? oosevtiit S2nds Another Mes
sage to Rouse Present
Congress to Activity.
OF UTMOST IMPORTANCE
JoVonger Anti-Trust Law and Regula
tion of Labor and Capital Relations )
Are Grectly Needed Civic
Conscience Firmer.
"Washington. April 2S. The president
dins sent another special message to
congrivss , strongly urging the passage
-of measures which he has from time to
time rf-tornnu-nded. He lays special
emph : < sis on the importance of legisla
tion Jo < lo away v.-ith abuse of the power -
er of iijunction , amendments to the
anti-m.st law and a bill strengthen
ing t.c ! Htpburn rate law. The mes
sage is : T appeal to the public con-
scicnee ; < s well as to the congi-ess whose
. policy is to do nothing. The message
follows :
To the Jt-r.ato cuid House of Representa
tive.--
In my m ssase to the congress of March
-S5 , ll * s. T t iulineu certain measures which
I bfli vthe majority of our country
men J-'s.t. to have enacted into law at
this linn. Those measures do not rep
resent by any means alTthat 1 would like
to .on" if I thought it possible , but
they do r 'i > rtsent what I believe can now
be don1 ; f an earnest effort toward th's
end if result * .
Slni'f I wrote this
message an employ
ers' ILibil.ty law has been enacted which ,
Jt is true , i umi's short of what ought to
have been done , but which does represent
a real acv iiioe Apparently there is good
ground if- nope that there will be further
legislator providing for reccmpensing all
-employ * s who suffer injury while engaged
In the | ; ; : : < > service : that there will be a
child-lahnr law enacted for the District
of Columbia : that the waterways commis-
sidn will t > < -on tinned with sufficient
financial support to increas" the effectiveness -
\ ness of preparatory work : that steps
will be t.k < n to provide for .such investi
gation into tariff conditions , by the ap
propriate committee of the House of Representative
resentative- and by government experts
In th < - euavo service , as will secure
the full information necessary for imme
diate aotrs in revising the tariff at the
hands cf iho congivfs fleeted next fall :
-and llralh , : hat financial legislation will
be onactn. providing for temporary meas
ures for mooting any trouble that may
arise in i ! , < _ - next year or two. and for a
coraml.s.--Ior. of experts who shall thor
oughly ir.stisrato th - whole matter , both
hero and in the grvat commercial coun
tries abroad. o as to bo able to recom
mend leci iation which will put our finan-
clal sy.c'rr. on an efficient and perma
nent basiIt is much to be wished that
one f < = atur of the financial legislation of
this scss. < i. should be tiie establishment
of postal < -n-ing brinks. Ample appropria
tion s ! io"'J l-e made to enable the Inter-
eta ts Cor.mierco commission to carry out
the vtry important feature of the Hep
burn laviliich gives to the commission
supervision and control over the account
ing syst'-ir.s of the railways. Failure to
provide m. an.-s which will enable the com
mission to examine the books of the rail
ways would amount to an attack on the
law at it- most vital point , and would
benelit , a- nothing i-lse could benefit ,
those railways which are corruptly or in
competently managed. Forest reserves
should b established throughout the Ap-
palat hian mountain region wherever it
can be si-own that they will have a di
rect and r a ! connection with the conservation
vation a : , J improvement of navigable
rivers.
There scorns , however , much doubt
about tv.-f of tjie measures I have recom
mended : : h ; measure to do away with
abuse of te ! power of injunction and the
measure < . uroup of measures to strength
en and render both more efficient and
more wi * < th control by the national gov-
ernmem r tht gixat corporations doing
.an imv-rs'.tU' 'isln ps.
