w-
Nebraska
Legislature f
Pure Food Bill.
After two hours of strenuous ds- !
/cuss'.on / the senate in committee of the
whole recommended for passage the
judiciary committee substitute for the
Burns pure food bill. The only attack
on the measure was in the interests of
the druggists , who were represented
on the floor or the senate by Senator
Luce of Harlan , who is in the business.
The principal difficulty came in
' .amending section 9 , which originally
required all patent and proprietary
medicines containing poisonous sub-
fetances to be labeled poison in large
red letters. The druggists protested
that this would work a hardship on
them in the preparation of formulas
bf their own for general sale. After
feome discussion the section was
changed so as not to require the pri
son label , provided the maximum dose
which might be taken with safety by
adults or infante should be stated on
the bottle. Another change provides
that it shall be a valid defense against
prosecutions under this section if it is
shown the goods complained of were
tn stock March 21 , 1907.
* *
Two-Cent Fare a Menace.
It developed when the discussion of
the primary bill began that the 2-cent
passenger rate bill , which is now a
Saw , will rise up to haunt the Repub
lican majority when it'comes to carry-
Sing out its pledges. As anticipated ,
the railroads will use this as an argu
ment to sidestep the .platform. In his
endeavor to get his own limited pri
mary bill read at the same time the
3oint committee state-wide bill was
jread , McMullen , of Gage , called atten
tion to the fact that the Republicans
fiacl not stuck to the platform in the'
matter of passenger rates and there
fore the members should use their
judgment in the matter of a direct
primary law. This talk came on a
motion by Hamer , of Buffalo , to read
the McMullen bill and the committee
bill before discussing either. Wilson ,
of Custer , of course , was for the mo
tion and so was Hamer and McMul
len.
* * *
Xo Tax on Mortgages.
"Without giving it a hearing before
he committee of the whole the senate
Skilled H , R. 175 , which provided for
he assessment of real estate mort
gages as a part of the real estate and
not as personal property , and fixed the
situs of the mortgage for taxation
purposes the county Avithin which the
mortgage is located and not the resi
dence of the o\vner. The revenue com
mittee reported * the bill for indefinite
postponement and McKesson , who has
a similar bill in the senate , made a
fight to have the bill placed on gener
al file. McKesson charged the law
yers and the bankers who loaned
money for foreign corporations were
against the bill and pleaded for a
chance to be heard before the commit-
4'tee of the whole , but his motion to
"
place the house bill on general file was
Tpst by a vote of 15 to 1C.
* * *
Judges Want Free Iiiclc.
Root of Cass , who is defending Gov.
Sheldon's suit , was loaded for this ar
gument He cited court decisions holdIng -
Ing that the payment of actual ex
penses was not a perquisite. He said
the state ought to bear this expense
"because under their present salaries
the judges in. the larger districts could
not afford to pay their railroad fare.
Heretofore they had been in the hab
it of accepting passes to lighten the
l > urden , but he thought it best for the
.state to pay this part of their expenses ,
The amendment to include the judges
-was carried , with another , which al
lows the auditor to pass on all claims
-for fare under the bill.
a * *
Terminal Tax Fair.
"Tho railroads of Nebraska should
pay taxes for local purposes on their
property located within cities and vil-
ages just the same as other property
-owners do. I have examined very
carefully the bill introduced by Mr.
< Clarke , and it should be passed and
pecome a law. The bill , in my opin
ion , does not provide for double tax
pJ ation , but is constitutional in every
respect"
The above statement was made by
< 5ov. Sheldon. Continuing , he said :
"The distribution of the value of rail
road terminals for taxation purposes
jhas been in the past a myth. Under
jthe Clarke bill every city and village
iin the state will receive more money
in , taxes from the railroads than they
- 3o now. "
* * *
Primary Bill Will Be Sent to Senate.
