a shelf edge and took mental account of stock. Here he was in a soundproof steel room with a combination lock on Its door; with no morsel of food nor drop of water. Here apparently he must stay until he should die of hunger and thirst. This, If the air of the place should not become so vitiated as to asphyxiate him. Iteactlon and realization set in. Gallantly Forrest battled against a crazy yearning to hammer the un yielding steel door and to till the soundproof place with his yells for help. That way madness lay and he must keep his head. He dozed. At last after what seemed a week of titful slumber there on the shelf edge Forrest awoke with a jump. Then he remembered. Above him hung the electric light he had switched on as he came into the storeroom with the basket. In his pocket was a letter be had planned to mail on his way to the station— a letter asking the light company to shut off the electricity during his absence. Well he would not die in the dark anyhow. That was some slight comfort. And now came the first gnawings of hunger Ills breakfast had been light. The hour must be long past noon. He craved food. He glanced around him at the shelves with their neat burden of household val uables. There were silver and bric-a-brac and clothing and the like; but nothing in the remotest way edible. This discovery by it self turned Forrest’s hunger into raging famine. lie endured the growing torment as long as lie could. Then he be gan to explore. Nothing In the place could serve precisely as food. But there was a half-length caudle lying at the back of a shelf where it had been left when the electri cian installed the light. Another wait. Then Forrest picked up the candle. Arctic explorers had kept alive on tallow. He chewed perhaps a third of the greasy and tasteless taper. His hunger momentarily was abated. He sank into another and longer lethargy of sleep. From this he waked famishing and weak. Wolflshly he devoured the rest of the candle. Starvation was too keen to admit of saving even a crumb of the no longer re pellent food. He had no knowledge of the length of time he had been a prisoner. But by calculation, he felt it could not have been less than two days—perhaps three. For de spite bis gobbling of the half can dle, he found himself noticeably weaker. Once more the stupor of despair overcame him. He was roused from the coma by the sudden opening of the safe door. His wife stood on the threshold. On her way to the city she, too, had remembered the basket of precious table silver lying unguarded beneath her bed. She had left the train at the nearest station and taxied home. To her horror a disheveled and haggard figure lurched weakly from the floor at her feet and stag gered out Into the hallway. Before Forrest could answer any of his wife's volleyed questions ids eye fell on the hall clock. Then from his hunger-and-thirst parched lips croaked the babbling words: “Good Lord! I—I was in there Just—just fifty-five minutes I" PRETT" STENCILED POT HOLDER SET 4 By GRANDMOTHER CLARK These two little Sunbonnet Girls seem to be having some important secrets. They both work in the kitchen and are talking over their lay’s experience. They are the little pot holder girls, a cute and novel lolder to have In your kitchen. The two dresses are the pot holders ant when hanging up snap into place under the bonnet. Finished size 11 by 14 inches. This stamped and tinted piece of material, No. 1002, will be mailed for 15 cents. This is to be made up and worked in simple outline stitch. Address Home Craft Co., Dept. A, Nineteenth and St. Louis Ave., St. Louis. Mo. Inclose a stamped ad dressed envelope for reply when writing for any information. Aid to Digestion It takes an iron constitution to keep feeling up to par under the weight of festive meals. That’s why hostesses are wise in introducing a custom that is receiving a wider ac ceptance everywhere. Chewing gum does aid digestion and satisfies a cer tain craving for sweets after the heavy meal when you get to the point wrhere you just can’t swallow another mouthful. Chewing gum may be served with the coffee in the living room, passed around with the cigarettes, or put on the table immediately after dessert. Greatest Tree Engineers, after completing an ex amination of the largest trees in the Sequoia and General Grant National parks, in California, have concluded that the General Sherman tree in Se quoia park has a greater bulk in the trunk than any other living tree, con taining more than 500,000 board feet* ^ of lumber. NO UPSETS The proper treatment for a bilious child THREE STEP* 4 ---1 TO REUEVINO I 7 ~- I CONSTIPATION A cleansing dose today; a smaller quantity tomorrow; less each time, until bowels need no help at all. ANY mother knows the reason when her child stops playing, eats little, is hard to manage. Constipation. But what a pity so few know the sensible way to set things right! The ordinary laxatives, of even ordinary strength, must be carefully regulated as to dosage. A liquid laxative is the answer,, mothers. The answer to all your worries over constipation. A liquid can be measured. The dose can be exactly suited to any age or need. Just reduce the dose each time, until the bowels are moving of their own accord and need no help. This treatment will succeed with any child and with any adult. The doctors use liquid laxatives. Hospitals use the liquid form. If it is best for their use, it is best for home use. The liquid laxative most families use is Dr. Caldwell’s Syrup Pepsin. Any druggist has it. ■‘Farms for Sale on Crop Payment*." J. Mnllmll - - - Sioux City, Iowa. Helium From Sweden On Oland island, Sweden, a new source of helium has been discovered. /^COMMON ^ \COLDSI || Relieve the distressing \\l I symptoms by applying l\\ /II Mentholatum in nostrils \\\ HI and rubbing on chest. vA If you prefer nose drops,or || throat spray, call for the MEW MF.MTHQLATUM LIQUID I in handy bottle with dropper I | —w—«3re:wi ■ ■■■■ ii«es—ac