Fir. t , . : - t < t tin- power of injunction and
of punisiUTi for contempt. In contempt
casts. sawhen. . - immediate action 5s im-
I > erat.v . the trial should be before an
other juditt. As regards injunc
tions , seme such legislation as that
I luve T-r vioutly recommended should
fcc eiac : < . < ! . They are blind who
fail to r allze the extreme bitterness
caused among1 Urge bodies of worthy citi
zens by : i. ' u.so that has been repeatedly
niad < of i.'ie power cf injunction in labor
disputes. Those in whose judgment we
have n.ost rij.-ht to trust are of the opinion
that wliiniuh ! of the compiaint against
the use oi thi ; injunction is unwarranted ,
3'ct that i : is unquestionably true that
In a imrJ- of t-asi-s ibis power lias
been usj ; o the grave injury of the
rights < > i laboring men. 1 usk that it
be limiti : j-crao such way as that I
2iavo alr -y poiiutil out in my previous
cnessag--- . r-ir the very reason that I do
not wish : > sc-e an embitiered effort made
to destroy it- li is unwise stubbornly to
refuse l" i'1'jyi'ie against a repetition of
"the abuses which have caused the present
-uijr.-st. ; ; : a democracy likes ours it is
Idle 10 ojiwet permanently to thwart the
determir.i-ifin of the great body of our
citizens. Jt may be and often is the
iilghest dy ; of a court , a legislature , oran
-an executive , to resist and defy a gust
of popular pass-.on ; and most certainly
no public = . < -rvant. whatever may be the
conseqiK-iK PP to himself , should "yield to
what he : ) ; iiiks wrong. But in a ques
tion wiii'is emphatically one of public
policy. } . - . policy which the public de-
Tnanda i- : > -ire in the end to be adopted ;
and a : > rsij-tent refusal to grant to a
largo por-n of our people what is right
is only : . . ! apt in the end to result in
causingsu'h irritation that when the right
Js obta.ned it is obtained In the course
of a mov < inent so III considered and vlo-
.Jent as to ex accompanied by much that
'ia wrong. The process of injunction In
labor di.-p-.itcs. as well as where state
laws are involved , .should be used spar-
Jngly. ar.d or.ly when there is the clear-
cst necessity for it ; but it is one so
.necessary to the efficient performance of
duty by the court on behalf of the nation
that it is in the highest degree to be
; regrett-d that it should be liable to reck
less use ; for this reckless use tends to
snake nor.c.-t men desire so , to hamper its
< : cution ; is to destroy its'usefulness.
Every far-sighted patriot should protest
tflrst of nil against the growth In this
countrv of that evil thing which is called
"class consciousness. " The demagogue ,
-the sinisi'r or foolish socialist visionarv
-who stnv s to arouse this feeling of class
eonociousr.rss in our working people , docs
* a foul and evil thing : for he Is no true
America : ) , he is no self-respecting citizen
of this republic , he forfeits his right to
jQtand with manly self-reliance on a foot
ing of entire equality with all other citi
zens , who bows to envy and greed , who
erects the doctrine of class hatred into
a. shibboleth , who substitutes loyalty to
sncn of a particular status , whether richer
or poor , for loyalty to those eternal and
Immutable principles of righteousness
Curious of the Future.
From The Youth's Companion.
"Have you fixed up my will just the
Way I told youV" asked the sick man ,
who was the possessor of many needy
relatives and some well-to-do but to
grasping ones.
"I have , " asserted the lawyer.
rtJust as strong and tight as you can
snake it , eh ? " asked his client.
The lawyer nodded.
"All right , " said the sick man. "Now
I want to ask you one thing not pro
fessionally who do you think stands Cb
the best chance of getting the prop Ca
erty when I'm gone ? " a :
which bid UH treat each man on his wort !
a.s a man without regard to his wealth
or his poverty. But evil though the in
fluence of these demagogues and vision
aries is , it is no worse in ita consequences
than the Influence exercised by the man
of great wealth or the man of powe
and position In the Industrial world , whc
by his lack of sympathy with , and lacl
of understanding of , still more by an >
exhibition of uncompromising hostility to
the millions of our working people , tend :
TO unite them against their fellow-Ameri
eans who are better off in this world's
g' ods. It ia a bad thing to teach our
working people that men of means , tha
men who have the largest proportion of
the substantial comforts of life , are nec
essarily greedy , grasping and cold-hearted
and that they unjustly demand and ap
propriate more than their share of the
substance of the many. Stern condem
nation should be visited upon demagogue
and visionary who teach this untruth , anc
even sterner upon those capitalists who
are In truth grasping and greedy an
brutally disregardlful of the rights of
others , and who by their actions teacl
th ; dreadful lesson far more effectivclj
thnn any mere preacher of unrest. A
"class grievance" left too long without
remedy breeds "clns < consciousness"
then-fore class resentment.
The strengthening of the anti-trust
is demanded upon both moral and eco
nomic grounds. Our purpose in strength
ening it is to secure more effective con
trol by the national government over the
business use of the v.tst masses of in
dividual , and especially of corporate ,
wealth , which at the present time mo
nopolize most of the Interstate business
of tiie country ; and we believe the con
trol can best be exercised by preventing
the growth of abuses , rather than merely
by trying to destroy them when they have
already grown. In the highest sense of
the word this movement for thorough con
trol of the business use of this great
wealth is conservative. We arc trying to
steer a safe middle course , which alone
can save us from a plutocratic class gov
ernment on the one hand , or a socialistic
class government on the other , either of
which would be fraught with disaster to
our free Institutions , state and national.
