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About The Loup City northwestern. (Loup City, Neb.) 189?-1917 | View Entire Issue (March 29, 1906)
NEBRASKA MAHERS BRIfflYSEI FORTH PAPERS PREPARED IN BURLING TON TAX CASE. Great Northern Getting Ready to Break Into Northwestern Nebraska — Other Matters of Interest Throughout the State. LINCOLN.—Attorney General Nor ris Brown has prepared a brief to be filed in the United States supreme court in opposition to the appeal of the Burlington railroad from the ac tion of Judge Munger in dismissing the petition for an injunction to pre vent. the collection of railroad taxes in those counties where the amount in controversy was less than $2,000. In the counties where the amount in controverv was $2,000 or over the case was passed upon by Judge Mun ger and is now pending in the higher court but where the amount was less than $2,000 Judge Munger dismissed the application, and from this decis ion the Burlington appealed. The counties invcolved in this case to gether with the amount of tax levied, the amount tendered and the amount enjoined is shown in the folowing ta ble: 1904 TAXES * , Tendered Extended or paid Amount on Tax during to be Books. Nov. Enjoined. Blaine ....14,789.59 *3.108.26 *1.681.33 Buffalo ... 5.946.58 4.442.27 1,504.21 Chase _ 2,811.04 2,502.94 308.10 Colfax_ 970.87 685.32 285.55 Dawsco .. 662.64 430.72 231.92 Douglas .. 3.613.16 2,621.79 991.37 Garfield .. 1.162.63 811.73 350.90 Gosper ... 4.570.38 2,970.77 1,599.61 Grant .... 4.907.09 3.283.59 1,623.50 Hall . 5.602.54 3.639.36 1,963.18 Hayes _ 1.7o„.96 1,607.36 178.60 Merrick .. 5.434.24 3.482.95 1,951.29 Platte _ 1,183.96 786.62 397.34 Polk . 502.93 386.23 116.10 Sarpy .... 8.623.08 6.908.75 1,714.37 Sioux _ 2.783.99 1.901.58 882.44 Valley _ 6.490.66 4,531.89 1.959.03 Wheeler .. 794.64 554.80 239.81 In his brief the attorney general' maintains it is the established rule of the court where an action to en join the collection of taxes is brought, and a number of tax colectors are made the defendants, the amount in controversy is determined by the amount sought to be enjoined against each. The case comes up in October. GREAT NORTHERN EXTENSION. It Is Soon to Break Into Northwest ern Nebraska. NORFOLK.—The Great Northern railroad is soon to break into north western Nebraska and the Rosebud country of southern South Dakota, ac cording to reliably based opinions at Butte, the county seat of Boyd coun ty, through which town the road will pass. The Hill line is to extend from O'Neill. Neb., northwest, thus captur in much stock and grain for Sioux City, St. Paul and Minneapolis. During the past two or three days an official of the Great Northern, said to be the general passenger agent, but probably a deputy, has been in Butte talking with leading business men of the town regarding the projected road. And more than that, it is said on good au thority that the Great Northern has purchased an old abandoned grade between O'Neill and Butte which will be used. DOES THIS PORTEND WAR? Washington Makes Inquiry Regarding Nebraska National Guard. BEATRICE.—Captain .1. C. Penrod, commanding Company C, First regi ment, Nebraska National Guard, has received a query from the disbursing officer of the subsistence department in Washington, asking him how long it would take to recruit the company to its full strength and have every thing in readiness to leave for the nearest army post. Similar circulars have been sent to all company com manders in the state. Anticipation of trouble between this country and China has put the soldier boys in high spirits over the prospect of a trip to the orient. Bad Fire at North Loup. NORTH LOUP.—Fire destroyed the North Loup post office. Go wan & Bab cock's general merchandise store and Davis' furniture store. The total loss was $25,000; insurance $7,000. Assails Dipsomaniac Law. William A. Simmons of Dawes coun ty. who was sentenced to the asylum under the provisions of the dipsoman iac law, filed a brief in the supreme court in which he not only vigorously attacks the constitutionality of the law. but also goes after those who operated it against him. Simmons says he is 50 years old and is worth about $20,000, which he accumulated trading and dealing in horses. He de nies ever being an inebriate, but 6avs he has always kept liquor in his house, using it occasionally. Death of H. C. Stutheit. TABLE ROCK—Henry C. Stutheit. the wealthy German farmer who lived between forty and fifty years on his fine farm some ten miles northeast of here, died a few days ago in the in sane asylum. Teachers Are Scarce. NEBRASKA CITY.