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About The Nebraska independent. (Lincoln, Nebraska) 1896-1902 | View Entire Issue (Nov. 23, 1899)
s, xa h i u i i ii ill ii w i ii i it ii r iih i n Consolidation of the WeaJtbntakers and the Lincoln Independent LINCOLN, NEBRASKA, NOVEMBER 23, 1899- NO. 2. VOL. XI. NEWS OF THE WEEK. Several letters have been received from the readers of this paper regretting that this feature "News of the Week"-is sometimes omitted. ( Perhaps the com j plainants do not stop to consider the amount of work it takes to prepare it. The mere writing of the column is a small matter, but the preparation re quires several hours of work each day in the week. To each day look through six or seven great dailies, containing col umn after column of untruth, falsehood, innuendo, baseless conclusions, worth less opinions, slander and vituperation, and sift out the facts, is no small job. Sine the system of Russian censorship has been adopted both in this country and in England the task is still more difficult. Yet to make the news of any value, all that work must bo done. As regards the news from the Philip pines and South Africa, the censors have allowed but very little to get over the cables. There has been an advance made in the Philippines and Otis has captured Mrs. Aguinaldo's wardrobe. So important did this seem to the commanding general that he had . " it cabled to this country at $2.00 a word. He also captured a few prisoners and bought thirty rifies from some of the in surgents at $30.00 apiece. The, usual cablegram was sent announcing that Otis had Aguinaido and his army sur m,,n,lrt. hut later it was said that the surrounding lacked several degrees of being perfect, and Aguinaido ana nis army had again escaped. Not a word of reliable information has been received from South Africa. All sorts of rumors have been cabled, The British :censor does not let anthing 4r rr n that, henrs on the real facts, it ap i ...v.f Una Unan nnhlisihed that .pears Iruiu wuoi r the Boor army has tnade advances im.o tho British territory, and that in the last ten days they have fought one battle in which they were successful in destroying a British armored train and capturing lurfw number of prisoners. in an other battle they seem not to have ben m aiiwsful. suffering some heavy loss es. They have Gen. "White and his ar my locked up in Ladysmith and are closely besieging tho place. There has iuon nn communication with him for several days. It seems that Krueger is rnnd his statement that if the British undertook to destroy the two ... . . 11 South African republics they wouia f I have to pay a price that would stagger humanity. The most interesting news has been wnnected with the manipulations of the funds in tho U. S. treasury for tho bene fit of the old gang of thieves who raked off 89,000,000 of profits under the Cleve land bond deals. It appears that the determination of (J age to buy $25,000,000 lond9 was made known to a few friends of the administration in advance of the public announcement. The putting of several millious of dollars in the banks of New York would of course effect the stock market- money would liecome easier and men could hold on and make a raise. A certain line of stocks were bought by these friends to whom the advance information was giv en, and when the money from the treas ury came pouring into the banks, they . sold out on a rising market. The rake off amounted to a little over $48,000,000. It is thought that not to exceed seven teen persons were allowed to participate in this deal. J. Pierpont Morgan and five others who were in the Cleveland deal were among the number. Here is a nice little lot of millionaires made in one day. The number of paupers that it will produce has not yet been made known. Then look at the matter in another way. The banks of New York were on the verge of a collapse. Two days more of such pressure ns they were under and half of them would have been forced to close their doors. This was the effect of trying to do business at present prices with a volume of money entirely too small. To prevent a panic, the secretary of the treasury offers to buy $25,000,000 of bonds, pay for them out of the sur plus in the treasury, and thus get these millions into the banks. How did that surplus happen to be in the treasury? The government sold $200,000,000 of bonds about a year ago and put that money in the treasury. It sold those bonds at 104 to get the money in and now it buys bonds at 112' i and 111 to get it out! A mullet head ought to know that that kind of financiering could be improved upon. .In connection with the above, the treasurer of the United States issued his annual report in which he complains of the national banks, becauso they did not issue currency to relieve the strin gency, lie says: "la few state and two great cities the national banks were entitled to add to their outstanding notes these vast sums: New York state, $41,702,200; Illinois. 