THE NORFOLK WKKKLY NlCW.S-.IOt'HN'AL , FRIDAY , MARCH 4 , 15)10. )
SPORTS OF THE DAY
WOLGAST TO
MAKE FORTUNE
STAGE OFFERS GALORE REACH
NEW LIGHTWEIGHT CHAMP.
NELSON IS OUT WITH A DEFI
Dane Offers to Bet Money In Three
Different Ways That He Can Beat
the Conqueror Wolgnst Won't Do
More Than Ten Weeks' "Stunt. "
San Francisco , Pub. i0. ! Deluged
with offers from theatrical promoter
for Wolgast to go on the road , Tom
Jones , his manager , has not made up
his mind which of the propositions
to accept. Wolgast will not take on
more than a ten weeks' engagement
at present , after which he will take a
rest.
It Is also announced that while Wol
gust will bo perfectly willing to de
fend his title against all coiners , ho
will refuse to consider a date for the
next three months. There is some
talk of a match between Wolgast and
Freddie Welsh , the English champion
but as Wolgast wants $20,000 for his
end there Is little chance of any ono
taking up the light.
The shifting of the lightweight title
has caused quite a shakeup. Whereas ,
there were not more than two meu
outside of Wolgast considered to have
u chance with the Dane , there Is now
n large Held to choose from. Welsh
is the shining star , but Owen Moran
has friends who think he would stand
a good chance.
Thompson Wants a Chance.
"Cyclone Johnny" Thompson Is an
other possibility and George Memsick
and Lew Powell will endeavor to press
their claims , and. finally , Battling Nel
son wants another chance.
The Dane , accompanied by his man
ager , Jack llobinson , and his brother.
Arthur , left for Chicago. In spite of
his defeat he will open a theatrical
engagement in Chicago tomorrow , but
he says lie will not play more than
three weeks. He plans to go to his
ranch In New' Mexico for a rest , and
will be ready to light in April.
Negotiations are now under way fern
n forty-live lound light heio between
Nelson and "Cyclone Johnny" Thomp
son before Louis Blot's club. Blot
has offered Nelson $ 10,500 for his end.
and the Dane is willing to accept.
The" only hitch is about the permit.
Blot has a March permit , but if he
can trade with Jim tSrlillii , who has '
the April permit , ho will > stnge the
light.
Nelson Makes a Proposition.
Nelson loked woebegone , but ho was
full of lighting spirit. He wants teen
fight Wolgast again and made this
proposition :
"I will bet Wolgast ? 5,000 even on
the result , lie ought to bo favorite
but I don't care. I will also bet him
|
$1,000 to $5,000 that 1 stop him in
twenty lounds and $5,000 to $10,000
that he doesn't stop * mo. "
According to the nuning picture
men the films of the light are good
and and the figures of the two men
remarkably large. It is probable the
interested parties will sell their rights.
Nelson says he lias been offered $ . .5.nd
000 for his 35 per cent interest and
Hester has received an offer of $20- >
000 for his end.
KETCHEL SIGNS ARTICLES.
Champion Will Fight Capon ! Before
Michinan Athletic Club.
Chicago , Feb. 26. Articles were
signed yesterday by Middleweight
Champion Stanley Ketchel and Tony
Caponi of Chicago for their fight at
Kahunazoo , Mich. The contest is to
take place on the night of March 10.
and both men are to weigh in at 160
opunds at 3 o'clock in the afternoon.
The bout will be staged by the Ran
dall Athletic elub in the Michigan
town.
COLUMBUS MAY GET IN.
Town Wanted to Complete Circuit
Finds Some Cause to Hope.
Columbus. Neb. , Feb. 26 Columbus
may decide to enter the state baseball
league the coining season. President
Henry Slevers of the recently organized ;
izod state baseball league was In the
city tills week and interviewed some
of the loral fans , and they have taker
up the question , with the result thai
an organized effort will bo made tc
secure money enough to make the
team a go , If possible. On account t o
its desirable location , Columbus if
easily reached fioni anywhere in tin
central part of the state , and this Is
strong point in favor of this city be
ing n member of the league. Am
then , besides the local attendance , tin
Union Pacific branches out of the city
would furnish a fair percentage i o
attendance.
