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About The Conservative (Nebraska City, Neb.) 1898-1902 | View Entire Issue (March 29, 1900)
Che Conservative * 3 carrying more than a billion and a half of insurance. The growth of some of the large companies has in it an element of danger. The racing for business nec essitates a big expense account and if carried beyond a reasonable limit is a positive detriment to the insured. Whether it is best to try and correct it by legislation is another question. If left alone it would perhaps remedy it self. When the companies see that vol ume of business is not the only or chief criterion of success , self interest would cause them to no longer make special efforts in that direction. It is usually very unsatisfactory to restrict the opera tion of the natural laws of growth by arbitrary legislation. response to the ONE THOUSAND TREES. public sentiment aroused in Boston on the subject of tree planting and tree preservation , Mr. Doogue , Superintend ent of Public Grounds , has generously offered to give one thousand trees to those who will plant them along the streets , as many as possible to be plant ed during Arbor Day week. Here is practical encouragement for Arbor Day celebrations of the kind we need , an ex ample it is hoped that will be followed by city foresters and tree wardens throughout the state. Tree lovers will watch with interest the progress made by our newly elected tree wardens. THE BOER WAR. . South Africa has been one of waiting , with but little ac tivity. General Roberts is still at Bloeinfontein , busying himself in at tempting to reestablish the civil govern ment of the Free State on a basis to en courage the friendship of the rebellious inhabitants. Their apparent willing ness to surrender is looked upon in some quarters with suspicion. The arms thus far taken are not those used in the conflict against the British , but are old pieces of little utility. It is also report ed that many of them as fast as they are released , are moving northward to rejoin the Boer forces. President Steyn's proclamation , declaring all who took the British oath of allegiance , re quired by General Roberts , to be trait ors and punishable by death , is thought to be responsible for the action of the Free Staters. On the other hand , the opinion is ex pressed that the people of the Free State have had little sympathy with the war from the start ; that they were forc ed into it by way of a treaty , made with President Kruger in 1897 , whereby a de fensive alliance was entered into be tween the two republics , each agreeing to go to the defence of the other , in the event of the independence of either be ing threatened , and that they had no real grievance against Great Britain and wore only waiting for a chance to honorably withdraw. British interest is just now centered in Mafeking which has for some time been holding out against the siege of the Boors. Col. Plummer has been at- emptiug its relief , but thus far uusucs essfully , and has finally been driven ack to the position occupied two weeks go. The situation at Mafeking and the necessity for its immediate relief has disarranged the plans of Roberts , and ll probably compel him to detail a de- achment of his force to drive away the besieging Boers. At the earliest oppor- unity he will move northward with the main force of his army , upon Pretoria , ivhile Buller will look after the Boers assembled at Biggarsberg. A large nglish force is being concentrated at Kimberly , which will probably be led against Pretoria by Gen Kitchener , thus getting at the Transvaal capital from the west while Roberts advances from the south. Presidents Kruger and Steyn and ueneral Joubert recently addressed an . , assemblage of . _ Boor Strength. . Boers at Kroon- stad , advising unity of action and stat ing that Salisbury's reply made peace impossible except by loss of independ ence so that there remained only the al ternative , to fight. The available fight ing force of the Boers does not number more than 40,000. This force strongly intrenched about Pretoria , would be able to hold off , the British for many days as was shown from the operations about Ladysmith. Publishers of TARIFF ON PAPER. . . , books and news papers and all job printers will be inter ested in reading the following resolu- lutious adopted at the annual meeting of the American Newspaper Publishers Association at New York on February ,28 , 1900. The distinguished republican congress men from the First and Second districts of Nebraska , who have always taught the benefits of protection , are requested to vote for or against the tariff laws which build this trust and raise the price of literature to all American citizens. A protective tariff always leads to combines and attempted monopolies as to the things protected. Burkett and Mercer will read the following and then vote as their party dictates : WHEREAS , The price of printing paper used by newspapers in the United States has been arbitrarily increased in price from sixty to one hundred per cent , without reason or warrant to be found in ( he conditions of the industry itself , and WHEUEAS , It is the common belief that this increase is duo to the workings of a trust ; THEREFORE , Be it RESOLVED , That the American News paper Publishers Association , represent ing in this case not only its own mem bers but the 2 ,000 newspapers of the United States , calls upon Congress to make inquiry by means of a special c oinmittee into the conditions above de- s cribed , to the end that suitable legisla- ion may be provided to remedy this c ouditiou of affairs in the interest of the I > est source of public information pro- ided for the people , to wit : the news- iapor press , whoso interest the founders ) f the Republic held in the highest re gard. The attention of congress is directed o five bills now in the hands of the Ways and Means Committee , not nec- sssarily to aid the passage of any of hem specifically but as evidence of a jreat demand for some form of remedial egislation , to which the inquiry we re quest would be preliminary. We be- love that the entire agitation against irusts presents no more concrete ex ample , than this , and your petitioners , relying upon the desire of congress to legislate in the interests of the people , believe you will accept the opportunity to make this inquiry in the spirit in which it is demanded. The newspaper , it is fair to state , un like most forms of industry , sells at a fixed price , and has no means of putting the increased cost on the consumer. In many instances it means the complete onfiscatiou of profits , and in many oth ers creates an actual loss. The apparently sincere desire of all parties to deal with the trust question removes this inquiry from the charge of partisanship , and makes it what it is intended to be , an inquiry in the public interest. MACBETH.We print this week a short but very significant article by Mr. George A. Mac beth on the lead trust. He has for years been the largest manufacturer of glass chimneys in the world. Since his concern combined with several others under the name of the Macbeth-Evans Glass Company , his leadership is great ly increased. Mr. Macbeth has always advocated free trade , both on moral and practical grounds. Ho has always said that with free raw materials he could , while paying the highest wages known in the business , command the markets of the world and leave all competitors in the shade. Even without cheap raw materials he has for years been export ing millions of chimneys to all parts of the world. His enterprise and ability have enabled him to compete in foreign markets in spite of the tariff-protected prices which he has to pay for lead , lumber , soda ash , etc. Why should the government encourage industrial men dicants by protective tariffs and discour age the enterprise of self-supporting men and industries who ask for no fav ors , except to be let alone ?