Nebraska Newspapers

    The Morning Bee
M O R N I N G—E V E N I N G—S U N D A Y
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EUROPE AND THE FARMERS.
An investigation of world markets for American
farm products was ordered by the late congress.
Secretary of Commerce Hoover has named a no
table lilt of delegate! comprising farm leaders,
bankers and business experts as a committee to
study economic conditions abroad qjid the effect on
agricultural prices. With the erratic conditions in
Europe it is impossible to predict the future, but it
is essential to secure an accurate understanding of
present conditions and what the result of various pos
sible changes might be.
Those who have always favored American entry
into the League of Nations now advance the argu
ment that low prices of farm products are due to
the upset condition of Europe. The market for
farm products would be much larger, these claim,
if the United States would pitch into the interna
tional situation and clean it up.
These advocates of the league never advance any
figures to prove their case. In fact, they have no
statistics at all. All the real evidence points to the
contrary. Secretary of Agriculture Wallace, who
has made a study of the question, inclines to the
opinion that as Europe recovers it will become
more nearly self-sustaining, and will buy less food
from America.
“It ought to be perfectly clear that the low
prices for farm products were not caused by lack
of export demand,” Secretary Wallace recently de
clared. He added figures showing that farm ex
ports during the last three years have been greater
lhan before the war, and greater even than during
the war.
The latest report on exports shows that the total
value of all meats exported in the eleven months
ended May 31 was $132,935,744, a gain over the
same eleven months a year previous of $13,600,000.
The poundage of beef exported was smaller than
a year ago, but there were tremendous gains in the
exports of all hog meats. The various gains were:
Fresh pork, 16,600,000 pounds; hams and shoulders,
48.000. 000 pounds; bacon, 53,000,000; pickled pork,
7.000. 000; lard, 141,000,000 pounds. This showing
should dispose of the claim that lack of a foreign
market has caused the low price of hogs.
It is easy enough to adopt a theory and ex
plain everything on its basis. The theory that join
ing the League of Nations would help the American
farmer, or that the key to prosperity lies overseas
is attractive to those who already are biased in
favor of internationalism, but neither can be demon
strated by any real evidence.
Much good may be done by the committee in
vestigating the foreign market outlook. If they
find that there is prospect of a diminishing Euro
pean demand, then the fanners must prepare them
selves. And if they should discover a way in which
to increase sales or hold them at their present high
figure, that also will be of help to the producers,
who are not interested in theories, but must know
the facts before another year’s crop is planted.
OKLAHOMA MOBS.
The sovereign state of Oklahoma is just now be
fore the world in a light that none will envy, yet
which few will fully understand. Several populous
communities, and one or two entire counties are un
der martial law, by command of the governor, who
finds that the local authorities have not been able
to enforce the laws of the state and maintain order.
Part of this may be ascribed to the activities of
groups who have taken the law into their own hands.
Encouraged by the existence of an organization that
does Its business behind masks, individuals have made
free to wreak vengeance, either private or public, on
persons whose behavior did not meet approval. The
governor has the report of 2,500 “whipping parties”
held in the state in a single year. In addition to
i his many other forms of lawlessness and disorder
have been noted. One of the scandals of a few
months ago was a bout at fisticuffs between the
^then governor and the prosecuting attorney of one
of the populous counties, originating over charges
made in connection with an insolvent bank.
We do not feel like reading the people of Okla
homa moral lecture, for they are capable of running
their own affairs in their own way, and will have to
bear the effects of their own doings. What may be
pointed out is that the situation down there just now
is a good illustration of what happens when self
restraint gives way before self interest, and men
begin to choose which of the laws they will obsprve
and which they will ignore. Oklahoma will quiet
down and become as orderly and as decently behaved
as any of the sisterhood, but just now the proceedings
down there present a strange light on democracy.
BLOWING THE HORN OF PLENTY.
“You’d better beat it, bo. Somebody went for a
cop!” This warning was whispered to a man a* the
entrance to the subway trains in New York one day
last week. What misdoing was he guilty of? The
most heinous known to the calendar in Gotham. He
was trying to give himself a good time by helping
others.
Standing by the gate, he was pouring nickels out
of hjs hat into the cash register as fast as passengers
hurried through the turnstile. “I like it," he said,
but his excuse was not enough. He was immediately
voted crazy, and was hustled away from his stand
for examination.