JEFFRIES A CURIOSITY.
Big Crowd Assembles to See Boilei
maker Cash Check. Stop Traffic.
Los Angeles. Fob. 26. Jim Jeffrie
nearly caused n run on one of the big-
gest banks here today when he ei
tored to have a check cashed. The
crowd saw Jeffries go In , and al
eager to get a better view of the big
fellow , lined up in front to see him
come out
The crowd increased until trafll
was blocked and depositors of the
iiink. thinking a tun was In progress _
joined the throng. When Jeffries
. 'merged he was < ompolled to all but
light bin way through the mob and.
retreating to his cafe , locked himself
.n . his private olllco.
Ills fellow townsmen have made
Jeffries a popular Idol and ho hardly
dares show himself on the street , as
his appearance Is the signal for hun
dreds to make it rush to get a close
sight of him.
The Bowling Scores.
Strengthened by n week's hard prac
tice the first team of the banker's
bowling club retaliated Tuesday eve
ning and won the third gnmo of the
series by taking two. The second
team made a good showing and won
the first game , but fell off in the second
end and In the third game showed a
still weaker game falling lower than
their second game. Following is the
Individual scores and total pins made
Tuesday evening :
Flist Team.
Lodoror 145 109 127 381
Delnnoy 85 1HG 11G 1157
Hulac 108 li'O 97 HfiS
Hauptll lit 174 182 4G7
Total 440 593 f > 22 15G3
Second Team.
Haaso 91 121 77 289
Huelow 1GI 141 114 419
Stafford 128 130 111 369
Asmus 130 138 139 407
Total 513 530 441 1484
i Won Lost
. First 2 1
Second
NITROGEN THE SOIL'S NEED.
Missouri Lecturers Are Telling Farm
ers How to Get It.
Kansas City , Feb. 25. Every farmer
can't go to school and learn the sec
rets of scientific farming hence the
Missouri state board of agriculture
has started an agricultural university
extension course. S. M. Jordan , di
rector of Institutes , working under the
board and in conjunction with the
State Agricultural college , was in Kan
sas City yesterday. He is touring the
. state giving lectures for farmers and
was on his way to Columbia.
"We are holding meetings of from
one to six days in each place , " Mr.
Jordan said , "and the talks cover
all phases of farm work. Some of the
lectures are on domestic science for
the benefit of farmers' wives and
' daughters. At only one point in the
last two weeks was the hall large
enough to accommodate the attend
ance. At Appleton City , where a week's
. session closed Saturday , two overflow
. meetings were required to'accommo
. date the crowd. One of the pleasing
features of the work in Appleton City
is well as in Clinton , was the large
attendance of farmers' children. C.
M. Long and Professor Chandler gave
leituies on the general feeding and
care of live stock , with special refer
ence to the dairy and the work of
horticulture in its various forms. Pro
fessor Trowbridge discussed live stock
breeding , feeding and care of stock.
"My work treated of the methods
,
of increasing the fertility of our soil ,
u
and discussions of the various causes
for the comparatively low yields of
corn in the state , and endeavoring
to show that practically every one of
the causes for low yields is largely
within the control of the farmer him
self. Corn Improvement work is dis
cussed in all its phases ; the selection
.
of the heed and its testing , methods
-
of planting and cultivation , and the
use of catch crops for building up the
-
soil.
soil."A .
"A catch crop is any crop that Is
grown with or after any regular crop ,
such as cowpens , following wheat or
oats the same season , or being planted
itye
ed with the corn ; or where wheat , rye
or clover is planted in the corn to
t grow at the same time , for the pur
pose of affording pasture and prevent
ing the erosion of the soil and to add
to its fertility.
