MEN AND MATTERS
The trouble with most "independent" newspapers is that they
are edited by partisans or controlled by special interests that sel
dom recognize any party. The Lincoln Evening News is always
very independent in politics save when it comes to the matter of
supporting republican candidates and impugning the motives or the
records of democratic candidates. It points to the fact that More
head carried most of the wet counties as evidence that Morehead
is lined up with the liquor interests. It seemingly overlooks the
fact that Morehead also carried the most counties, wet or dry. Nor
does it undertake to explain why Morehead carried the bone-dry
county of York while Metcalfe carried the sopping-wet county
of Saline. -..
It seems to be highly improper for men of liberal views to vote
for a man of liberal tendencies, but eminently right and proper for
men of straightlaced tendencies to vote for their kind of a man.
When German-Americans combine to protect what they honestly
believe to be their rights as citizens, they are denounced for so
doing and the candidates they support charged with being in league
with the "whisky element." But when anti-saloon leaguers combine
to force their peculiar ideas upon the body politic they are patriots.
This newspaper has never advocated licensing of saloons. Its editor
has never voted for license. He is opposed to the license system,
and just as much opposed to prohibition. And he has as little use
for the shouter tor "personal liberty" as he has for the fanatical
prohibitionist, or the individual who believes that a great moral
question is involved in the fool matter of area. Would that the
whole kit and kaboodle could be tied in a sack and left there until
the vexed question could be settled on a commonsense basis.
Now what difference does it make what railroad or railroads
may be selected as the "official route" to the Baltimore convention?
Everybody riding thereon will have to pay fare. It might have
made a difference a few years ago, for then the fellows who en
gineered the special train deal, and most of the politicians, would
have traveled on passes. We venture a guess that the facts are that
some of the newspapers are much more interestd in creating dis
sentions in democratic ranks than they are in printing real news.
President Taft carried Wyoming. Let's see: President Taft
signed the Payne-Aldrich bill which continued the exorbitant wool
tariff, then vetoed the bill providing for a lower duty on wool. And
isn't the republican boss of Wyoming the same gentleman who is
so greatly interested in the wool industry! How easy it is to reason
from cause to effect when one has had a little practice at it.
The Lincoln Central Labor Union seems bent upon finding things
to condemn, rather than finding things to commend. It opposes
the proposition to allow private lighting companies to use municipal
poles. Of course, the mere fact that such permission would relieve
the streets of most of the unsightly poles that now disfigure them
was not considered. Nor was there seemingly any consideration
given to the fact that while beautifying itself by granting such per
mission the city might also be able to pick up a bit of needed reve
nue. The habit of opposing anything and everything a corporation
may want simply and solely because it happens to be a corporation,
is an almighty bad habit to get into.
Failing to discover a method of ridding us of the dandelion pest
the eminent scientists at the state farm ought to get busy and dis
cover some method of making the pesky things edible. Give us a
recipe for making them palatable and nutritious and we'll guarantee
to exhaust the supply in a short time. It's up to the state farm
sharps to make good.
Pause a moment and recall to mind the old recipt for cooking
a rabbit. "First catch your rabbit." Will Maupin's Weekly com
mends this recipe to the political agitators who are pleading to the
galleries for more stringent regulation of the corporations. Nebraska
is not going to secure any new public service corporations to regu
late under present conditions,' and capital will seek investment else
where. As a result, Nebraska resources are going to remain unde
veloped and the state will lag behind in the industrial race. Com
mon sense would seem to dictate that we make it possible for capital
to come in and develop these resources, then, when they have estab
lished themselves, proceed to regulate them proprly. How many
miles of railroad would have been built in Nebraska if the state had
adopted at the beginning the laws she now hast
' Nebraska has seven counties without a mile of railroad, and five
counties with less than twenty miles. Cherry county has a line of
road across the 'extreme north end, leaving many Cherry county
points fifty to fifty-five miles from a railroad station. There is not
a mile of interurban road in the state. There isn't a developed water
power of consequence in a state that has more natural water power
than almost any other state in the Union. Whyt The answer is
easy. Because we warn possible investors in public utility enter
prises that if they dare to invest their money in Nebraska they must
take all the risks, wait for years for returns upon their investments,
and then, when the returns begin coming, be willing to accept only
what they might have secured from the start from loaning their
money on farm mortgages without risk and without waiting more
than six months for returns to come in.
That man who expects capital to come to Nebraska to develop
these great resources under present conditions is exceeded in foolish
ress only by the man who complains because capital refuses to in
vest under such conditions.
And the prize for foolishness belongs to that man who opposes
granting to a private corporation the privilege of developing our
great water power on the ground that the state should develop it,
own it, operate it and control it.
Doubtless the Modern Woodmen of America are perfectly cap
able of settling their present difficulties among themselves, but this
is no reason why an outsider may not be permitted to make a few
observations. To date we haven't been able to arouse in our own
mind much sympathy for the members who are howling so strenu
ously against the increased rates. They were -warned for months
through their official organ that the head camp at Chicago would
consider only the rate matter. They were told time and time again
The ' Lincoln Telephone & Telegraph Company takes
leasure in announcing to its patrons that it has completed
arrangements for furnishing a complete long distance service
to all of its subscribers.
