OUR WEEKLY COMMENTS
Congressman Kinkald of Nebraska, |
has a bill pending before the Commit j
tee on Agriculture providing for the j
free distribution on the residents of j
the territory, covered by his home- j
stead a t, of young pine trees front j
the nurseries maintained on the
Nebraska Forest Reserve.
* * *
Tomorrow’s dinner need not cost the j
fastidious quite so much as did last j
Sunday’s. The prices ou a number of
things that enter into high priced i
menus Have dropped during the week, j
But how about the common man's j
dinner tomorrow. it lias been i
up-in-tlu-air for a long while and
shows no signs of a McGinty des
cent.
* * •
Representative Hinshaw has sub
mitted for the Committee on In
dian affairs, an adverse report upon
a measure appropriating a large sum
of money to members of the Delaware
Shawnee, Absentee-Shawnee, Texas
Cherokee and Chootaw Indians for
s_.deprq<la^onf committed against them
by tile 'whites between 1850 and 1863.
Th* whole matter is dismissed as. be
longing to a class of claims in the
“exigencies of war” classification.
t* • , » * , •
• * •
•‘sa« i oa ,AH4. -,,
Dr. Tanner has found a cure for
the -evil known as “high cost of liv
ing.” His remedy is simple enough
and would without a doubt be effect
ive. The shrewd doctor proposes
that when meat is high we quit eat
ing it. Naturally to the person not
buying, the price at that time will be
im-material. Likewise with other food
products. When the price is too
high quit eating. Play the Chinese
game--Starve. It may not be the
most agreeable method but it’s bound
to be a Success. And success is
something.. Try it and report re
sults.
• * •
New Orleans concedes the Panama
exposition to San Francisco. The
southerners have decided to accept
the action of the house as final, and
will interpose no opposition to a
vote in the Senate when the House
bill is taken up for consideration.
Numerous conferences between citi
zens of Louisiana and the senators
and members of the state congression
al delegation resulted in this decis
ion. The headquarters of the New
Orleans boomers have been dismant
eled. It is said that New Orleans
people spent $100,000.
* * *
As we wander again through the
land of mud, we are prone to won
der about the streets that are not
paved. For nearly a year there has
been comparatively little rainfall
and correspondingly little mud to
contend with. The citizens of Falls
City are in this respect much like
the man whose house had no roof
on it. When asked why he no roof
he replied; “when it is nice weather
1 don't need any roof, and when it
rains I can't roof. Now, that it is
raining and the mud is everywhere
in evidence, our thoughts revert to
the advantages of paved streets.
Another radical step to prevent the
concentration of power in a few
hands in the House of Representa
tives has been taken by the newly
designated democratic members of
the way and means committee of
the next congress. It was determin
ed that in the make-up of the comit
tees of the new house the chairman
•f all committees that have the pow
er to prepare appropriation bills and
the chairman of the judiciary, inter
state, and foreign commerce, and
Thstrict of Columbia committees, will
not be members of any other commit
tees than those over which they
preside.
m m m
That there is strong opposition to
the Canadian reciprocity measure is
borne out by expresisons from repre
sentatives and Senators. Senator Nor
ris Brown of Nebraska, is one who
does not favor action by the pres
ent congress, and while he has ex
pressed no views as to the merits o
the treaty yet his attitude in refer
ence thereto is quite clearly defined.
He said, “of course it would he a
serious matter to register a hasty
vote on President Taf’s reciprocity
plan even against it. I think the
details of the scheme would make
good summer discussion for the peo
ple, and I sincerely hope they will
be given the opportunity to talk it
ever.”
« • •
The house famine is beginning to
be felt by Falls City people too.
Heretofore, the unpleasant experien
ce of house hunting, was largely one
for strangers. But, now that the R.
R. people have begun to buy property
for themselves some,of our own fam
ilies are finding themselves in a
quandary. They must move out of
their present quarters, but where to j
go they do not know. It will be no |
matter to joke about if citizens of
Falls City find themselves compelled |
to leave town, and their work in ordo ^
to keep a roof over their families.
As things are now, such ois likely to
be the case before spring. Surely
everything possible should be done
to rush, forward as many new houses
as possible, at once.
• * *
City Building.
One of the draw backs to the grow
th of many towns is the high prices
asked by real estate men and prop
erty owners for, building lots. Many
a town with a promising outlook has
bet n held up in this way, and her
future effectually blocked. One man,
as the rase so frequently is, with
a" disposition to gab, can doom a
good town to eternal littleness by
asking exhorbitant prices for build
ing lots. The average American will
pay a fair price for what he wants,
but. he will stop quick, when asked to
pay throe prices, just because the
seller thinks he lias him in a tight
place. There is a limit to what peo
ple will pay and in trying to get rich
quick, men are apt to not only harm
the community but to lose out them
selves.