, "It is a fact that all our soils , es !
peclally those that have been grow
. ing continuously several years , aie ,
absolutely famishing for nitrogen. STOut
plant nor animal can exist without
nitrogen. Our soils have been de
pleted of that great element , yet In
the air above every acre of Missouri
soil there is approximately ten million
illch
lion dollars' worth of nitrogen. Such
plants as corn , wheat , rye , oats and
trees cannot get nitrogen from the air . ,
but must find it in the soil. The other
er great class of plants , to which alfalfa
aind
falfa , clover , beans and peas , and
- some of the weeds belong , have the
power of extracting nitrogen from the
air. "
The state board of agricultuie plans
to hold institutes in every county in
the state wherever a sulllcient local in
< terest can be aroused to warrant sending
illto
of ing representatives of the board to
is instruct the people. Mr. Jordan , next
week , Is going to southeastern Mis
n i souri. He will hold institutes in
- Campbell , Carruth and Carutherb ,
; New Wells for West Point.
Of West Point. Neb. . Feb. 213. The city
council at their last meeting took ac
tion on the waterworks situation.
They ordered the purchase of a now
boiler , the construction of n boiler
house and the driving of 'forty new
wells. Work on these projects will
commence at once. This Is the out
- come of the agitation for n newer and
better system of water supply , the
town having outgrown the system in
, stalled some twenty-five years ago .
The city is one of the wealthiest
munltles in the state according to
its population and the citizens think
they are entitled to tbo best flre pro
tectlon available.
MORDEGAI BROWN
SIGNS WITH COBS
THREE-FINGERED PITCHER SATISFIED -
FIED WITH THE DEAL.
FIGURES ARE NOT MADE PUBLIC
But the Cub Boss Admits Brown is the
Highest Priced Pitcher in Baseball ,
Not Excepting Christy Mathewson
of the
Chicago , Feb. 26. Mordecal Brown ,
who has not been what is vulgarly
known as a holdout , but who has had
definite ideas of what he considered
ills services were worth with no mis-
givings as to President Murphy's In-
tentlons In the matter , yesterday at-
inched his signature to a two year's
contract In the Cub olllces In the Corn
Exchange bank building , with Presi
dent Murphy acting as party of the
first part and Frank Chance acting in
the dual capacity of manager and wit
ness.
ness.While
While the figures were not made
public or even hinted at , the Gub boss
admitted that Brown became the high
est priced pitcher in baseball and that
the compensation exceeds that paid
Christy Mathewson of the Giants , a
figure likewise not made public or
even hinted at. It Is said that aside
from the salary clause there is a bo
nus provision calling for an extra sti
pend in event Mordecal wins thirty-
five games. Brownie's friends think
Mr. Murphy might as well pay off
now.
now.When
When the modest Mr. Brown was
asked .if he received what he wanted
he side-stepped with , "Well , I'm satis-
lied. " Asked how long the term of
the contract was , he replied : "For
life , or if a fellow has to be prosy , for
two seasons. "
Local Pufls Getting in Tri/n.
Harry Lewis , the Texas fighter
who will light three Norfolk pugs four
rounds oath on the night of March
10 at the skating rink , has resigned
his position with a restaurant at the
Junction and has been "working out'
for a number of weeks. Lewis Is saltl
to be in fine shape and will put HI
a fast fight. On the other hand Lee
Root , Claude Housch and Frank Os
born , the three fighters wno will meet
Lewis , have not been idle , and a con
slant "work out" has been going on
between these featherweights who arc
in tip top shape. Housch is salt
to have gone nineteen rounds a few
nights ago and made a wonderful
showing. Root and Osborn both are
said to be down to weight and will
give the man from Texas his money's
worth. Hoot is picked out as the man
to put Lewis out.
Horse or Beef ?
The first dny hur. > c wa.s served out a'
Kiinhcrlc.t Minc of It \\as conked lui
the oihceis' iiic- ; it tin- mounted camp
At tin- table IV.ikiunu said :
"GentleiniMi. 1 am MUT.V to MIV thai
wo wore unable to get all our ration m
beef u > d.i.and . Had to take part if It
in luu-M'tli-sh. Thi- , which 1 am cnrv
ing is beet ; the her > e Is at the other
end. and any one who prefers it can
help himself"
Nobody did prefer It. and so they all
ate- boo ! and made n good dinner
When they bad finished Peakman sue
denly exclaimed :
"Ily Jove , gentlemen. I Uud 1 haU-
made n mi-take in the joints ; This I-
the hor-Hlo-li and the other is boot "
It was JIM a dodgi * of his to get
th'-in started on the horsptlesh.-UIuo
of Dr. Oliver Asho.
