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About The commoner. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-1923 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 1, 1921)
Wf" rt. The Commoner i ' 21, NO. 10 12 xw- f". ,-R 'VTi l- I I IS' ! bright morning there arrived the following cablo from Cecil Rhodes, addressed, rather quaintly, to "The Presidont of the American Senate": "Tho Tariff Bill now before congress includes a proposed tax on diamonds which is almost pro hibitive. Diamonds aro one-half the export of Capo Colony, and therefore such a tax will, if Imposed, materially injure one of its principal 'ldustrica. South Africa is a progressive coun ry, and draws largely from the United States Mr supplies, with an increasing business. Wo rk you, therefore, to foster and not dostroy tho ommorclal relations between us. It was to pro note business relations between the United Jtates and this Colony that wo assisted your World's Fair In Chicago, at great expense to our selves, and we now ask some consideration from you. CECIL RHODES, Premier. Capo Town, iMaroh 8, 1894. "Oh seeing this cablo, I wrote the following letter to Rhddes: ' "My dear Rhodes, Wolcott, of Colorado, has just showed m'6 a cable from you to his. commit too protesting against any duty on diamonds in tho new Tariff Bill now being arranged hero. I boliove you will get your way in this, although your message arrives at a very inopportune mo mont. Whilo a tariff on diamonds is difficult to colloct, and stimulates smuggling, yet feeling hero runs very High' against England and all her methods' of what her critics describe as dwindling her debtors" by currency contraction. Mius a tax.on diamonds, a monopoly product of u Empire, would be very popular with a good any here. VQladstono and Harcourt have truly bedevilled ie, relations between Washington and West inister with their extreme "gold standardism," nd things will be worse before they are better. Mr. G." says that of course we English will ombafc. any legislation which by making use of liver might expand the world's currency, be cause such legislation would raise prlcos gen erally, and thus relievo debtors from the pres ent terrible pinch of collapsing prices. The low er wheat and. cotton 'fall the more of those prod ucts England getB as Interest on her loan to America. SU.ch an argument, is for scientific "Shylockry, difficult to answer in cold blood, and, America1 being the greatest "debtor nation" in the world, and England the greatest "creditor nation," passions have been aroused here which, even if silver; is presently restored to its historic mohey function, will hardly be allayed In our "nje. Whydorl'tf.y6u and tho other Dominion remiors miake ybutf 'voices, heard before worse oihos of It? Why Bit still' and bo victimised, van as Amqrica.;is, by those currency tricks? a senator ,.i ones, ,-oftjtyevaaa, tne real autnor of h(f "McKlnltfjjitatfitf, jjtos just said to me, "Your .'n Rhod'6s?lough t'qlQcnow better than hunt xes with a lb rasa' band." ' Yo'urs sincerely, K ; .!, ' - ' MORETON FREWEN. rho Senate, Washington, March 11, 1894. ''Now had "we known it, but for his 'brass 'mtfd' RlVodea iwasl quite safe,; his diamonds were on nthe .free; Jist, and .the n$w tariff measure, after an wfnterminable lobby period and much abuse of Engandi:was,s the law of the Medes and Porsjansi'- On,q man still lives who belonged to the great house in New-court, . and may re call that a . cable' ' was ' sent that house being heavily -Invested In' 'De Beers to Mr. August Belmont, to learn .whether, the rumoured "pro hibitive tariff-' could be imposed. Mr. Belmont replied that it'wa qUtyeMmpossible, that the Tar iff Bill at that stae admitted, of no amendment, and that ho, had seen Senator Gorman, of Mary land, who was in charge of th,e bill. A few days later city financiers rubbed their eyes. The uigh duty had been agreed overnight! Some day if may add. to the gaiety of nations if I relate "how t bofejl that in defiance of alj precedent tho tar iff bf 189,4 was recalled iri this fashion after it "had passed all its .committee stages in order to ena.lize a British Colony and a single British it6rest."-r:From the.