Wo are trying to avoid alike the evils
which would flow from government owner
ship of the public utilities by which in
terstate commerce Is chielly carried on ,
and the evils which flow from the riot
and chaos of unrestricted individualism.
There : s grave danger to our free in
stitutions in the corrupting influence exer
cised by great wealth suddenly concen
trated in the hands of the fw. . We should
in sane manner try to remedy this dan-
er. in spite of the sullen opposition of
these few very powerful men. and with
the full purpose to protect them in all
their rights at the very time that we
require them to deal rightfully with oth
ers.
ers.When
When with steam and electricity modern
business conditions went through the as-
ioundiig : revolution which in this country
began over half a century ago , there was
at first much hesitation as to what par-
icular governmental agency should be
ised to grapple with the new conditions.
At almost the same time , about twenty
years since , the effort was made to con
trol combinations by regulating thorn
through the Interstate Commerce commis
sion , and to abolish them by moans of
the anti-trust act : the two remedies there
fore being in part mutually incompatible.
The interstate commerce law has pro
duced admirable results , especially since
it was strengthened by the Hepburn law
two years ago. The anti-trust law , though
it worked some good , because anything
is better than anarchy and complete ab
sence of regulation , nevertheless has
proved in many respects not merely in
adequate but mischievous. Twenty years.
ago the misuse of corporate power had'
produced almost every conceivable form
of abuse , and had worked the gravest
injury to business morality and the pub
lic conscience. For a long time federal
regulation of interstate commerce had
been purely negative , the national Judici
ary merely acting in Isolated cases to
restrain the state from exorcising a power
which it was clearly unconstitutional as
well as unwise for thorn to exercise , but
which nevertheless Die national. govern
ment itself failed to exercise. Thus the
corporations monopolizing commerce made
the law for themselves , state power and
common law boinpr inadequate to accom
plish any effective regulation , and the
national power not yet having been put
forth. The result was mischievous in the
extreme , and only short-sighted and utter
failure to appreciate the grossness of the
evils to which the lack of regulation gave
rise , can excuse the well-meaning persons
who now desire to abolish the anti-trust
law outright , or to amend it by simplv
condemning "unreasonable" combinations.
Power should unquestionably be lodged n
somewhere in the executive branch of the
government to permit combinations which
will further the public Interest ; but it
must always bo remembered that , as re- iiw
crards the great and wealthy combinations tl
tltl
through which most of the interstate busi tl
ness of today is done , the burden of proof tlti
should be on them , to show that they ti
have a right to existJ No judicial tribunal tift
has the knowledge or the experience to ft
determine in the first place whether a ftP
given combination Is advisable or neces e
sary in the interest of the public. Some E
body , whether a commission or a bureau Esi
under the department of commerce and sin
labor , should be given this power. My U
personal belief is that ultimately we shall o
have to adopt a national Incorporation a
law , though I am v.-oll awara that this si
may be impossible at present. Over the sia
actions of the executive body in which S
the power is placed the courts should f
possess merely a power of review analog c
ous to that obtaining in connection with tl
the work of the tltl
Interstate Commerce com tl
mission at present. To confer this power tlCJ
would not be a leap in the dark ; it would CJi
merely be to carry still further the the in
ory of effective governmental control of inm
corporations which was responsible for m
the creation of the Tnterstato Commerce si
commission and for the enlargement of tl
its pDv/ers , and for the creation of the tlei
bureau of corporations. The "ntorstate ei
commerce legislation has worked admira eiPi
bly. It has benefited the public : it has sc
benefited honestly managed and wiselv tl
conducted railroads : and in spite of the tloj
fact that the business of the country has oj
enormously increased , the value of this
federal legislation has been shown by the tl
way in which it has enabled the federal tlb
government to correct the most pro Cf
nounced of the great and varied abuses Cfcl
which existed in the business world twen ti
ty years ago while the many abuses that tim
still remain emphasize the need of fur
ther and more thorough-going legislation. Pi
Similarly , the bureau of corporations has tc
amply Justified its creation. In other cc
words. It is clear that
the principles em tl
ployed to remedy the great evils in the tlm
business world have worked well , and they isi
can now be employed to correct the evils
that further commercial growth has fa
brought more prominently to the surface faei
The powers and scope of the Interstate fret
Commerce commission , and of any similar ot
body , such as the bureau of corp'orations fr
which has to deal with the matter In P
hand , should be greatly enlarged so as fa
to meet the requirements of the present tli
day. tliui
day.The ui
The decisions of the supreme court in uiA
the Minnesota and North Carolina cases A
Illustrate how Impossible is a dual con PC
trol of national commerce. The states st
cannot control it All they can do is to th :
control Intrastate commerce , and this now cc
forms but a small fraction of the commerce - St
morco carried by the railroads '
through fo
each state. Actual experience lias shown of
that the. effort at state control , is sure to th
be nullified in one way or another sooner COte
or later. The nation
alone can act with tear
effectiveness and wisdom ; It should have tom
the control both of the business and of
the agent by which the business la done ar
for any attempt to separate this control th
must result In grotesque absurdity. This thm
means that we must rely upon national to
legislation to prevent the commercial fr
abuses that now exist and the others that st (
ire sure to arise
unless some efficient br
governmental body has adequate
power of er :
The Art of Punctuation.
