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About The commoner. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-1923 | View Entire Issue (Sept. 21, 1906)
iyn 1 The Commoner. SEPTEMBER 21, 190 9 - -e" "? "s in- any manner whatever, or for tlie purpose of acting as a common carrier of any article of commerce or trade, whereby said article of com merce or trade Bhall or is to be shipped or trans ported from one state or territory of the United States to another state or territory, or whero the place of manufacture or production shall bo in a differentiate or territory from that in which the association or corporation shall have been incorporated or formed, and whenever any cor poration or association of individuals as above described shall have filed with the foreign and internal commerce commission "a complete and detailed statement of its resources and liabilities, and shall have complied in every particular with every provision of section three of this act, and which shalUnot have issued stocks or bonds or other evidences of indebtedness against other than existing values of actual money invested or property or property rights in existence at a fair valuation, the said corporation or association of individuals shall bo granted by the foreign and internal commerce commission a federal license empowering them to engage in foreign or inter state commerce in any article or commodity of trade, or as a common carrier of such article or commodity of trade, between the several states and territories of the United States, or between the United States and foreign nations; otherwise not; And provided further, that no authority to engage in interstate or foreign commerce shall be granted to any corporation or association of individuals or combinations of corporations or to any corporation engaged as a common carrier of articles of commerce or trade between the several states and territories of the United States which monopolizes or attempts to monopolize or control the manufacture, production, sale, or transportation in any manner whatever of art icles or commodities of trade which are the sub ject or subjects of production, manufacture, sale, or transportation by any corporation, combination of corporations, or associations of individuals, ' empowered under this act to transact foreign or interstate commerce, or of commerce between the states and territories." AC. SHALLENBERGER, democratic and pop- ulist nominee for governor in Nebraska opened the campaign at Norfolk and delivered a speech which attracted general attention and cdmmendatlon. Mr. Shallenberger took his stand squarely upon the admirable platform adopted by the democratic state convention. He declared particularly in favor of the abolition of the -free pass, for government ownership of railroads, for the direct primary and .for the two cent railroad fare. He said he would go before the people of Nebraska "standing upon the most explicit, direct and definite platform, declaring absolutely in the interest of the people at large and in every plank declaring firm adherence to every precept and thought contained therein." THEY ARE STILL having trouble over the "youngest soldier" question. Not long ago the New York World insisted that it had discov ered the "youngest soldier" of the civil war, say ing' that he had entered the army at the age of ten years, eleven months and nine, days, but the Fort. Williams (Maine) District-Sentinel insists that it has a hero who possesses a higher claim. The Sentinel says that in May, 1905, it published .an account of John McDonald who was exactly ten years old the day he enlisted at Alcatraz Island, Cal., in 1862. The Sentinel says: "The age of this young soldier was authenticated by war department records. The history of this young soldier we published was given to us by an officer high in rank and many years' military experience and who personally knew the young soldier in 1862. We rather think we have the scoop in thiB rather interesting news item. We acknowledge we are young and rather small, but when we see a chance for a scoop we generally get there with both feet and we make no mistake about it either." STUDENTS OF MUNICIPAL government have taken great interest in the affairs of the city of Cleveland, Ohio, ever Bince Tom L. John son was chosen mayor. A lively interest is just nov? manifested on account of Mayor Johnson's efforts to solve the street railway problem. The mayor contributes for the Toledo (Ohio) News Bee an interesting article in which he says that the situation in Cleveland is only an acute and well defined example of the situation which Is being felt In many of tho cities of the country. The mayor adds: "It seems to mo that tho fact that stands out most prominently is that a now era has opened in the popular conception of tho relationships between the public-service corpora tions on the one hand and the public, upon which they depend for their franchiso grants and to whom they render Borvico, on tho other. This fact is tho most important one, in that it has forced in Cleveland an admission on tho part of the street railway company that It is to tho public in general that public service corporations must in the future look for further privileges. Two recent events in Cleveland emphasize this now relationship. Tho first is that tho present rail road company, in Beeking a now grant of privi lege in the streets, has voluntarily appealed to a vote of tho people, agreeing to submit to tho people the terms upon which the grant is to bo made. The second is the announcement of a broad legal doctrine by the courts. The railway company has in times past opposed the granting of franchises to a low fare company; first by seek ing political control and later by a mass of legis lation, all being directed to technicalities and taking advantage of every quirk In tho laws. As fast as the low fare franchises were found to bo technically faulty tho council of Cleveland has given new low fare grants curing the defects. The last ditch of the company seeking to maintain a monopoly of the streets came in the announce ment of the doctrine that tho existing railroad had a property right in the streets, and that the grant of a franchise carried with it certain Implied ad vantages running beyond the term of the grant; also that this property right amounted to an im plication of the exclusive right in the streets." IN THE SAME ARTICLE Mayor Johnson says: "A learned judge, in a most carefully prepared decision, has announced the principle that there can be no t property rights in the streets except the rights ' to be found in a strictly construed franchise grant, and that the use and benefit of the, streets by the public and for the public, whether in the form of supervision of existing roads or the authorization of competing ones, must be at all times paramount to any implied privileges