New York is not alone in this attitude toward
minor philanthropy. If a man make a donation to
a charity, found a hospital, endow a college, or any
thing of that sort, he gets great public acclaim. Let
him start to paying fares of passengers on a street
car, settling the checks at a cheap restaurant, or any
thing like that, and at once he becomes an object of
suspicion. A few yoars ago out at Seattle a Siwash
Indian came into possession of several thousand dol
lars, and procured a sack of silver coins, which he
carried up into an unfinished skyscraper. There the
police found him, enjoying himself to the limit, cast
ing quarters and halves down for the white men lo
scramble for on the sidewalk. He realized it would
not be long until the whites had his money anyhow,
and so thought he would have a little fun with it
while it lasted. The police stopped him.
The moral to this Is, if any, when you want, to
give your money away do it quietly, if it be a small
turn only.
TO A VANQUISHED FOE.
All honor to those wounded American veterans
who stood at Minneapolis and drank a toast to the
dead son of Ernestine Schumann-Heink. He served
in the German navy, and went down to an unknown,
unmarked grave with a U-boat, Wrong? Yes, frcm
our point of view, but right from his own. He fought
for his fatherland, for the glory of the empire, and
he died as millions of others died in the struggle be
tween two ideas.
Death hallows all whom it touches, and Americans
have no quarrel with the foes who have fallen, for
giving them even as we forgive the living, once the
test of battle has decided the issue. Four of Schu
mann-Heink’s sons marched under Old Glory; two of
them served under the German flag, and her mother
heart could not divide between them. Of her fealty
to the land of her adoption there is no question. She
was loyal and is loyal to the United States, but she
loved that boy who sleeps his last, long, unbroken
slumber at the bottom of the sea.
Without approving his judgment, there is no
question of his motive. He fought as honest men
have always fought, for that which he believed to
be r.ght. Vanquished foemen, living or dead, are
entitled to respect for their valor, and the true soldier
does not grudge to accord to the men he met in
battle the meed of praise due them for their steadfast
courage and endurance. Our boys who met the Ger
mans know if they were fighting men, and none will
testify to this more readily than the disabled veterans
who drank that toast to the dead German “gob.”
Only in such a spirit can the world be made a
safe place for humanity, as well as for democracy,
and we may confidently trust the men who did the
fighting to carry on now and in the days to come
the great work of building that temple of brotherhood
in which all the world will some day be united, saying
with Bayard Taylor, to those who fell:
"Sleep, soldier, still in honored rest
Thy truth and valor wearing.
The bravest are the tenderest.
The loving are the daring.”
PERIL OF BEING A BABY.
Americans may be jolted a little to hear from
the secretary of labor, Hon. James J. Davis, that
in nine other countries babies have a better chance
of growing up than in the United States. As a
people we are devoted to our families, to our homes,
and to our children above all things. Committed to
such belief, we must pause when told that not less
than 250,000 babies under the age of 1 year die
annually in the United States;
Surely there is a reason for this, and just as
surely there should be a remedy. It is not because
we are obtuse or hardened. Whoever stood beside
a little casket, where the loved one of a fond father
and mother lay pale and quiet in the unending sleep,
and did not feel a clutch at the heart that no philoso
phy could lessen? It is not enough to say the little
one has escaped the trials and vicissitudes of life. It
also has missed the joys and pleasures of life. Be
fore the cradle stands the big world, holding out
to that little one the chance for life, with all its
possibilities of service, its triumphs as well as its
failures, its rewards as important as its trials, and
from that cradle flows the strength of mind and
heart that is to carry the world along to greater
progress.
Our babies deserve something better than is
now given them. More pains should be taken to see
that when a little mite of humanity comes into the
world, borne on the love of its parents and all those
who are near to them, that it does not have to face
such a struggle for existence as makes possible the
terrible figures presented by the mortality records.
A quarter of a million babies is too high a toll for
an enlightened people to pay for the privilege of
neglecting some duty.
Senator Wheeler, democrat, of Montana is back
ing Magnus Johnson, farmer-labor candidate in
Minnesota. Not to help the democratic party, he ex
plains, but to beat a republican if possible. That is
true democratic strategy always.
A Nebraska woman has proved herself worthy
n high place in the postal sendee by driving through
a flooded district with delayed mail. It takes more
than a little mud and water to hold back a Nebraska
woman.
