ir ' SEPTEMBER '1, 1005 the Commoner. 7 ?ZSlw&ilt0mi'n?ft-'; Wfi'f ff " tho men and: women, who, through sickness or old age, have been rendered incompetent and de pendent upon public charity. Ho adds: "Poverty is an inevitable condition of civilization. Wero poverty done away with, charity would be unnec essary. A certain percentage of all taxation is devoted to the relief of the poor, disabled and in sane. Under the present system, or lack of sys tem, each city, county or state must spend large sums of money for charitable purposes. In Europe the subject of state control of charities, including a state old age pension system, has been so satisfactory that the advocates of the system are enthusiastic in desiring to secure tho same advantages in America.' A SUMMARY of state insurance in Europe is presented by the News writer. He states: "In Austria the provisions relating to workingmen's insurance include sickness and accident pensions; besides these forms, provident funds for old age pensions are provided for the miners. In Bel gium systems of sickness, accident and old age insurance are in operation. In Denmark insurance is provided against sickness, accident and old age, and there is a system of old age pensions in Iceland.- In England workingmen's .insurance in cludes provisions in the case of sickness, acci dent and old age. In Finland, a province of Rus sia, there are similar provisions. In France sick ness, accident and old age insurance is provided for; also compulsory insurance against old age for miners, compulsory superannuation insurance for seamen, and, besides, there are the annuity funds of the Friendly societies. In Germany In surance is provided against sickness, accident and old age. In Holland a law was passed Juno 2, 1901, making provision for compulsory insurance of work people against accidents in connection with their work. In Hungary ihere is provision for sickness insurance, and accident and invalidity insurance for agricultural laborers, in Italy pro vision is made for sickness, accident and old age Insurance. In Norway sickness and accident in surance systems are in operation. In Roumania, by the mining law of April 20, 1895, old style, a system of compulsory insurance against sickness, accident, invalidity and old age was inaugurated for work people employed in mines' and quarries, and in 'establishments working7 in connection with the- mining and quarrying industries." IN THIS same summary it is said: "In Russia no general scheme or provision for ohl age in surance exists. After a certain number of years' service, pensions are granted to persons employed in the government mining establishments by as sociations existing in connection with such estab lishments under' a provision made in 1861. The regulations for administering these associations were revised In 1881 and are still in force, though stated to be ofa prdvisional character. In Spain the law regula'tes the sum to be paid in respect to industrial accidents. Payments must be made by the employe for temporary disablement, for permanent disablement and in case of death. In Sweden sickness insurance is voluntary as in Norway. There was no provision for accident or old age and invalidity insurance at the time the report of the bureau was published, although the subject was under discussion, and a special commission had reported favorably upon the proposition to make such insurance compulsory under governmental patronage. Many sociologists and philosophers have ventured opinions upon the possibility of eliminating the condition of abso lute want. Setting aside the visionary dreams ot the socialists, whose theories would result only In the dead leyel of universal poverty and unpro ductiveness, the condition of want in the midst of wealth demands serious attention." DR. H. P. WARREN, state dairy and food com missioner for Pennsylvania, charges that the meit sold in that state by the beef trust is doc tored in various ways, and he announces that he will bring criminal prosecution against the trust's representatives in Pennsylvania. The Harrisburg correspondent for the Jamestown, N. Y., Journal, referring to Doctor Warren's declaration, says: "Politicians of state and national prominence have sought to hold up these prosecutions and have gone to the length of making threats tbat political vengeance will be visited upon the com missioner and his agents if the cases shall be pressed. Dr. Wan-en has given instructions that no attention is to be paid to these threats, and that the prosecutipns are to be pushed vigorously and to the limit pf the commission