Nebraska Newspapers

    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.