-1
A democratic senator says neither the world
court nor prohibition will be an issue next year.
Well, there’s always the tariff to fall back on when
other issues fail.
“May the best man win,” is the customary senti
ment, but little wailing will be heard if Gibbons
should happen to knock Dempsey cold.
Hailstones 14 inches in circumference are re
ported from Falls City. If Nebraska has anything
it must be the largest.
—
June hung up a nice little percipitation record,
and everything growing out of doors shows the ef
fects of it.
The equalization board is through for the year.
It will be missed but not mourned by many.
Mr. Harding invaded Montana quite a distance,
yet managed to give Shelby r wide berth.
British labor declines to do away with royalty.
They must have their show pieces.
Safe and sane on the Fourth means sound and
well on the 6th.
President Harding picked a good place to spend
Sunday.
Nebraska’s far-famed climate is doing itself
proud.
Omaha's streets still lack drinking fountains.
Homespun Verse
—By Omaha's Own Poet—
Robert Worthington Davie
MEMOIRS OF ADAIR.
There's a modest little cottage In the valley of Adah.
There's an apple tree betwixt it and the sun.
And an Ivy vine Is clinging lo the porch; an empty
chair
Seems to murmur Ihst its useful days ate done.
There's a melancholy curtain like s shadow folded
down
O'er the visions of a dreamer far away.
The old lane Is left to lovers who niranrtei from the
town,
Seeking quiet at the . lose of busy day.
There a a grove beside a pasture, and s stream Is
winding through
Clover fields that (ill with essences the sir.
Snug within a fenced enclosure stands a hay stark
sweet and new.
And a mile acroie the valley liee Adair,
Fourth of July at Shelby
Some Sharp Remarks by Editors Regaiding the
Championship Bout. '
Whatever the sporting pages may
say, editorially the newspapers are
taking a fling at the spectacle of the
championship fight. The amount of
money involved has even attracted the
attention of publications devoted to
business topics. Richard Spillane, the
noted financial writer, deals thus with
the event:
"it looked for a day or two as if
the Fourth *>t July were going to be
a total loss this yegr. Some ardent
persons out in Montana had planned
to celebrate Independence day with a
prize fight between tiie Honorable
D^mpRey, champion of the world, and
Tom (ribbons of St. Paul, Minn. The
Honorable Dempsey was willing, pro
vided he got $300,00(7. of which $100,
000 was to be paid upon signing ar
ticles. $100,000 on June 15 and $100,
000 on entering the ring. He got
$100,000 when he Rigned. but despite
stories of wonderful sules of tickets
east and west, north and south. It de
veloped that the promoters were shy
of cash to meet the second payment.
Patriotic citizens came nobly to the
front, raised enough to meet the sec
ond installment of the Dempsey hon
orarium and Montana was saved from
the everlasting disgrace of having de
ceived the Honorable Dempsey and
the sport loving American people.
"The rise of thfe Honorable Demp
sey has been remarkably rapid. Ten
years ago he was what you might
term a traveling gentleman. He
wasn't particularly fond of work. so.
having no money, he beat his way
around the country. Some persons
called him a bum and a loafer.
Dempsey's personal biographer dwells
at length on Dempsey's liobo days.
"Having great strength and an In
clination to "scrap,” what more nat
ural than that Dempsey should earn
a few dollars occasionally by swap
ping punches with some one else for
the entertainment of some patrons of
pugilism” in the hands of a good
trainer he developed into a really
great fighter, and look where he is
now! For one hours work or less
than one hour, on July 4, he Is to
get as much as the president of the
L’nlted States receives in four years
and much more than the average man
earns in a lifetime.
une thing you probably do not ap
preciate. but which you should get
straight, so that you may understand
the people of today. Is that the real
heroes of the world war are those
who stayed in America and kept ' e
home Area burning. "Yes slr-ee—them
was the heroes."
"The proof is before you every day.
Do the people concern themst >h
about the thousands or tens of thou
sands of young men who "went
across." lost leg or arm. were gassed,
or shell shocked or driven Insane?
Who gives a thought to this pitiful
army of heart broken, spirit broken,
disillusioned young men—boys a few
years ago—now in hospitals, sanitar
iums, asylums, objects of charity and.
If reports be true, scant and slipshod
chai ity ?
