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About The independent. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1902-1907 | View Entire Issue (April 11, 1907)
0 APRIL 11, 1907. THE NEBRASKA INDEPENDENT will not be content to stop ship build ing until they can stop on equal terms with Great Lritain. The greatest hope for disarmament at. present lies in tb apparent fact that the point is being apprr ached when armaments become automatically self limiting, limited by the limited capacity of the wealm makers to lift the load. Mr. Harriman's prosecution ot the stenographer who is charged with be traying his private correspondence calls attention to the remarkable faithfulness in great matters or the members of a useful but seldom high ly paid calling. Practically all of the business correspondence of these times is carried on through stenographers. Matters of the highest importance ana of the most confidential nature thus come to their knowledge. Secrets that could be sold for high prices and mat ters that mierht often - be macre the occasion of levying blackmail come into their possession. It is known that the temptation is often made acute by offers of money for informa tion that will help a competitor or arm an enemy. Cases wherein me trust is actually betrayed are almost never heard of. If they occur they are never made public. One is inclined to wonder why the legislature of the greatest statt; of the unioo should squirm and fight and plot over the defeat of a little bill for giv ing a chief of police full control of a 'police department. For a time it seemed that Governor Hughes would be de feated in his efforts to force through a bill to that effect applied to the city of New York. The secret of the opposi- . tion appears in the fact that the New York police commissioner has been forced to act through police inspectors, and on this trifling factiiangs a vital quantity of Tammany graft. Tammany can control the police system of New York city with its rich field for graft despite all an honest mayor or an active polico commissioner can do. Or, so small a. point may hinge the existence of a seemingly impregnable machine. A tremendous tearing up In the New York police department is an ticipated, for the demand for the pas sage of the bill became so overwhelm ing that the machine men In the legis lature were compelled to give way. Prospective candidates for offl.ee under the direct, primary this year would like to-know whether trie law limiting the expenditures of the can vass is to be enforced. The law ror bids a candidate to spend more than $100 in a canvass where he appeals to less than five thousand voters, and the expense permitted is proportion ately less as the number of voters ap pealed to increases. The enforcement of the law is in the interest of the honost candidate and the less wealthy. Having in mind Mr. Harriman's re cent boast thai he turned 50,000 votes in New York city with $200,000 in an election, the only decision possible for one to arrive at is that the law must be enforced both as it applies to pri maries and to elections. All but a email number of people have a direct interest in seeing that this . is done. A good beginning and one that would have a good future effect might be to apply the law to the recent Lin coln primaries. The law forbids, for instance, the giving away of drinKs or cigars by the candidate himself or by his agents. Eighty of the two hundred seats in the new Finnish diet were won by the socialists. This is the only official re port yet received of what was in one respect the most remarkable election ever held in Europe. By common con sent the new Finnish constitution made no discrimination whatsoever between the electoral rights of women and men, and this election was accordingly the first in the history of Europe where women took part in a general election in which they exercised the power of suffrage without any restrictions not also applicable to the men. Previous to the election the women of the coun try took great interest in fitting'them selves for their new duty. Schools for women voters were established every where for the study of the questions at issue, no effort being made to induce the women as such to align themselves with any particular party. While the women were united on certain matters pertaining more particularly to ihetr ' own sex, revision of the marriage law, better protection for children, the aboli tion of legalized prostitution, for ex amples, they elected to rnke these 1e mamlA