THE OMATTA DAILY HEE: TJITJKSDAY, DECEMBER 18, 1902. Tiie umaiia Daily 13ee E. ROSE WATER, EDITOR. PUBLISHKD EVERY MOHNINQ. TERMS OK 8LBBCK1PTION. Dally Bee (without Suny). One Year..M .W Lsally lire ami bun.Juy, one Year 6tW illustrated Mt-e, one fear -w nuiiday Bee, One 1'mr 2 W Baturuay Bee, One Year 1 " Twentieth Century f armer, One Y'ear.. l.W DELIVERED BY CARRIER, j Dally Bee (without Sunday), per copy.... 2c Daily Bee (wuhmil bunuay). per week....l2o Daily Bee (including Hunday), per week..li'u' Sunday fei, per ropy oo , livening Bee (without 8 inday), per we-k 6c fcvenlrig Ben (Including Hunday;, per week 10c Complaint of irregularities in delivery. ouia oe auaressea 10 city circulation im pertinent. OFFICES. Omaha The Bee Building. South Omaha City- Hall Building, Twen-ty-lilth and .M Streets. Council Bluffs 10 pearl Street Chicago l&w i;nlty Building. New York ZX'X Park Row Building. Washington 'M Fourteenth Street. CORRESPONDENCE. Communications relating to news and edi torial matter should be addressed: Omaha ilee. Editorial Department. BUSINESS LETTERS. Business letters and remittance! should be addressed: The Bee Publishing Com pany, Omaha. REMITTANCES. Remit by draft, express or postal order, payable to The Bee Publishing Company. Only 2-cent stamps accepted In payment of mail accounts. Personal checks, except on Omaha or eastern x hanxe, not accepted. THE BEE PUBLISHING COMPANY. STATEMENT OF CIRCULATION. State of Nebraska, Douglas County, as.: Oeorge B. Ttschuck, secretary of The Bee Publishing Company, being duly sworn, says that the actual number of full and complete copies of The Dally, Morning, Evening and Sunday Bee printed during the month of November, 12. was as follows: 1 31.470 1 SH,40 t 2IMBO t Sl.OUO 17 ao.vuu 18 30.870 ...ai.aro ...41.0HS ...34.IV50 .. .31.210 ...80,340 ..80.940 .. to.. 21.. 22.. 23.. .80.HHO .ao.oito .31.-119 .2M.310 2t1,S7B 10 8l,.1o 11 30.U70 12 30.7OO u ao.Niio 14 80,730 15 31,U10 24 30,i 25 31.00O 26 81.000 27 30.7H0 2S 31.1:10 28 31.4HO 30 2M.475 ToUI 932.910 Lesa unsold and returned copies.... 9.237 Net total sales 9i,73 Net average- sales 80.7B5 GEORGE B. TZSCHUCK. Subscribed In my presence and sworn to before me thla 30th day of November. A. D. 1802 M. B. HUNQATB. t8cal) Notary Public. Several building projects for Omnha are In the air. Omaha Is bound to keep on growing. A settlement of the Union Taclflc strike would be a fine peace offering for the holidays. Whatever a ieaceful blockade may be, It certainly ought not to be employed against trust legislation In either branch of congress. If the other Omnha dailies had the big circulations they claim, why should they charge advertising pntrons smaller rates than are commanded by advertising space In The Bee? Here Is a stickler. The perfection of taxation Is wholly Imaginary, but we. can make progress In that direction. Omaha's progress in the movement for tax reform in the past two years hr.s been worth achiev ing. Mr. Harrlman recently declared that be had heard nothing about the Union Pacific lockout. He is hearing plenty about It uow, but be appears to be afflicted with an Impediment to his hear ing apparatus. If Colonel Itryan has gone to Mexico ' to yolunteer advice against the adoption of the gold stnudard, It is safe to say that he has not takeu with him copies of his old speeches in 'which he predicted the results of the rejection of the silver Standard la the United States. It Is safe to say that England and Ger many would today be paying little at tention to the diplomatic representa tions of the United States If we had not provided ourselves with a substantial navy. After all it is might as much as right that counts In International dis cussions. The United States internal revenue commissioner has drawn the line at soda water, seltzer and orange peels. Lemon ade with a stick In it or claret and strawberries mixed with soda, or ginger beer topped off with Irish whisky, can Bot be dispensed at the soda water counter without a retail dealer's liquor tax. The completed statistics of stiver pro duction show that lust year was the record-breaking year In the world's mines, the total reaching 179,000,000 fine ounces. It la r.lso the first year In just a half century that the United States took second place as a silver-producing couutry, Mexico leading by 2,250,000 ounces. The local franchlsed corporations have concluded to submit with good grace to assessment for taxation at figures some where approximating the true market slue of their property and franchises. The railroads would do well to sound the temper of the people and recede from their untenable position that their valuable city terminals shall be taxed only as prairie mileage. The World-Herald says It made no return for city taxation, but left its valuation to the assessor, who fixed It at $10,000, although the assessment iu the county last spring was $4:i,SJ. The assessor must have got an Idea some where that the property was rapidly depreciating lu value. But still the W.