Names In Politics.
" 1 want in inaUe a name for myse
In poll tli s. " > ald the ambitious youth
"Well. " answered .Senator
If- ii.il > ! i- to be a long and ditlicnii
enteiprlso. You'll probably h.ne t
put In n I'liiisidomblo share of you
dine nil. .wing juiur enemies to ca : .
, um anu. , . . mc < they happen to think
if.-\Va-.hlnnti > n Star.
Just U-S , Us.
[ The rniieil StatcB la a braggart in
tlon I'rofi > ' or Uootle of Chicago unlvi i
Uro.u Scott.
\ \ h n rot !
nation ?
Comi > off ! Vou'ro dishing dirt.
we're somewhat gushy ,
Tut i.ot onoujjh tq hurt.
Of -two we've got n country
Tl at < Focoiid MOW to none ,
Ands ; \ : i nifty people
VCo rati.tr take the bun.
ni | ] ijioi-y Is u banner
That lops nil other iiogt/ ,
A mli n toxtllo fnurlc
U li the first of lags.
Oiu h''ps of war that clrelrd
Tliln bis. round globe have set
Soi-.io pcss of naIgatlon
Nobodv's followed yet.
T ! steel that's hi our railways
\VouM reach the inonn and back ,
Anil wo've got locomotives
To huul thorn down the track.
Our buildings scrape the henvens ,
AnJ wlvn the stars get tired
Thov roost upon their ridgepoles
An-J shine by being wired.
Our farms ore so extensive
Thut ono of them nlone
Could --wallow up a kingdom
Ai-l lit'lp ' Us king and throne ,
uui on.nml only I'eary
ThrvsKh nirtlc storm and stress
W rt for the north pole trophy
And bnndcd It "U. S. "
Our Musts but , eay ,
Why ut't say
Over 01 r natural way ?
B\ -i "es.
It i ni la Sam swipes
Evi riinins In sight
Haven't -v\o got a right
T.o re for In a modest manner
To the star spangled banner ?
W. J. Luoipton In New York Tlraei.
REASONS FOR
Would Relieve Merchants ,
Publishers , Farmers , Con
sumer * and Manufacturers
of Incubus of Express Com
pany Uomlnntlon , Says John
Drlsbcn Walker. : : : : \ : :
By JOHN nlUSnUN WALKER.
the German postal
WHILE Is carrying packages
for one-third of a cent a
pound , transporting them , If
necessary , from ono end of Germany
to the farthermost town In Austria-
Hungary 1 ! , carrying all sorts of parcels
up to a hundred pound trunk , the pr s
Ull
Ident of the United States In his mcs
lls
sage ; to congress and the postmaster
general In his annual report are arousIng
gll
Ing the attention of the country to u
lll
loss l ( of $8,000.000 per annum Incurred
In ' ' transporting periodicals at 1 cent
n pound.
The actual cost of these periodicals
' has been accurately measured by the
I postmaster general down to the one-
I thousandth part of a cent. He says
I J i hat for each pound of one cent mall
[
I carried the government Is put to an
expense of It.-'U. . cents.
If any one suggests that Germany
and Austria-Hungary and pretty nearly
j
ly all the countries of Europe are car
rying ; parcels at a fraction of a cent
per pound , the United States post-
dlllce department retorts that they are
all small countries , thickly populated.
Rut Canada Is a country as wide as
ours and sparsely populated. While
we have been losing 8.23r > cents per
pound on periodical mall Canada found
that her profits on such mall at one-
half cent n pound were excessive. Ac
cordingly the rate was reduced to one-
quarter of a cent per pound , and nt
this price the government report for
PARCELS POST
How The United States Gov
ernment Could Make Better
Use of Its System and
Chanue the llltf Postal Deficit
Into Profit Cnnudn's Great
Surplus Cited as an Example.
completely ntgnnlyed stations. These lm\
tlielr innniiKi'rs and cli-rk * . tlielr rentals ,
lif t and IlKlit , tlielr dclt-ctlvo and legal
services already paid for. To liatullo pur-
celH would cost nothing additional In tens
of thousands of po-itolllccti except the
wagon haul In the locality.