> ? , Fusionists and radicals Tuesday won
jout in the house on the primary meas-
ture. McMullen's motion to recommit
jand to cut out the wide open , non-par-
ftisan feature was defeated by a vote
pf 40 to 46. The bill will now go to
* the senate. In the senate the terminal
jtaxation bill by Thomas was discussed.
IThe Pullman and private car compa
nies were included in the bill and the
measure approved for passage.
* * *
Tuesday afternoon the senate killed
-a. bill taxing banks and corporations
rjn occupation tax on capital stock.
* * *
' The bill forbidding brewers to be
interested in or operate saloons was
Approved for passage by an over
whelming majority. The bill was in
troduced by Senator Gibson , of South
TOmaha , who declared that 36 of the
( S6 saloons in that city were dominated
Uby brewers.
* * *
Druggists succeeded in knocking out
sections 8 and 9 of the pure food la.w ,
irequiring a label designating ingre-
.jdicnts. The bill now conforms to the
federal law.
* o *
Gow Sheldon Tuesday night signed
employers' liability act , making rail-
jroactS and corporations responsible for
Tthe safety of their employes. The bill
jhad the emergency clause and is now
in effect
* * *
Will Have Sifting Committee.
The house Wednesday , over some
( Objections , adopted a. motion by Har-
jrison , of Otoe , for the speaker to ap-
jpoint a sifting committee to take
jcharfje of all bills on general file. The
jremainder of the morning was spent
in committee of the whole on a dis-
of the salary bill whteh
changed nJy hi a few particulars. The
salary of the secretary of the state
board of'assessment was increased to
$2,000 from ? 1,600 ; the salary for a
chief cleric in the labor bureau on mo
tion of McMullen of Gage , was strick
en out and a motion by the same gen
tleman to increase the salary of the
commissioner to $1,600 from $1,500
and the stenographer from $840 to
$1,000 was lost.
*
Lobbyists in Evidence.
With railroad lobbyists scatte'red
through the gallery , corridor and even
upon the floor of the house , encourag
ing and watching their henchmen , the
house devoted the entire afternoon
Wednesday to a discussion of the
Clarke terminal tax bill and adjourn
ed without taking action , the motion
by McMullen for the committee to
arise and report progress bem.T car
ried by a vote of 42 to 44 , fourteen
members being absent. The debate
turned upon a motion by Wilson "of
Custer , which was sprung befora the
clerk had finished reading section 1
of the bill , to strike out the enacting
clause. Hamer of Buffalo seconded
the motion. At this time Union Pacif
ic Attorne'y Edson Rich , Union Pacific
Tax Commissioner Scribner and Bur
lington Tax Commissioner Pollard
were occupying seats In the gallery ,
as was Bob McGinnis , who , wlier the
debate warmed up , ( ransfp-re.l his po
sition to the hour-jQ lobby , where he
could better observe hiJ stage hands
Working on the floor of the house
were H. H. Wilson of Lincoln , J. A.
Douglas of Bassett , the Northwestern-
Union Pacific candidate for spealcrr
two years ago , and othf r lesser lights ,
while Judge F. G. Hamer iiuns over
the railing- see his son , Tom Hamer.
deliver the goods to the railroads
Those who argued were Hamer of
Buffalo , Wilson of Custer. Killen of
Gage , while McMullen chimed in just
as the debate was about completed
and moved for * he committee to arise
and report progress. For the bill were
Clarke of Douglas , Jenlson of CJay
and Harrison of Otoe , while Speaker
Nettleson objected to the committee
arising.
* *
DUcussioii Becomes Warm.
The ( Sabate on the report of tha
committOS on manufactures and com
merce roesnnmending that the amend
ed pure oed bill be passed to third
reading Without giving an opportunity
to discuss the amendments offered
was the most heated of any discussion
in the senate this session. It was
held under the guise of explanation of
votes dur.'ng the roll call , but under
a ruling of President Hopewell it be
came a running discussion , in which
personalities played a prominent part.