* * *
* I
Yesterday Rice Bros. Contractors It
gau on the foundations of a new
modern dwelling in the south end of
town. The building is already rent
ed for a year, to be occupied as soon
as in condition to mote ifi. The rent
al is $25.00. When houses rent for
$25 a month before the foundations
have been laid, there must tye real
need. There are people of culture
and refinement, accustomed to the
use of modern convenieifPes in their
homes, compelled to sto'vfr' themselves
away in “any old place.” And what
is the most unpleasant experience
of all, is that they ought to feel ex
ceeding grateful for the hospitality
shown. Falls City needs to open her
doors still wider. The situation is
strenuous. The people must have sc
comodations.
a « a
The air is filled with talk of an
extra session of congress, and Presi
dent Taft lias let it be undersood
that unless the Administration bill
for a tariff board and the Canadian
treaty are passed, that lie will
not hesitate to call an extra session.
The difficulty all seems to lie witli
the senate, as the House is counted
on to pass the legislation. On the
senate side there is a great deal of
work to be done, and some big meas
ures to lie disposed of in the re
maining days of the session. The
fates of both measures in that body
seem very much in question, and
while it is hardly expected that either
of the proportions will be killed out
right, yet it is expected in many
quarters that neither measure will
be allowed to come to. a vote. In
this event (ho president will have
an opportunity to make good his
threat.
* * #
Tlie law makers of Kansas took a
step that will go far to justify to
them the names of progressive, when
they made provision for so amend
ing the State Constitution as to per
mit women to vote. There is absol
utely no reasonable ground for de
nying this privilege to woman, ex
cept prejudice and personal advan
tage. Men are naturally jealous of
their prerogatives and hesitate to
yield them without protest. Whether
women make use of the privilege or
not is no argument. They should
have the right because it belongs to
them as freely as to men. The
more liberal and loyal Western states
are one after another taking down
the bars—Nebraska next.
Friends of County option were
greatly disappointed at the action of
the Nebraska Senate in turning down
the County option bill Wednesday. It
was, however, a bad piece of business
from any view point. County option
is the peoples option, and when the
Lawmakers deny the people the pri
mary rights of American citizenship,
the simple rights that belong to ev
ery free-holder, the right of the ma
jority to rule, they are preparing for
a day of retribution. The initiative
and referendum is also meeting witli
every kind of obstacle. These are
measures that give to the people thei
inalienable rights. The will of the
people may be forestalled for a time,
but the world moves, and a day is
coming when both sexes will vote
their wills in public affairs.
• * *
Away back in Ohio, in the long,
long, ago, our old school director,
when interrogated concerning the
schools, replied, “must be going well,
doa’t hear much.” So in Falls City,
ttie work in our schools must be
going along witli little friction and
general acceptability for people are
very quiet about the affairs of the
schools. It might however, not be out
of place to note that there is danger
in this attitude. Would it not be
better if we all heard more, talked
more and more generally interested
ourselves in the welfare of our schoo’J
The Supt. and teachers plod on their
way. Does it ever occur to us to
give them a word of encouragement.
We may not complain but it can
scarcely be said that we have done
our whole duty by our schools, when
we can say that we have said noth
ing.
* * *
The governor of Kansas lias signed
the resolution passed by the legis
lature of Kansas las week, which
provides for the submission of a con
stitutional amendment to the voters
of Kansas granting Equal Suffrage
rights to women. The amendment
will be voted on at the fall election.
It remains to bo seen whether Kau
nas will prove true to tier traditional
name for gallantly and the “square
deal.” There is a deep seated
prejudice in the average man against
'granting this gunt privilege and righ
to his wife. He may not be able to
' give a 1 cason, why, but it is true all
the same. He is afraid, tbat given
the power women will usurp some of
the prerogatives now securely enjoy
ed by men exclusively. That it is
mean and selfish on the part of
men, no one can dispute.
* * *
There is a sincere desire on the
part of the majority of the citizens
of Falls City, at this time to do the
advantageous thing. Unfortunately
for the town and the interests of the
town there is too little agreement up
on the policy to be pursued. What
is needed is the weeding out of
miner details and personal issues.
Fails City has suffered too long be
cause of being manipulated for indi
vidual ends. At this time every
edi/eu should sink his own advan
tages in the larger interests of tbcf
community. The situation challen
ges the potriotism and loyalty of
every citizen. The man who blocks
the larger growth of our city at
this time because It is to his advan
tage to do so, should be disowned
by the citizens. We are at the part
ing of the ways. Old things are pass
ing rapidly, and the new Falls City
is emerging. May it be so directed
and administered as to become strong
and permanent.