—It Is stated on good authority that every teacher in Otoe county who has a county certifi cate and a desire to teach is engaged in dispensing knowledge in some dis trict school. Insurance Company Barred. The Providence Savings Life Insur ance company of New York has been refused permission to do business in Nebraska. Deputy Pierce said the company had not been examined for about thirty years by a state depart ment. and until this is done he will refuse to issue a license. Postpone Chamberlain Case. ALBURN.—The case of the state of Nebraska against Charles Chamberlain of Tecumseh was called in district court but was continued until May 7. OVER THE STATE. Dr. J. C. Klingeman, a pioneer phy sician of Sarpy county, died last week. William Muirhead, a Tork county boy, has graduated with honors from the Western Medical school at Kansas City. The golden wedding anniversary of Jacob G. Heirn and wife, a well known Richardson county couple, was cele brated last week. An epidemic of measles is pervading the town of Cambridge and more than forty absentees from the public schools are thus afflicted. John Ragceric, an Austrian, aged 22 years, was killed by a cave-in on the new Union Pacific grade a short dis tance east of Millard. The official program for the South western Nebraska Educational asso ciation, which holds its annual meet ing in Beatrice, April 4-6, has just been issued. John Frehni of Lincoln, a laborer, was struck by Burlington train No. 5 and instantly killed. The accident oc curred at the North Sixteenth street crossing. Samuel Latshaw, an unmarried man 40 years of age, who has resided about six miles southwest of Cortland for a long time, was adjudged insane and taken to the asylum. Sheriff Quinton of Cass county has' returned from Farnham with O. H. Tower, wjio is charged with having abandoned his wife and three children, residing near Union. ine greatest lung capacity of any man in the state university is pos sessed by Gilbert McDonald, according to the physical examination figures on file. It is 383 cubic inches. Mrs. R. J. McMullen of Tarkio, Mo., who is visiting her son, A. R. McMul len, a few miles east of Stella, while going down stairs tripped aad fell to the bottom, breaking two ribs. -The commissioner of pensions has fully exonerated Dr. E. D. Cummins from all of the charges brought against him as a member of the "medical ex amining board in Plattsmouth. County Attorney William Ely of Ainsworth seized all the slot machines in Long Pine and will prosecute the saloon men and other merchants who had them in their places of business. For three weeks Register of Deeds Belcher of York county has been snowed under with business. More deeds and transfers have been record ed this year during the month of March than in any previous year. Word has been received at Beatrice that Harry Saunders, a son of Mr. and Mrs. A. V. S. Saunders, former resi dents of Beatrice, who are now livving at Fort Morgan, Colo., was recently killed in a wreck near Brush, Colo. The lifeless body of William Schie velbein, a prominent German farmer ol Gosper county, living ten miles north west of Arapahoe, was discovered ly ing on the Main street in Arapahoe, and at first it was supposed he had frozen to death, but it is now believed he was thrown from his wagon, receiv ing fatal injuries. Judge Hazlett of Beatrice, who re cently made a trip to Washington, D. C., in the interest of the paid-out set tlers on the Otoe and Missouri Indian lands in this county, received word from Washington that the committee of congress having the consideration of the bill for the relief of the settlers had recommended its passage. A telegram was received in Stroms burg from the authorities at St. Paul, Minn., stating that Peter Lindberg of Stromsburg had committed suicide in that city. Lindberg was traveling salesman for McKibben, Driscoll & Dorsey of St. Paul and a telegram from them stated that Lindberg had ended his life under distressing circum stances. Fdre broke out on the second floor of Babcock & McGowen’s department store at North Loup and entirely con sumed the building and most of the dry goods stock. The fire then spread to the postoffice and to H. E. Davis' furniture store, burning both build ings to the ground. The contents of both buildings were removed and the damage is slight. * j^ocajiv me impression prevailed that Platte county had been settled so long ago that the proving up on home steads was a thing of the past, but last week before the clerk of the district court Abraham W. Larue and Frank Buggi made their