.
VOLUME 4, NUMBER
9..
nieasuro up to tho standard of Ohio's senatorial
stature, but falls grotesquely short."'
ac a?
PROMPTED BY THE INCREASING NUMBER
of railway accidents, the Interborough com
pany of New York Is now having built for use in
a subway a number of steel cars. The first of
these cars has been delivered auJ is described in
an interesting way by a writer in tho Street Rail
way Journal. This writer says: "The new car
is intended to be absolutely fireproof, and to In
sure tills it has been constructed entirely of metal,
transito board, and asbestos. No inflammable ma
terial whatever enters into the construction of tho
car body itself. In fact, tho seats are tho only
part of tho car, or its furnishings, which are of
wood, and it has boon determined to replace these
by pressed steel frames as soon as they can bo
provided. Tho new car differs materially in ap
pearance from tho copper-sheathed wooden
coaches already built for the subway. It will bo
remembered that tho sides of the latter slope to
ward tho roof, giving them rather an unusual ap
pearance, but in the now car tho usual torm of
construction was followed, as it was found that
stoel-framing resulted in economy of spaco so that
approximately tho same interior width at tho
floor as in tho wooden cars could bo secured with
out encroaching upon clearance."
ACCORDING TO THIS SAME AUTHORITY
this steel car is ol tho same dimensions as
tho wooden car, has the same capacity and in gen
, oral design follows similar lines. Tho car-framing
is unusually heavy, and tho body weighs about
two tons more than the wooden cais. A number
of modifications will bo made, however, based
upon tho exporionco gained in building this car,
by which tho weight can be reduced without sac
rificing structural strength, thus making the steel
car approximately tho same weight as a wooden
car. Tho car body is double lined, and is built
of steel and asbestos composition. The shies are
covered with steel plates, and tho outsldo roof is
of transito board. Tho inside lining is of eiec
trobestos, the coiling being covered with stamped
sheet steel. Electrobestos is also used for the
under panols, and tho moldings throughout are of
copper. Tho flooring is of corrugated steel cov
ered with monolithic composition. Longitudinal
seats havo iron frames covered -with cushions,
but tho cross-scat frames, as already mentioned,
aro of wood, and are tho same type as those
used in tho regular cars, but these will be re
placed by pressed steel frames as soon as the lat
ter aro completed.
NEW COMPLICATIONS HAVE NOW ARISEN
in Paris concerning the Panama canal
which aro attracting considerable attention at
Washington. The proceedings brought before the
Paris court threaten to delay canal construction,
but tho Washington correspondent for the Chi
cago Chroniclo says that a United- States senator
has mado the following statement: "Tho admin
istration will wait a reasonable time for tho stock
holders and bondholders and all others interested
!? Vl?,Pnnanm caiml to reaQh tte same conclusion
that their interests lio in transferring their prop
erty to this government. If after a reasonable
tlmo they still persist In a courso that is calcu
lated to prevent tho accomplishment of our pur-
,mito,build tll canal tnc work oi construction
will bo begun. No attention will bo paid to suits
?Jn, ?kU1)S r anythinS clae. This government
will take possession of the canal strip and the
canal itsolf. The $40,000,000 purchase money will
bo deposited in the sub-treasury and tho canal
company, through its authorized agents can
como and get it whenever they please." 'when
this senator was asked what would be considered
reasonable tlmo, ho replied that ho was not pre
pared to say, but that it would not bo a very
, long time. It is further announced that tho Gov
ernment will send agents to Paris for tho Pur
pose of protecting the interests of the United
otates.