* * #
A New York theatrical manager of
note says that no more plays with
gentlemen and ladies—real gentlemen
and real ladies—can be staged in
this country because no actor can be
found who can play the parts with
anything like success. The younger
generation of actors, as in the case
with other folks here and yonder, are
utterly incapable of understanding the
emotions of the well-bred and are as
a consequence unable to portray gen
iility in action. A rather stinging
commentary on the times, but in a
measure true. The decay of good
breeding is marked even to those
among us whom observation ' has
been confined to the last twenty
years. There is much affectation
and piles of unsustainable pretence
in the matter, but when the test be
comes acute the real quality is al
ways found lacking. Take the < al
lowest sort of stripling nowadays
and you will find him playing at
the “i rimal male.” If ho isn’t as
tig as a splinter and hasn’t fuzit1
enough on Ills face to hold a lather,
he is thoroughly imbued with the
ethics- of the dog jilt and the prize
ring. That he should sacrifice
liis own selfish convenience in the
performance of any social emenity,
that he should do anything in fact
he doesn’t want to do, never occurs
to him. In the ball room, where of
old good breeding was the rule,
pot-house manners now' prevail. As
for the girls and young women, the
graciousness and cordiality, and the
refinement of manner that distin
guished the elder generation seem
to be wholly lacking. One hesitates
to give greetings in passing for fear
he may be snubbed. Now and then
one encounters an older person of
the same kind, and when it comes to
children no jeremaid is equal to the
task of lamenting and departure from
old standards.—Ex.
TELEPHONE ETIQUET
The world has reason to note with
delight that about half the advertis
ing of the telephone companies now
adays consists of instruction in tele
phone etiquette. The managers of
telephone systems fully realize that
the popularity of the telephone, and
thus its greatest use, depends partly
on the maintenance of “friendly re
lations" among its millions of users.
It has always been a rule that
patrons must not swear at each oth
er over the phone, a rule that must
by this time have added vastly to
our national self control. Telephone
“central” is proverbially patient and
courteous, another result of rigid
discipline. Many a rude man has
had his head burned into gentleness
by the hot cdals of her soft answer
to his wrath. Incidentally the nati
onal voice must surely have by this
time lost some of its stridency by
the example of mellowness set, under
instructions, by the telephone girl.
But the rules of telephone etiquette
are to go farther. Thus one “ad“:
“One who is courteous face to face
should also be courteous when he
bridges distance by means of the
telephone wire.
“He will not knock at the tele
phone door and run away, but will
hold himself in readiness to speak
as soon as the door is opened.”
Self-evident truths and valuable sug
Rest ions. Doubtless there are more
to follow. In time, perhaps, people
will understand that a person who
would not think of meeting a stran
ger on the strict with the demand,
"what is your name,” will also not
ring you tip by telephone and de
mand, "who is this." And possibly
the person who would not justify
you in the street without an apology
will not, ere long, call you to the
phone by jjiistake apologizing before
he rings off. The telephone lias be
come a tremenduous and sometimes
even burdensome factor in our lives.
Nowhere is genuine courtesy more
tested and needed than in its use.—
State Journal.
* * ♦
Preside nt Taft is greatly elated
over his flying trip to Ohio and Illi
nois last week. He has his heart
set upon tile Reciprocity Treaty. In
it lie sees a very promising future
for himself and the republican party.
To him the rejection of the treaty
spells woe to the republican party.
He seems fully determined, provided
the present republican congress does
aot pass the bill, to tall an extra
session after March 4th, which will
be democratic and ask this con
gress to pass on it. Whether the
president Is wholly In the right or
Hot is one of the big problems both
ering many Americans,both legislator
and common people. It is also a
question in many minds us to why
Mr. Taft should develop such an un
bounded enthusiasm for this one men
ure, in view of the fact that he has
usually been rather cold towards im
part and measures.
To the good people who have de
voted much time to efforts to stamp
out the cigarette the reports of the
tobacco trade journals are bound to
be disappointing. According to one
of these the number of cigarettes
smoked in 1910 exceeded the number
smoked in the previous year by near
ly two billions. In all, according to
this report, the number of cigarettes
smoked, or at least sold, last year,
amounted to 100 for every inhabitant
of the country.
Several states prohibit the sale of
cigarettes. At leas tthey have laws
to that effect. Nebraska is of that
number, though cigarettes are not an
unknown sight on these plains. We
have been taught that cigarees stunt
mind and body, and the evidence of
tills seems conclusive, at least as to
the young.
Yet. tile cigarette trade thrives.
One hundred nails in Hi coffin of
every man. woman and child in the
country each year Is race suicide
with a vengeance.- State Journal.