felt through the several parties with which they allied themselves on other Issues. All of the parties nomi nated some women for seats in the uew landtag, and it was expected that about twenty women would bo elected. It is not likely that uny connection can be established between the larra mini ber of socialist elected and the suf frage of the women. That proportion of socialists la not Jem han would bo eiprctcd In It us la rad the men uione done the votiif. A fi kkVt o n j wt m: o . An a result fit hi IMr.Aiiu tttp t'on Ifwunuin I'ollard cor.linn an eaily lm prcfiilon tliaftaa toutlurn ixnintrtf mighty be benefited by the object lesson in orderly government which the Uni ted States is giving in Panama. Now that the army has been given charge of the work confidence in this result has risen. When the West Pointers undertake a Job they generally finish it with credit. The eight-year-old Gay-nor-Greene case is an exception that illuminates this fact. The army engineers work- efficiently and with a minimi m of graft. Al ready, to tell the truth, the tropical American governments have taken notice of the achievements of :he northerners in Panama. The Peruvian minister to Panama lately expressed his desire to visit the United States to study further the wonderful system of city government which has turned the canal zone cities from pest holes into salubrious places of residence. At this point we become strangely em barrassed. Where, within the United States, shall we find for this pilgrim an example of administrative efficiency such as excites his admiration in Pan ama? If he would not be disillusioned would he not better stay away till we have learned to govern our own cities as well as we govern the cities of others? Until, in a word, we have learned to administer our cities by graduates of a West Point for educat ing our civil service. D1KTY PITTSBURG. A western' paper has elected to com pare the Pittsburg of Corey and Thaw with the Sodom and Gomorrah of Abraham and Lot, to the great disad vantage of Pittsburg. The story goes that Pittsburg, nettled by the ready acquiescence of the country at large in this vieW, proceeded to make up a list of fifty prominent citizens of un doubted spotlessness, but ran out of material at the twenty-eighth man. No doubt thlp h a "josh," but thai Pittsburg oocs offer a fine field for the sociologist and th student o; ethics, Pittsburg itself can hardiy deny. That city has without ciaestion con tributed more than i'.s proportion of salacious scaniiair lii "high" life.. Why? The city altogether -from its own -fault is notoriously dirty, physically. It answers the well earned nickname of "smoky city" and "great smoke" is the favorite by-word of its citizens. Is there a connection between a sooty atmosphere and shady conduct? The city is notable, morever, for the great number of its got rich quick million aires, and these appear to have done more than their share to link Pitts burg and Sodom together. This raises a question as to the relation between morals and money. The municipal government of Pittsburg has been notably piratical. Is that because a majority of the people are bad. or ignorant, or are they merely inert? The future of humanity may turn on the answer to the question is Pittsburg great because wicked, or wicked be cause great? THIS INDUSTRIAL COLLKGE. Some of the senators were led astrav in the closing debates by the issue that had been raised over farm and engi neering buildings. They assumed that the managing board was against the farm because It had recommended an engineering building. To those who lis tened to the debate, it tyas apparent that the opponents of the engineering building did not understand the refJ organization of the state university. In view of the facts, the assertion of Sen ator Patrick that the senate needed no advice or information, is decidedly amusing. Had he been addressing a Kansas, Iowa or Michigan legislature, his remarks about the farm might have been applicable, for in these states tha agricultural colleges are separate insti tutions located at different places. In Nebraska, educational plants are net duplicated, and all students take the same subjects under the same teacher. Any agricultural college of standing, such as Ames, gives advanced courses in mathematics, physics, -chemistry, botany, zoology, political economy, his tory, engineering and literature. To avoid the expense of duplication, these courses in Nebraska are taught in buildings on the campus, and only spe cial courses are