Hlxtli. Is It possible to conceive of any
buslines men taking pait In operating
private expiess compnnlcH If the govern
ment were to make use of this farrcnch
IIIR and costly machinery ?
Seventh. The govetiiinent Is spending
more than $32,1100,000 utinuully on u coun
try delivery service which the postmaster
general leports as carrying only twenty-
live poundH per trip per wagon. Each of
these WOKOIIH could cairy from COO to 700
pounds pur dally trip each way. At 1
cent a pound this service , Instead of be-
ItiR conducted at an almost total loss , n
now , would be clearing tens of millions
Tim wagon that now canli's only twentv-
flve pounds , loaded each way with f , ( )
more pound * at 1 cent a pound , wouli"
brliiB In $10 a dav addltionnl.
Finally , at what price will experts ) iiKioe
to move parcels twenty miles ? No ; let u
make the llmno larRo enough and ay Duti
miles. U'lth ofllces and managers am !
clerks all piovldod , what would It cost ti
cairy parcels this iiveiago distance am !
then di'll\er them by carriers or li
wagons ?
With all the fncts nml flKures befon
him any ulili' business ninn who couli
bo put In possession of tin * vast ma
chlncry of the postolllee , with only lit
present deficiency of $18,000,000 to
make up , would know how to fix i
figure we.tl within a cent a pound a
which he would feel certain of profltu
bly handling the average parcel.
In a recent communication to the
New York Evening 1'ost Don Seitz ,
the manager of the New York World
JOHN B1USUENVALKEU. .
the postal year ended March 81. 1009 ,
shows a surplus of $ S01) ) . ! > 37.r > 3.
Producer and Consumer Kept Apart
I shall undertake to show by a com
parison of accepted facts and figures
that our whole system Is blundering ,
and worse , and that the suffering
caused by our failure to adopt the
metliods employed by not merely one
but by many European countries Is p.
governmental crime of monumental
proportions.
Instead of the butter and cheese
producer being able to ship directly to
the- user , as In Germany , In refusing
a parcels post we have put the whole
army of American consumers Into the
power of all sorts of combinations that
pay the lowest price to the producer
and seem to be able to charge any
sum to those compelled to buy.
So flagrant has this system become
that In the early months of 1010 the
high prices of food are ascribed as
forcing 3,000 children t of the public
schools of Brooklyn to help support
their households by child labor.
Fruit in the orchards of New York
state has been permitted to rot on the
ground because the express charge' !
and the middleman's charges would
not leave- the cost of packing for the
horticulturist.
Cheap Railway Transportntion.
Here are a few simple facts to be
kept In mind :
First In the United States our rail
ways bavi- been able to ship freight for
oneflfth of n. cent per ton per mile. 1 be
llevo no European country has been ? t > lo
to equal this cheap rail transportation.
As the cost per ton per mlle forma the
basis for nil Kinds of freight carried. It
would seem that we have a primary ad
vantage.
Second. The transportation of parcels
! s Hlto the carrying of letters. It Is gov
erned by the law of averages. There arc
some letters carried by the United States
Into difficult regions which must cost the
government 53 apiece. Hut OH the price
demanded for hauling letters Is regulated
by the average haul , so the price for car
rylns parcels must be based upon the
tar.-.e law.
Third The average express haul today
U loco than thirty-eight miles. This Is because -
cause trade Is largely carried on with
Ihoie living near by.
Fourth. If the government carried par
cels at even 1 cent a pound It would got
the hundreds of millions of packages sent
out by the great dry goods houses. This
would probably reduce the average haul
to twenty miles or leas.
Fifth. The United States government Is
already equipped with more thau (0,000
said :
If congress will repeal Us act of monopoly >
ely under which the postofllce exerciser
setm
the right to tax as It pleases I will en
gage within thirty days to establish a de
livery service for mall matter that would
put the goveinment out of business by Iti
celerity and economy.