♦ * *
POSTAL SAVING EXPERIMENT
In the t'irdt month of experiment
with postal savings the forty-eight of
fices In which tho system is in op
eration received an average of $1,200
on deposit. it may ho fairly as
sumed that conditions at these forty
eight depositors are typical of all
the rest and, therefore, when the
system is extended to the sixty
thousand post offices of the country,
at least 70 million dollars will quick
ly' he placed in charge of the* postal
department for safe keeping nud the
amount will steadily Increase.
The figures appear to furnish ample
justification for the adoption of the
system, though it involves many
large and difficult problems in gel
ting in generally Into use.
For example, the 1’ostofflce De
partment has asked Congress for an
appropriation of a million dollars for
the extension of tho system to all
p stoffices. That amount seems
large, yet it involves an average ex
penditure of only about $1G for nec
essary equipments in ehch office.
The government’s gross revenues
from the system would he only Vfe
million dollars for the first year of
full operation. If ns much ns 100 mil
lion dollars were deposited. The
government would pay 2 per cent
per annum to depositors and re
ceive 2V4 per cent from banks in
which the funds would be placed,
the difference representing the gov
ernment's gross profit.
It is evident, therefore, that the
system will he a losing venture, for
the national treasury in ith prelimin
ary stages. But after it. is widely
exended and thoroughly established,
the probabilities are that it will
become self-supporting and that it
will furnish a channel through which
the government can disseminate a
large* amount of its bonds of small
denomination among the financial op
erations of l lie Nation in times when
emergency bond issues are nee es
sary.
The system is destined to be a
success and a benefit to the coun
try ultimately, but in its early
stag.es it is certain lo lie a source
of considerable expense to the gov
ernment and of some disappointment
lo its friends.
* * *
On live slock Canada seems to she
lower prices than the United Stales.
When choice beef steers were selling
nt $5.25 to $5.50 per hundredweight
at Toronto, the same class of cattle
was quoted nt $6 to $8,50 at Ease
ItttlfRle, N. Y., and $6.50 to $6.75 In
Chit ago. Other grades of cattl, run
in about the sanu porportton. On
nutter Winnipeg quottd 35 ecu's nn
creamery prints when Chicago quoted
25 to I's cents on the same grade.
Unit' butt i nt Wint, mg was selling
at i cents when ip r tee nt 20 to 21
■ents m * In i i.t • r of ga" ■ ,1
grades was telling at from 25 to 30
c. iils n ally in < lipwq, east Cutf-vls.
when tho highest «nnvatlon In Now
York i itv was 27 to I'M cents.
These (line at a. ,, ,!o not seem |u
: show tliilt there i a great deal of
difference between i i iees in Canada
and the United S atis One thin",*
must be true, and that is that when
the surplus of both countries must
lie sold abroad theie isn't going to be
any price difference at home. Only
wlimi the United States ran short
in any line and Canada had some of
that particular commodity to sell,
would prices in this country be
lowered by Canadian competition.—
Nebraska Farmer.
* * * i
We learn to do by doing. When we
were boys, father gave each of us a
hoe anil told us to hoe. Our first
efforts were hh a matter of course,
very Indifferently done, but practice
develops skill and in due time we
could hoe skillfully. When we ask
some friend to write nn Item for the
Tribune we are usually turned down
with the remark that, "I can not
write.” Hut that is the very reason
why you should write. We learn to
write by writing. If you can’t write
now, you will never learn to, young
er. Wise people never get too old to
learn. The ability to put your Ide
as, (if you are so fortunate as to
have any) into writing, Is an accom
plishment of which one might be
proud. It may be hard for an old
dog to learn new tricks but if the
dog is worth Ills keep he learns
them, whether difficult or net. We
nied more people who can contribute'
original Items to the paper. Write,
write again, and then white some
more,
» • *
Mrs. Thomas Taylor is quite sli k
at this time.
Mrs. Elizabeth Prior and daughter,
Mrs. li. Meyer- left today for (Ira nil
bland for a \islt with relatives.
BIG PIANO
SALE
LISTEN!!
For the next THIRTY DAYS commencing
MONDAY, FEB. 19th, the Zimmerman Mu
sic House, will, in connection with the facto
ries they represent, carry on One of The
Biggest Factory Advertising Sales ever
held in this part of the State. Over TWEN
TY new, fine, upright Pianos and at Never
Heard of Before Prices, quality considered.
LOOK AT THIS!
Fine :: New :: Up-Right :: Pianos :: At
$168.00 $180.00 $210.00 $230.00
$245.00 $260.00 and up
The same as you ordinarily pay from $250 to $400.
These Pianos are MAKES of factories of over 40
years standing and highly guaranteed. Therefore,
you run no risk, as we stand back ot every piano
sold. Don’t overlook this opportunity but investigate
it thoroughly by examining the fine quality of these
instruments.
Zimmerman Music House
Stone Street Falls City, Nebraska