final proofs on homesteads in range 3, and as each of them assisted the other they must have settled their homes about the same time. North Platte citizens are unwilling to give up the idea of having a beet sugar factory in Lincoln county. Ne gotiations have been pending for some time with Denver parties relative to the location of a sugar factory in North Platte. The county commissioners of Kear ney county at their last meeting of fered for sale the old county court house to the highest bidder for cash, all bids to be sealed. This building was moved from Lowell, in Kearney county, to Minden in 1878 and has been used for offices of the county until the present time. The dwelling house on the A. J. Baker farm, southwest of Cook, occu pied by Calvin Stewart and family, was destroyed by fire which started from a defective flue. Mr. Stewart lost his household goods, which were not insured, while the house was insured for $300. Water slowly jtercolating through the roof of the capitol building did heavy damage to the volumes on the shelves. The legislature appropriated cash for fixing the roof at the last ses sion. but the money was expended on the wings of the structure, the main roof being left untouched. While a charivari party were mak ing life a howling wilderness for a newly married couple named Johnson, about seven miles west of Loup City, Felix Kowelewosk was shot in the arm with a shotgun a*, close range, the muscles between the elbow and shoul der being badly torn. There was considerable exxcitement in the Osage community, north of Cook, recently. A dog showing signs of hydrophobia made its appearance in that neighborhood and bit several dogs before it could be killed. The dog also jumped into a hog pen and bit off the ears of several hogs. mm PACKERS WIHJHEIR CASE AS INDIVIDUALS THEY WILL NOT Bk PROSECUTED. Indictments Against the Corporations Judge Humphrey Decides Shall Stand. CHICAGO—All of the packers who were indicted by the federal grand jury last summer upon charges of be ing in conspiracy in restraint of trade and commerce were on Wednesday granted immunity from criminal pros ecution under the indictment. While the individuals are to go free the in dictments found against the corpora tions of which some of the indicted individuals are members and others are employes, are to stand. A decision to the above effect was handed down by Judge J. Otis Hum phrey in the district court. The argu ments in tne case were concluded shortly after 3 o'clock. Judge Hum phrey soon commenced the delivery of his opinion. It was oral and the judge spoke for nearly an hour before giving the slightest indication of what the ul timate decision would be. He reviewed the case at length in all its bearings, cited all the essential facts which had been brought out and concluded as follow: Under the law in this case the im munity pleas filed by the defendants will be sustained as to the individuals, and denied as to the corporations, the artificial persons, and the jury will find in favor of the government as far as the corporations ar concerned, and against the government, as far as the individuals are concerned.” During the rendition of the decision the court was crowded by the defend ants and numerous spectators. Ed ward Morris anu Edward Swift were in court and both smiled happily when the decision was announced. J. Ogden Armour was not present, but some of the men prominent in the employ of Armour & Co., who were named in the indictment, were there and their joy was great. When the judge announced that the indictments would not lie against them they crowd ed together and commenced to shake hnads in mutual congratulations. The attorneys for the defense were also highly pleased, and when the decision liad been announced they shook hands all around, and hastened to the jury box to shake hands with the jurors, who had been excluded from the court room during all of the arguments made in the case, and had rendered a verdict in accordance with the directions of the court. WOMAN SUFFRAGE GETS ALL. Susan B. Anthony Gives Her $10,000 Estate for the Cause. ROCHESTER, N. Y.