The discussion got clear away from
the presiding officer , and once when he
ruled Epperson out of order the giant
from Clay county refused to accept the
ruling and told the president he would
have to g-et the sergeant at arms to
throw him out before he would quit.
* * *
"The Omaha Sponge. "
Another thing noticeable in all the
talks which the railroad spokesmen
had been drilled by the professional
lobbyists Co make in that they harped
upon the theme of "The ' Omaha'
Sponge"pamphlet put out over the
names of Tax Commissioner Pollard ,
of the Burlington , . and Tax Agent
Scribner , of the Union Pacific , and
sought to fan the flames of prejudice
of the staf'e against Omaha , reckless of
consequences. Omaha was pictured in
lurid colors as a thief seeking to rob
poor "shoestring towns" which the
generous railroads were trying to help.
"If this is a reform movement , " ex
claimed Killen of Gage , "it is one of
greed for the sole benefit of Omaha. "
o * *
Railroads Fighting Hard.
Among the army of railroad lobby
ists and manipulators who swooped
down on the legislature Tuesday to
prevent favorable action on the ter
minal taxation bill was F. W. Crew , of
St. Paul. The special object of the
visit of Mr. Crew is to work on the
member from Howard county and try
to induce him to desert the taxpayers
of the state and drag the railroad
chestnuts .out of the fire by voting
against the bill to compel the railroads
to pay city and village tax.
* * *
Railroads Must Provide Cars.
The railroad committee voted a fa
vorable report on Sackett's reciprocal
demurrage bill prescribing penalties
for failure of railroads to provide cars
within a reasonable time after applica
tion by shippers.
Hoiv He Proposed.
"Did you hear about Flossie being en
gaged ? " asked the first young thing.
"No. Is it true ? "
"Yes , and it's the most romantic
thing you ever heard of. You know
Egbert Tigsmoe has been paying at
tention to her for more than a year. "
"Yes. "
"Well , yesterdcy morning Flossie
was helping her mother clean house ,
and she had on an old skirt that she
has tried to give to every cook they
have bad for two years. And sbe had
on an old waist that'had those great
big balloon sleeves , you know "
"Yes , yes ! "
"And her hair was all draggling
down into her eyes ; and she had been
taking down pictures and dusting them ,
and there were smears of dirt every
way across her face ; and her hands
were in horrible great big gloves ; and
she was wearing an old pair of carpet
slippers that belonged to her father.
And of all things ! "
"Yes , yes. What then ? "
"Egbert proposed to her while she
was looking like that. "
"He did ? "
"He did , and , of course , she accepted
him. "
"Well , a man 'who is so deeply in
love that he will propose to a girl
when she looks that way deserves to' be
accepted. "
"Yes , but Egbert proposed over the
telephone. " Omaha Bee.
One of the BarljTJnsettler * .
Aaron Burr was hunting for Blenner-
hassett's island.
"It's somewhere along here , I know , "
he muttered , consulting his map again.
Tying his skiff to a tree near the tqp
of & neighboring bluff he waited for tbt
Ohio river td stobsfde.
ON VERGE 01A PANIC.
BIG SLUMP IN STOCKS JARS
WALL STREET.
Most Frantic Liquidation in Year * .
Resulting : in c f 5OOOOOOOO L.OSN ,
Causes Consternation Among ; Big ?
Bankers and Railway Magnates.
For .several hours Wednesday Wall
street was so close to a panic that the
thousands who thronged the brokers'
offices , cafes and other places between
the hours of 10 and 3 expected that the
crash would come any moment and
that the wild scenes enacted in the
great panic day of May 9 , 1901 , would
be repeated. That there was no actual
panic was due almost wholly to the
fact that the public , which speculates
on margins , has been virtually out of
stocks for three months and the game
is almost entirely confined to profes
sionals , who are usually able to weath
er such storms. At one time , however ,
there were rumors that several of the
big houses which trade on their ow.n
account were in , a critical position , but
when the settlement hour had passed it
tvas known they had been able to pull
through.