“Why bother about these human
wrecks while we have the Honorable
Dempsey with us? Didn't he do war
work too? Certainly he did. There's
a picture to prove it. He went to Hog
island one day and was photographed
In overalls Just like a common laborer.
Think of it! The Honorable Dempsey
in the garb of a lalwrer! I'nfortunate
ly. however, the Honorable Dempsey
neglected to remove his patent leather
shoes w'hen he donned the overalls.
"Some persons advised against us
ing that photograph widely. Possibly
they feared r«»tent leather shoes might
become a fad ns silk shirts did later
.n fashionable labor circles,
"Despite the Honorable Dempsey's
eminence some crotchety persons
don't like him. They are mean
enough to declare tlisr. as a stacker,
he was worse than the notorious Berg
doll for whom it could be urged that
he was of German blood and sym
pathles
"There always are killjoys like Mist.
The Honorable Dempsey holds them
in supreme contempt. "Them guys."
he says truly, "don't know the war Is
over "
lie is right. They don't
"Why. that is just what we Amer
icans want to do. We are ' fed up''
on war stuff and we resent anything
in the way, shape or form of a re
minder. We want the home run hit
ters, the slap stick comedians and the
"champeens" like the Honorable
Dempsey They .are the Idols of
young if not middle aged America
They are the heroes who "Make this
a better world to live in "
If you don't believe it look at the
gate receipts. Therein Is the proof.”
A w estern point of ' iew Is expressed
by the editor of the Kemmerer (Wyo.)
Republican. This Is the way the
editor expresses his disgust:
"Isn't the American public about
"fed up" on Shelby (Mont.) publicity?
We belic\e If the fight was a month
later, with the silly publicity continu
ing and given opportunity to sink In
the crowd attending would be about
the size of a corporal's guard. livery
morning for the past two months The
Republican mail has contained a let
ter from the publicity manager at
Shelby, covering every act of the
Mighty Dempsey and the Gibbering
Gibbons, even to what they ate for
breakfast. On top of this we have
the sensations that break from day
today, concerning Dempsey getting a
' mek over the ej'e from his sparring
partner, and hts demand for his sec
ond Instalment of IKK).000. Think of
this great patriot, who fights on the
anniversary of the nation's birth get
ting over *300.000 for this battle!
Dempsey Is entitled to pity over his
loo zealous sparring partner dousing
his scarred glim, and It was right that
be was ostracised from the camp.
Something really desperate must be
done to protect our boxing champions
from the rude proletariat
I he 8t. Paul DiRpntch »eea a blow
h' boxing hr ,i Rporl. allying
"If. after *210.000 in Imr.l caah bn*
been paid to him. the nvorh h.ua man
itger of Jack Dempaoy i efueea to
permit the conteat at Shelbv. he may
find himaelf Juatlfled by the tenna <,f
ilia contract. and utterly condenmed
by public opinion at ibe amne time.
I' may have more far reaching ef
f.'.'ia upon the future of prof, h .onnl
The Spice o f Life
llllnka after Invltlna III. frleni .link* to
•I nner, waa telling lilm nh..ut ih. i. in.rk
memory of hi» lim. ..... m„m,,
h* wl11 remember m. *'
I Jink*.
^ i M#m#mbsr you* Why, certainly hs
An hour la»#r thsy sntcrsd *fh* hnuie
snd. sftwr .link* had *r#rt#d \fr# fMlnk*
'li* *ll#»l ftobhv ox#r to him
"And do >ou rtm#mb#r in#. »nv lift!#
m* n *
*'i>ui»#. T do You'r# t|i# man that
ps brought hom# Inst y#ar. and mini* m*
#<» wild a bom |t tbw* *ht< didn't •|>#*h i«i
l*s for A w»»#kMobil* H#gl*' *t
An American. Baling >il tb# stupendous
• rul larallk* mu**#* of ths Hpttttlsh calhf
| drill of Toledo "Mid t*» hi* guide Mow
■ i"nf did It t*it« to tun up fl*4i* *ff*Ir* *
|'ft'# hundr*d y*ftik **nor.' t b# gultla
I miwrrftl lb# Amerban ute a ton
t m»i»t nous i * tic b Flv* miiulrsd v#Hte*
Whv, o*#r in Ootl * own rnuntrs tv* could
build * strut lui# Ilk# Ibst *nd hav# it
fffll to pl#« ## on our b*nd*. *11 tnsld# of
twn or thr#s Vf»r« -Ths t hil»t:an
i Lxsnftltsl (fit. Louis).
boxing than Air. Kearns can conceive.