-H. should have the benefit of Its version of how It hapieued. The Chicago Auditorium, which repre sents an Investment of $1,7(13,000, paid for the year 11MJ2 $ l.H'Sl iu state, county and city taxes, or 21 mills ou Its actual Value. With a fair assessment repre senting actual values, an lu vent incut of $1.7(13,000 would be taxed only 13 mills for state, county and city punoses in Omaha, or $15,8K5 less than was Im posed on the Auditorium building of Chicago OBSTACLE TO ARBITRATION. It Is highly probable that Great Britain, and perhaps Germany also, would agree to submit their claims spalnst Venezuela to arbitration If they were given a satisfactory guaranty that the Venezuelan government would pay the award of the arbitrators. It Is re ported from London that the British Foreign office has made Inquiry as to whether this country would be willing to guarantee the fulfillment of Venez uela's pledges and that a negative re ply was made. Of course the United .states would not assume such t respon sibility. It would establish a precedent that might coniel us In the future to guarantee the pledges of other South American countries which are Indebted to Europeans. There are few of those countries that are not more or les In debt to foreigners and the aggregate of these obligations Is very large. If the United States should guarantee the pledges of those countries in regard to their debts It would place Itself In a position certain to become most trouble some, burdensome and dangerous. Therefore such a thing as this country becoming In any degree responsible for the carrying out of the pledges of Venezuela Is not to be seriously thought of, yet those who urge that our gov ernment should propose arbitration and insist upon it ought to understand that If it were to take this course the Eu ropean governments concerned could rea sonably demand that It give a guaranty for the fulfillment of the pledges of Venezuela. They are fully Justified In having no confidence In the Castro gov ernment The whole career of the presi dent of Venezuela, who exercises the powers of a dictator, has been such as to warrant distrust of him. He has been faithless to nearly every pledge he ever made, particularly to foreigners, and Americans as well as Europeans have suffered from his violation of obli gations. There can be no confidence In the promises or the agreements of such a person and the European governments will be Justified In rejecting arbitration if there Is nothing more than the word of the Castro government to rely upon. As the United States will not become in any sense or degree responsible for the pledges of Venezuela, It Is perfectly obvious that It cannot reasonably In sist that the European governments shall submit their claims, understood to be recognized by our government as valid, to arbitration. If there was doubt In regard to the Justice of these claims, If there was ground for believing that the European governments are seeking to get from Venezuela what they have no right to, the case would be different Then the United States might with pro priety Interpose and urge arbitration. But there Is nothing of the kind. The claims are undoubtedly valid and while It Is Impossible for the Venezuelan gov ernment to pay them now. It should have acknowledged them and made sat isfactory provision for thelr future set tlement. Had this honest course been pursued there would be no trouble. The obstacle to arbitration Is want of confi dence in the Castro government and this is fully Justified by the record of that government. This obstacle the United States cannot undertake to re move by assuming any responsibility in the matter. CHOKthO UtF THE POWER PROJECT. When the ordinance granting the Thomson-Houston company the right to lay a system of electric wire conduits under the streets and alleys of Omaha was pending before the council In con junction with an extension of the con tract for street lighting, this valuable grant was voted by the council and ap proved by the mayor on the assurances that the company would either directly or through capitalists Indirectly Inter ested undertake the project of supply ing this city with cheaper power, to be derived from the construction of reser voirs and canals In the neighborhood of the Flatte or Elkhorn rivers. While It Is barely possible that a ma jority of the council would have voted the conduit ordinance and new electric lighting contract to the Thomson Hous ton company without competition, . we feel sure the proposition would have met with vigorous opposition from the business men and taxpayers of Omaha excepting for the Inducement of the power canal, and doubt exceedingly whether It would have received the ap proval of the mayor. The failure of the electric lighting company to take even the preliminary steps toward redeeming its pledge Justifies the suspicion of bad faith. If not the allegation of sharp prac tice In engineering the conduit ordinance and extension of the lighting contract more than a year before the expiration of the old contract. If the' tactics now being pursued to prevent the submission of a proposi tion of vital moment to the voters of Omaha are successful Omaha may as well abandon all hope of solving the cheap power problem for years to come. It Is not uncommon for the op ponents of bills Introduced