—The will of Miss Susan B. Anthony was offered for probate. The estate amounts to about $10,000, all of which is left to the woman suffrage cause. Rev. Dr. Anna Shaw, of Philadelphia, and Mary S. Anthony, of this city, are named as the trustees. The Anthony homestead is in Mary Anthony's name. By the terms of the will, Mary An thony will not receive anything from her sister’s estate. FEAR EFFECT OF BOYCOTT. Missionaries Confer With President on Chinese Affairs. WASHINGTON—A delegation from the Methodist Episcopal church, south discussed with the president the sit uation in the Chinese empire. In the delegation were Dr. Young J. Allen, fort forty-six years a missionary in China; Bishop Galloway of Missis sippi, Dr. Walter R. Lamouth, mission ary secretary and Dr. James Atkins. The visitors expressed a fear that if the boycott continued injury might be done to the work of the American churches among the Chinese. REAL SERVICE TO HUMANITY. President Congratulates Editor of Christian Herald. WASHINGTON—The president sent the following telegram to Dr. Louis Klopsch, editor of the Christian Her ald, New York: “Let me heartily thank you, and through the Christian Herald for the admirable work done in connection with the famine sufferers in japan. You have now raised $100,000 and you have rendered a very real service to humanity and to the cause of in ternational good will. “THEODORE ROOSEVELT." Land for Indian Children. WASHINGTON—The house com mittee on Indian affairs decided to re port favorably on "the Stephens joint resolution providing for the allotment of 160 acres of land to each child of .members born of the Kiowa. Co manche or Apache Indian tribes and entitled to allotment under the act opening the reservations to these tribes. Fortifications Bill Passes. WASHINGTON—Mr. Spooner con cluded his speech in the senate on the railroad rate bill and the forti fications appropriation bill was taken up and passed. The bill carries an appropriation of $125,000 for the erec tion of a powder manufactory and Mr. Daniel spoke at length in support of the provision. He declared that the nation was entirely at the mercy of a powder trust and urged that the amendment should be adopted. The bill carries an appropriation of $5 - 278.993. Eighty-Two Tons of Mail. OMAHA—The largest quantity of mail ever transported out of Omaha on a single train was sent out Sunday afternoon on train No. 9 of the Union Pacific. It weighed eightv-two tons, or 164,000 pounds. The mail was of the current miscellaneous character and it required a solid train of nine mail cars to carry it. The average mail sent out on this train is fifty or fifty-five tons. It is almost exclu sively Pacific coast and Rocky moun tain mail. MILLION PERSONS STARVING. Red Crou Officials Say Terrible State bf Affairs Exists. NEW YORK—The New York state branch of the American National Red Cross issued a statement as to fa mine conditions in Japan which says: “The famine in Japan, which has been considered for some time mod erately serious, is now known through the source of reliable private sources of the New York Red Cross, to be one of the most terrible of modern times. The failure of the rice crop, which at one time was believed to be limited to certain classes only in the northern provinces, has been found to be general in these parts of Japan. Conservative estimates place the num ber of starving Japanese at from 800, 000 to 1,000,000 persons. For these there is absolutely no relief in sight until next October, when a new harv est will be available. The sum of $16,000,000 wil be re quired to save the Japanese country people. THE STARS AND STRIPES ARE NOT FOR HIM — RICHMOND, Va.—In an address before the Southern Ice Exchange here in its seventeenth annual con vention Mayor McCarthy said, re ferring to Richmond's having been the confederate capital: “I recognize but two flags—the state flag of Virginia and the battle flag of the confederacy. The stars and stripes are all right in their way, but for me there are only two flags.” 'CASPER LOOKS FOR NEW ROAD. Makes Favorable Showing to Colorado & Southern. CASPER, Wyo.—The committee ap pointed by tne Casper Commercial club, composed of Hon. Patrick Sulli van and George F. Stilphen, to con fer with the Denver Chamber of Com merce and the officials of the Colo rado & Southern railroad, concerning the building of that company’s line from Orin Junction to Casper, report ed most favorably at the last meeting of the local organization. This com mittee visited the Chamber of Com merce in Denver and also Vice Pres ident Parker of the above mentioned road last week, and were listened to with much interest. The railroad offi cials expressed surprise when shown the figures of the volume of business dq$;e in Casper, as did also the mem bers of the Chamber of Commerce. MOVE BY NEW YORK CENTRAL. To Vote on Proposition to Increase Capital Stock $100,000,000. NEW YORK—A circular was issued to the stockholders of the New York Central & Hudson River Railroad com pany by President W. H. Newman, calling on