What , then. Is the matter ? Wliy
should Canada clear $809,237.53 a year
while carrying periodicals over its vast )
and sparsely settled territories , while
the United States Is unable to make ( a
profit even if it charged thirty-two
times as much as Canada so our post
master general assorts in fact , has i org
deficiency of $18,000.000 while charging
rgcs
ing upon merchandise sixty-four times >
as much as Canada charges for period
Icals , or 3,000 per cent more than Ger
many charges for carrying parcels ?
More than twelve years ago I calico
upon Mr. Wanamaker , the then post
master general , in Washington regard (
Ing a postal parcels system. "Then
are four Insuperable obstacles , " ht
said when asked why wo could uol '
have what England and Go : nany had
I looked 'surpiNi'd , and he explained
"The ( irst Is the Adams Express com )
pany , the second Is tin- American Ex
press company , the third Is the Well.-
Fargo Express company.and the fourtl
Is the United Slates Express company. '
That was a recognition of conditions !
which every citizen must make If IK
studies the facts.
Millions Lost to the Public.
The Wells Fargo Express compaio
recently declared a 300 per cent dlvl
( lend. Rut its stock and that of al
the express companies Is a small drnr
In the bucket compared with the losses
to the .American people through t a
cumbrous and unscientific system ol
parcels delivery. My own Imprcsslor |
Is that SUOO.OOO.OOO would not covei
the dirort loss , while the evils arising
from the system ennnit bo measured.
Whit prlco should the government'
charge for parcels deliveries ? I am
firmly of the opinion that eventually
the government will realize that the
rate charged In Uoniijiiy-oiie-tlilnl of
u cent a pound will lie found Ktilll
clout. Hut for the present I would
urge the passa re of a law making 1
cent a pound the rate for all merchandise
. .
dise , books and periodicals putting all
Into one class -and accepting pack
ages up to 200 pounds weight.
A price of I < fin a pound would
InMilliclent. . If government otter-
ril a sen Ice at n cent a pound for par- .
eels up to ym pounds It would almost
in duublidl.\ Hike over the hundreds
of million * of parcels sent out by I he
grout dry jocils stores , and as the avv
rr.iiji' haul fnr these Is less than live
mill's It seems not Improbable that HUM
n \crngo haul fur ( lie United States
would from this muse be. reduced to
llfii-oii or twenty miles.
Whnt would be the cost of delivering
pan-els with nn average haul of luit
twenty miles ? If one had the con
tract at half a cent a pound , starting
with I ho uo of government olllces and
olllclals. lie could quickly pile up a
fortune that would make Ilarrlnmn's
look small.
lint the matter need not require dis
cussion. It could quickly be determin
ed by six months' experimental work
under the direction of disinterested
men of Intelligence and Integrity. Hut
let us suppose that the average haul.
Instead of. being only twenty miles or
fifty miles , should prove to be MX )
miles or 1,000 miles. Who vould claim
that 1 cent a pound would not be
ample ?
The New York World ships Its dally
papers to Bun'alo at a cost of one-half
a cent a pound by express. The gov
eminent rate is so high that the postal
do all this business
i-ervlce. equipped to
ness without nddiflonhl cost , gives It
over to the express companies. Just as
It docs seven-tenths of the news com-
pany business and all of the book busi
ness of the country , the express com
panies always bidding under the gov
erniueiit's price , all this business
of millions of dollars lost to a plant
equipped to lake care of It , with men
under pay to do the work , because
United States senators devise leglsla
tion to give It Into the hands of the
express companies.
One thing docs not require any ex-
perlence. We know that more than
$32.000.000 Is being expended annually
to proi Ide wagons making country do-
liveries. The postmaster general says
they now carry an average of but
twenty-live pounds. Each of thesi
could handle r > < K > pounds and with a
M'cond horse , at 50 cents a day , 1,200
pounds.
tfig Increase In Deliveries.