or advantages of a former grantee. Thus we see In Cleveland the situation reduced to its lowest terms namely, that the existing public Bervice corporation is merely a tenant upon the property of the municipality, and that any further favors or grants of whatever nature must be secured by an appeal to the public and tho people owning the streets. Naturally, at the end of a five year struggle the people of Cleveland are perhaps more highly educated in the matter of franchise values and character of public ser vice than are any other people in the country. The two great events that have grown up around the granting of special privileges to great public service corporations have been political activity, resulting In the debauching of public service, and overcapitalization, resulting in unfair and exces sive rates and meagre extension of service. Take the right to grant franchises worth millions from the council, or rather put it back in the first instance to the people themselves that they may direct the council to do their will, and political graft and corruption must be materially lessened. It may be possible to corrupt a small body of lawmakers, but it is hardly possible to corrupt the public at large. Grant franchises on condi tion that the books of public service corporations must be open at all times to public scrutiny, and campaign contributions and lobby funds can not be hidden. Have the books open and the public informed as to the cost of construction, mainten ance and operation, and the public will know whether or not tho rates which It pays for ser vices are fair. As far as I have seen, I believe that the public of Cleveland are most jealous In guarding the rights of invested capital, but I believe that they can no longer be deceived by watered stocks and bonds. I believe that out of this struggle will come a better public service, cleaner politics, lower cost to the public, and that this will be accomplished without working tho least hardship to legitimate invested capital. THE CENSUS BUREAU has issued a special report relating to the deaf and dumb per sons in the United States. According to a re view in the Denver News, this report shows 64, 763 blind persons, of whom 35,645 are entirely bjind and 28,118 partly bo, and of the total about 57.2 per cent are men. Almost 65 per cent of the blind became so after the age of 20 years. Blindness therefore, seems to be a defect of adult1 lifo and It is interesting to note that about one fourth of tho persons blind from childhood or about one-tenth of tho total number of blind, woro born so. Bllndnefls is also found to bo more common among negroes and foreign-born whites. In about flvo per cont of tho cases re ported tho paronts of the blind woro related afc cousins, and of these blind one-fourth wero boru without sight, whllo among those whoso parents wero not cousins only one-slxtecnth wero born bo. The chief causes of blindness aro given as cataract, injuries, accidents, operations, old age, catarrh, measles and scrofula. Unknown causes woro, however, responsible for moro than any of those named. Of tho blind at least ten years old One-fifth woro engaged in gainful occupations. The census report gives tho data for 1900, and a report mculo today would show very different re turns. In tho short space of flvo years thero has been increased interest in handicrafts for tho blind nnd in teaching of the sightless, and new avenues havo been opened for their industry. New methods have been introduced in tho schools and old methods havo become inspired with fresh life. Another item that In time will tell In tho reports is the Investigation of the sight of school children and tho aid that Is given thoso with de fective eyes. ACCORDING TO THIS census bulletin tho total number of deaf was 89,287, or one In every 850 of the population. Thero woro 37,426 totally deaf and 51,861 partly deaf. Among tho deaf 2,772 were also blind and 24,369 dumb. Deafness is moro common In the northern than in tho southern part of the country. The largest ratio of al.l is found In the New England states. Of tho total number of deaf 46,915, or 52.5 per cent, were men, and 42,372, or 47.5 per cent, women. Of these 55,501 woro able to speak well, 9,417 were able to speak imperfectly and 24,369 could not speak at all. Practically all thoso who speak Imperfectly or not at all lost their hearing in childhood. Of the total 14,474 reported that thoy could read tho lips and 13,986 that they could not, and 60,827 did not report at all. Tho power of lip reading seemed td be confined to tho totally deaf As the ordinary means of communication 67.6 per cent of the deaf used speoch, 14.8 per cent used sign language finger spelling and writ ing, but not speech; 7.2 per cent UBOd ttlgn lang uago only, 4.7 per cent used sign language, finger spelling, speech and writing, and 5.7 per cent used other combinations. RECENTLY HENRY CLEWS, the New York financier, Issued this bulletin: "Corn crop this year, 2,700,000,000 bushels. Wheat crop, .722, 000,000 bushels. Cotton crop, 11,000,000 bales. United States steel corporation's net profit for the last quarter, $40,000,000. A man died today in Anconla, 111., who weighed 460 pounds, and was seventy-three inches around the waist. This should not be surprising, because he was born in the corn belt country. A dark lady in Texas recently gave birth to six little blackies. What a country! What a people!" REFERRING TO THE Clews bulletin, Collier's Weekly says: "One person in every eight in the United States is underfed, underclothed and underhoused. The average Income of the average family Is not far from $600 a year. An unskilled laborer earns less than $460 a year in the north and less than $300 in the south. One per cent of the families of the country possess more wealth than the remaining 99 per ' cent. Over 1,700,000 children under fifteen years of age are tolling in fields, factories, mines and work shops. In the year 1900 there were 6,468, 964 workers in gainful occupations unemployed for from one to three months. Every year 60,000 persons are killed by accidents Incident to their work and 1,600,000 are seriously Injured. Two thirds of the population of New York are forced to live in tenements, in which there are 350,000 dark interior rooms. Last week a woman was found starving in Madison square. A thousand ladies of New York are devoting themselves to the raising of pet dogs instead of children. What a country! What a people!" To which tho Denver News adds: 'It is a sad commentary that those who are chiefly concerned with, and who boast of the bigness, might and wealth of the country seldom give any thought to the other side of the question herewith presented. Wero it otherwise there would be less reason for Mr. Clews and others of his ilk deprecating the agita tion which they assert disturbs business." n - May yftii A ,& - , EZIS2