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About The Omaha morning bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 1922-1927 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 22, 1923)
--<«. The Morning Bee mornin g—e v e n I n g—s unday ) THE BEE PUBLISHING CO.. Publisher. MEMBER OF THE ASSOCIATED PRESS The Associated Press, of which The Bee is a member, la exclusively entitled to the use for republication of all newe dispatch** credited to it or not otherwise credited in thie Peper. and also the local news published herein. All rixhts of republicatinn of our special dirpatehes are alBo reserved. ' BEE TELEPHONES Private Branch Exchange. Ask for the Department AT lantic or Person Wanted. For Night Calls After 10 P. M.; Editorial Department. AT-lantic ^021 or AT. 1042. 1UW OFFICES Main Offices—17th and Frmam Council Bluffs—15 Scott St. S. Side. N. W. Cor. 24th and N. New York—World Bldg. Detroit—Ford Bldg. Chicago-—Tribune Bldg. Kansas City—Bryant Bldg. St. Louie—Syndl. Trust Bldg. Los Angeles—Higgins Bldg. San Francieco—Hollrook Bldg. Atlanta—Atlanta Trust Bldg. OCEAN MUST COME TO THE FARMS. President Coolidge gave such an unequivocal en dorsement to the general campaign for improved waterways in the middle west that even a totally deaf congress might have been convinced by the gesture. The gathering of governors at Chicago, where the St. Lawrence project was up for further consideration, got much comfort out of the words of the president. The whole country is interested in this, as well as in the improvement of the rivers. The president’s recommendation to congress deals specifically with “the Improvement of the waterways from the Great Lakes toward the Gulf of Mexico; and the develop ment of the great power and navigation project of the Kt. Lawrence river, for Which efforts are now being made to secure the necessary treaty with Canada. These projects can not all be undertaken at once, hut all should have the immediate con sideration of congress and ho adopted as fast as plans can he matured and the necessary funds be come available. This Is not incompatible with economy, for their nature does not require so much a public expenditure as a capital Investment, which „ will he reproductive, as evidenced by the marked increase In revenue from the Panama canal. Upon these projects depend much future Industrial and agricultural progress.” Right here is a good place to call attention of those who are so earnest in their support of these great national undertakings to the fact that they have need to be on the job. Panama canal managers are approaching the public with a proposal for a second isthmian canal, to take care of the traffic which the existing ditch will not be able to handle, if the increase is as proportionally great as that of the Suez canal. Within 26 years the maximum of the present canal will be reached, and within 30 years thereafter it will be urgently necessary to have a second canal to connect the Atlantic and Pacific in order to care for the commerce. It is well, though, to keep in mind the point the president has made, that the work does not entail an expenditure, but a capital investment, from which the nation will draw returns, both direct and indirect. Capt. A. W. Hinds, marine superintendent of the Panama canal, estimates that from 1930 to 1950 the net receipts will average $35,000,000 a year, or $700,000,000 for the term, more than enough to construct the new cana]. Demand for water carriage of commerce is grow ing steadily in the United States, and the program for river improvement should not be overshadowed by the possible need of another isthmian canal. Needs of the great producing region must get im mediate consideration. When a proper system has been worked out and put into operation, the people will not be hard to win over to the idea of extending a sAvice that is so useful to all. UP TO THE CITY COUNCIL. That mass meeting at the city hall to discuss speeders might have gone a little further. A frank, untrimmed declaration in favor of a license law to govern motorists would have more nearly met pop ular approval. To leave the decision at the dis cretion of the city council without recommendation one way or the other will not produce the effect desired. Some of those who went to the mass meeting did so in hope that an unequivocal stand would be taken against the speeder. The pretense that action by the city will have a deterrent effect on a state-wide movement is absurd. On the contrary, no better ar gument for state-wide action could be produced than that Omaha has found it necessary to take the step proposed. It is high time that someone stand up publicly and slay this absurd notion that whatever Omaha wants will be opposed by the state at large. Omaha is the metropolis of Nebraska; it does not assume to be the standard for all the state, but its citizens are citizens of Nebraska, thoroughly alive to the fact that what is good for the state is good for the city. If Omaha folks favor licensing of auto drivers, and a great many of them do, such attitude