From the Boston Transcript.
Returning1 from school the other aft
ernoon , little Edith proudly informed '
her mother that she had learned how I
"punctuate. " Al
"You see , mamma. " explained Edith , kr
when you write 'scat' you put a hat
pin after it , and when you ask a ques Lr
tion , then you put down a button th
hook. " ip
The police department of Canton ,
China , has issued a proclamation for se :
bidding the sale of the flesh of dogs les
and cats ag food.
control over them. At present tne failure
of the congress to utilize and exorcise the
great powers conferred upon It as regards
Interstate commerce leaves this commerce
to be regulated , not by the state nor yet
by the congress , but by the occasional
and necessarily Inadequate and one-sided
action of the federal judiciary. However
upright and able a court is , it cannot
act constructively ; it can only act nega
tively or destructively , as an agency of
government ; and this means that the
courts are and must always be unable
to deal effectively with a problem liJr
the present , which requires constructive
action. A court can decide what is faulty ,
but it has no power to make better what
it thus finds to be faulty. There should
be an efficient executive body created with
power enough to correct abuses and scope
enough to work out the complex problems
that this great country has developed. Jt
is not sufficient objection to say that such
a body may be guilty of unwisdom or
of abuses. Any governmental body ,
whether a court or a commission , whotlur
executive , legislative or judicial , if given
power enough to enable it to do effective
work for good , must also inevitably re
ceive enough power to make it possibly
effoetivo for .evil.
Therefore/it Is clear tint ( unless a na i
tional incorporation law can be fnr'hwrth
enacted ) some body or bc-die * in the exe
cutive service should bo given power to
pass upon any combination or agreement
in relation to interstate commerce , and
every such combination or agreement not
thus approved should be treated as in
violation of law and prosecuted accord
ingly. The Issuance of the securities of
any combination doing interstate business
should be. under the supervision of the
national government.
A strong effort has been made to have
labor organizations completely exempted
from any of the operations of this law.
whether or not their acts are in restraint
of trade. Such exception would In all
probability make the bill unconstitutional ,
and the legislature has no more right to
pass a bill without regard to whether it
is constitutional than the courts have
lightly to declare unconstitutional a law
which the legislature has solemnly en
acted. The responsibility is as great on
the one side as on the other , and an
abuse of power by the legislature in
one direction is equally to be con-
dt mnod with an abuse of power by the
courts in the other direction. It Is not
possible wholly to except labor organiza
tion from the workings of this law , and
they who insist upon totally excepting
them are merely providing that their
status shall be kept wholly unchanged ,
and that they shall continue to be ex
posed to the action which they now dread.
Obviously , an organization not formed for
profit should not be required to furnish
statistics in any way as complete as those
furnished by organizations for profit.
Moreover , so far as labor is engaged in
production only , its claims to be exempted
from the anti-trust law are sound. This
would substantially cover the- right of la
borers to combine , to strike peaceably ,
and to enter inro trade agreements with
: he employers. But when labor undor-
: akes in 'a wrongful manner to prevent the
distribution and sale of the products of
labor , as by certain forms of the boycott ,
it has left the Held of production , and its
action may plainly be in restraint of in
terstate trade , and must necessarily be
subject to inquiry , exactly as in the rase
) f any other combination for the pur-
jose , so as to determine whether such ac-
: ioii is contrary to sound public pol.cy.
The heartiest encouragement should be
given to the wagcworkers to form labor
unions and to enter Into agreements with
their employers ; and their right to strike ,
so long as they act peaceably , must be
reserved. But we should sanction neith
er a boycott nor a blacklist which would
be illegal at common law.