Wall street charges the day's demor
alization to the attitude of the admin
istration toward the great railroads of
the country and some persons discerned
in it an object Jesson for President
Roosevelt A New York correspondent
says , however , that most judges of the
situation saw in a complete absence of
public buying , even at the bargain
prices which now prevail , the wide
spread disgust with the stock-jobbing
methods of those who control the great
railroads of the country , the stock-wa
tering processes of which they have
been guilty , the general indifference on
their part to the rights and interests of
the public and the defiance by the cor
porations of laws designed to regulate
and control them. It has been years
since the public has failed to respond
to the low range of prices which was
established by Wednesday's buying.
The panic was not averted by outside
buying. Whatever support there was
came from the banking interests , who
interposed their influence to prevent
complete disorder.
The crash was by far the worst since
the Northern Pacific scare. It was
much more radical , for instance , than
either of the two recent big market
breaks , and it was more significant be
cause , succeeding a decline of about
$600,000,000 in market values from the
high of last year , its effect is cumu
lative. The entire situation is engag
ing the attention of the President and
his Cabinet , the Governors and Legis
latures of States and money kings all
over the country.
President Roosevelt permitted it to
become officially known that he will
maintain the attitude he has assumed
regarding the railroad interests. To
use his own expression , he will "stand
pat" This applies both to anti-trust
laws and the Hepburn bilL
Expected action by Secretary Cortel-
Schoolmasters in Paris and other large
cities of France have been forming them
selves into "syndicates" or unions , which
are affiliated with the general labor fed
eration. The movement was instigated
by the socialists , and the teachers do not
conceal that their purpose is to spread
socialistic doctrines. Thus , the problem
is presented of schools supported by the
whole people becoming the instrument of
one political party. Special legislation
may be necessary.
Supt. John F. Riggs of Iowa , in his
annual report , urges legislation to sup
press fraternities and secret societies
among public school pupils. He regards
such organizations as a standing menace
to discipline , and as promoters of clannishness -
nishness and snobbery , while they place
allegiance to the fraternity above that due
the school. He says , also , that they lead
to extravagance , and sometimes to dissi
pation , and militate against the demo
cratic spirit of the public school.
The latest annual report of United
States Commissioner of Education Elmer
E. Brown , covering the year 1905 , shows
a total of 18,890,213 pupils in public and
private schools. The length of the school
term in days averaged 150.3. There were
at work 111,195 male teachers and 348-
532 female teachers. The cost of public
THE NEW YORK STOCK EXCHANGE
you of the Treasury Department to
stem the tide of decline gave a ray
of hope to the street before the open
ing Thursday. The Secretary an
nounced that owing to the stringency
in the money market the $30,000,000
of government funds , deposited with
the banks last September , would not
he recalled at once , as had been in
tended.
Panicky conditions of Wednesday in
Wall street were repeated Thursday ,
lower points throughout the list were
reached , and two failures were report
ed in London.
Private Flats on Steamers.
The Atlantic transport line , whose
steamers ply between New York and Lon
don , announce that its vessels will soon
be installed with complete private apart
ments , similar to those in which thou
sands of people in all our great cities
now live. These will differ from the pro-
Tailing steamer suite , in that each will
have a private hall , bedrooms , parlor ,
library , bath , etc. Each flat will he 80
fcet In length , and have a width of 15
and tfcerindocra Trill loot n deck.
MONEY VS. PATRIOTISM.
Cincinnati Post
education was $3.49 per capita. Commis
sioner Brown notes the rapid increase in
the numher of students receiving second
ary instruction.
Educational leaders will be watching
with great interest the experiment about
to be undertaken by the Philadelphia
board of education in fitting up a public
school house as a sort of public or neigh
borhood club for the boys and girls. There
will be a reading room , a play room and
a place for lectures or entertainments ,
while provision will be made for manual
training , the entire expense to be borne-
by the city. The building will be open
two evenings a week from 7 to 9 and the
attendance will be voluntary.