will not deter other folks in Nebraska from giving their support. The purpose of the meeting was turned aside, and its outcome is not what reasonably might have been expected. We urge that the city council be governed by the spirit rather than the letter of the resolution, and that the city.be given such an ordi nance as will minimize the danger that now exists because anybody who can climb into the driver’s seat Is permitted to operate a car. HOW MUCH IS ENOUCH? Money enough—is there any such thing? Does any man succeed in amassing all the wealth he covets? Can you recall the old story of the ephemerae in the Paris garden, who boasted he ac cumulated all the honey on one leaf, and would re tire, but who winked out his little life before he had finished talking? Then there is the parable of the man who said, “Now I will take mine ease,” and that night his soul was required of him. John Borg, a Wall street broker, with $2,000,000 safely laid away, tells the world that he has enough, and will now give the young men a chance. He start ed life as a $4-a-week office boy, and stuck just long enough to get a start as a speculator and then as a broker. Now he intends to rest while others gather in the dough. What does $2,000,000 mean? Look at it as wages. If Mr. Borg had been steadily employed at the rate of $10 a week, whi^h is average pay, it would have taken him 1,000 years to have handled the sum he now retires on, and if he had saved but hklf his weekly pay, ho would have been stubbing ulong 2,000 years to reach his goal. Or, had he deposited $1,000 in the bunk on the first Christmas day, and mude a similar deposit each succeeding Christmas day, he would not yet have put $2,000,000 in the bank. To be sure, interest would have helped him out long ago, but just as a matter of straight saving, he would still be toiling away to attain the mark he fixes ns enough. * Mr. Borg’s $5,000,000 mind murks him as a modest man, when put alongside the Rockefellers, the Fords or Ihc Stinneses, but he can console him self with the thought that it ought to provide for his wants and keep the wolf from the door. Also, if he associates only with those who have an equal amount, he will not be crowded. A CHRISTMAS LESSON. In the hurry and hustle of the everyday we some times fear that the finer things of the old days have disappeared from our midst, and we long for the joys and pleasures of days gone by. And there are those who will tell you that even Christmas has lost its old-time thrill. The thrill gone from Christmas? There was never a more shallow falsehood told in the World than that, and it requires only a small amount of discernment to prove the fallacy. One need look no further than the shop wifidows, in city or village, at Christmas time for the proof. The decorator’s art is revealed as beautifully at any other season and the crowd scarcely pauses to comment upon it, but let there be a gleam of holly or sparkle of tinsel in the decoration and the most cynical scorner of the spirit of today will stop to admire it. Perhaps it is the thought of that fnost attractive of all Christmas displays, the toy shop window, that gives us the feeling of something lacking, for we no longer gaze breathlessly at the tree with its gay garlands and glittering stars which seems like fairy land to the children who stand spellbound before it. We long for the old-time thrill, and wonder if all the beauty and faith of life belong only to child hood. We go our way with a sigh. And then from a neighboring church the chimes break into one of the grand old carols which have inspired the hearts of countless thousands. We pause in our meditation to listen. “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing,’’ the tur moil of our souls is hushed as by the touch of a kindly hand; “Silent Night, Holy Night,” the cynicism slips from us and in its place is a sense of peace, and at last when the chimes burst into the triumphant notes of “Joy to the World,” we feel the old-time thrill of Christmas in our heart. Not the childhood thrill for a longed-for toy, but the deeper thrill-that comes to those who have learned in the school of life that the beautiful faith of their childhood is not lost, but only the symbols which rep resent it are changed. LIVING LONGER IN NEBRASKA. Although the census shows Nebraska to have a lower death rate than other states, yet we cannot insure longevity to those who would take up their residence here. A good deal depends upon the state of mind. Doubtless if one brought habits of high pressure here he would not live any longer than in New York city or' Memphis. No particular virtue can be claim ed for the altitude or the climate, but only for the comparative simplicity of middle western life. Those southern folk who came into the state in the days preceding the civil war brought an influ ence for taking life easily. Added to this was the sturdy stock of north Europe, with Bohemians from the south for a seasoning of good spirits and simple pleasures. Here is a state which knows how to enjoy itself without verging on