them to attend a special meeting at Albany April 18 to vote on a proposition to increase the capital stock of the company from $150,000,000 to $250,000,000. The proposed increase is designed “to provide additional cap ital for such corporate purposes of the company as the board of directors may determine and may be issued when the directors deem it advisable. PLACES ORDER FOR RAILS. Milwaukee Road Preparing to Build to the Coast CHICAGO—It is announced that the Chicago. Milwaukee & St. Paul Rail road company has placed an order for 125,000 tons of steel rails with the Illi nois Steel company, the Chicago branch of the United States Steel cor poration. The order necessitates an expenditure of $3,500,000. A large portion of the order is for the St. Paul’s Pacific coast extension upon which, it is said forty thousand tons of rails will be laid before the close of the year. N. Y. LIFE TRUSTEES TO PAY. Will Make Good the $148,000 Contrib uted to Campaign Funds. NEW YORK—At a conference in the office of a downtown lawyer it was agreefi that the trustees of the New York Life Insurance Company, who were members of the finance com mittee during the presidential cam paogns of 1896, 1900 and 1904, and were cognizant of the political contri butions made by the New York Life should reimburse the company to the extent of $148,000. This is the total of the political contributions made by the company. GREAT SUM FOR PENSIONS. Senate Votes $140,000,000 After Brief Discussion. WASHINGTON—In less than twenty minutes time the senate Tuesday voted away $140,000,000 of the public funds. The sum is,carried by the pension ap propriation bill, which brief document was made the subject of very little discussion. Henderson Succeeds Schofield. WASHINGTON — General Thomas Henderson of Illinois was elected president of the Society of the Army of the Ohio, to succeed the late General Schofield. Anti-Hazing Bill Reported. WASHINGTON—The hotiBe commit tee on naval affairs decided to make a favorable report on an anti-hazing bill drawn by the sub-committee, headed by Representative Vreeland of New York, and embodying many of the ideas of Secretary Bonaparte. Land for Park Purposes. WASHINGTON—The house com mittee on public lands reported favor ably, a bill giving 5,000 acres of land provisionally to Canon City, Colo., for park purposes. Francis is Acceptable. WASHINGTON — The Washington government has been informed from Vienna that Charles S. Francis, nomi nated to be ambassador to Austria Hungary, will be acceptable to that governmenL WORK IN GONGRESS FORJIIS WEEK RAILROAD BILL WILL HAVE THE UPPER HOUSE. Lower Branch Will Busy Itself Largely With Orders of a Special Char acter. WASHINGTON—The railroad rate bill will continue this week to absorb the attention of the senate. There are several senators who still expect to deliver prepared speeches on the sub ject, but none of them have indicated their readiness to proceed on Monday, so it is impossible to give the names of prospective orators. Senator Till man says, however, that he has no doubt that some one will be prepared to proceed wrhen the bill is taken up. He admits there is a tendency in the debate to lag, but attributes it to the necessity for much preparation in dis cussing the question. He still insists that as soon as it becomes evident that the debate is exhausted he will press the bill to a vote. Should there be an agreement upon the consular organization bill Senator Lodge will probably call up the confer ence report during the week, and some debate on it is probable. The Indian appropriation bill will be reported Tuesday or Wednesday and Senator Clapp will take up if there shauld be a lull in the debate on rates. A con ference report on the bill for the set tlement of the affairs of the five civ ilized tribes is pending in the senate and may be debated at some length if there is an opportunity. Appropriating money will be the chief occupation of the house of rep resentatives this week. The legisla tive appropriation, which had a rocky road with the rules of uhe house as an obstruction last week, is not fin ished by half. Mr. I,ittauer, in charge of the bill, estimates that it will re quire Tuesday, Wednesday and pos sibly Thursday to complete the mea sure. Monday, under the rules, is District of Columbia day and a num ber of important measures locally are on the calendar in that connection. Of the features, of the legislation which will cause comment it is predicted that criticism of the bureau of corporations will be chief in view of the recent de cision in Chicago which some mem