89.192.680: Ohio. $23,690,020: Pennsylvania, $37,682,130; New York city; $29,181,680; Chicago, $15,925,700. The aggregate capital stock of these banks was $209,357,413, and circulation was $81,164,003. The national banks of Chicago have a ritrht under their charters to put out fla,- 925,700 additional circulation. The as sertion is loud and persistent that the western states are suffering by reason of a lack of currency. At the same time in these states, including the Dakotas, Nebraska. Kansas. Montana, Wyoming, Colorado and tho territories of New Mexico, Oklahoma and the Indian Ter ritory, tho national banks could under the law issue additional notes to the amount of $18,285,245. The existing na tional banks of the United States have a ritrht under their charters to add $345,- 020,413 to their circulation. Then the treasurer gives the national bankers a mild scolding for not issuing this currency and points out to them that this course will add influence to the demand that the government should is sue more paper money, which he evi dently thinks is a most horrible doc trine. Now, here is another demonstration of the truth of the populist doctrine concerning the republican plan to make an "elastic currency." The elasticity always works the wrong way. The time when the currency should be put in cir culation is the very time when the banks will contract theirjissues. There is not an instance in all history where they have failed to do so. If they did any thing else they would bring on the panic on the wings of the wind. Mr. Roberts may scold tho national bankers all he pleases, but not a bank will issue more currency until times are better. Every economist in tho whole world, of any au thority, has time and again pointed out the fallacy of this doctrine of an elastic currency, :to be made so by issues of promises to pay money. What is want ed at such times is not promises to pay money, but the money itself. The latest, news from Washington is to the effect that as soon as congress meets a desperate effort will be made to pass 'the Hanna shipping bill, by the side of which all modern steals fado into in significance. J. Pierpont Morgan's 89, 000,000 steal in that bond deal, is pin money beside this colossal plan that Mark Hanna has formulated. It is announced from London that tho British will hang every man other than Boers found righting in Paul Krueger's army, without judge or jury, as soon as thev can capture them. There are 4,000 American miners who enlisted in that army of their own free will. McKinley will never raise his hand to protect them. John T. McCutcheon sends a dispatch from Manila under date of November 21, in which he says that Aguinaido has es caped with his whole anry and practi cally all his supplies, and that the 1 ill- pinos are appearing in large force to the south of Manila around Cavita. Lawton has disappeared in the north part of the island and nothing has been heard of him for several days. The news, thL Thursday morning, is to the effect that the Boer army in South Africa has made an advance and there are thousands of them in the rear of the English forces. It appears that there is a general uprising of the Dutch in Natal. The English have or dered the mobilization of another divis ion of troops. Kruger is keeping his word as to what it would cost England to destroy two republics. Another astonishing bit of news is that the Russians have at last occupied Herat, the long disputed "gateway to India. For twenty years, whenever a Russian force was moved toward that place, the whole British nation has got up and howled, manned their ships and threatened war. It ' seems that the Russians have taken ad vantage of Joe Chamberlain's foolish ness and gone ' without opposition. This may chang the whole face of af fairs in Africa and India. Senator Hayward improved some dur ing the first part of the week, but had a relapse and at last accounts was in a very serious condition. In this week's issue are several adver tisements that deserve the attention of our readers. The Armstrong Clothing Co. of Lincoln, the Nebraska Clothing Co. of Omaha, Ilerpolsheimer Jfc Co.'s department store, and Miller & Paine's dry goods house, are among the largest business institutions in the west Each of them have a valuable and interesting advertisement in this paper. It will pay you to read them and send in a mail or der. Money saved is as good as money nttde. Try it AGUINALDQ PROCLAMATIONS a They are Manufacture with so I.IU11 Skill that they will Fool Nobody. ! Of all the silly electioneering schemes ever devised, tho manufa:ture of Agui naido proclamations is the silliest. ' Ac cording to the republican literary bu reau Aguinaido is the greatest procla mation manufacturer that ever lived, it is a good thing that the Dingle bill provided no schedulejof tariffs for procla mations or the Mark Hanna fund would bo greasy depleted. The following is the latest there may be two or three more before the readers of this paper see it in print but up to the present (writ ing it is really the very latest: i v,ni,niivfr H. C. Nov. 18. Atfukialdo evidently took (1 great interest i the recent United .States elections, ia a proclamation, a