riot and live ?rom day to day without mental or physical panic. Ten o’clock is the bedtime hour—and we’re not ashamed who knowi it. , If Mr. Ford is responsible for the lack of snow in these parts at this particular season of the year, he need not expect the moral support of our boys and girls during the coming campaign. The fact that Charles Gates Dawes is going to listen in on the reparations committee’s proceed ings promises that monotony will give three shrieka and flee for the tall timber. While the next wheat crop is showing up green, Chairman Green might well make a move that will surely make possible a small margin of profit on the crop harvested a few months ago. Senator Borah declares that he is not a candidate for president on any ticket. The senator is to be numbered among those who are able to see through the hole in a grindstone. The fact that Florida strawberries are selling for $2.50 a quart in these parts seems to have been overlooked by the men in charge of Nebraska s blue sky department. Senator La Follette seems to have recovered from the'illness just in time to make a dramatic ap pearance upon the scene. But of course it was not premeditated. If you can contribute to The Bee’s Free Shoe Fund, and haven't, you need expect no sympathy from us if your ebrns and bunions keep you awake o’ nights. There may be no Santa Claus for Rev. Dr. Baltz ly, but there is for a whole lot of us, which is our great gain to Rev. Dr. Baltzly’s loss. Those Columbia wheelers who spend their salaries in Omaha have nothing on a lot of us. We do too, and then some. While singing loudly of “Peace on Earth, to Men Good Will,” some of our charches might well practice what-they sing. Mike Kovakervitch, who paid $250 to get a wife, will discover later that it isn’t the initial cost, but the upkeep. The hip pocket boys on New Year’s eve would better look out lest “Dad” Rohrer get them on the hip. Doubtless the throne of Greece will look too slippery for even an oil magnate like Harry Sinclair. George of Athens, ere we part, tell us what gave you the start.—After Byron, a long ways. Homespun Verse —By Omaha’s Own Poet— Robert Worthington Davie JUST A MAN. tie gets lots of pleasure front rending Ills books: He gets lots of pleasure from watching bis boys. And ho Is a father who Joyously looks Itown where his children are playing with toys. He honors Ills neighbors- ho'n glad when they call; lie's never too busy to ask them to stay; lie lives for the virtues that come to us all. Hut oftentimes some of us turn them away. lie hasn't been blessed with the laurel of Fame. He's striving to master Ills problems, nml goes As one who Is faithfully playing the game, And learning far more than , the fellow who knows. TIo's only s man—and the kind whom we meet As often we travel the changeable way. His eye Is sincere, and his smile Is complete. And all that he sponsors an Angel could say • -THE PEOPLE’S VOICE” idltorial from readers ot The Morning Bee. Readers ot The Morning Boo are Invited to use this column freely for eapreesloa on matters of nubile Interest. May It Be Soon Forgotten. Beatrice, Neb.—To the Kditor of The Omaha Bee: The Interchurch World movement, which started off with a flourish of trumpets a few years ago. has applied to the New York courts for dissolution. It would have been better for the churches of America had it never been born. It was not its much discussed report on the United States Steel company strike in 1919 that caused Its dissolu tion. It died because it was a sickly plant to start with, the seed having been planted in poor soil by hands un accustomed to the task. While it is perfectly proper and wholly desirable to apply business methods to church management, there being no greater business on earth than the betterment of men and wo men and the saving of (heir immortal souls, it is not seemly to apply the methods of high finance to the spread of the gospel. Instead of solidifying the religious fortes of America, it re sulted in Jealousies that brought sharper divisions. It increased a church overhead already too great and made possible the scandal of high salaried secretaries and clerks. 'Mt was early discovered that the proposal to evangelize the world by rote and conduct religious work along rigid lines would not work out in prac tical life; that to replace sentiment and sympathy with cold facts and financial yardsticks was to hamper Instead of forward. The Indisputable fact 19 that prac tieally all of the church organizations that joined in the interchurch world movement were swept off their feet by the secretaries of their various hoards and societies, who thought they saw in it a plan to relieve them of ail financial worries. The great body of church supporters, however. In a very brief time discovered that instead of having their burdens made lighter they were being given added burdens to bear without any com pensating advantages in the way of greater results. Sharp divisions arose, and the report of the committee inves tigating the steel strike gave the final blow. That report practically