In the legislature to load them down with killing amendments. This mode of warfare is now being pursued under the lead of Councilman Hascall, who Is an expert at parliamentary Jug glery. While It Is eminently proper to sufeguard the public Interest by reason able guarantees. It Is an Insult to popu lar intelligence to exact conditions de signed to frustrate the entire project anil to mnke Its acceptance Impossible, and yet this la precisely what Council man Hascnll and his associates are try ing to do under the pretext that they are protecting the community. The assumption that the grant of thin franchise will prevent the projectors of the Columbus canal or the Fremont power scheme from carrying out their enterprises U preposterous. Omaha is uot a walled city. If any fusu or cor Krutlon can land cheaper power at tike city limits of Omaha or South Omaha, the packing houses, the mills and fac tories of Omaha would soon find a way to utilize It and so would the street railway and electric lighting companies. The only possible benefit derived from the proposed franchise by Its promoter would be the inducement It would afford to capitalists to Invest two or three mil lion dollars In the canal power project ' The attempt to block the franchise Is not In the Interest of Omaha, but mani festly an effort to perpetuate the exist ing electric lighting and power monopoly with prices based upon the high cost of fuel. ran trust prosiccvtiox. The house of representatives has voted $500,000 for use by the Department of Justice In the prosecution of trusts. It Is perhaps safe to assume that this ac tion will be approved by the senate and thus there will be placed In the hands of the attorney general of the United States an ample sum with which to In stitute and carry on proceedings against the great combinations under the Sher man anti-trust law. In the course of the debate on the proposition a demo cratic member criticised the attorney general for not having enforced the anti trust law, but congress rather than that official Is to blame, since it failed to provide him with the means for carry ing on prosecutions. A proper enforce ment of the anti-trust law will Involve a very considerable expenditure and it was the duty of congress to have long ago made provision for this. If It shall now do so there Is no reason to doubt that the Department of Justice will faithfully perform Its duty. Attorney General Knox has shown that he Is In hearty accord with President Roosevelt respecting the Illegal combinations and with the means to proceed against them provided It can be confidently predicted that he will act with all possible vigor. The action of the bouse will have gen eral public approval. HOME HCLE IS MISSOURI. Municipal home rule In relation to elections Is a live Issue In Missouri, where the democratic party Is able to maintain Its hold only by systematic and flagrant subversion of free and fair elections In the great cities of St Louis and Kansas City. Both are, In fact republican cities, as has been demon strated time and again, and, as the re publican strength In the state was so rapidly growing as to threaten at any time to reduce the democracy to a minority, the so-called Nesbit election law was passed, taking elections in the two great cities out of the hands of their own people and leaving them to the tender mercies of the democratic state organization which controlled the state officers. This organization ar bitrarily dictates the election boards and the law Is carefully drawn to afford un limited latitude for fraud both in tie registration and election and In the counting and certification of the votes. While this Missouri law striking down the rights of local constituencies has been In force several years. It has ac complished Its purpose only through scandals and outrages, which at each succeeding election became more Intol erable. The evidence is Indisputable that at the late election the truo result was falsified by the operation of the un righteous system and thousands upon thousands of votes deliberately manu factured or suppressed In the returns according as partisan Interest dictated. This evidence, so far as it relates to one district In St Louis, will be placed on record through the contest of ths re publican candidate for congress, but it will not show a more disgraceful condi tion than Is said to prevail in other parts of that city and of Kansas City. It is noteworthy that affairs have reached such an extremity that a con siderable element of the democratic party in the state Is calling for repeal of the infamous Nesbit law and the restoration of the two leading cities to the same control over their own elec tions as other cities and communities possess. The dominant politicians will resist to the full limit and the fight for local rights resolves Itself Into a strug gle for decent government. The constitution of the state of Mis souri prohibits any state officer or any member of the legislature from solicit ing, receiving or accepting ' railroad passes or free mileage books on penalty of. loss of office. A new constitutional amendment Is to be Introduced at the coming session of the