taught at the farm. Th assumption that no university buildings except those at the farm are for the benefit of agricultural educa tion, shows how little these senators had informed themselves about univer sity affairs. So long as the university has Insuffi cient funds to properly provide for Its main courses in the industrial college, It may well be doubted whether it H desirable to boom special courses in any subject. A three months winter course attho farm is of some benefit, but it n not an education In agricul ture er in iny eth-r subject. Farir.ins: Is one of thJ most Important vocal l ins of life, and no short special course h ndeouate preparation for it. The fart a is wcrlhy of the best training, and It iouM te the object of Institution of higher learning to give It. ihm'i bo n grouch. lm't grumble at people who are doing pretty well. That' the worst ln wc know aWu, QUESTION BOX Please give a synopsis of the prin cipal features of the Jamestown expo sition, also tell ,where it Is located. The exposition will be held on the waters and shores of Hampton Hoads. The waterway comprises 1C0 square miles of protected harbor. The-exposi-tlon grounds contain 350 odd acres, with one mile of shore line on the Roads. x . Within a radius of eight miles are the cities of Norfolk, Portsmouth, New port News, Berkley, llapipton and Phoebus, together with the great gov ernment reservation at Fortress Mon roe, Va. Probably the chief distinguishing feature of tb.3 exposition will be .its naval rendezvous. A statistician of the United States navy has estimated that the money value of fighting craft as sembled in Hampton Roads during 1907 will at no time fall below $250,000,000, while on gala occasions this amount may re doubled. In connection with the rendezvous, aquatic contests will be inaugurated for the purpose of friendly rivalry be tween crews of the various fieets as sembled. These exhibitions by day and searchlights and other lighting fea tures by night will form the chief spectacular part of the exposition. Next in consequence will be the mili tary encampment. The exposition itself will differ very materially from all previous exposi tions In so far as the exploitation is concerned. The history of our country from 1607 up to the present will be graphically portrayed by periods, and to the end that this may bo effective, the co-operation of the chief historical students of the country has been sought and obtained. What is the annual revenue and to tal debt of New York city? The reports show that the gross re ceipts for 1906 were $370,527,313.92, and the gross expenditures $370,114,141.62, with a cash balance on December 31 of $13,273,009.46. The total gross funded debt, Jan. 1, 1907 $665,697,392.06 Less amount held by sinking fund , 191,044,186.94 t i Net funded debt $474,653,205.12 This debt is approximately half that of the United States nation, Will you kindly tell what elements go to make up the air? Mainly the gases -oxygen and nitro gen, which are merely mixed and not chemically combined, but in addition it contains many other substances in small amounts, among which are water vapor, carbon dioxid, nitric acid, am monia, ozone, argon, neon and organic matter, as well as dust germs and other organic particles held in suspen sion. In certain localities other com, ponents may occur. Near the sea, for example, salt can be detected in it, and over the land it contains sulphates in small amounts. The proportion of nitrogen and oxygen is subject to var iation, also, though within narrow lim its. In general, 100 volumes of air con tain twenty-one volumes of oxygQn and seventy-nine of nKrogen. Argon constitutes about 1 per cent of air and neon about 0.001 per cent. The nitric acid present in the air is so small in amount that it can be detected only in rain water, by which it is dissolved and brought down. The amount of am monia is exceedingly variable, ranging from 0.1 to 135.0 parts (calculated as cafbonate) in 1,000,000 parts of air, the average amount being perhaps six. Hydrogen peroxide has been detected in tbe air, and some authorities con cider that it may be present In greater abundanci than ozone. L Who is Dr. Wiley, the government connection with the enforcement of the pure food law? Dr Wiley was born In Kent, Jeffer son county, Indiana. In 1863 he entered the freshman class of Hanover college, graduating with the degree of A. B. in 1867. A three yearn' course In medi cine gave him the degree of M. D. from the Indiana medical college in 1871, and during his