-.Manufacturers' Record,' PRICE A Del ICE DROP, HEAVY RAINS, CUT IOWA , , A'AifJuKifl(;JfiirTS A Des -Moines, Ia.y dispatch, dated Sent. 28. says: mworarmers, will net only half the re turns the 1920 crops brought, it was stated hero Wednesday ,by Charles D. Reed, state cargo ex pert. Besides, the price differences, great dam ago hasjb.qqrx done ,to corn by heavy rains re cently, $e,ed. said. General Wood announces to the Filipinos that ho has arrived to inaugurate a reign of law and' order. .Qopd thing, our newspapers don't circu late much in the. islands or the general micht have difficulty, jn securing the adoption of the Amerioaiwbrand. " ruw Lincoln's Municipal Coal Yard Continued form Page Four up at the mine. These figures answer what he branded as "lio No. 1." , . Now as to quality of coal, Mr. Folsom stated, and other dealers in Lincoln are now stating, that tho municipal lump coal is the same as tho cheap coal from Central Illinois district and that it Is being sold by other dealers in the city at $10.50 a ton. I am selling municipal lump and municipal egg coal at $10.50 per ton delivered, and have stated that it was equal in quality and preparation to any coal mined in Southern Illinois, where Franklin county is located. Our municipal lump at $10.50 delivered is the same . grade of coal that other dealers are advertising at $12.50 per ton. The federU government's chemical analysis of the coal which I am selling in Lincoln as municipal lump shows that it is tho same grade of coal that is known as Frank lin county, Illinois, coal, and is the same coal that is mined in what is known as the Franklin county, Illinois, district, which includes the most of Franklin county, tho east side of Perry coun ty, the east side of Jackson county, the north side of Williamson county, and the northwest part of Saline county. In addition to the chemical-analysis proof that the municipal lump and egg coal is the same coal as is sold for Franklin county coal, I Trill add that it is purchased for the municipal coal yard by me under a guarantee ttiat it is equal - in quality and preparation ta any coal mined in Franklin county or the Franklin county district. As an additional verification Qf the quality of coal being sold at the municipal coal yard, 1 quote from the wholesalers and operators from whom I am purchasing municipal lump and egg coal the following confirmation of my statements as to quality and preparation of Lincoln mu nicipal coal: , September30, 1921. "C. W. Bryan, "City Commissioner City of Lincoln, "Lincoln, Nebraska. "We hereby certify that all the coal our com pany has sold you for shipment to the' Lincoln municipal coal yard has been the very best grade of Southern Illinois coal, equal in both quality and preparation to the best coals produced in Franklin, Williamson, Saline, Perry or Jackson counties, Illinois, which is commonly known and sold as first grade Southern Illinois coal. (Signed) National Supply Company, "S. F. Swift, Vice-president." As a further proof of the quality of munici pal lump and egg coal, a large number of Lin;-; coin people who have already purchased and are using municipal lump coal have purchased their second order and will testify that the municipal lump is just what I have recommended it to be in quality and preparation. As to the price of the delivery of coal, I have been advised by coal haulers that the hauling price per ton paid by the Capital City Coal Com pany, which maintains two coal yards, is $1.00 per ton during this season. I have not had an opportunity to meet with the Teamsters' Union, since they promised me they would set a date for such meeting. I would be glad to meet them any time, and I would also be glad to meet the coal dealers-who are operat ing trucks of their own and delivering coal and charging $1.25 per ton as overhead expense for same. The municipal coal yard had up to the close of business October 5 sold 710 tons of coal The saving thus far to those who have purchased S9aLfn0nUUe mutnIciPal coal yard is upwards of $2,800. The saving to the public as a result of -th,o reduction of tho price of coal of $2 per ton -by the coal dealers of Lincoln on account of tho demand and installation of a municipal coal yard will amount on a year's business at the an proximate amount of domestic coal consumed in Lincoln per year is $120,000. ""ieu Having substantiated the statements made in my official report to the council by proof that would be accepted in any court, and although the attack on my work and on the municipal coal yard project which wa,s established to pro tect the public from the coal profiteers was libelous, both on the part of Mr. Folsom and th Journal, I am willing to let the public determine thestatus in the community of each party to th coal controversy as to truth and veracity. While Mr. Folsom and the Journal are in thn limejight as opponents of the municipal coil yard, I will ask them to tell the public what took place .and to name those present at the meeting -held'f at the Chamber