The measures 1 advocate are in the in-
.crest both of decent corporations and of
aw-abldiiig labor unions. They are ,
noreover , pre-eminently in the interest
of the public , for in my judgment the
American people have definitely made up
their minds that the days of the reign of
the great law-defying and law-evading
corporations are over , and that from this
time on the mighty organizations of cup- SI
tal necessary for the transaction of busi- SICl
icss under modern conditions , while en ClCl
couraged so long as they act honestly 01
and in the interest of the general public ,
ire to be subjected to careful supervision
and regulation of a kind so effective as to S1
nsure their acting in the interest of the
people as a whole. ti
Allegations are often made to the ef tia
fect that there Is no mil need for those
aws looking to the more effective control o
of the great corporations , upon the ground od
hat they will do their work well without
buch control. I call your attention to the "
accompanying copy of a report just sub c
mitted : by Nathan Matthews , chairman of tl
he i finance commission , to the mayor and tlas
city : ! council of Boston , relating to certain asst
evil practices of various corporations stPi
which have been bidders for furnishing to tl
the city iron and stool. This report shows tlT
that there have been extensive combina In
tions formed among the various corpora st
tions which have business with the city of stm
Boston , Including , for instance , a care si
fully planned combination embracing
practically all the firms and corporations
engaged ] in st'ructura.1 steel work in New
England. This combination included sub
stantially a.11 the local concerns , and
many of the largest corporations in the
n
United States , engaged in manufacturing
or : furnishing structural stool for usq in
any : part of New England ; it affected the
states , the cities and towns , the railroads
and : street railways , and generally all per k
sons having occasion to use iron or steel kg'
for any purpose in that section of 'the rn
country. ( As regards the city of Boston ,
rnH
the combination resulted In parceling out H
the work by collusive bids , plainly dishon
est , and supported by false affirmations. si
In Its conclusion the commission recom sim
mends as follows : m
Comment on the moral meaning of these tl
methods and transactions would seem tly
superfluous ; but as they were defended at
y
the public hearings of the commission and
asserted to be common and entirely prop
incidents of business life , and a those Si
practices have been freely resorted to by
some of the largest industrial corporations 01
that the world has over known , the com
mission deems it proper to record its own
opinion. te
The commission dislikes to believe that
these practices are , as alleged , established
by : the general custom of the business
community ; and this defense itself , if un in
challenged , amounts to a grave accusa
tion against the honesty of present busi it :
ness methods. iths
To answer an Invitation for public or hs
private work by sending in wliat purports
be genuine bids , but what in reality are
collusive figures purposely made higher fr
than the bid which is known will be sub
mitted by one of the supposed competitors ai
an act of plain dishonesty.
To i support these misrepresentations by
false affirmations in writing that the bids
ire submitted in good faith , and without
"raud , collusion , or connection with any
Dther bidder , is a positive and deliberate w
fraud ; the successful bidder in the com nc
petition is guilty of obtaining money by
'alse pretense ; and the others have made
hemselves parties to a conspiracy clearly
inlawful at the common law. pt
Where , as In the case of the "Boston
Agreement ; , " a number of the most im-
jortant manufacturers and dealers in wl
structural steel In this country. Including
ho American Bridge company , one of the Sti
constituent members of the United States
Steel corporation , have combined together
til
.or the purpose of raising prices by moans
collusive bids and false representations ,
.heir conduct Is not only repugnant to pc
jommon honesty , but Is plainly obnoxious
the federal statute known as the Sher- ea
nan or anti-trust law.
The commission believes
that an ox- CO
imple should bo made of these men and eh
hat the members of the "Boston Agree-
nent , " or at least all those who. in Oc- CO
ober and November , 1905 , entered in the Tl
raudulent ; competitions for the Cove Pi' '
treet ; draw span and the Brookline street de
rldge , should be brought before a fod- ar
ral grand Jury for violation of the act an
What She Thought.
We were talking about honors , and o
heard the story about Sir Lawrence
Uma-Tadema , R. A. , when he was
sighted.
"Oh. " said a lady friend , "dear Sir ff
-.awrence , I am so glad. I suppose now
hat you have been knighted you'll give
painting and live like a gentleman ? " : Ie
ou
A Montreal grain merchant recently Sc
ent an inquiry to London by the wlre- nil :
2ss system and received an answer in br
ass than two hours v , "
of congress of July 2 , K > jO. me tnre
"
years' limitation for" participation in these
transactions lias not yet olaiwed. 'and tlio
evidence obtained by the commission is
so complete that there should be no dif
ficulty in the government's securing a con-
viotion in this case.
I have submitted this report to the de
partment of justice for thorough investi
gation and for action if action shall prove
practicable.