resources. It has been decided that the first prosecutions will be made here. The chemists of the dairy and food bureau report that sufficient poisonous color la found in a pound of dosed meat to dye a .white sheet to a brilliant crimson. The formaldehydo found by them is exactly the saino as tho fluid used in embalming human corpses. It is a virulent poison. The various kinds of sulphites they have discovered arc stomach irritants which produce dyspepsia and push invalids to their, graves. Tho other preservatives found by tho commission's experts are all dangerous to health." ACCORDING to the Kansas City Journal, a re publican paper, the trusts have devised a new means of handicapping any fight which Mr. Roose velt may be inclined to make against criminal combinations of capital. In the language of tho Journal "the trusts are stealing Roosevelt's best men." That newspaper says: "As soon as tho chief executive finds an official who h.as the ability and courage to get the necessary information con cerning the trusts, and to press for redress in the courts, or wherever else the fight is to bo made, the captains of industry do not make the mis take of opposing the new men. Instead, they con vert him from a foe Into a friend better still, they gain him for a hireling. Thus the govern ment service loses a good man, tho trusts gain one, and the battle is postponed and made more difficult." THE JOURNAL names former Attorney General Knox, who through trust influence was made United States senator; James M. Beck, who as as sistant attorney general, displayed considerable ability In the prosecution of trusts and was given a place as special counsel for an insurance com pany with a salary of $25,000 a year; William A. Day, who, as assistant attorney general, figured conspicuously in the Northern Securities case and the beef trust cases, and was given a $30,000 a year position with the Equitable; Robert B. Arm strong, assistant secretary of the treasury, who, in the language of the Kansas City Journal "fought the tobacco trust to a standstill on the question of its importation" and was made president of the Casualty Company of America. THE trans-continental railroads mean to fight the canal project to the bitter end, and so Engineer Wallace suddenly received an offer of a munificent salary. The Journal says: "Wallace could not resist the temptation, and the work of building the canal must be undertaken by a less able man." The Journal says that Paul Morton knew altogether too much about rebates, and so he was given a position, in the Equitable. The Journal asks: "Where will President Roosevelt find men to stand by him In the battle for the people when the trusts are so eagerly baiting his assistants with enormous salaries?" The Journal has probably overlooked Mr. Bristow, who, as fourth assistant postmaster general, and later as a special commissioner to investigate corporation imposition at Panama, performed great service to the people. We are told that Mr. Bristow will re tire. It has doubtless occurred to many people as strange that at this time when faithful men ap ' pear tobe so greatly in demand Mr. Bristow is not retained in the public service. REFERRING; to Dean Shepardson's defense of Rockefeller and charge that Faneull hall was built with tainted money, the Springfield (Mass.) Republican" makes a palpable hit when it says: "Faneuil hall built with money, we will say, ac quired in the slave trade was afterward used as a center of agitation for the abolition of slavery. Can the Chicago university men, who are defend ing the Rockefeller millions, assure us that that institution will,- with equal or greater effective ness, be used in forwarding a movement on behalf of such public policies in relation to industry as will forever after make it impossible for any one to acquire a great fortune in tho ways charged to the Rockefeller fortune? Dean Shepardson talks on the assumption that the Standard oil millions are tainted. Will he pledge himself that the in stitution built up by this money will work to pre vent the accumulation of further tainted millions? The great evil in gifts of "tainted money" is that they tend to carry the taint over the recipients to be winked at or apologized for or openly approved and sanctified. That was.not the case with Peter Faneuil's money." AN INTERESTING resume of the annual report of the interstate commerce commission givr ing the railroad statistics for the year 1904 is made by the Springfield (Mass.) Republican. This shows that there were acme enu oi mat ai 297,078 miles of railroad In tho