copy of which was re ceived via tho Empress of China, he says that in America there is a great : party that insists upon tho government Recog nizing Filipino independence. "They will compel their country," says the proclamotion, "to fulfill the promises miwla tn im in all solemnity and! faith, although not put in writing. , We there fore pray uod on nign MM uie. Krcuk democratic party in the United Plates .;n ,v in Ka riBrt. eWt.inn and that im perialism will fail in its mad attempts to subjugate us Dy iorce or arms, wc uj Hn-B nnr h fines on the right thinking of the American people. There are, moreover, some Americans nere iu me Philippines wgo joined our side because th.,v riijnnnrnvB of the war. which At . - i i . , kinson calls crimiual aggression, and ... i r ,.Ji l.i tneae Americans, wnen uucni wj CUullLcl wi iriuiu i wii r- i ? have declined. Oh, my beloved pompa triots, turn your eyes on the loneliness of our virgin mother couniry, ana m filial ritv hrinrr ent'h rf von a handful of ashes to scatter over her naked beauties to hide them from view lest tney excite the passions of strangers and cause her to be outraged." . ? ' ' Any man who could believe that n Spanish speaking Tagal could write in that stylo could believe that Mark Han na ii a saint or that he never had a mortgage on McKinley for $180,000. Just think of a Spanish speaking writer using such phrases as "right thinking." Look at the construction of the sentences and compare them with anything Spanish that has over been put into English. The Independent advises the xelican bureau that if it intends to keep up the manufacture of Aguinaido proclama tions, that it call in some Spaniard, tell him what they want and when he has prepared it in Spanish, translate fo as to keep some of the forms of expression common to that language in their pro duction. It doesn't do any good to put out proclamations where the fraud is so very apparent. It s a waste of money. It does not fool anybody. UNDERGROUND RIVERS The Pentlamt Have Utilized Tin-in to Ferli- llr.e their Country, but the United State Spend it Money in AVarn of Couquent. The great subterranean rivers of the West, which slowly wend their silent way, hundreds of foet lelow the earth's surface, have their counterpart on the other fat of the globe. The Caspian Sea Ls fed by many subterranean streams. These streams, like thoso of our own arid regions, take their sources in the mountains which are covered by perpetual snow. The water from this melting show percolates downward to a deep-laying, impenetrable strata, where it begins its underground passage to the sea. Nearly the whole of Persia is nat urally desert There is scant rainfall and the rivers are so few that irrigation from that source is very limited and serves only a small portion of the coun try. Centuries ago the Persians stum bled upon the idea of tapping the under ground streams or springs at the bases of the mountains and the transition of the Persian desert into a land of great fertility is duo to this constant source of water supply. But water has been ob tained only through the most indefatiga ble labor. A well is sunk in the foothills to a depth of anywhere from 100 to 300 feet When this taps the vein of water, an other shaft is sunk a couple of hundred yards further down the slope, which is in fact a gentle descent of the table land from the mountains. A canal or subter ranean aqueduct is then excavated be tween the two shafts. At a similar dis tance farther down another shaft is sunk and likewire connected with the second; and so the canal or "conneaugh" as it is called, is carried for miles. As the con neaugh is given just fall enough to al low of a free flow of water it gradually approaches the surface utill when it draws near to the land to be irrigated, the stream comes forth a pearling, bubbling brook, dancing in the brilliant sunshine as it rushes on its mission to redeem the sterile waste places of nature. For miles it goes through what was at one time a desert but which under the magic influence of this elixir of life, becomes a garden of the gods. It feeds fountains around which in languorous indolence re pose the dark-eyed beauties of the ha rem; it furnishes the baths, those luxu ries of the Orient; it waters wonderful gardens where, in dazzling profusion, bloom throughout the year, the rose, crysanthemum, narcissus, tuberose, dah lia, white lily and aster, besides fantas tic shrubs and rare exotics, heavy with rich perfumes. Here grows to perfec tion the apple, pear, peach, nectarine, pomegranite, Albert, melon and grapo, und many unknown tropical fruits in such abundance as to bewilder the traveller. Where the soil admits of percolation, the land is flooded in small squares from lateral ditches. On such lands, barioy, wheat any other cereals are grown to great perfection. Again, irrigation is accomplished by a network of ditches and furrows, The mills wnicn gnna me grain are run by tho current of tho greut irrigation ditches. The cities of Persiowcure the water necessary for domestic use from these these uitches. Thecopltoi, leneran, nas