exon erated the steel company, and the big business men responsible for the or ganization in the first place lost their enthusiasm. W'ithout their generous contributions the dream of raising $1,320,000,000 for missionary, educa tional and other purposea was rudely broken. Bess than $200,000,000 van raised, and Boon spent, and then came the collapse. When the application was made for final dissolution the other day the or ganization had $3,700 In Its treasury as against claims of $37,000. Born in the minds of men who thought that the spread of Christianity depended upon money Instead of upon self-sac riflce, fostered by men who seemingly forgot that the light of Christian civ ilization was spread by devoted men who went forth without script or staff, and promoted by salaried secre taries who saw In It permancy of po sition, the Interchurch World move ment was doomed from the beginning. The sooner it is forgotten the better for the religious world. J. C. H. Ravenna Forever. Ravenna. Neb.—To the Editor of The Omaha Bee: On your editorial page last Sunday appeared an article written by Ida Smith Hutton, Ravenna, Neb., describing a town called "Gadtown.” In order that the public will not think "Gadtown" and the city of Ravenna one and the same, I beg to submit the following corrections: "Gadtown" may have Its library .used by politicians and scandal mong ers. Ravenna also has its library, lacked by the Carnegie library fund. It stands today one of the finest buildings in the city of Ravenna. Here may be found the young and the old. the large and the small, and the rich and the poor, ail seeking the knowledge that is stored away In the hundreds of books on the shelves The building else is a foundation for the bronze tablet bearing the names of all those who served In the world war from Ravenna and vicinity. To w hat better uses could we place our library, tr»y I ask? "Gadtown” may have Its Grand avenue lined with automobiles, but one should see Ravenna's Applan wax on Saturday: the automobiles stand side by side on both sides of the street as far as one can see, and not only that but the side streets are also lined with cars. Ravenna Is exceed ingly proud of Its rural trade and that of the surrounding towns. If a farmer wishes to go to town with his family after his day's work is dons'-and enjoy the pleasures of a picture show, that Is his privilege: If he wishes to frequent an Ice cream parlor or listen to a radio concert that too Is his privilege; if he wishes to do his shopping after the show that Is a privilege that the business houses of Ravenna are more than willing to accord him. "Gadtown" may have Its hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of dollars of pavement, but the city of Ravenna spent a trifle over a half a million dollars on pavement last year, and there has been no complaint reg istered over paying the assessments by the property owners, neither do the courts show anyone going bank rupt on account of trying to meet the assessments. It Is too had that the children of "Gadtown" are forced to walk up and down the streets munching pop corn. Anyone while In Ravenna should visit our public schools and see why the students of Ravenna schools need not parade up and down the streets in search of enjoyment, "How do you do?" Turn up your collars, boys, the air Is a hit chilly. Ravenna Is very democratic and a cheerful "Hello, James," or "HeUo, Daily Prayer j With my aplrlt within me I aeek Thra aarly.— la* J«: *. Our Father In Heaven, wo call unto Thee hern use we have called before and Thou dldat hear ua. Come unto ua, laird, when all la dark, ami when trouble weighs ua down 1,1ft ua up again. that we may pralao Thee and amlle In our heart For the lahora of thla day, give ua free grace; for the hard road, fb« Iron ahoes of good resolution; for Ihe hour that mala ua down, rtilm na and lift us up again. Make us gentle, Lord, with our hived ones. May we never give way to harsh words or tnijuat thoughts, laird Jesus, listen to our prayer as we confess our sins before Thy Holy Cross. May we meet the Man of Sor rows now while we bend before Thee, so shall our alna fade away, and our heai la rejoice with a now Joy. May we he resigned to Thy will, no matter what we must yield, (hither thla lit tle family about Thyaelf as doth tho bird when Ihe storm fulls. Cover ua with Thy love, and protect ua lu Ihe hollow of Thy hand. O laud, give ua Ilia power to pray might, for we pray In Thy might. At last, (initio Shepherd of onr home folks, gather ua all to Thyaelf in tlie dear Home land, when tho morning breaks and the shadows lleo away. And tilts wo ask In Jesus' nans’ Amen. V. it WUUI.HTI1N, I). t>„ Philadelphia, Pa. i • I Mary," In one of the finest greetings heard. Having lived in Ravenna for the last five years, and now owning a fine home here, and earning my daily bread within its limits, educating my children in its public schools and my self attending its lodges and churches. [ see no reason why I or anyone else should knock the town and yldnlty that is our means of existence. I like