"The champion has already received
a little more than two-thirds of the
amount due him. Another $100,000 is
due. It is obvious that the ‘•gale’’
will not justify tills. Mr. Kearns in
sists upon it, nevertheless. Most peo
ple will think that $210,000 Is entirely
too much to pay a champion boxer,
let alone $310,000. They will consider
that a sport conducted on such a plane
is not sport at all. If Kearns demands
his pound of flesh, we trust that the
public will see to it that he never gets
another chance to exact It."
The New York World raises the
doubt, after all the money grabbing, if
many will attend the light, saying:
"If Shelby had known how much
trouble a prize fight could be even be
fore it began, it is doubtful if the town
would have ordered the Dempsey-Gib
bons combat. There is not a leading
citizen who hasn't lost time, sleep and
weigh!, and sunk more money than
he could afford in the project. Day
after day some new worry assails
every promoter and investor.
"Nothing remains but to gather a
crowd. It is this last essential which
keeps Shelby awake these hot nights.
What If nobody should come? What
if Uie 1’nited States doesn't care for
lights since the war—or doesn't think
this one worth traveling so far to see?
Shelby could almost be sorry the thing
ever got started.
The New York Sun and Globe seem
ingly resents the ambitions of Mon
tana, expressing the opinion that New
York is the proper place for such ex
hibitions. In so doing, however, it
is not blind to the imposition on the
public of the tactics of the promoters.
Us opioion follows:
"However, Shelby's expensive les
son may have its good effect. It has
emphasized some interesting aspects
of modern prize-fighting. This ac
tivity, once the sport of village greens,
is shown by the event to be more and
more an affair for the city In its least
commendable phases. It is a drug
for jaded clerks and brokera, profes
sional sports, mere Bpenders. How
much these arc willing to pay for
their pleasure is indicated by the
Dempsey price. Carson City and
Goldfield asked for smaller crowds.
Prize-fighting has grown beyond them.
It Is now only for cities which justify
fex Rickard's $5,000,000 palace of
sport. And tills is a comment on tile
gullibility of the public in such places.
Perhaps Shelby may bring home the
lesson where it is most needed. The
little western town has tried to buy
Its gold brick and may not bo able to
do so. Other and larger towns show
to little better advantage in being able
to pay successfully for the folly be
yond the reach of Shelby.”
WastingPublicMoney
From the Kansas City Star
I* the resignation of an assistant
secretary of agriculture of so much
Importance that the department is jus
tified in mailing to every newspaper
in the country a copy of the letter of
resignation, a copy of the letter of
acceptance, and a third sheet announc
ing the incident? Such nonessential
work as this Is one reason why all the
departments at Washington require
many more employes than are neces
sary for their essential labors In car
rying on the government.
The same envelope which contained
these enclosures carried a five page
statement that the secretary of agri
culture ts going to Alaska, and some
commonplace information about the
territory, taken largely from the
census reports.
It is not fair to the secretary of
agriculture to assume that he person
ally prepares such unnecessary com
munications that load up the mails,
under his name.
The Department of Agriculture
probably is no worse than some of the
other departments in this method of
squandering the public funds. The-c
multitudinous nonessentluls account
for millions of dollars of the taxpay
ers' money wasted by the government
They keep the list of goiemment em
ployes larger than it should he and
they load the postal department with
nonrevenue producing mall, not to
mention the burden on newspapers
and other business Institutions who
' must open innumerable envelopes con
taining news not worth printing or
Information not worth reading, or
else throw the entire mass of such
mail Into the waste basket unopened,
as. doubtless, ts done In many business
offices.
The government at Washington
needs some men with sufficient cour
age to suppress the tons on tons of
useless stuff that now cumbers the
malls.
Daily Prayer
faithful la Ha that railed you —*
Tli«?a. ft.14.
