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The Commoner.
DECEMBER 11, 1903.
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CONDENSED NEWS OP THE WEEKT
On November 30 the United States supremo
court affirmed the constitutionality of the eight
hour law of the state of Kansas regulating labor
on public works. A "Washington dispatch carried
by the Associated press under date of November
30 said: The Kansas law, whose validity was
called into question in the suit, was enacted in
1891 and provided that eight -hours should con
stitute a day's work for workmen employed by or
on behalf of the state, or by any county or city
or other municipal polity in the state. It also pro
hibits contractors from requiring laborers engaged
on work for the state to perform more than eight
hours' labor in a day. Both fine and imprison
ment are provided for violation of the law.
Ex-City Attorney L. K. Salsbury of Grand
Rapids, Mich., made a confession of his part in
the notorious water scandal now under investiga
tion in that city and his confession has created a
sensation, as it implicates no less than seventeen
.officials who have been arrested on bribery
charges. According to the Salsbury testimony,
six separate water conspiracy deals were on in
Grand Rapids at one time, each calling for a
boodle fund. It is also charged that two news
papers in Grand Rapids have been given money
in connection with the water deals.
The executive board representing the striking
co'al miners in Colorado sent a telegram to Presi
dent Roosevelt on December 2 asking him to en
force the civil rights statutes for the benefit of
the citizens of Telluride, Colo., many of whom
have been ordered by the military officers to leave
the city. The miners claim that the law of the
United States is being violated by the military au
thority in this matter and so have appealed to the
president.
The federal grand jury in session at Omaha,
Web., is considering the charges of fencing in the
unoccupied government lands, which it is alleged
is being carried on to a great extent in the west
ern part of the state of Nebraska. For some time
the government has been investigating reports of
illegal fencing and it has found that from 7,000,
O00 to 8,000,000 acres of government land has
been "fence'd; and is being used by cattlemen.
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Although not yet officially announced the ru
mor has been current for some time that Lord
Roberts, commander-in-chief of the British army,
will resign his position on account of the condi
tion of his health. It is believed that when Lord
Roberts resigns, the' office he holds will be abol
ished, and the administrative business of the war
office will be in charge of a board.
At the close of the ministerial council at Mad
rid on December 3 the premier proceeded to the
palace and laid before King Alfonso the resigna
- tioii of the cabinet. This action is due to the uif
liculty encountered in getting the budget voted in
the face of the republican policy of obstruction. It
is thought that the president of the senate will be
asked to form a new cabinet.
A plan is on foot to cut .the representation
'from the southern states in the national republi
can convention and the representation froni the
north would bo added to. General Charles Bray
ton, member of the national committee from
Rhode Island and party leader in that state, lias
proposed the plan which, will be brought before
the committee soon.
The grand jury at St. Louis on December 3
returned two indictments, against James L. Blair,
former general counsel ft the World's, fair, each
indictment charging forgery in the first degree
The indictments are based on the alleged forgeiy
by Blair of deeds to gain large sums from an
estate which he has held in trust.
It 'is believed that China will hereafter -prohibit
the recruiting of laborers for South Africa
in any part o China, and this decision is mainly
due to legislation by Canada excluding fse
laborers from Canadian territory. It is thought
that .if necessary emigration from China will be
prohibited altogether.
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On November 30 the wages of about 32,000
cotton textile 'operatives in the New England mills
was reduced. This addition makes the total num
ber of those in New England who have had their
..pay cut, down this fall about 64 000 and fur
ther" deductions in1 several mills will bring It to
about" 76,000- '
An interesting decision was made by tho
house of lords in London on December 2 when it
was decided that women are debarred by their box
from becoming qualified lawyers in England. Ac
cording to a London cablegram carried by tho
Associated press, it is said that tho question arose
on the appeal of a Londoner, Miss Bertha Cavo,
against the decision of tho benchers of Gray's Inn
not to admit her as a student for tho purposo of
being called to the bar. The court decided that
there was no precedent for woman's admission to
the inns of court and no reason to create a prece
dent. The benchers assert that tho students of
Gray's Inn ignore women so absolutely as to leavo
them no power to admit a woman.
Tho special session of tho Montana legisla
ture met at Helena on December 1 to consider a
bill which will givo tho supreme court authority
to review facts In cases of equity and change of
judgment. It is said that this bill is the outcome
of tho recent copper troubles in Montana which
"resulted in tho closing of all tho Amalgamated
Copper company's mines, and throwing of 20,000
men out of employment. The properties resumed
only on promise that Governor Toole would call
a special session of tho legislature to pass a law
known as the "fair trial bill."
Some attention is being directed to the efforts
of Alfred Dreyfus In France to secure a Judicial
examination of his case, it being announced from
Paris on November 28 that his request has been
submitted by tho minister of war to a commission
who will pronounce upon tho admissibility of
granting it. This commission will render ita de
cision In tho matter in the near futuro and in tho
meantime public interest in Franco is aroused to
a high pitch.
A strike among tho iron workers employed by
the George A. Fuller Construction company, which
company operates in Now York city and has alEo
contracts in many other large cities of the United
States, was declared on December 2. Nearly 10,
000 men will bo affected by this strike and in
case a sympathetic strike is ordered, as some
think will be, more than 70,000 men would be
called out.