Surely such a state of affairs as that
above sot forth emphasizes the need of
further federal legislation , not merely be
cause of the material benefits such legis
lation will secure , but above all because
this federal aotion should bo part , and a.
large part , of the campaign to wiH ; * > n our
people as a whole to a lively and effective
condemnation of the low standard of
morality implied in such conduct on the
part of great business concerns. The first
duty of every man is to provide a liveli
hood for himself and for those dependent
upon him ; it is from every standpoint de
sirable that each of our citizens should
endeavor by hard work and honorable
methods to secure for him and his such
a competence as will carry with it the op
portunity'to enjoy -n reasonable fashion
the comforts ami refinements of life ; and ,
fi rlhcrrr.ore , the nuin of great bu. ness
ability who obtains u fortune in upright ;
fashion inevitably in so doing confers a
benefit upon the community as u whole
and is entitled to reward , to respect , and
to admiration.
But among the many kinds of evil , so
cial , industrial , and political , which it is
our duty as a nation sternly to combat ,
there is'none at the name time more base
and more dangerous than the greed which
treats the plain and simple rules of hon
esty with oynioal contempt if they inter
fere with making a profit : and as a na
tion we can not bo held guiltless if wo
condone such aotion. The man who
preaches hatred of wealth honestly ac
quired , who inculcates envy and jealousy
and slanderous ill will toward those of his
follows who by thrift , energy , and in
dustry have become men of means , is a
menace to the community. But his coun
terpart in evil i ? to bo found in that par
ticular kind of multimillionaire who is al
most the least envible. and is certainly
one of the least admiiablo , of all our cit
izens ; a man of whom it has been well
said that his face has grown hard and
cruel while his body has grown soft :
whose son is a fool and his daughter a
foreign princess ; whose nominal pleas
ures are at host those of a tasteless and
extravagant luxury , and whose leal _ delight -
light , whose real life work , is the ac
cumulation and use of power in its most
sordid and least elevating form. In the
chaos of an absolutely unrestricted oom-
"
moroial individualism "under modern con
ditions , this is H typo that becomes prom
inent as inevitably as the marauder baron
bi-camo prominent in the physical ohaos
of the dark ages. \v > are striving for
legislation to minimize the abuses wbioh
give this type its flourishing prom'nenoe.
partly for the sake of what can bo ac
complished by the legislation itsolf. and
partly because the legislation marks our
participation in a great and stern moral
movement to bring our ideals and our con
duct into measurable aooord.
Theodore Roosevelt.
The White House , April 27. IMS.
In the report of the finance committee
to thrmavor and city oounoil of Boston ,
subjoined by the president to his message ,
the methods employed in the alleged col
lusions are considered under three heads
combinations among boilermakers , oom-
binatioi'R among contractors for fire proof
ing , and combinations between corpora
tions and firms engaged in the manufac
ture or supply of structural steel.
Under tlu- first heading the committee
charges that "some one familiar with the
operations of the school house department'
would furnish each person invited to bid
the names of the other persons to whom
invitations had boon extended. The con
cerns selected would then arrange be
tween themselves as to who should do the
work , as to the price to bo fixed and as
to the division of the profits.
The report names two companies as the
corporations found to be guilty of collu
sive practices in bidding for tire proofing
contracts , and says : "Theso companies
combined for the purpose of parcelling
out the work. Contract for contract was
generally oonoodod , although in some
cass money was paid a the price of ab
staining from competition. This resulted
ir high prices to the customer , and exac
tions were thus obtained from all sorts
and ; conditions of men and corporations. "
The portion of the report devoted to
combinations in the structural steel trade
deals with what is termed "tho Boston
agreement. " and the charge is made that
"in i order to preset ve the appearance of
competition < and to ensure the success of
the scheme of collusion , the parties to the
agreement would arrange the bids to be
submitted in a progressive scale abov-- the
prearranged bid of the concern to which !
the work had boon allotted. * * * " *
The members of the 'agreement' did not
hesitate to fortify their bids hy false
statements in writing that they wore
made in good faith , without fraud , collu
sion or connection with any other bidder. "
Proposing to a Widow.
From London Sketch.
He Would you think me very I
moan : , would it be bad taste on my part
She ( hastily ) Not a bit. !
lie But you don't know you can't
know what I was going to say. I was
going ' to say , would it be very imperti n
nent of me if-1 a
She ( tenderly ) I think I do know ,
T
Harry , and I can assure you that I
should not resent it in the least. ti
He Ah , but it was something1 much tiT
more serious than you imagine some
thing about P
She ( looking down ) Something about P
your < future life ?
He No ; not quite so serious as that.
Something about my present life.
She That's what I meant the sec-
jnd half of your present life.
He Oh. I'm only 21 , you know.