Missouri legis lature making It obligatory upon all rail road companies in Missouri to furnish transportation to stste officers and legis lators over their roads within the state during the period for which they are elected. The Introducer of such an amendment will, however, run some risk. Back In 1889 a member of the Missouri legislature Introduced a con current resolution to repeal the section of the constitution which prohibits 'egls- lators from accepting railroad passes. It did not go through and the Introducer did 'not go back. In Nebraska the In troducer of an amendment to the con stitution to prohibit the Issuance of rail road pauses would not be In danger of signing his political death warrant, but the chances of passing such an amend ment by the necessary three-fifths vote would be very, very slim. Evidence before the coal strike com mission has demonstrated time and again that statements on material points given out by the operators are bncundld or altogether false. Their pretended sta tistics of wages are mere Jugjles with figures, from which it is Impossible to arrive at the average individual earn ings, as from three to five persous arc sometimes paid out of checks made out to a single mine worker. Plainly the o'kerator from the first have deceived the public. The traffic manager of the Lake Shore & Michigan Southern railroad declared before the Interstate Commerce Com mission that for a long time the railroads of this country have been relatively pending more money than they earned; that this was because they were either spending too much on the properties or the earnings were too small. This is a revelation. If the railroads are actually spending more money than they earn, where do the millions and millions of dividends which they have distributed to stockholders come from? Why should not the stockholders go down Into their own pockets for the money expended for improvements and extensions Instead of taxing up the cost of Improvements to shippers and producers through In creased freight rates? Chicago has enacted a new tenement house ordinance that should be dupli cated for Omaha. Among the require ments of the Chicago tenement house ordinance are that every tenement house shall have a bulkhead, or scuttle, covered with fireproof materials. In the roof. Every tenement house shall have at least two flights of stairs ex tending from the entrance floor to the top story and one additional stairway for every additional forty rooms. All stairway halls shall be enclosed on all sides with solid masonry. Every main entrance ball shall be at least three feet six Inches wide In the clear. The walls of bay windows must be of brick or other fireproof material. In addition to these precautions all the best modern safety appliances must be provided. There will not be so much doing for some time as there has been lately In the Industry of promoting mergers and the exploitation of Inflated securities. For the past year or two it looked as if nothing could stop that industry. But the stock Jobbers and promoting specu lators are now up against a money mar ket that is too much for them. The simple truth Is that their business has been overdone. The real object of most of the flotations was to get something for a little or nothing and the public has bad all of their goods that are wanted or that can be taken. Legiti mate business, however, is in good con dition and will care little for the win ter of the stock Jobbers' discontent Contrary to the general Impression and to the anticipation of experts, money that was withdrawn from the eastern banks for use in crop movement is likely to return earlier and in larger volume than last year. Last week the New York banks gained from the In terior $2,700,000, whereas for the same week of 1901 they lost more than that amount The extraordinary demand for money in New York and the correspond ing high rate of interest tend to attract thither every available dollar. There is plenty of law in Pennsyl vania, If enforced, to stop the outrage of requiting a little girl of 13 to work at night twelve hours continuously on her feet for 65 cents. And if there were no statutory law it would seem that a father earning $1,000 last year and yet permitting or causing the child to be thus abused might be forced by public sentiment to stop It If ever a boycott is permlssable, It Is In such a case as this. With over forty anti-trust bills al ready Introduced In the house the sub committee might be able to pick out some suggestions for a measure to be reported to the full committee. But, as the session lasts only three months and as a month, if the holiday recess be counted, has virtually gone, not much more time can be occupied with getting ready for the mere preliminaries to action. Frightened by Ills Shadow. Chicago Tribune. Mr. James J. Hill of the Great Northera and several other railways apparently sees something In the country's present pros perity that interferes with one or two of his pet projects. Strain on Human Patience. Saturday Evening Post. In 400 years, says Lord Kelvin, the earth's coal will be exhausted. Prom the way things are going now the earth's pa tience