medical course he was instructor in Latin and Greek in Butler college. He entered the Law rence scientific BChool at Harvard uni versity and graduated with the degree of B. S. in 173, becoming then profes sor of chemistry at Iftitier college for the year 1873-74. Between 1874 and 18X3 he was professor of chembUiy at the agricultural college of Indiana at I'ur. due. During this same period he was ,r . i i r t - t m t m. . . ,- 1 MtUliVU . , V V . WWfc 'IWV V ' I Germany and spent the year 1878-79 In research in Berlin. From 1S81 to 1SS3 he ws state chemist of Indiana and In the latter year came to Washington as chief of the division of chemistry In the depart mcnt of agriculture, lie h thus b'cn connected with lh depart ment for about twenty-four years and under hU directum moil of the charges In the bureau of chemistry have bu effected. Kindly print 'an itemized list of the appropriations of the last session of congress. Agriculture $ 9.417,290 Army , 7s.5',2X2 Diplomatic and consular 3,092.333 District of Columbia- 10.Kil.118 Fortification 6,S901 Indian 8.227,876 Legislative, etc. S2.nf4.013 Military academy 1.929.703 Navy 9S,9.)S,007 Pension 145.9C7.00U rostofflce 212.129.393 River and harbor 37,ls3,t'93 Sundry civil 110,r.6,5'.l Total $756,622,674 Deficiencies .. $ 12.4U6.S3 Total ..$7C9,oe,2,3n9 Miscellaneous $ 1,000,000 Total regular annual .....$(770,062,359 Permanent annual appropriate $149,880,320 ' Orand total regular and per manent annual appropriate $919,918,679 What is the Nebraska law against killing birds" It shall be unlawful for any person In the state of Nebraska to kill, Injure o.' harm any robin, lark, thrush, blue bird, kingbird, wren, Jay, swallow, oriole, woodpecker, yellowhammer, cuckoo, yellowbird, bobolink, or other bird or birds of like nature that promote agri culture or horticulture by feeding on noxious worms and Insects, or that are attractive In appearance or ch erful In song. Provided, that hawks and owls may bo killed on one's own premises. It shall be unlawful for any person to destroy nests and eggs or carrv away the eggs or young of any of the birds 6Hcribd in this section. Provided, that schools, colleges and universities may, when authorized so to do by the game and fish commissioner, take or kill for educational or scientific purposes, not co exceed twenty-five In number of any one species or kind of birds protected by this section. Any person violating any of the pro visions of this section shall be fined five dollars for each bird killed, injured or harmed, and a like sum for each nest taken or destroyed. FrcquenUy the . Russian dispatches uee the word "Pogram." I do not fini it in the dictionaries. What does it mean ? , The word "pogrom" has been used in dispatches from Russia to describe the massacres, organized riots, and loots of shops vbich have taken place in various parts of the empire. In par ticular, the demonstrations of this na ture supposed to have been organized or encouraged by officers of the local or central government. In the Russian language the verb "pogromlyat" means to devastate, plunder, pillage. The sub stantive "pogrom"-accent on the last syllablemeans devastation, destruc tion. ,. Which are th five wealthiest states of the Union? According to estimates of the cen sus bureau the states with more than a, billion dollars of wealth rank us follows: , New York $14,7t9,0OO,000 Pennsylvania 11, 473,00,000 H,'noIs 8,816,000,000 ?.h, 5.946,000,61)0 Massachusetts , , 4.- m California 4.ii56;6oo i?.wa ; 4,048,000,000 M ssouri S.7C8.000 000 Minnesota 3,343,000,000 New Jersey .JL 3,235,000,000 Michigan 3.2X2.000,000 Indiana , 3.105,000,000 Wisconsin 2,838,000,000 TJexas 2,836,000,000 Kansas 2.25;;,000,000 Nebraska 2,0 9.000,000 Kentucky 1,527,000,000 Maryland 1,511,000,000 Connecticut 1.411,000.000 X,rK,,,,a 1,287,000,000 Colorado 1,27,000,000 eorgl i 1 if;? rvK, fnn,Tw,,, l'.iorooo'.ooo " ? ' " l"" , l.or.i.ooo.ooo District of Columbia 1,01,000.000 Louisiana 1,032,000,000 Want Golumn If u want to buy, tell 0r ex change anything! if vou have a farm to rent or want to rent farm, a small advertisement In this column will bring about the desired result. Try it only 2 cents a word. No ad. vertisement fer less than 30 first insertion. Aii mi tiali and numbers counted at words. Cash with ordsr, Ad dress TMK IMICIKMi:vr. WANTKD-Mn ta learn Urlr trad Th MolT Hysti-m u hori and vrmo tlcal. Tools twi: positions waittr top wge paid. lCtabl!hH in Si VSl lug clUe. Write for raising ut. lulr llrtT Ootlcfe. Omaha, Neb. '