THE MILLION DOLLAR HOME IN THE SUB
urbs for tho president and the increase of
his salary to $75,000 a year are the latest sterns
toward extravagance fathered by republican lcad
S,.vory clse to the present occupant of tho
White house, according to Joseph Ohl. Washing
ton correspondent for tho Atlanta Constitution
Mr. Ohl says that these propositions, comE
they do coincident with an -appropriation of $90 -000
for now stables to guard against the Roose
velt horses contracting colds, have served to di
rect attention to tho unwonted extravagance
which has marked every phase of the Roosevelt
administration. "The wiser republican politic
The Commoner
ians," says Mr. Ohl, "are manifesting no little
alarm over these developments, since they realize
that such evidences of extravagance may prove
a dangerous weapon m the hands of their op
ponents in a campaign before tho people, and
there is much effort in consequence to cover up
tho facts."
if F
UNDER THE ROOSEVELT ADMINISTRA
tion, Mr. Ohl says that one is astounded to
read the cost the nation has been forced to pas
tor these extras. Ho explains: "First, an ap
propriation of $475,445 was slipped into the sun
dry civil service bill in June, 1902, to cover tho
cost of this so-called 'restoration.' Instead of
calling on the army of architects which the gov
ernment employs for the construction of its pub
lic buildings throughout the country, and which
numbers in its ranks some of the leading archi
tects in the United States, $G5,000 was paid to a
New York firm, the head of which had the good
fortune to be a personal friend of the then sec
retary of war, Mr. Root, to furnish the plans for
what proved to be the most flagrant piece of van
dalism which any president has ever had tho
nerve to commit upon one of the treasured tradi
tions of this country. But this sum was not
enough, and from time to time the general ap
propriation for the 'restoration' was increased,
until it aggregated $650,000. Nor does this in
clude tho $G5,000 appropriated for the president's
horses, nor the $90,000 which congress only sev
eral days ago was asked to appropriate to build
new stables."
TT HAS BEEN SAID BY THIS SAME CORRE
1 spondont that in the White house there is a
gilded piano costing $15,000; a rug which was
made in India at the president's request and
which is said to be the largest rug in the world;
a number of chairs scattered carelessly about that
cost $400 each; of costly cut glass there is an
extravagant abundance; yards and yards of the
most expensive carpets have been bought. In the
places where the famous paintings of Lincoln,
Washington, Jefferson and other famous Ameri
cans, onco hung, there now are seen stuffed heads
of a grizzly bear, two antelopes, two bisons and
several other animals. Pictures of the resident
and of General Leonard Wood fill up other niches
formerly occupied by the paintings of really great
men.
it at
THE PRESIDENT HAS ALSO ASKED CON
gress to appropriate $140,000 to cover the
cost of servants, flowers, and other luxuries. Mr.
Ohl says that at a recent musicale at the White
house 2,800 electric lights were used in the Il
lumination, and he adds: "This is nearly one
third as many as was used in the illumination of
Chicago along the line of march on State street,
from Harrison to Lake, when President McKinlev
5 th f,est f t?e Windy City, on October 9,
Si i ?i la, thl? ajHurtonment of simplicity con
fined to the furnishings of 1he White house. There
dutv at Z whlfo TG amy 0lIicer' assISned to
fluty at the White house, could easily attend to
ehSPSin8?p11? f l society functions? and
he had the title of superintendent ot public build-
ngs and grounds. But now, in addition to .this
? S a ma30r domo' Mar McCawiey wK
word in matters of etiquette is law Asski w
him are nine officers of the army, nlVy dnd ma
rine corps, who must alwavs appear in full 5
form when they go to the White house and ih
ZlV nUmbei t' U te al
this and a great deal more that is causing n
Borvauve republican, to ask: 'What SSt? com!
IT JC
FIGURES SHOWING THE PROGRESS OP
RooscvgU Ti,n t ? have been lnstructed for
Virginia 8, West Virgima V J 2 0hI 2,
erritory conventions of the'relhi i?' State ani
bo held at the following places on Z Wil1
dates: Alabama, Birmingham m thJ '"wing
jas, Little Rock, kST n5TA 10; Arkau
16; Georgia, Atlanta! March 2 Hftni?Vg' Ma'el1
OH, April 28; Iowa, MiT
Wichita, March 9; Louisiana, New Orleans u
3; Maine, Augusta, April 4; Michigan, Grand W
ids, May 18; Minnesota, Minneapolis, March m
Mississippi, Jackson, March 23; Missouri kLJ'
City, March 22; Montana, Helena, April' 12- n?