will be exhausted about 399 years earlier than that Hinting? at a. Good Thing-. Baltimore American. That this is not an imaginative age Is brilliantly proved by the suggestion of the London prees that the United States should as a result of the Monroe doctrine, guarantee the debts of the western hemis phere. Boostings Expectations. Washington Post. Some of the gentlemen who were elected to congress last month have been telling their constltutents of some wonderful re. forms they exepect to accomplish. But then there would not be much in politics if It were not fcr expectations of this sort. Justification for the Strike. Indianapolis Journal. The testimony brought out before the anthracite coal commission more than con firms all previous statements regarding the hard lot and cruel treatment of miners and tbelr families and will go far toward justi fying the strike. Odds Against Yenrsnela. Chicago Chronicle. And now comes bold Italy, still wearing the Abyssinian black rye, to aid Germany and Albion In thrashing the undersized Venezuelan republic. Since the Transvaal business international bullies are very careful in tackling even the most insig nificant foe unless they can form a com bination in the ratio of about 100 to 1 against him. Light Turned On Dark Places. Cleveland Ieader. If the anthracite coal operators cared anything for public opinion they would never have permitted the strike to reach the arbitration stage. Some of the testi mony now being given by witnesses before the commission is calculated to prove that there was a very small element of humanity In the dealings of the operators with their employes. Success and Failure. Brooklyn Eagle. George Fred Williams of Massachusetts is trying to stretch himself to the site of Thomas B. Reed's mentality. He classes the ex-speaker's career a failure "because he said what he thought." Well. Williams has "said what be thought" and the peo ple of Massachusetts have also "said what they thought" about Will ams. Their ver dict was discouraging to Williams. not KD ABOIT EW YORK. Ripples on the Current of Life In the Metropolis. Participants In the conference of the National Civic Federation in New York City last week maintained a degree of dignity befitting the subjects under dls russlon. Every speaker was very much In earnest and few ventured any observa tions of a humorous nature. One of the exceptions noted by the Evening Tost was a story told by Samuel Mathes of Cleve land. Mr. Mathes has business Interests In common with L. C. Hanna. brother of Senator Hanna, the federation's chairman. Three years ago there was a strike of ore handlers in one of the lake towns and be and Mr. Hanna undertook to persuado the men to return to work. "We got along all right chiefly by com promisewith all except the engineers," said he. "In that case a merchant of the town was mutually agreed on as arbitrator, and It was arranged that both sides should argue before him the question of an In creaao In wages. Mr. Hanna represented the employers, whilo an engineer, Pnt Ryan spoke for his fellows. Mr. Hanna made a long, elabcrata argument before the arbitrator, covering all the points he expected his opponent to raise. What was his surprise, as he finished, to find that all Pat had to say was: " 'Mister Refree, th' byes wants th' raise!' "Mr. Hanna was telling of this a few hours later and had Just expressed him self as certain that the decision would be in our favor when the telephone bell rang. The referee was a the other end and he Informed us that he had reached a decision In favor of the men's demand for more wages!" "Ten years ago," writes the correspond ent of the Philadelphia Ledger, "there wae not a single bank In New York that had a capital of more than $3,000,000. The theory that prevailed then was that It was a dis advantage to a bank to have a capital of more than a million or two. Several In stitutions, Indeed, reduced the amount of their capital. But there has been a radical change In ten years. In that time the total capitalization cf members of the clearing house has Increased about $45,000,000, which is all represented by the increased ca pacity of four institutions, namely, . the National City bank, the Bank of Commerce, First National bank and the new Western National Bank of the United States. The total capital of these four Institutions is $55,000,000. But even this does not ade quately represent thefr financial power. Their alliances with great insurance and trust companies, and with capitalists of Im mense wealth and international connections, give them a standing higher even than their capital, large as it is, represents." Explorers Journeying southeast from Chatham square along James street, relates the Tiroes, come upon the wholesale ba nana quarter, the greater part of three blocks of that thoroughfare below Madison street. James street is narrow and lined with somewhat forbidding brick tenements, many of them originally the dwellings of single families. Sometimes the ground floor apartments and sometimes the cellars of these houses are occupied by the ba nana dealers, mostly Italians, with perhaps a few Greeks. But for the banana shops the