Ravenna; if I didn't, I wouldn't stay..neither would I knock my home town and stay. A noted sage once said, “A town Is what we make it." If "Gadtown" Is not what it should be and if its peo ple are wicked and sly or if they ate a lot of "dull driven mortals," then who Is to blame—surely not the peo ple of Kearney or Lincoln or Omaha. “Gadtown" Is small, very srmll, I have been unable to lociite It on the map of Nebraska; perhaps It is not in this splendid state of ours. Will some scihool student who Is not forced to walk the streets munching popcorn, assist me in locating this little town? I would very much like to visit the town where its people hate each other, right royally, behind their backs. Boost your city, boost your friend, boost the lodge that you at tend: boost the street on wllch you dwell, boost the goods that you do sell. Boost the people round about you. They can get along without you, but success will quicker find them if they know that you're behind them. Boost for every forward irjovement. Boost for every new improvement. Boost the man for whom you labor, boost the strange^, and your neighbor. (,’eaBe to be a chronic knocker, Cease to be a progress blorker. If you’d make your city better, boost it to the final letter. Again may I beg of the readers that they do not confuse "Gadtown" and the city of Ravenna, which we spell R-A-VE N-N A. JAS. BURTT. Tear tier's Thoughts on Evolution. Albion. Neb —To the Editor of The Omaha Bee; Just a few words along the line of evolution. Remember, I am not trying to defend the Bible. It needa no defense, but will remain tlrm and aecure long ages after Its assailants are forgotten. But I would nay a word to those who have no time —or think they have not—to study and read for therraelves, against the folly of listening to the babbling and old wives' tales of those who would lead them from the right way. As one example of the work of those who would take the Bible from the world, let us look at the work of Voltaire. He succeeded In taking the Book and Prlstlanlty out of France, and what followed was what might have been expected—the French revo lution, the reign of terror—and dur ing that time of horror La Harpe, the pupil on whom hfe depended to carry on his teaching, was cast into prison, w'here he had time to read the Bible and he was converted. The scriptures tell us that "a thou sands years are as a day” to the Lord, so whether the days He men tions in the time of creation were a thousand years long as we count time, or only our days of 24 hours, does not matter, for He who made the "laws of nature" Is, of course, above, or master of the thing He made. Science tells us that "matter as twitter cannot constitute nor begin of itself to be.” Forms of life have come Into being, served their day and become extinct, but there Is nothing to show that they turned to other ani mals. Scattered over the valleys of the Missouri and over the great salt marshes of America the fossils of the mammoth are to be found- They are extlnst here. Here, too. may be found the hones of the bison; they are nearly gone. "Who would not smile at the wise man of the future who might say history was false; there were no cows in existence when America was discovered. that the pachyderms turned Into bison and the bison Into cows. In the Silurian system Ander son tells us we are "carried back to the beginning of life upon the globe." Here w<- And the corals In the begin ning piling up submarine reefs Jigtt as they are doing today. Among the first. If not the first forms of animal life. Is the trlloblte. F'orms of this are still with us, as wonderful now as In the beginning, with hts eyes formed of 4M spherical lenses. The pine tree, with Its cones. Is found among the early vegetation, and be hold, the pine tree still bears cones, not gooseberries nor ooooanuts. Hod breathed into man the breath of life He gave life to other creaturea, just life; but into the man's nostrils He breathed the breath of life, a part of Himself, and man became—what? A living creature? No! A living soul It Is this soul that lifts him above and gives him dominion over the other thingw of earth. Most of us will sgreo with Plcero: "A wonder then It must be. that there Should be any man found so stupid and forsaken of reason as to persuade himself that this most beautiful and adorned world was or could be pro duced bv the fortuitous concourse of atoms. He that can prevail with him self to believe this 1 do not see whv he may not as well admit that If there were made Innumerable figures of the one and twenty letters. In gold, suppose, or nny other metal, and these well shaken and mixed togeth er and thrown down from some high place to the ground they, when they alighted upon the earth, would l>e so disposed and ranked that a man might see and read In them Ennln'a An nala." ("Wisdom of frentlon," Ray's translation.) We have the caveman today. Did not The Omuha Bee recently tell us of one who went forth with a shot gun, the modern club, to win his mate ’ \\e have the stone, wooden and Iron ages In different parts of the world. The highest civilization and most heasttal barbarism. The godly and ungodly. Human nature today Is as it was In the beginning. ELLEN S. WATSON. A Social Affair. "Young man," snltl <he bo**, “you told ms yesterday afternoon you had an engament with your dentist.” "Yes. sir, I dlil." “Well, 1 saw you at ths football match." "Yes, sir The tall man sitting next to m* was my dentist."