of Commerce rooms while the coal ordinance -was ponding before the clfv council. Such information, may throw some lS on some history that Has been made since that time. I will ask them also to tell the public what took place and who were present at the meeting hold at the Chamber of Commerce rooms when it was decided to reduce the price pf ice, which amounted to a saving of $11,000 on the people's ice bills per month during the hot season I will ask Mr. Folsom what efforts ho han made to shut off tho municipal coal yard's supply of ( coal and. whether such efforts are a part of 'the. coal dealers plans to stifle compoti tion in order to keep up the retail price of coal that President Harding, Attorney-General Daugherty and Secretary Hoover have stated should be reduced. ' : Mr. Folsom before he retires" from the lime light might advise the publlo how much certain coal dealers contributed to the slush fund tbr last spring's election, and he might also with in terest to the public give the name of the coal dealers who solicited the fund and the attorney for tho coal dealers who spent the fund in an effort to defeat my election and the municipal program to reduce the cost of living which I had outlined. My promise to the public last spring was that a municipal coal yard would reduce the price of coal in Lincoln $40,000 per year that a municipal ice" plant "'would reduce the price of ice $35,000 per year, and -that estab lishment of a public market would reduce the price of fruits, vegetables and produce $100,000 per year. The promises on the reduction of the prices oft coal and ice have already been more than made good, and the municipal ownership forces expect to .establish a public market before next spring although it may be ndcessary to re place two votes in thB council before the public market can he carried "into effect. ' ; : v x. CHAS, W. BRYAN. JBEER Oil WINE, EVEN FOR SELF, AGAINST liAW A Washington special to :the Chicago Tribune, dated Sept. iq,. says: The-hopes oLhome brew ers, wine makers, and distillers came down with a dull sickening thud. today. ' ..". . The prohibition unit of rthe treasury depart ment issued ; a lengthy, .detailed statement de claring illegal:, . ;'; ' 1, The manufaotufe fof 'an "intoxicating beer, wine or spirits in'the home, eyen'f or strictly pri vate home consumption. 'r ' '' 2, The manufacture of ahy beer or wine of any alcoholic content without a .permit, which permits are not issued ' to hbme brewers and . win p. makers. - ...-.. ..-;.,' .3, The sale of any hops or other "makings" to a person without a permit, 'which permits are not issued to home brewers Nonintoxlcating fruit juices Is, all :t is legal to make, without -a permit. The statement intended t dispose of reports that permits were' being issued, for home manu facture of wine and beer, said: '-'Nonintoxlcating fruit juice may -be made in the home. Intoxicating wine, ho,mebrew, and distilled spirits may not be made; " V - 'Two -hundred gallons , of ,nonin,toxicating .fruit juice mtay be manufactured "tax free by head of family by registering with collector of internal revenue. '. 1 ' ."This tax exemption? provision hag been the source of confusion. The effect of. this is not to allow the manufacturer of 200. gallons of in toxicating wine free from restricftohs of na tional prohibition .act,. but merely tto allow the manufacture of 200 'gallons of h'onihtoxicating fruit juices free of tax. w ,. "On June 3," 1920, prohibition' mimeograph No. 84 was Issued, authorizing Dersohs to manu facture nonintdxicatihg cider, and other fruit juices exclusively for use in the horife without permit, and providing that such nonintoxlcating cider and fruit juices are not necessarily limited to less than onq-haU o,f X per cent &t alcohol by volume, but must bo intoxicating in fact to toe in violation of the national prohibition act. "Such nonintexicating .fruit juices may be maoe at home from home grown fruit, or from fruit purchased for the purpose, or one may take fruit belonging to hiin to ti commercial mill to uaye the juice expressed therefrom, provided the juice is removed to the home of'"the' owner before it contains as much as one-half of 1 per cent of alcohol by volume, TUndr tlle rvenue act of 1918 fruit juices, other than apple1 cider, containing drie-half of nI cent1 or movQ ot alcohol by .volume are onr ??, Y.i?lQ-a Th Samo act exempts from tax ,500 gallons of wine per annum manufactured ' SSfi: heacLof. a ajn,1y Provided .he registers Si i ??-tc?,Uector of Intomal revenue for the district in the manner indicated by treasury de- ' i . mm ,,,.i,-4 m i