Fifteen different suits against tho Ellsworth
Coal company of Pittsburg, Pa., were filed in the
district court on December 2, alleging violation of
the alien contract labor law in bringing to this
country Welsh miners to work In the company's
mines at Ellsworth, Pa. The penalty for violation
of the alien contract law Is a ?1,000 fine in each
. case."
The town of Butler, Pa., has had 1,300 cases
of typhoid fever since September 18, and recently
the state board of health investigated tho cause of
tho unusual conditions rand found that the water
supply of the town had been contaminated. Tho
town hag applied to Pittsburg for help in ob
taining nurses and domestics, as many of tho
typhoid patients are without adequate attention.
Advices- recently received from South China,,
by way of Victoria, B. C.f give news of the Iobs
of many lives as a result of heavy storms in that
section. Several hundred fishing junks near
Swatow, China, were destroyed and It is believed
that thousands of lives have been lost, in the re
gions affected by tho storm.
A-number of coal companies In Maryland have
announced that beginning December 16 a reduc
tion to thB- miners of 10 cents a ton in the wages
paid will be made. Three companies employing
inwards of 2,600 men have already made the an
nouncement and it is thought that other compa
nies will follow suit.
All tho coal mining camps. in the Utah coal
district are being placarded with official notices
of the United Mine Workers of America, declar
ing a strike in the Utah coal fields and calling an
all the miners to cease work, A systematic fight
Is hereafter to be made to obtain the demands
made by the miners.
The International Live Stock exposition op
ened on November 28 at Chicago with a. record
breaking display of cattle, sheep and hogs. No
less han 11,500 entries of live -stock were made
5$ visitors are expected from Canada, Brazil.
Belgium and Scotland, as well as from all over
.this country.
Tho banking firm of W. A. Dcnocke & Co., of
Casper, Wyo., failed on November 27 and wan
taken possession of by tho sherlir. Tho bank's
failure caused tho suspension also of other con
cerns and It Is said that much loss will bo
sustained. Charles Weston, stato auditor for Ne
braska, a stockholder in tho bank, as well as tho
president and cashier, were arrested, chargod with
fraudulent banking, but it was later announced
that tho shortage will be made good by tho stock
holders, Auditor Weston declaring that ho will
do all in his power to help satisfy the claims of
the creditors of the institution.
Tho eastern question which has boon the
source of many rumors of trouble between Jaran
and Russia recently, is in a fair way to bo amic
ably settled, according to an Associated prcs ca
blegram. It is believed that tho settlement will
be brought about through tho friendly offices of
Franco and Great Britain, and that thu basis
agreed upon will secure to Japan various rlghU In
Korea for which Japan will accept Russia's treaty
with China respecting Manchuria.
A new bar has been raised against tho .Town
at tho Russian frontier. It was announced from
Berlin on Decombor 1 that American Jews arc no
longer to bo permitted to cross tho Russian fron
tier without a special permit In each case from
M. von Plehwo, tho Russian Interior minister. It
is said that this new restriction Is an extension of
tho policy initiated by tho recent withdrawal of
tho vise powers from the Russian consulates in
America.
The International Harvester company of Chi
cago has decided to lay off 7,500 of IU 19,000 em
ployes and thereby offect a saving of $5,000,000 a
year. This reduction by this company is not tho
only one to bo made, it Is said, as several of tho
other harvester companies doing business In Chi
cago have also decided to reduce their forco of
workers, and tho retrenchment will affect also
the mills at Milwaukee, Springfield, O., and Plana.
i A settlement has been offectcd In the litiga
tion going on for tho past year in the courts of
New Jersey, Rhode Island and Oklahoma, over a
suit as regards tho title to over 1,800,000 acres of
valuable oil and gas fields in the Osago reserva
tion in Oklahoma. By tho terms of tho settle
ment, all the stock In the concern has been turned
over to a new company under John II. Brennan of
Wisconsin, general counsel for tho companies.
It was reported from Salt Lake City, Utah,
on December 1, that following another fruitless
effort to settle the labor difficulties in the coal
miners' strike, the governor has said that ho may
call a special session of tho legislature to provldo
funds for keeping the state militia in the field.
It is said that the settlement of the strike hinges
on tho recognition of the union and this the coal
operators positively refuse.
Major Charles F. Kilbourne, U, S. A., paymas
ter of the department of Dakota, died on a train
while on his way to his home In Columbus, O.,
December 1. Major Kilbourne graduated from
West Point in I860 and was 59 years old. lie was
treasurer of tho Philippine Islands while they
wero under military government In 1898-99.
From Honolulu, under date of November 30,
comes news of exposures of grafting and reck
lessness in the use of the public funds, over $50,
000 having already been wasted In excessive over
charges, etc. Indictments have been returned
against many members of tho late legislature.
Bishop Ablel Leonard, head of the Episcopal
church in Utah and Nevada, died at Salt Lake
City on December 3, at the age of 55 years. The
bishop has for many years been prominently con
nected with the church, having been stationed in
the Utah and Nevada district since 1888.
The historic Academy of Music, the largest
theatre in Brooklyn, N. Y., was destroyed by fire
on November 30. Tho loss Is estimated at ?300,
000, with no Insurance on the building. The
building was erected In 1860 and many notable
gatherings have been held within It
The German reichstag was opened at Berlin
on December 3, Chancellor Von Buelow acting as
the emperor's representative. Emperor William
was unable to open the session as Is his custom,
owing to the difficulty with his throat, -
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