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SEPTEMBER '1, 1005
the Commoner.
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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
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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. ' ,
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