The farmers along these country de
livery routes suffer the greatest In-
coincidence and loss because thcj
cannot send into town tlielr buttoi
and eggs and cannot receive back the
merchandise which they arc constant
ly needing. If a parcel rate of 1 cent
a pound wore established those coun
try delivery wagons would be loaded
to the limit. Immediately , instead of
twenty-live pounds delivered , there
would be . " ' _ ' , pounds carried each way.
wliii-h would moan $10 a day addition
al profit on each for the government.
The only condition comparable to the
nbMiidity of the government operating
a S32.000.000 country delivery service
and then making a prohibitory sixteen
cent rate for parcels , so that the wag
ons should travel empty , would be for
some big department store to operate
a hundred wagons In New York solely
for the purpose of delivering kid
gloves , whether there are any sales of
kid gloves nr not , while his deliveries
of other inoichandiso wore being held (
back In liis own loss and the public's
discomfort.
But by far the most costly part of
all this'betrayal of the people's inter
ests is not the dividends of the express
companies , but In the combinations in
restraint of tr.ido made possible by the
lack of means for connecting the consumer
und
sumer directly with the producer and
the \at-t loss to commerce by the cost
ly and cumbrous channels Into which
it Is forced.
Why Articles Cost More.
The only cheap transportation today
is in bulk. This puts it out of the
power of the consumer to secure his
food supplies in any way except >
through combinations formed for the
purpose of squeezing the last cent from
those compelled to buy The consumer
icrm
and the little storekeeper are com-
pletcly at the mercy of these comblna-
lions. As a consequence milk that on
the farm fifty miles from New York
sells for SVi cents per quart Is given
out by the combination , with part of
the cream removed , for 0 cents in New
York.
A cent a pound rate would breai
these combinations In a month. Every
man would have it in his power to get
into direct touch with the producer.
who muft now let his fruit and vegeta
bles rot on the ground or accept thc
t.ut mi pi of the combinations.
What Is the answer ? There Is but
ono. lluy out the express companies
at any pice. . Their most extravagant
capitalization In total would not cqua
the sum which the country loses In i
single year by the present vicious sy
tern of distribution. Then put the
ablest experts In transportation and
delivery of merchandise at work to devise
- deal
vise a system for handling parcels at
the minimum of labor and expense.
To Study Pellagra.
A committee has boon formed In
England , the membership of which In
cludes the Italian ambassador , the
Marquis of San Giullano ; Sir Thomas
Clifford Allbutt. rcglus professor of
physics at Cambridge , and a number
of prominent scientists and physicians
to promote the Investigation and studj
of the disease pellagra.
_
SPEECH AND HEARING RESTORED
_
Cook In Lincoln Restaurant Happy
Over Restoration of Lost Senses.
' Lincoln , Feb. 25. An electric shock
received while adjusting a light bull
In Its socket is declared by 13. C
\ vaii50jji cook , to bo responsible for
the restoration of his ability to tall ;
and to hear. About a month ago
Walker obtained a Job as cook In
Deahl's restaurant. Iy ) signs ho Indl
cated that ho could neither hear nor
talk , and all communication with bin
was by algna or by writing.
About midnight last night bo aston
lulled ! Mr. Deaht by rushing Into bin
olllco and excitedly exclaiming : t
am | the happiest man allvu ; 1 can talk
again. " He explained that it llttlti
while hot'ore ho had tecelscil a shoilc
_
while ' working on u light. Thlaati
j lolloped by an Intense pain In tint
head , but In n few moments he real-
zed ' that the faculty of speech had re *
timed to him. He says lie lost It o\or
t year ago through Illness. His hear-
ig ) Is still nffoitcd , but growing bettor ,
i'oday ho talked over a telephone for
ho first time In months.
Walker's story IH substantiated by
hose who have worked with him for u
nonth , they having tested him several
lines to discover whether ho could
alk or hear.
CAN'T PAROLE AIRSHIP MAN.
The Governor Cannot Parole W. W.
Howard , the Convict inventor.