—Huston Trnnserlpf. NET AVERAGE CIRCULATION for November, 1923, of THE OMAHA BEE Daily.73,950 Sunday.79,265 Dom not include returns, left % overs, samples or papers spoiled in ni inline and includes no spscial sales or free circulation of any Wind. B. BREWER, Gen. Mgr. V. A. BRIDGE, Cir. Mgr. Subscribed and sworn to hoforo no this 6th Jay of Decembsr, 1023. W. H. QUIVEY. (Seal) Notary Public. LISTENING IN On the Nebraska Pies* "The cohesiveness of the loaves sn<1 fishes Is mighty and will prevail," sagely observes Editor Cass Barners of the Madison Star-Mail, having taken due note of the senatorial dead lock. • • • Fred Howard of the Clay Center Sun is all puffed up because Clay Center's newer bonds sold at a premium. • • • Frank Kiminel of the McCook Trlhune sagely remark* that "Calvin Coolidge may not inspire your on , thusiasm, but he will convince your confidence." • • • "President Coolidge's message to congress," says the Wayne Democrat, “Is a mighty good message for all those who like that kind of a mes sage." • • • Editor Templin of the Shelton Clip per has been making some social sur veys and rids himself of the opinion that "the reason some parents spank so much is because other methods of rearing children require some mental effort." t • t "What is needed Just now is a re vival of law observance," declares the Tekamah Herald. "There is too much inclination to do as we please and waste a lot of time In pointing out the faults of others.” • • • “More emphasis on spiritual values is a duty we all owe future civiliza tion." moralizes E. W. Huse in the Wayne Herald. • • • Editor Brown of the Kearney Huh explains the paucity of republican and democratic candidates for sena tor. He asserts that none of them is anxious to compete against Norris. • • • "O, buy; the world ain't going to the devil," gleefully shouts Don Van Duscn of the Blair Pilot. “It is going on to glory and greater glory, and it's up to us to move up with It towards the perfection that God has established for It." • • I "Harry Sinclair seems to be a pret ty good raiser of livestock," observes the York News-Times. Evidently Gup Buechler knows. Not ing that an eastern clergyman says there is no room in this country tor immoral plays. Gus uses his\ Grand island Independent to declare that the clergyman is right. "There isn’t even standing room," says Gus. • • • “A lot of fellows who laugh when a dog chases its tail will buy hair restorer." chortles the Aurora Re publican. • • • "The newspaper misquoted my ad dress" is what John Sweet of the Nebraska City Press lists as "Favor ite Fiction.” • • • "Iceland wants prohibition, but she wants the kind that Uncle Sam is enjoying." sarcastically remarks Adam Breed# in his Hasting Tribune. • • • According to the Aurora Register, a young man of that city describes his application for a marriage license as "filing his first papers under the new marriage law." • • • Gelie Bemis of the York New Teller says that to tie called a professional reformer these days Is light punish ment. "They used to burn 'em at the stake,” Gene points out. • • • It appears that whenever the citi zens of Scottsbluff want to get real action fhey walk into the Star-Herald office and tag Editor Harry Wiener and say, "You're it." Harry is presi dent of the school board, headed the dairying commission that gave the Industry its real start in that section, and now he is chairman of the com mittee that will gather information for the commission soon to come from Washington to investigate irrigation matters. PERMISSIBLE FIB FOILS TRAGEDY. I was cryln’ Chrlsmus niomln'. Slummin’ Star-Eyed Lady ran Gainst me. in our alley, savin : "What's the matter, Little Man?" I sobbed out: "I hung my stockin' Hoping Santa Claus would come. But there's naught in K this mornin'— 'Cept a bole—no sugar plum." "Oh. my dear,' she answered, smilin'. "Try —again tonight. I've found Santa saw so imny chimneys He Just didn't quite get round." 'TIs "tonight.'* Half aleepin', dream in’— ** 8ome noise stirs me—up I comes! Sakes alive. I feel my stockin' Burstin' full o' sugar plums! 