United Stares, ot which 212,213 wore single track, 15,824 second track, 1,407 third track, 1,407 fourth track, and the remainder yard track and sidings. Tho In cioase in singlo trackage for tho year was 5,927 miles, exceeding tho increase Xtfr any year provl oua slnco 1800. The number of railway corpora tions included in tho report wart 2,104. In the course of tho year railway companies owning 5,600 miles of line wero reorganized, merged, consoli dated, etc. Tho length of miloage operated by re ceivers on June 30, 1904, was 1,323 miles. Tho number of roads In tho hands of receivers waa 28, and at the closo of the previous year 27. On June 30, 1904, there wero in the service of tho railways, 40,743 locomotives, the increaso being 2,872. The total number of cars of all classes, exclusive of those owned by private companies, was 1,798,561, an Increaso of 45,172 during tho year. Of these, 39,752 wore In tho passenger service and 1692,194 in tho freight work. Tho remaining cars were employed directly in tho service of the companies.' "O f- i : THE NUMBER of persons on the pay rolls ot tho railroads In the United States as re turned for. Juno 30, 1904, was 1,296,121, or 611 per 100 miles of lino, a decrease for the year of 16, 416, or 28 per 100 miles. The wages and salarleti paid for the year amounted to $817,598,810. Tho par value of the amount of railway capital out standing on Juno 30, 1904, was $13,213,124,679, which represents a capitalization of $64,265 a mile. Of this capital $6,339,899,329 existed aa stock, of which $5,050,529,469 was common and $1,289,309,860 preferred and the remaining part, $6,873,225,350, as funded dobt, which consisted of mortgage bonds, $5,746,898,983; miscellaneous obligations, $723,114,896; income bonds, $229,876, 687, and equipment trust obligations, $173,334, 694. Current liabilities for the year amountod to $881,628,720, or $4,288 per mile of line. Of tho total capital stock outstanding $2,696,472,010, or 42.53 per cent, paid no dividends. The amount of dlvdends declared during tho year was $221;941, 049, being equivalent to 6.09 per cent on dividend paying stock. ', ' s ' - - -. ' J ! , " ... i T OHN D. ROCKEFELLER'S share of the $6 divl I dend recently announced by tho Standard u Oil company, amounts to $2,400,000. A New York correspondent for the Kansas City Star says; "Tho last dividend of Standard Oil was declared in May. It is a matter of cold fact, that since May Mr. Rockefeller has given away very much more than the $2,400,000 ho will receive next month from the Standard Oil company. June 29, last, Mr. Rockefeller gave $1,000,000 to Yale uni versity as a permanent endowment fund. Juno 30, the next day, Mr. Rockefeller gave $10,000,000 to the general education board.' He has made a number of smaller gifts since last May, which aggregate more than $500,000. ' In the last three months Rockefeller has given away at least $11, 500,000, $9,000,000 more than he will receive from Standard Oil. He is also considering a $50,000, 000 gift to the University of Chicago. Of course, Standard Oil Is not Mr. Rockefeller's only wealth producer. He is believed to have at least $250, 000,000 stowed away In other Investments which yield him about $10,000,000 a year. In all Mr. Mr. Rockefeller probably will receive $16,000,000 this year as his share of Standard Oil. If his other investments yield him $10,000,000 his total income will be $26,000,000. Within three months he has given away $11,500,000. . In the preceding five months he gave away about $2,500,000, or a total of $14,000,000 so far in 1005. If he makes the $50,000,000 gift to Chicago, the total will bo $04,0p0,000 at least for the year, or about two and a half times his income. Should this come to pass Mr. Rockefeller, for the first time in his life would be poorer at tho year's end than he was at its beginning." THE NUMBER of passengers reported as car ried by the railways in the year was 715, 419,682, an increase of 20,508,147. The number of tons of freight carried waa 1,309,899,165, which exceeds the tonnage of the previous year by 5,504r 842 tons. The gross earnings were $1,975,174,091, being $74,327,184 greater than for the Pjevloua year. Operating expenses were $1,338,89M', an increase of $81,357,401. The total number oC casualties to persons on the railways was 4,201. of which 10,046 represented the number of per sons killed, and 84,155 the number injured. Of. the persons killed 441 were passengers and the wounded flfUl. r one killed out of every 1.622 267 carried, and one injured out of every 78,523; carried. ' , i 4 , UtJji. igftiWWX&fafc"-