She T know ; but when a man con-
Lemplntes a great change in his life
He You did know , then ?
She Months ago , dearest. I read it
your eyes the first day we met.
lie By Jovel Then why , I've done
:
She ( weeping a little ) Harry , you
iiave swept nre off my feet !
He My love ! 1 know I was brutally
hi
frank , but don't cry.
She You men ! How irresistible you
ire ! th
-o i
How the Young Idea Shoots.
From Everybody's Magazine. fa
Many of the children are so crammed faD
vith : everything that they really know D
lothing.
In proof of this , read these1 veritable
specimens of ! definitions , written by nt
uiblic : school children :
"Stability is taking care of a stable. "
"A mosquito is the child of black and on
vhlte parents. "
"Monastery is the place for mon nil
itors. "
"Tocsin Is something to do with get-
ing drunk. " r
"Expostulation is to have the small-
ox. "
"Cannibal Is two brothers who killed as
ach other in the Bible. " asPI
"Anatomy is the human body , which PI '
onsists of three parts , the head , the be
hist and the sttimmick. The head
ontains the eyes and brains , if any. no
he chist contains the lungs and a
ilece of the liver. The stummlck is Hg
devoted to the bowels , of which there
Sc
live , a , e , i , o , u , and sometimes w
nd y. " de
'ater'r
FARM FACTS. La
One ounce of carbonate of potassium
each quart of rain water makes an
so
xcellent wash for mange or itch.
hi-
Vatch the affected parts once each
reek with this mixture and then wash
the mixture with clean rain water. ar
ar
For scratches In horses try this : Ox-
of zinc , one drain ; vaseline , one
unce. Never apply water to the legs , SOwl
leratches will never occur when the wl
iud has been allowed to dry and then
rushed 'ater' off without the application ol thi
ce <
SEASON OP TEE CYCLONE.
w-mK&m
. / * sf * iJ 17/1 % N . * " " * :
With nmiiy places yet unhcarrf frr-m. the o.-Uh list in the tornado \vhlclt"
recently devastated the States of Alabama. Mississippi. Louisiana and Geor *
gia is estimated at100 and the tally of injured exceeds 1.200. Arkansas con
tributes a list of three dead and thirty injured. The following table give *
the casualties in the towns so far heard from :
Killed. Injured.
Albcrtsvillo , Ala 1M " > " " >
Uergcn , Ala - ] . "
Cedar Creek. Ala 8 lli
Democrat. Ala 5 ( i
Fort Deposit , Ala 3 - >
Reids. Ala 2
v
Thomas Mill , Ala 2 1U
Warrior , Ala H T
Hector , Ark 3 30
Griflin. Columbus. Shipley , *
Locust Grove. Harris
City and McDonongh , Ga 15
Theme , ( ia. , district 0 T2
Cainoo. Ga 2
Stinson. ( in 3 . . .
Cove Springs district , Ga. 3f
Khifttoti. Ga o . . .
Amito , La 1. 100
WEATHER POP. MAY. /
St. Louis Forecaster Predicts Fierce
Storms , Snows and Frosts.
May is to be a continuous perform
ance of tornadoes , thunderstorms , hail
and frost. Rev. Iri R. Hicks lias hum ?
Oiit the dantrer signals in his long-dis
tance forecasts for the mouth , and
trouble is feared hy those who have
faith in his prognostications.
Violent thunderstorms , approaching
Loniadic violence in the West , heavy
rains and hail , followed by snow
squalls and sleet , are among the things
iiredicted.
Careful watching is advised hy the
St. Louis prognosticator early iu the
mouth as frost is due. High tempera
ture , daily rains and thunderstorms ,
ivith prohahle tornadoes , is on the
menu for the 33th to the IGth , and
Ioods over wide sections follow imme
diately. Much cooler weather is due
from the KStli to the 10th. From the
10th to the 22d is not seriously threat-
Miing. but look out for tornadoes , says
Mr. Hicks.
Quiet and calm and much warmer
intil the 24th will usher in the most
langerous period of the mouth , and
Monday. Tuesday and Wednesday , the
oth. 2 ; th and 27th , storms may be ex-
iccted to become very threatening , if
lot tornadic. The 27th is the twelfth
tnniversary : of the St. Louis cyclone.
Hie danger area extends over the cen-
ral and western parts of the country.
L'he month is to end in comparative
eace < , although seismic disturbance is
tossible < , from the 27th to the 31st.
The latest spring hats are almost as
ligh as their price.
The furnace-shaking days have gone ,
he saddest of the year.
Even Canada is banging the door in the
nee of Japanese immigrants.