bers regard as a curtailment, of the usefulness of this bureau. The provi sion of the mints of the country al ways provokes discussion and there are items relating to the postal service in the bill also liable to cause talk. War claims have the right of way on Friday, by special agreement. The postoffice appropriation bill is on the calendar and slated for consideration at the earliest possible moment. Of interest outside of the floor pro ceedings will be the meetings of the statehood conferences. Efforts are be ing made to bring the ship subsidy bill within the horizon of legislative action, and Mr. Bonynge of Colorado is watch ing closely for an opportunity to com plete the pending consideration of the bill making a national system of irri gation. MAY ABOLISH ARMY POSTS. War Department Planning to Consoli date. WASHINGTON—The war depart ment officials are planning to abolish a number of the smaller army posts throughout the country, with a view of consolidating them with more im portant and centrally located stations. The idea is to maintain fewer but larger posts. Fort Niobrara, according to the plans now under way, is one of the posts to be abolished. It may be consolidated with either that of Fort Robinson or Fort Crook. Senator Burkett is making a vigorous fight against the plans proposed in Nebras ka. He “sat up” with Secretary Taft for three hours and argued against the abolishment of Fort Niobrara or any other fort within the bounds of the state. KILLED IN HIS PULPIT. Rev. Lentz of Carson, la.. Struck by Lightning While Preaching. CARSON, la.—While in the midst of his sermon Sunday morning at the Latter Day Saints’ church. Rev. John B. Lentz was struck by lightning and instantly killed. The preacher was standing in the pulpit as usual when the bolt struck the church and ran down the wires. An incandescent light hung above his head about two feet. Suddenly he was stopped in his speech by an unseen power and fell prostrate. The congre gation was almost panic stricken with fright. The members rushed forward and found him dead. At the base of the bulb overhead was a hole about the size of a bullet. While a number of people felt the shock in the church, none were much affected, and singu larly there was not the least damage done to the church. Battleships Go to Shanghai. WASHINGTON—Word reached the Navy department that the battleship Ohio, the flagship of Read Admiral Charles Train, had left Manila for Shanghai. It is supposed that the ad miral is aboard the ship does not indi cate whether he is or not The bat tleship Wisconsin, which also has been stationed at Manila, preceeded the Ohio to Shanghai by one day. These movements, officials of the bu reau of navigation say, were not or dered by the department. Mail Sent to Peary. NEW YORK—The Peary Arctic club dispatched its annual mail to Comander Robert E. Peary, the ex plorer, who is now far up in the Arctic region. A bulky parcel of let ters from Mrs. Peary in Washington, and the family and friends of the offi cers of the expedition was started by express for Dundee. Thence it will go by the whalers, leaving that port about April 10, to be delivered to the Eskimos at Cape York, with the hope that it may later reach its destina tion. LETTER ON ELGHT-HOUR LAW. President Says He Will Enforce Stat ute Now the Books. WASHINGTON — Frank Morrison, secretary of the American Federation of Latior, received the following letter from President Roosevelt: My Dear Mr. Morrison: At our in terview yesterday I requested you to bring to my attention any specific vio lation of the eight-hour law. I would like you to call my attention as soon as possible to any of these complaints, and I shall at once forward them to Mr. Neill of the labor bureau and di rect him to investigate them and re port to me. Furthermore, I shall hereafter direct all departments having control of work as to which this law applies to notify the Department of Commerce and La bor when the work is begun and I shall notify the secretary of the Depart ment of Commerce and Labor when-; ever such notification reaches him. ! i himself to notify the head of the labor j I bureau whose duty it then will be to take cognizance of any complaint made as to violations of this law. to investi gate the same and to report to me. As you know. I not only sympathize with you on the eight-hour law. but I intend as a matter of course to see that this law is efficiently enforced. My belief is that you will find that with Mr. O'Neill perfectly supervising t the enforcement of the law all just complaints will be met. Sincerely