A prize offered in New York for the
best school room game for girls has been
awarded to Max Liebgold for a game
which he calls balloon ball. Instead of
balls , small balloons are used , the object
of opposing terms being to project them
through the air over elevated tape lines
representing goals. The lightness of the
balloons makes it difficult to direct their
course , but only adds to the interest , while
the exercise of looking upward and rais
ing the arms above the head is thought
to be beneficial , especially after periods
of Btudy , daring which itudents are bend-
imr over 4bir books.
SEVEN YEARS IN JAIL.
Caleb Powers Perhaps Most Noted
Prisoner ii the Country.
It has oeen seven years since the arrest
of Caleb Powers , charged with conspiracy
in the assassination of William Goebel in
Kentucky. He is probably the most re
markable prisoner in the United States.
Ilis long confinement in jail and his
three convictions , his two sentences to
the penitentiary for life , his one sentence
to be hanged by the neck till dead , his
hopes of escape from the State courts
dashed by the Supreme Court of the
United States all this he has borne with
fortitude.
Powers' spirit is unbroken. The moun
taineer , from his cell in the jail at
Georgetown , Ky. , has voiced a fervent
CALEB POWERS.
protest against the appointment of Judge
Robbins as the special judge to sit in
his fourth trial , because this is the judge
who sentenced him to death in the third
trial. This appointment is by Gov. J. 0.
W. Beckham.
During his long stay in many jails ,
Powers has kept himself constantly em
ployed , that he might not brood over his
troubles , and has adhesed to a rigid sys
tem of exercise. As a result he is phy
sically and mentally in good condition and
hopeful of being vindicated some day.
Out in the mountains of Knox county
a devoted mother is clinging to life in the
hope of seeing her son restored to free
dom. As before , his case will be fought
with the funds of people all over the Unit
ed States , who believe him the victim of
partisan hatred.
For Caleb Powers declares he was 60
miles from Frankfort when an assassin's
bullet laid low William Goebel , who was
driving the Legislature to name him Gov
ernor. Now , the prosecution for the
fourth time will try to establish that the
fatal shot was fired from the window of
Powers' office in the State House by a
hired assassin.
In July , 1900 , he got his first trial , was
convicted and sentenced to life. The
Court of Appeals rejected the finding of
the court. Again he was tried and given
a life sentence , and saved by the Court
of Appeals. In 1903 he was again con
victed and sentenced to death , the Court
of Appeals also annulling this trial. For
a while in 1905 he was in the hands of
the United States Court , but the Supreme
Court of the United States sent the case
back to the State courts as having full
jurisdiction.
Notes of Current Events * ,
The three-story wooden grain elevator
of 0. B. Tilton in Nashua , N. H. , was
burned. The loss is $4,000.
Italian officials have decided that the
excavations at Herculaneum will be car
ried out by the Italian government with
out foreign aid.
Prof. Matteucci of the Vesuvius observ
atory denies that he prophesied the possi
ble destruction of the world by a comet.
A dispatch from Tangier asserts that
a French syndicate has erected wireless
telegraph stations at nearly all the Mo
roccan ports , including Tangier.
The George Washington university has
appointed an alumni committee and a citi
zens' committee to raise $400.000 to pur
chase a new site for the institution.
It has become known ra Rome that
Spain is ready to indorse the Anglo-
American proposition at The Hague con
ference for the limitation of armaments.
FARMERS MILLIONS AHEAD.
finreans of Agricultural Department
Estimate Yearly Benefits.
The people profit $231,000,000 anmi-
ally by the work of the Agricultural
Department according to the estimates
of the bureau officials , just made public
In the report of the Committee on Ex
penditures in the Agricultural Depart
ment , which has spent the entire ses
sion Investigating the department
The Bureau of Animal Industry leads
the list with an annual valuation of
$50,000,000 , of which $100,000 Is be
cause of the experiments making hens
lay more plentifully.