hraska, Lincoln, March 22; New Mexico khZ
Creek, April 13; New York, New York city Zru
12; North Carolina, Greenshoro, May 18 Okla
homa, Guthrie, April 7; Oregon, Portland Anrii
14; Pennsylvania, Harrioburg, April 6; Tonnes
see, Nashville, April 7; Texas, Dallas, March 22
Vermont, Burlington, April 20; Washington Ta
coma, May 11; West Virginia. Charleston
April 14. - '
CHARLES J. BONAPARTE AND CLINTON R
Woodruff, who were appointed to investi
gate charges made against the Dawes commission
on tn? rounu of alleged mismanagement in Ind
ian Territory affairs, have submitted a report in
which mey condemn the conduct of President
Bixbey and Commissioners Wright and Needles
of that body. Referring to this report, the
BrooKiyn iLagle says: "The report does not, so
Suv as we know, accuse these officials of dishon
esty, bat it states that their connection with land
companies is calculated to bring them under sus
picion. I hat these members of the commission
are stiil interested in land deals . has not been
denied, lhe report of the investigating commit
tee recommends that no man concerned in tho
admiiussrattCE of Indian affairs shall be per
mitted to retain his association with any cor
poration doing business in Indian territory. This
.s a sensible suggestion and it is to be hoped
that -ne iiderseinent given to it by Secretary
Hitchcock will be properly effective. As to the
difference of opinion between Mr. Hitchcock and
Messrs. Bonaparte and Woodruff regarding the
abolition of the Dawes commission we are in
clined to think that the commission could well
bo dispensed with."
WHAT HAS FOLLOWED THE COAIJ
strike? is the question dealt with by Mr.
Guy Warfield in an article in The World's Work.
Mr. Warfield shows that there was a deficit of
twenty-five million tons of coal on account of tho
strike and he estimates the loss in wages at twenty-five
million dollars. He says that the highest
possible estimate of the increase of wages under
the award made by the coal strike condition is 18
per cent. The wage cost of mining is placed at
$1.18 per ton, the total cost at $2.18; the average
selling price at tidewater has gone from ?3.G0 to
$4.90. Mr. Warfield adds: "At ?4.90 per ton, with
the cost of production ?2.18, the operators' profits
today may be estimated at ?2.72. At $3.60 per
ton, with tho cost of production at ?2, their prof
its before the strike were about $1.60 per ton, or
about $1.12 less than .now. Since the settlement
of the strike the coal companies have produced
more than 70,000,000 tons of coal, which have been '
distributed in the market for something in ex
cess of $75,000,000 more than would have been re
ceived by the operators at the prices prevailing be
fore the strike."
pOMMENTING UPON MR. WARFIELD'S
y, showing, the Chicago Record-Herald says
tnat the consumers have, been penalized in two
Z?lS' - T,hey have not only been forced to pay tho
cost of the strike, with an added tribute of prof
its to the anthracite operators and coal roads,
out nave been compelled also to pay thes enhanced
price for soft coal when they took to that as an
alternative, if the conditions could be explained
w or1d1Inary Py of supply and demand a pro
test would of course be meaningless, but it is
oDvouBthat the natural law is being interfered
7, For present purposes the supply may bo
nnlU P. illimItahle, and if there were a healthy
? Aon UlG sellin Prico would come much
!?!' i?e cost of Production. Moreover, al
though the anthracite operators have stated that
inero was a check upon them in the output of tho
Dituminous mines, it appears that it works only
in ui s way: A difference of price is decided upon
?r?y according to the strength of the desire
fliLi10 ard coaU Wuen t is fixed -at a high
wiJlf , , coal advances as far as it can go
nil i g its marftet to the more desirable
phJ , But !t ,s a notorious fact that anthra
SriPi os aro determined for the season with
nS i Jncreases by arbitrary flat. The people
Shii g, always with an insolent monopoly,
dnHn m ,been Sowing more and more odious
J""? ,the last four or five years, and which has
iwv?, n!s 8eason to outrageous exactions. Ifi
however, there can be no doubt on this point,
So iii c.an there be any doubt that its fuel is
agltatl increasiug tno flames of the anti-trust
-i -w
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