yours, THEODORE ROOSEVELT. Mr. Morrison, Secretary of the Ameri can Federation of Labor. COUNT WITTE WILL RESIGN. Russian Premier Will Retire on Ac count of Heart Trouble. ST. PETERSBURG—In high circles late tonight the rumor was current that Count Witte had definitely de cided to retire from the premiership. The Associated Press is unable to con firm the rumor as Count Witte had re tired and the chancellery was closed when the correspondent called shortly after midnight. From an absolutely authoritative source, however, it can be stated that Count Witte at a ses sion of the council of the empire this aftemon made an enigmatical state ment which is interpreted by many members of the council as a virtual declaration that his career as premier is ended and that he will be succeed ed by Privy Counsellor Koboksoff, for mer minister of finance. ROOT TO HAVE CRUISER. The Charleston Will Take Him to Rio Janeiro. WASHINGTON—Secretary Root has decided to sail for South America on board the protected cruiser Charleston from either New York or Hampton Roads, about the middle of July, pro vided he can arrange his plans. The trip will include a cruise up the west coast to Panama upon the construction of his visit to Rio Janeiro, where he will attend the Pan-American con gress. RESTORATION OF LAND. Senator Clark Introduces a Bill for This Purpose. WASHINGTON—Senator Clark of Montana introduced a bill amending section three of the reclamation act. It has for its purpose the immediate restoration to the public domain of such lands as have been temporarily withdrawn from entry and upon inves tigation found not to be susceptible of irrigation. The bill states: That should any of the land within such withdrawal (meaning withdrawal for irrigation purposes) be found to be more valuable for mineral than for other purposes, or should any person so qualified under the laws of the United States enter any of suc^i lands under mineral laws, then so much of said lands as may be found to be more valuable for mineral than for other purposes, the land for which any qualified person desires to make min eral entry shall at once he excluded from such order of withdrawal by the secretary of the interior and shall be subject to entry under the laws in the same manner as if no such order of withdrawal had been made. MAY ROLL THEIR OWN. Nebraska Cinarette Smokers Win Vic tory in Supreme Court. LINCOLN. Neb.—The Nebraska su preme court gave a decision on Nebraska’s anti-cigarette law. which was tested in the courts by a young man arrested on the charge of rolling a cigarette. The effect of the decision is to sustain the law in general, mak ing the sale and manufacture of cigar ette sin this state illegal, but the roll ing of cigarettes by individuals for their own use is not called “manufac turing.” A few fines have been paid and sentences served under that part of the law. which is now declared un constitutional. WASHINGTON — Congressman Pol lard is opposed to the free distribu tion of seeds on the part of the govern ment and will vote to sustain the agri cultural committee’s recommendation that the government discontinue the practice of issuing seeds. Mr. Pollard believes in spending the money which it annually costs the government for seeds in improving the productive quality of corn, wheat, oats and other cereals. He believes the money spent for free seeds could be spent with larger results in scientific experimen tation. Treasury Balances. WASHINGTON — Todays state ment of the treasury balance in the general fund, exclusive of the $150 000,000 gold reserve, shows: Avail able cash balance. $154,938,657; gold coin and bullion, $80,073,750; gold cer tificates, $43,775,240; total, $278,787 647. We have had stone ag..s and bronze ages; the age we live in is the paper age. Its fitting cognizance would be —in a field argent, a printing press rampant WOULD REDUCE RED IAN BUSINESS WHAT PRESIDENT SAID TO THE KEEP COMMITTEE. Takes the Ground That the Executive Should Have Power to Transfer - _ Work From One Department i,-i” to Another. WASHINGTON — President Roose velt had an informal meeting Tues day evening at the residence of Gifford Pinchot, chief of the division of for estry, with the members of the Keep commission. The commission as ap pointed a year ago to study the busi ness methods of the several depart ments of the government with a view' to systematizing the work of the de partments and reducing the amount of “red tape” to a minimum. c After discussion the work of the commission and complimenting it upon its achievements up to this time the president