After the marriages of the Dues and
hikes come the tailors' hills.
Time for "spring opening" of the milli-
ery stores and papa's pockethook.
Anarchy is , one imported plant that
tight to he pulled up hy the roots.
Only immensely rich people can afford
lore than one nobleman in the family.
A western bishop advises old maids to
pray for husbands. " Whose husbands ?
Other people can be just as unhappy
Mrs. Hetty Green on much less money.
Science has made the discovery that
'haraoh had toothache and gout. It will
possible to think more kindlv of him
ow.
ow.A
A Michigan man ate three electric
ghts in an attempt to commit suicide ,
ome people attempt to make light of
eath.
New York families of wealth appear
be able to buy everything but domestic
appiness. ,
If Uncle Sam has a billion dollars in
(
3ld in his pocket he ought to get over j
nervousness.
The United States will have the first
i-mored fleet that ever "looped the loop"
round the world.
China wants to see the American fleet.
(
if anything happens she will know
(
hat struck her.
Mmo. Anna Gould must be a believer in (
old adago. "If yon don't at first suc-
ed , try , try again. "
Killed. Injured *
Angle , La i ! 10
< 'addo Parish , Ln 2 8
Richland , La 4 ] < )
Adams County. Miss 2. 100
I'.axterville. Miss G 10
Church IIill. Miss 35 100
Columbus. Miss 1 4
Fayette County , Miss 3 73
McCallnm. Miss 12 33
MeLnin. Miss S 23
Xatchox. Miss. . - GO 200
Port Gibson. Miss 1 3
Purvis. Miss Gli 250
Wahalak. Miss : . S 33
\Vingate , Miss 3 10
Total 33G 1,171
Candidates of six political parties r&
ceived votes in the presidential election
of 1004. Only two of the parties \vcra
represented in the electoral vote. Eight
parties polled a vote in 1900 large
enough to be recorded ; six of theia
failed to choose a single presidential
elector.
In national elections the great major
ity of the voters remain loyal to one oa
the other of the old political parties.
Other parties are sometimes strong
enough to carry State elections in tha
West and the South , and by holding tha
balance of power to decide elections ia
the East.
Presidential electors have cast tlieir
votes for a third party candidate only
twice since the Civil War. The first
time Avas in 1892 , when Mr. Weaver ,
the People's party candidate , carried
Colorado. Idaho , Kansas and Nevada ,
and won an elector in North Dakota
ind in Oregon. Four years later Thomas
E. Watson.vho was a candidate for
the Vice Presidency with Mr. Bryan
on the People's party ticket , by means
of a coalition with the Democrats , di
vided with the Democratic Vice Pvesl-
dential candidate the electoral votes of
ten States. As floraee Greeley died
between the time of the popular vota
In November , 1S72. and the meeting of
the electors , the Democratic vote of that
year was distributed among other can
didates.
In the transition period election of
1SGO the electoral vote was divided
among one Republican , one Union and
two Democratic candidates ; but in 1S5Q
Millard Fillmore , as "American" an < J
Whig candidate , carried Maryland , and
received its electoral votes.
This year the number of independ
ent , or extra party , candidates is likely
to be large , but it is probable tluit all
the electoral votes will go either to the
Democratic or to the Republican can
didates as usual. Youth's Companion.
To U. c Furnace Waste Heat.
"To pick 100,000 horse-power off the
tops of eight roaring blast furnaces and
use it in performing a hundred giant
tasks is the purpose of the colossal ap
paratus now being installed in the won
derful steel plant building at Gary , Ind. , *
writes II. G. Hunting in the March Tech
nical World Magazine. Ey a heretofore
unthought of device this power will en
tirely displace steam in the great milla.
Thirts'-three huge gas engines are being
installed , each of 3,000 horse-power to
use the gas produced by the iron smelt
ers and convert it into electric power.
At the top of each of the blast furnaces
an outlet for the heated gas is provided
leading into a cleansing tube where th
dust is removed by means of a series of
tanks or "washers. " About 30 per cent
of the product is diverted to the blast
stoves to heat up in preparation for tha
air blast.
Dramatic Trust Formed.
An organization has been formed for
the purpose of effecting practically a con
trol of the dramatic material nocdad by
the hundreds of play companies in Amer
ica. Miss Marbury , the play broker , ia
president , and the company will have of
fices in New York , with branches in
Chicago , London , Paris , P erlin and Vi
enna. It is said that the "trust" already
controls about nine-tenths of tha fore
most playwrights of England , France ,
Germany. Austria and Italy , and the
number of authors enrolled on the booka
runs into the hundreds.