'Nen I peeks through mocnllt win der— Santa's sleigh Is gone! But—Land— Neath our fire scape—am I dreamin', Or does Star-Eyed Lady stand? —Alta Wrenwlck Brown. Hotel Rome Cafeteria The Best Thai's AU; I “From State and Nation” —Editorials from Other Newspapers— The Farmers and The Omaha Bee. V rom the Colorado Union Farmer. We take off otir hats to The Omaha Bee. They gnve the farmers a square ileal at Omaha. It is our belief that they covered the convention more thoroughly nnd satisfactorily than has any other paper In the United States in the past 10 years. We hope the farmers of Nebraska appreciate this sort of courtesy. If the farmers of that state are not loyal to such a daily, then there is something the matter with the farmpr*. Bernard A. Kenner, reporter, and Kleanor Hin man, feature writer, covered every phase of convention activities In h way that brought favorable comment from practically every state delega tion. “Pittsburgh Plus" Uneconomic. From th« f'hiintfo New*. At what is said to be the final hearing on the “Pittsburgh plus” sys tem by the federal trade commission, leading American economists are tea tifylng as disinterested witnesses. They are being asked whether the practice of pricing rolled steel on .a Pittsburgh basis and adding the cost of the freight from Pittsburgh to any destination, whether or not freight is paid, is in accordance with any eco nomic law or principle known to them. Their answers are in the ne gative—a most emphatic negative. Pittsburgh is an important steel market', but by no means the only real steel market. Every market has or should have its own natural terrl- i tory. and prices within that territory should be determined by the free play of the factors of supply and demand. The Chicago steel market ha* stead ily grown in importance and would have grown faster had not "Pitts burgh plus” hampered it, as It ha* hampered other steel producing cen ters. The defenders of that strange practice have wholly failed to Justify it in the eyes of business men, and It now appearB that they have no theoretical or quasi sclentiflc backing for their claim that some subtle eco nomic law caused the imposition of i the Pittsburgh base. Economic law needs no combines and artificial ar rangements to prop It up. - It is said that other industries be sides steel have submitted for decades uncomplainingly to the same practice ag "Pittsburgh plus.” If this be true the necessity for freeing industry from unfair, uneconomic and oppres sive methods is all the more impera 1 vp localities and industries should have a chance to develop natur ally. Neither legislative nor other gratuitous interference with the nor mal course of production and com merce should be tolerated by a nation that believes In private enterprise reasonable competition and the suit able reward of skill and ability. A Reform in Tennis. From tho Now York Herald. In the current Issue of American Lawn Tennis. William T. Tiiden II. the world's leading tennis player, j suggests that the nation holding the* Lavis cup should play through the annual cup contests instead of play ing only In the final round. The in ternational committee of the United ■States Lawn Tennis association, it is understood, has been giving con siderable thought to such a change. Before 1912 In this country, and prior to 1922 in England, it was not the custom for the champion to par ticipate in the early rounds of the championship tournament. The system was finally abolished as not wholly democratic and sports manlike. and now in both the United States and England the champion takes his chances with the ethers and plays through. The old system, is still retained, however. In the international compe titions for the Davis cup. Other na Uons battle for the privilege of play ing the cup-holding nation, which stands aloof until the challenge round. This practice puts the ten ni- teams of the challenging nations at a much more serious disadvantage than It did the players In purely na tional championship*. , Not only do the players of the cup I Abe Martin Th' tariff has been di cussed lor 40 years an’ "th’ people" hain’t onto it yit. “Well, sir, 30 years ago t’day, oranges sold fer 5 cents in th’ grocery* an' 10 cents on th’ Cleveland division o’ th’ N'ew York Central lines," said Tell Binkley this mornin’. holding nation have the advantage of defending the cup on their home courts, with a friendly gallery, ac customed climate and accustomed rood, while the players of the chal lenging nation have to adjust them selves to changed conditions, but the pisyers of the surviving chalTeng.ng nation are further handicapped by having to play their matches In sev eral different countries before they get the opportunity to play the cup holders. No doubt the plan to have the cup holding nation play through each year faces certain practical obstacle^ and Intricacies As a mere sporting^™’*; proposition, however, it deserves to be seriously j considered. The Davis cup is now contended for by nearly a score of nations. The adoption of the playing through system would help to . keep interest ellve. The United States, as the present cup holding nation, can propose that sys tem with more grace than any other country. Senatorial Wood-Sawing. Senator-elect Magnus Johnson says he wants a Washington residence where he can saw wood, but this does not necessarily mean he has conclud ed he ran saw no wood In the senate. —Boston Transcript. Worth Hearing. "You are beautiful," he murmured. " 1 suppose you have heard that -be fore." "Oh. yes." said the girl, ‘‘but It still sounds new."—Louisville Courier Journal. 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