O God. our hope Is In Thee. We lift
our ryes to the hills whenre rnmeth
our help. We are in the v alley « her*
there Is darkness; but looking tip vs
can see the light of Thy glory on tlis
hill tops above us. and the vision dis
pels our fears and fills to twih hops
and courage. Kill our hearts with a
longing for Thee, greater than the
longing of those who wait for tlis
morning, and grant us that know!
edge of Thyself, through Jesus Christ
our Lord, that Thy presence ntay be
constantly real to us
(iranl us strength for our tasks, and
may we do all of our work as in Thy
sight and for Thy gloty Make tbs
way of duty and service very plain to
ns. Quicken us in fallli and hope and
lots and strengthen us In all our
worthy purposes and desires, and
make ua a blessing to others.
Keep us from all mistakes or blun
tiers in word or act that might bring
re proa i It upon Thy Name and Thy
cause. Make us quick to see every
opportunity for service, and faithful
to Improve It. Cleanse us from all
"in. perfect us in all goodness, give
its victory In time of temptation, and
make our lives in be beautiful with
tlte Iteatity .if licit All of which met
cles and blessings we ask In the Name
and for the sake of Jeaus Christ, our
Lord Amen
WIGWAM IVIHT KING, tip,,
Hi t.nuli Mo
Always N«jbra*kan* hav* been on
l the alert for that coal mine that ao
far ha* eluded them Am long ago
mm 18 73 the subject was a. live topic,
and the legislature of that year en.
gaged in debate or a bill to eubaidiie
exploration*. Mr Ro*«water# on
February *. 1*73. discussed the mat
ter in the editorial which follow*:
HOW TO DEVELOPE OCR COAL.
"There are now several propositions
before our legislature looking to the
development of our coal interests.
There is a proposition to offer a bonus
to the owners of any coal mine or
mines, who shall first succeed in de
veloping a vein or veins of coal of a
specified thickness. Then there is a
proposition to appropriate several
thousand dollars for an accurate
geological survey of the state, with a
view of choosing the ground where
experiments in boring for coal are
likely to succeed. Professor Aughey
of the State university, in his recent
lecture on geology, very properly
stated that little could be expected
from a mere surface survey of this
state, and nothing very thorough
could be achieved without a general
upheaval of the whole upper crust
that underlies our soil. The face of
this state has already been pretty
thoroughly surveyed, and so far we
know presents nothing definite to war
rant any positive assertions about ex
tensive coal fields.
"Mr. Thomas Wardell of this city,
a gentleman who Is thoroughly fami
liar with coal mining in this country,
expresses the opinion that nothing de
finite has been ascertained about our
coal measures or their existence. He
regards the artesian bore at Lincoln
as unreliable, so far as Its measure
ments of the coal veins through which
it is claimed to have passed is con
cerned. Mr. Wardell thinks it use
less to niter any special inducements
to mining experiments until we know
positively whether coal is paying
quantities exists in Nebraska and
how deep wc shall have to dig down
for it. At any rate be deems it of the
highest importance for the sta'c that
a series of an urate experimental bor
ings in various parts of the state
should be undertaken to obtain the
desired information. Machinery which
w ill bore a hole from two and one-half
to three inches in diameter to a d< | th
of SThl to I.JftO feet, inn tie procured
at reasonable prices, and if the legis
lature would designate a dozen points
where these experiments are to lie
conducted, we should, within a few
months at the outset, know what Ne
braska can do in supplying her own
coal.
"Mr. Wardell informs us that ho
would willingly superintend these rx.
periments without charging a cent for I
his personal services. Whenever it
shall tie practically demonstrated that
we have good veins of coa], at reason
able depths, there will be no difficulty
to find capitalists willing to engage 1
in mining without any special bonuses. '
According to Mr. Wardell, the ex- I
penses attending a dozen borings I
would probably not exceed IJii.OOO to I
J30.f»00. Such an outlay, wc eppre- j
hend. would amply remunerate tax-|
payers of Nebraska, and would meet
with their general approval.”
“The People’s
Voice”
editorial* from rtidtn of Tkt Moral*! Boo
RtlScn of Iko Mornlno Boo trt Inxttn! fo
uu tan column froolx lor uxprtuUu oa
motion of publlo ItUratf.
The Railroad Problem.
Republic, Kah —To the Editor of
The Omaha Bee: Before we can sug
gest. a remedy we must face the facta
as to the railroad situation.
Statistics recently published showr
that the retail prices of certain meats
has risen In 10 years from 12 to 73
per cent, while the price paid to cat
tle raisers has declined 17 per cent.