Lincoln , Feb. L'C.-lf W. W. How-
ml , the convict inventor sent to thu
lenltontlary here from Omaha , suc
ceeds In perfecting his "self bahinc-
ng" aeroplane , " he will have to do so
nslde the prison walls , as ( inventor
Shnlleiiberger has discovered that tin
ier the provisions of the "habitual
rlmlnal" law , passed a couple of yearn
igo , he could not parole or pardon this
man , did lie so desire.
The papers for Howard's parole to
an automobile dealer in Omaha were
prepared find ready to be signed when
the governor happened to think that It
might bo a good plan to look up thu
man's record prior to the tlmo of beIng -
Ing sent to the Nebraska penitentiary.
In doing so ho discovered that he had
served a term in the Illinois penlten-
tiaiy , which placed him outside the
pale of parole or pardon. Howcnor.
It ' ' Is understood hero that Omaha cap
italists > ' will , with the consent of the
state and prison authorities , supply
Howard with machinery and material
and that ho will go on with hla work
of constructing the aeroplane.
Richards Wins In Convention.
Huron , S. D. , Feb. 15. ! Following n
bitter battle on the floor of the con
ference lasting until midnight , R O.
Kichnrds was placed In the saddle by
the progressives of South Dakota last
evening as the chairman of the cam
paign 1 for Governor Vessuy while the
Kichnrds i evolutions as reported by .1
minority committee were accepted on
ly in part.
The light on the floor was spectai u-
Iar. With the knowledge on the pint
of many that Hichards would be out
as n candidate for governor If ho lost
the light , as a goad to drive them t
the last ditch in the attempt to sccuie
harmony , and with bitter personal
factions urging the Richards oppo
nents i to light him as a czar , the bat
tie i proved a gruelling ono. H. L. Sonu
led ; the Hichards opponents , while C.
H. Dillon was leader in the fight for
Richards.
The resolutions endorse Taft but. .
take a positive bland against Cannon ,
and Aldrich. They state :
"The dominant issue in the coming ;
campaign is the wresting of lontrnl
of national legislation from sprrial in-
) forests entrenched
behind SpoaKi r
Cannon of the house and Leader M-
drich of the senate and their snppmt-
ors. It is not
sufficient that Spi aki r
Cannon bo lotlred. It is essential Unit
n successor bo elected who is i omiiut
ted to and is a supporter of progres
sive principles and pledged to ie\iso
the rules which give the speaker his
nibltary power to direct and control
all legislation.
"The progressive republicans of
South Dakota will support no candi
date for congress In the coming pii-
mary who does not stand unequivo
cally on this platform and whoso
neiiecord ( is not such as to warrant cred-
ence in his professions. "
PROBE MAIL RATES.
- Committee Seeks to Learn Whether
Readjustment is Justifiable.
Washington , Feb. 25. There is to
be an investigation of the cost of
carrying periodicals and other second
class mall matter for the purpose of
determining whether a readjustment
of rates is justifiable.
The house committee on postofllceK
and post roads will undertake the in
quiry next week following the receipt
. of statements from the postofllce de
partment on the actual cost of hand
ling and transporting second class
matter.
Following the reporting of the post-
ollico appropriation bill to the house
a report gained circulation that the
committee had decided to do nothing
further with the second class mail
question at this session of congress.
It was stated that too many congress
men appeared to think that this leg
- islative proposition aws loaded wltli
dangerous explosives and should bo
avoided until after the congressional
primaries and election.
It transpired today , however , that
further inquiry into the question has
been agreed upon by the committee.
The fact that the postolllco appropria
tion bill contained no reference tea
a readjustment of rates on second
class matted was responsible for the
, , report that the matter had been drop
ped. It now appears that It was
thought advisable to keep the whole
proposition out of the appropriation
bill , which. It was feared , might lu >
wrecked by the presence of u Jonah
aboard.
The committee decided that It would
resume the inquiry upon leceipt of ; i
) muss of Ijgures Postmaster General
. Hitchcock Is to submit In support of
his declarations that carriage of second
end class matter Is responsible for u
$ U3.000,000 loss to the government.
The statement containing these figures
- Is 20,000 words long , and Mr. Hitchcock -
cock expects to complete it by the
end of this week. A 2,500 word synop
sis will be given out for publication
- February 28.