no less than twenty large artificial streams flowing through it, constituted in the manner described from tne under ground currents. The land lying adjacent to these ce cals is entitled to tho use of the water, the amount being regulated by law Each district is under an overseer whoso duty it is to see to the proper applica tion of the water and that there is no waste. Wealthy private individuals have also constructed ditches for their own use, furnishing the water to their tenants; but land contiguous to their canals is entitled to certain water rights even if not belonging to the owners or the ditches. Title to tho use of water is in herent in the land und each section of land is certain of its water supply. When the immense amount of labor involved in sinking shaft and connect them by underground tunnels is consid ered together with the fact that only tho most priuiative methods are yet in vogue the anglo Saxon canbut marvel at tho industry displayed in the accomplish ment of such gigantic but necessary tasks. SomeJsections"of '( Persia,' espec ially those along the natural rivers, could add to their irrigated area by , the use of storage reservoirs; but the greater part of the country has no flood waters to store, the melting snows but serving to keep alive the underground streams. Even in this despotic tyrantridden country, it has been found best, nay, neeessary to maintain government su pervision of irrigation waters, which is the life-blood of the nation. With a loose system of water control, tho land would aguin be desert. In this country, plutocracy, with a madness that i-i incomprehensible to any man who has not been inoculated with its virus, plunges onward, spending mil lions in cruol wars of conquest, while one-half of the money thus expended, if used in irrigating the rich plains of tho west, would furnish happy homes for millions. How long Will It bo before the people put a stop to this waste of blood and money? The Patriot's Pledge The following pledge is being signed by tens of thousands all over the east ern states: Wo', tho undersigned voters, pledge ourselves to each other and to the Amer ican people to subordinate all other po litical issues in-1900 to preservation of the free popular government, founded by Washington and saved by Lincoln; to oppose at all costs tho degradation of this democratic republic into a military empire, and to cast our ballots in favor of only such purty platform and candi dates as shall be thoroughly loyal to the declaration of independence, the consti tution of the United States, and the equal rights of all mankind. Looting Permitted Army Secretary Peyton of the Episco pal Church, charges the army in the Philippines with universal drunkenness, and here is a statement by one of the most reliable war correspondent in the Philippines declaring that looting is be ing carried on under direction of the officers. After few years of such ser vice what sort of citizens will these men make when they return to their own country. If war in tho Philippines "is hell" when these men get back we will have a little of it ourselves. The follow ing is what this correspondent says: Looting was permitted without a rep rimand. With the exception of houses that were occupied, there was scarcely a shack that was not visited. There was one officer, whose name will ever remain unwritten, who went into a nipa hut. On the wall was a camesa, or gentleman's shirt, of the kind worn by the Filipinos. The officer took this from the peg upon which it was hanging. Beneath there was a silver watch, open faced, and run ning. The shirt was quickly hung back and the officer looked around to see if any one was looking. By this time sev eral men not bearing commissions were climbing the bamboo ladder to the door. It would have been a bad precedent to set; the taking of anything before the eyes of the soldier. So the officer waited until the men should go away. But they did not go. A fellow officer called from the street and invited the gentle man who told the story to go down the road a little way on business connected with the command. The officer in ques tion complied, but when he had gone past two houses made an excuse that be must return for a moment When he reached the hut no one was there. Nei ther was the watch nor the shirt One resident had a good library. There were books of travel, history and some fine geographies and maps. The soldiers could not carry them away, so they started their camp tires with them. The soldiers dressed in all the finery of the Filipino fop. They wore silver buckles on their hats. The insurgent Roldicr had been driven from the towns, but they hid in the fastnesses of the jungle and two hours after the rear guard of the American army had gone they were back in their old trenches and trying to restore the confidence of the frightened citizens. Harry A. Ahmstromi. OLIVE SCKRE NER She GetN part , of Another lnatrh Through to the New York Journal. The English censor is fully equal to our own in the Philippines. Olive Schreiner has been trying for a month to