Part of this retail price of these cattle
entered into the shipment of them by
railroads. ,
Part of the high maintenance cost
of the railroads Is due no doubt to
the high prices paid during the war
which the railroads are endeavoring
to get back. The high rates are also
due to the mismanagement of some of
them, watered stock and high cost of
labor. Therefore, in order to show a
profit, the railroads are obliged to in
crease the rates.
It is being proposed that all the
railroads be consolidated into a smaJl
number of systems. The whole to be
under a rigorous government super
vision. That some of the weaker
roads be consolidated with the
stronger. Here is the rub. Who shall
be the judge as to which roads shail
be consolidated and who are the men
that can reconcile all these conflicting
Interests involved in such an enormous
reorganization?
Would the stockholders of these va
rious railroads, who also have their
political leanings, be willing to leave
it to a partisan administration? Surely
not.
The trouble wlt.i some of these
roads is that the are controlled by in
dividuals who dominate them. They
fix their own and favored ones salar
ies, regardless w hether they are com
petent to earn it.
Congress should'pass a law , "that no
corporation manager should receive a
salary, but a percentage of the cor
poration’s gross earnings,•' similar to
a traveling salesman s remuneration.
He would soon get out and hustle to
put its business on a dividend paying
basis. There should also be a law
compelling all corporations to have
a standing inquisitorial committee
made up of 12 stockholders, similar
to a grand jury, whose duties it shall
tie to investigate the busi 'ss methods
of the company, and publish Its find
ings for the benefit of its stock holders.
The public at large would take more
interest then In investing their money
in such securities.
Another feasible plan would be to
have federal control of trunk line rail
roads, w ith spurs running Into each
sfate. This involves federal owner*
ship, and without a check on their
management is ,s now proposed would
he a farce. Even with a railroad com
mlasion it would not be the best policy
to run it that way without a check.
But. if each federal judicial district
had a atanding grand jury, whose sole
duties would be to only Investigate,
the affairs of each railroad in their;
jur sdiction and publish its findings
Abe Martin
our idee of an item that hain’t o’
general interest is when some dude
goes t’ court an’ wins his ring back.
A reg’lar wife is or.p that don't look
fer her husband 'till she sees him
cornin’.
Copyright.
from time to time, the public would
not have any fear of extravagance or
mismanagement of its railroads.
Congress should even go further
then that and extend the grand jury
system by having two grand juries in
each district: one devoting V* entire
attention to investigating the man
agement of the various federal de
partments. It is worth the expense.
The trouble today is we do not know
how the money collected from various
sources is applied for the running of
our government.
MARTIN BERNHARDT.
The Hypocrite.
Brayton, la.—To the Editor of The
Omaha Bee: “No matter where you
chance to be su< h humbugs you are
aure to gee."— The Hypocrite.'’
I know a sanctimonious jay wh®^
claims he treads the narrow way,
who's always praying, night and day,
and says his sins are washed away.
All Sabbath meetings he attends, and
there unto the Lord he lends a jitney,
or sometimes, maybe, a quarter, so
some folks ran see how liberal he ran
be while waiting for eternity. His
neighbor* claim his talk is bunk: they
t'hun him as they would a skunk;
(hey would not trust him in a trade,
.’or he lets taxes go unpaid. He'll side
track from the narrow grade If he «
not careful. I'm afnud. We read of
such in Holy Writ. Beware of such a
hypocrite. C*. B. S.
" hat are the People Saying?
Of course. Colonel House was right
when he said that the United Bute*
tbe g
ing of world affairs. But it will not to
ieft to a small group to determine
what the proper place is—Albany
Journal.
Money to Loan on
Omaha Real Estate
Conservative
Savings <s loan association
/ ^ /y <3 r» n o y
1 he Omaha Morning Bee or T he Evening
Bee mailed to you when on your vacation.
Phone AT lantic 1000, Circulation Department.
“ 'Pioneers ”
Jniitom rocersT^
Three Generations
in One Business
Milton Roger? & Sons Com
pany began business in
Omaha in 1855, founded by
Milton Rogers. Today, sixty
eight years later, his son.
Herbert Rogers, is head of
the firm and two sons, of the
Third Generation, are grow
ing up to responsible posi
„ tions.
This Firm is almost as old as
the City of Omaha itself.
Capital and Surplus
TboTiiUhnJhOan
been a customer of the
OMAHA NATIONAL BANK,
which is itself 57 years old.
The Omaha National Bank
bantam at 17th St.