Chief Willis J. Moore , of the Weath
er Bureau , says his bureau annually
benefits the people $30,000,000.
The Bureau of Plant Industry places
its value at $29,000,000. Of this $1QO-
000 is because of the saving by Intro
ducing the resilient co\v pea.
Dr. Harvey W. Wiley of the Bureau ,
of Chemistry thinks his office does $10-
000,000 of good. He places the Inves
tigation of sorghum syrup , the saving ;
from the investigation of the sugar beet
and the utilization of waste in mak
ing denatured alcohol at $1,000,000
each. He estimates the value of his
"poison squad" experiments in deter
mining the effects on health of 'food
preservatives and coloring matter at
$5,000,000. Dr. Wiley thinks his inves
tigation of the "sweet" or "hot" corn
industry is worth annually $230,000.
The Bureau of Biology , which , in ,
support of its estimate that it annually
benefits the people $3,000,000 , submitted
beautiful orange-colored maps labeled
"skunk area of the United States , " as
serts that $1,500,000 benefit was derived
from Its work among "coyotes and
wolves. " The biological survey appro
priation was left out of the agricultural
bill for the reason. that the money
asked was to be expended in "mapping :
districts In the United States which
would make ideal homes for frogs. "
The Bureau of Entomology thinks It
saves the people $22,000,000 a year , of
which $5,000,000 is because it was In
strumental In the "introduction of the
Australian lady-bird beetle. "
The Bureau of Public Roads is the
most modest of all , and only asserts It
benefits the people $873,000 a year.
The report severely criticises Chief
Moore of the Weather Bureau for his
expenditures on "Mount Weather , " the
research institution which he estab
lished in the Blue Ridge Mountains a't
a cost of $101,000 , for which Comptrol
ler Tracewell says , under existing law
there is no authority.
Secretary Wilson of the Department
of Agriculture is criticised for exceed
ing his authority in expending the ap
propriation for the new Department of
Agriculture building. Instead of com
pleting a structure for the entire de
partment , he spent the money fn build *
ing a single wing.
EDISON NOT TO QUIT.
Wizard of Electricity to Continue
Experiment. * Indefinitely.
When Thomas A. Edison celebrated his
60th birthday the other day the report
rras circulated in the papers that he had
decided to knock off work , so to speak ,
and begin his playtime as an altruistic
scientist. He was quoted as saying that
during all the forty-five years of his ex
periments with electricity he had been
turning the exertions into commercial
value so fast that he had no chance to
play with electricity for the fun of the
thing. It was said that he would devote
his time in the near future to perfecting
THOlfAS A. EDISON.
Jiis phonograph and to developing his sys
tem of submarine telegraphy. All of this
was interesting , if truebut , on the follow
ing day a friend of Edison said that this
playtime idea was one of the inventor's
lifelong illusions , and that it would prob
ably be impossible for him to finish the
commercial work'he was now engaged in.
for ten years or more. Nevertheless it
was true that he hoped to close his life
with a period devoted exclusively to hu
nanitarian work.
Interesting News Items ,
Assistant Paymaster Sypher , U. S. N. ,
has been dismissed from the navy on ac
count of technical embezzlement
Mark Twain has had made for him an
evening suit of white broadcloth , as a
protest against somber effects in clothing.
The House committee on naturalization ,
and immigration has decided to moke fa
vorable report on bills providing an appro
priation of $70,000 each for immigrant
stations at New Orleans , Galveston and
Charleston , S. C.
Picas of guilty to a violation of the
Sherman anti-trust act were entered in
the United States Court at Savannah ,
Ga. , by the S. P. Shelter Company , the
Patterson-Uotvnmg Company , the Stand
ard Naval Scores Company and S. P.
Shelter and J. F. C. Myers , individuals ,
known as the "turpentine trust" Fines ,
aggregating $30,000 were imposed.