make a statement to the world on the conditions in South Africa. She has been able so far to get only a few words through. Her last dispatch was stopped in the middlo of a sentence in the way that the first one was. It appeared in tho New i'ork Journal last Sunday and is i follows: : ' ' , t Cape Town, Nov. 13. To the editor of tho Journal. Three acts have taken pluce in tho African tragedy. - The first act was played ten years ago, when tho charter was granted to a ring of speculators, and tho principle govern ing English rule in South Africa for the first time was departed from, and imper ial rule allied itself with tno speculations of t he snare market. . Five yours ago came the second net, when tho raid on Transvaal gold lields by the Chartered band was organized and failed. Since then the same ring has prepared for tho third act by a colossal system of lies regarding the best goverened min ing camp in tho world. They have pro duced theis bloody war, in which, the flower of the English army and the noblot.t men born on African soil lire falling. But the English gentlemen of the sword will recognize the African gentle man of the veldt, albeit their coats nro of different cut, and it is not from the brave English soldier that there will ccod those lies regarding the most mag imous little Teutonic folk on earth, which have wrung the heart of South Africa and Tho message ends abruptly in the middle of a sentence. Evidently it has met tho same fate as tho first, which Olive Schreiner sent to the Journal few weeks ago. It was cut off, by the British censor. The cable operator at Capo Town concluded the dispateh with these words: "Messago cut off here, Signed by Olive Schroinor." Farmers Club Meeting The members of the Lancaster county Farmers' Club assembled at the home of Mr, p.nd Mrs. Leonard on November 10. A largo number wa3 in attendance considering tho close confinement of tho t A line dinner was served, oftcr which a good program was listened to, which wus opened by singing. Mrs. Drain then read a selection entitled "Dreams and Visions." A long recitation was next given by Miss Elva He&cott. Select reading, Miss Hattio Mniin. Mr. Cook then made a fifteen minute talk which was quite interesting. After consiJer ing some cordial invitations for tho De cemlier meeting, it was decided to meet with Mr. and Mrs. Auckerman. Election of oflicers was then in order. It was moved and seconded to suspend the rules and elect by acclamation: Mr. Leonard was unanimously chosen for a second term, the first being so faithfully and successfully executed. Mr. Pas water was also re-elected for vice presi dent. Clyde Hollenbeck was elected secretary and Miss Elva Wescott as sistant. After the election of officers Mrs. Hotchkiss treated the club to a very nice piece of music. The subject for discussion was "stock raising vs. general farming." Mr. Hurd favored farming in this state, while he thought stock raising was morefjuitejdto tho western states. Mr. Leonard was strongly in favor of stock raising in the dairy line, although he thought dairying linked with farming was the most profitable. Mr. Syford then opposed this view of the question showing that dairying produced so much extra work, especially for the woman. He favored raising and shipping leef stock, it being easier and more profita ble. Mr. Cash believed the large amount of wealth produced from stock raising was from the dairy cow. A vote of thanks was extended to Mr. and Mrs. Leonard for their hospitality, the members departing to meet with Mr. and Mrs. Ackerman, Dec. 21. 1H99 Following is the program: Music; se lect reading, Mrs. Drain; recitation, Miss Hattie Mann; select reading. Mrs. Brin ton ; recitation, Clyde Hollenbeck; music. Question for discussion: What price can a man afford to pay for land in this com munity for the' purpose of mixed farm ing? Opened by Leonard, Hermance, Mann, Lature and others. The cash now in the treasury amounts to 14.55, received of Mr. E. L. Bauman. The reports heretofore published by the late secretary, Mr. E. L. Bauman; casting uncomplimentary reflections up on Mr. W. D. Mann and others, have been expunged from the records, and the secretary ordered to give the same wide publication in the newspapers of the county. I. N. Lkonard. President. , Cltdh Hom.knhkck, Sec. Elva Whmxht, Assis. Sec. The Minister Fled. Editor Independent: Rev. Mrs. Cal kins, from Michigan, held a series of suffrage meetings at the Methodist church in Aurora last week, commenc ing on Thursday night The minister was to' open the first service after prayer meeting. When prayer meeting closed, the minister showed the white feather and that was the last seen of the pastor of the M. E. church during the two days the suffrage and reform meeting lasted in his church. Mrs. Calkins talked on woman suff- rage, reform and loyalty to the flaff f the free, and against the republican whiskey trust and all the evils resulting v from the republican rum traffic, and of disloyalty to the constitution and th declaration of independence. We havt other churches in Aurora, but the only ministers faithful at this woman suffrage meeting was J. W. Zimmerman of th United Brethren church and Rev. Frisk of the Evangelical church. One other pastor was at one meeting. 