Within ten days the work of connecting the Automatic
and Manual (formerly Bell) toll line boards will be com
pleted and all subscribers no matter what phones they have
will get direct connections over both Independent and Bell
toll lines, which will give service to every subscriber to either
system connections with over five million additional tele
phones furnishing universal service throughout the United
States and Canada. .
The Company is also pleased to announce that it has
perfected arrangements for consolidating its Lincoln ex
changes and will furnish all Lincoln subscribers with Auto
matic service. Business subscribers desiring Manual service
can obtain same by installing Private Branch Exchange
systems, which will be connected by trunk lines direct to
the Automatic and Toll line switchboards.
Notwithstanding the fact that the amount of service is
greatly increased, the cost of complete service is reduced, as
is shown by the following comparison:
Present rates:
BELL BUSINESS . .$4 PER MONTH
AUTOMATIC BUSINESS.... $4.00 PER MONTH
Total $8.00 per month for complete service.
Subject to the approval of the State Railway Commission
we now offer this complete service for $5.00 per month on
individual lines or $4.00 per month on 2 party lines.
Present rates:
BELL RESIDENCE. ..... . $2.00 PER MONTH
AUTOMATIC RESIDENCE........ .$2.00 PER MONTH
Total $4.00 per month for complete service.
Subject to the approval of the State Railway Commission
this service will be furnished for $2.50 per month on indi
vidual lines and $2.00 per month on 2 party lines.
At the time the Automatic system was installed the rates
were as follows :
METALLIC LINE BUSINESS PHONES. .$5.00 PER MONTH
METALLIC LINE RESIDENCE PHONES. $4.00 PER MONTH
FOUR PARTY UNE RESIDENCE
PHONES . . . . .$2.50 PER MONTH
Connections were furnished with only 1,500 telephones
and there was a very limited toll service. We propose to
furnish free connections to 14,000 telephones. Our service will
be somewhat interfered with by the necessary changes and
installations during the consolidation of the exchanges. We
desire to thank our patrons for the support th'at we have
received in the past, and ask their indulgence ' during the
period of consolidation which we promise to make as brief as
possible. .
LSmcoIfli Telephone & TelegtfajoSa C
that the rates would have to be increased. They elected their ( own
delegates to the head camp. Their own duly elected reprsentatives
voted the increase. Statistics as reliable as the tides told them that
the rates would have to go up, and go up right away. State after
state had legislated in such a manner as to compel a rate increase
before 1913. Every fraternal order approximating the age of the
M. W. A. has had to go through the same struggle. The Royal
Arcanum came to it several years ago. So did some sixty-three
other fraternal insurance orders. If the members do not like the
rates it is within their power to change them in less than two
years. ( Insurance actuaries who could have no possible wrong mo
tive have proved beyond question that the increase is imperative if
the order is to survive and pay its death claims. The new rates are
based on actuaries' tables that are standard and accepted by life
insurance companies the world over. So what is all this row about f
The rates appear high simply because they were too low for years.
And even now they are not as high as most of the old line life in
surance companies.
This is the year in which real estate holdings are being re
valued for taxation purposes. It will be interesting to note the
difference in assessed values in the different counties. The more you
study them the more idiotic will appear our present system of tax
ation. Farm land in one county will be assessed $60 an acre, and
just across the line in another county equally good land will be
assessed at $50 an acre. In personal property lines the same dif
ference will appear. Horses in one county will be assessed at $50,
and in the adjoining county horses will be assessed at $75. People
are beginning to realize the inequalities of taxation under the pres
ent archaic and antedeluvian system, and that will explain the rapid
growth of the single tax plan.
Will Maupin's Weekly was interested in the success of just two
candidates in the recent commission election in Omaha Al Kugel
and Jack Ryder and both of them were elected. We were inter
ested because both of them are personal friends of the editor, both
of them are honest, capable and energetic gentlemen, and representa
tive of the largest element in any community, the wage earners..
This nwspaper has no fears about these two men failing to make
good. They will make good because they are built that way.
The Commercial Club convention at Hastings last week tabled
a resolution advocating the abolition of the interstate commerce
court on the ground that it was "politics." The resolution was sug
gested by a democrat, advocated by a. republication and introduced
by a gentleman whose political affiliations are to- the writer un
known. And the next day the house of representatives at Washing
ton almost unanimously passed a bill providing for the abolition of
the court.
And at the same meeting a resolution endorsing the policy of
exempting draft animals, among other things, from taxation, was
defeated because a delegate couldn't see why draft animals should
be exempted and his automobile taxed. Yet we wonder at times
why it is so difficult to achieve tax reform in this great state!
The manufactured products of Nebraska amount to more than
$250,00,000 a year. How much more they would amount to if Ne
braskans" stood by tJieir home institutions is a matter of conjecture,
but they would amount to vastly more. And the Nebraskan who
refuses to buy a home product, preferring to send his money to an
other state, is simply injuring himself and his neighbor. If it is
made in Nebraska, is as good as that made in another state, and sells
for approximately the same price, buy it. That is the best way to
build a great commercial and industrial commonwealth.
Bean The Name of
kk
GOOD THINGS TO CAT"
Manufacturers of
High Grade Bakery Goods
Ice Cream and Fruit Ices
"Hofeum. Bread"
Should be in the Home of Every Family in Lincoln
A. T. SEELEY, President
1325-31 N Street