delivered an address to the members. In part the president said: "A year ago I appointed the Keep commission because I had become con viced that the business methods of our government were by no means abreast of the times. While I think there 1s comparatively little corruption in the national governemntal service, and while that little I intend to cut out, it yet remains true that there is a good deal of clumsiness of work, and above all, the inevitable tendency toward mere bureaucratic methods — against which every government official should be perpetually on his guard—the ten dency is to feel a proud sense of duty performed if all papers in a case are appropriately docketed and referred and minutes made about them, and then referred back, without regard to what has become of the real fact of is sue.” Referring to the work of the com mission the president said: ‘‘I do not want a diagnosis of the ease. I want a recommendation how to reach the case. I do not want merely to know that things are bad; I want to know what is bad and what is to be done to make it better, so if legislation is necessary I can recom mend it and so that if—which I hope will be tried in the enoromus majority of cases—the matter can be reached by executive regulation, I can see that that regulation is issued. “As I have said, your particular ef fectiveness lies in the fact that you are dealing at first hand with work with which you are familiar. You are not outsiders. You are not engaged in con structing a part or the theory how the work should be done; you are engaged in recommendations to better the bus iness whic1' you are yourselves to carry through and see made better whten those recommendations have been adopted. “A great deal of our government work has become proverbial to the red tape involved. Of course, much of the outside criticism on red tape is due to forgetfulness of the fact that you and I are responsible to congress for every dollar we spend, while the outsider is responsible only to himself or those interested with him. TO HELP LAY CORNER STONE. President Will Take Pat in Coming Ceremony. WASHINGTON—President Roose velt will take part in the laying of the corner stone of the new office building for members of the house of representatives on Saturday, April 7. The ceremony will be almost identical with the laying of the corner stone of the United States capitol by President Washington, nearly 113 years ago. The federal Masonic lodge, which had charge of the ceremony over a century ago, will have the.honor of directing the swinging of the corner stone ot the house annex into place. Waltei A. Brown, the grand master of the Ma sonic lodge of the District of Colum bia. will superintend the exercises, and addresses will be made by the president and Speaker Cannon. MAKE PLEAS OF NOT GUILTY. Wain and Clark Arraigned for Murder at Omaha. OMAHA, Neb.—Cal Wain and Harri son Clark, two of the negroes whom the mob which attacked the Douglas county jail a week ago sought to lynch, pleaded not guilty to the charge of murder while attempting robbery, and of premeditated murder. The charges grow out of the slaying of Conductor Flury at Albright two weeks ago. Indiana Officials are Short. INDIANAPOLIS—A special investi gating committee appointed several months ago to examine the books of the state auditor’s office, reported to the governor today that J. O. Hender son. democrat, who was auditor from 1891 to 1895. owes the state $91,962.85, and A. C. Daly, republican, who was auditor from 1895 to 1899, owes the state $23,667.74. Naughty Woman from Nebraska. CHICAGO. III.—Mrs. Vernon J. Bar low got a divorce here because her husband, while he was traveling with her on the cars, wrote notes, she says to Miss M. A. Putnam of Lincoln, Neb. and the latter answered him. These notes were written on a fly leaf of a book. Mrs. Barlow found it and read them. Barlow's note told Miss Put nam to put on her kimona and come into the next car. Mrs. Barlow wait ed till he went to keep the date and Followed, finding him and Mrs. Put nam there. Advocates Increase in Navy. WASHINGTON — Secretary Bona part appeared before the house com mittee on naval affairs in support of in increase of the navy. He advo :ated an appropriation this year for two 16,000 ton battleships and in case congress does not see fit to provide for two such ships, he urged the construc tion of one 19.400 ton battleship In the main. Secretary Bonaparte’s rec pmmendations were in harmony with those included in his annual report The secretary’s estimation for con struct!on aggregates ?23,30G,000.