1 send you a letter just on this subject: ' Maduhvillk, Im. Nov. . 1HW. 'Well, how do the people out in Ne braska like the war in the Philippine! by this time? I. was at Manila six months, and say thut there is hot a ghost, of a show for Prn tenant reforms until " the United States withdraws her army from there. It is simply an army of ; drunkards. "Think of nn army of drunkards fron civilized and christian America putting toshitmctlie heathen of these island. becauso they can talk chriHtiamtyt How will it boom the administration?; Is it any wonder that a day of thanks-. giving should oe namea: n surciy ought to be a day of fasting and prayer- and lamentation. , "Yours for a free government to all people, v , Army secretary rayton, By J. F. Spriggs." W. M. Laki.w Aurora, Nebraska. REDUCING THE PUBLIC DEBT The Falsehood and FraniU I'erpetratetf by the lllg and Little Re publican rrecN. The republican newspapers are very much alike. Big and little, they all fol low tho same course. They never make a truthful statement of facts or under take to construct an honest argument. The following examples will illustrate this statement. A short time ago the New York Sun, which is one of the big guns, published tho following: ' "The defects and disasters of peae under Cleveland have boon exchanged for the victories of war and the triumphs of common seuse under Mckinley, whos administration has had two foreign warn to carry to a successful and honorable end, and yet at this stage of its course reduces the national debt by twenty-five millions of dollars! The secretary of the treasury's announcement yesterday that he desired to buy in government bonds to that amount is pregnant with instruc tion to all." . - A little one, the Stale Journal, com ments upon that statement after the fol lowing fashion: "Five years ago President Cleve land was- selling ' United States bonds, drawing the alarmingly high rate of 4 and 'i per cent interest. This wan in a time ot peace. Befoie tho new ad ministration has been in power three years it stands ready to begin. paying off the national debt, in spite o tremen dous ex irnordinary expenses, and natur ally offers to call in the Cleveland bonds first in order to stop thia great, interest. The New York Sun feels called upon to. sing a little paen in honor to this great national achievement" To fully understand the duplicity t these two, the big gun and the little gun, reflect that both of these papers, were ardent supporters of the Cleve land iolicy that they now denounce That shows their consistency and how much weight should be given to what they say now. McKinley is reducing the national debt! What arc the facts? In the Ix-ginning of his administration he issued, against the unanimous protest of every populist in the land, 8200,000, 000 of bonds. These bonds he sold on the market at 104. In this way he got a large and unnecessary amount of money into the treasury. These bonds that McKinley sold for 104, are now worth about 130. Having borrowed the money and put it in the treasury at 104, he now gets it out by buying other bonds at 112. He created a debt of 9200,000,000. He no 'proposes in this way to reduce it 25,000,000! Now, where is the great glory that the Sun talks about resulting from tho reduction of the public debt? Turn back now and see what the little one says on this subject and compare it with the facta. Cleveland did sell over 200,000,000 of bonds. They did dravr large nterest But this act of Cleveland was heartily commended by the little one at the time. These bonds drawing this high rate of interest were sold to a syndicate of which J. Pierpont Morgan was the agent the man to whom the financial plank of the republican plat form was submitted before it was adopted. Only a favored few were ad mitted to this syndicate, the chief among them being tne house of Kothschilds. No one else could get one of these bondsJ At the very time that these bonds were beincr delivered to J. Pieonont Morgan and his friends, for 104, they were quoted on the market at 118. In this way this syndicate had a rake off of about 9,000,000. The little ones and the big ones. In congress and out in New York and San Francisco, in Lincoln and Omaha, all,) without exception, gave all the aid they could to the carrying out of this villain-) ous scheme. They sang "peons in honor'1 of it just as they are now doing for tbt other scheme, The honor of it consist in selling bonds at the beginning of the year at 112 and buying back a portion at the end and caning mat a reauctio ) of the public debt: Big and little they are all alike. Th Independent commends them to the kindly consideration' of his Satanit Majesty and hopes that he won't roa them for more than 25,000,000 years. j If you have 2 you want to put into shoe go to Sanderson's, 1213 O atrer. they will give you a first-elan ska fi that Honey. - I 1 ' r-- '" "4, F " " ' "' tlO.-- 3 - . P