street would be dreary enough, but the display of bright yellow fruit in front of each shop, and in one block nearly every house has such a shop, gives the region a gay aspect, especially when the sun bap pens to be shining brightly Into the tunnel-like thoroughfare. You may catch sight of the gay display almost as soon as you leave Chatham Bquare. It Is sufficiently foreign in suggestion. Every proprietor baags a few bunches of ripening bananas outside his shop cose to the sidewalk, and most of the shops have no other sign than these displays of mer chandise, though one at the corner of Madl- ! son street has upon its awning this legend, "All Kind of Bananas." As the little shops have only the one kind of goods the bunches swinging about the doorway are an effect ual advertisement. It Is a tradition In Wall street that a broker never voluntarily retires from the street, but must wait for death or mis fortune to compel his retirement, but Broker Henry B. Vaugban, who is credited with having amassed $6,000,000 In the last six years, is the exception that proves the rule. . Despite the fact that he has put away $1,000,000 for each year that he has spent as a member of the Stock exchange he bought a seat in 189 he has retired. He sold bis seat for $30,000 Mid expects to spend the proceeds this winter In a pleas ure trip to Europe. Mr. Vaughan, who is 60 years old, according to his own admis sion, does not look within ten years of that age. PERSONAL NOTES. Glbbs Mansfield, son of the actor, will present a Christmas tree to the Free School for Crippled Children In New York. It Is said that Adlal Dean, 85 years of age, who died lately In Boone county, Ky., was the last surviving veteran of the Mexican war. M. Coquelln, In addition to being a good actor, ts also a good shot. When last In Germany M. Coquelln was complimented by the kaiser on his marksmanship. A Pittsburg man who tried to play a Joke on a friend by pretending to be a highway man was killed. If he had been the real thing he would have escaped without 4 scratch, moat likely. Dr. Tulllo Verdi, at one time a cele brated physician In Washington, has Just died at Milan, Italy. During President Grant's administration he was commis sioned by him to study the hygienic laws of Europe. W. J. Bailey, the bachelor governor of Kansas, baa received 1,000 proposals of marriage from women In the United States and Canada. Lieutenant governor Hanna, also a bachelor, has received more than 500. J. B. Hutchinson, for five years general manager of the Pennsylvania railroad, has been compelled to resign used up with the growth of the Interests under bis charge. He has been for nearly forty years with the company and the directors will make a new place for him, that of assistant to the second vice president. He is to go out of bis present office January 1 and will be given four months' vacation before resum ing work. General John B. Gordon, commander of the United Confederate Veterans, has Issued a circular letter calling the attention of the members to the restrictions In the constitu tion of the federation prohibiting in the camps any political or religious action or the indorsement of any candidate for po litical office. He reminds them that the objects and purposes of the organization are, strictly and solely, social, literary, historical and benevolent. Ktir Hardle, the British member of Par liament, adheres for the most part to the small cap a cross between the cap known as Scotch and the kind of tigbt-fltting cap a workman wears when be' is starting fur work in the bleak early morning. It was this cap which led to a little incident. Kelr Hardle on the opening day of Parliament came down to the library to consult soma books. "Are you working here, mate?" queried a friendly policeman at the palace yard gate. "Yes." "On the roof?" birh was undergoing repairs at the time. "No, on the floor." IPEKDIIO TO MAKE MORE. Went Statlatlca Show la Retard te Oar Postal Revennea. Chicago Inter Ocean. The truth of the maxim that la order to make money the trader must spend money in developing his business Is well Illustrated by Postmaster General Fayne's annual report. Since the department has begun to spend money freely in develop ing Its business In new directions Its revenues have Increased with accelerating peed, until now the postal service is nearer self-sustaining than It has beea since the last reduction la rates. In the fiscal year ISflS prosperity tad been fairly well re-established, and pos tal receipts proved the fart by rising about $12,000,000 over those of 1895. But no new line cf business had, been developed, and the postal deficiency, over $11,000,000 In 1895, was still over $10,500,000 la 189S. In other words, while business was Increas ing, it cost about as much to do It as It brought In, and there was no real gain. But an experiment toward developing a sew line of postal business had begun that of rural free delivery. On this $40, 000 had been spent In 1897 and $50,000 la 18P8. The new product was evidently meeting a demand. In 1899, though the success of the experiment was still deemed uncertain, congress was Induced ts spend $150,000 on It, and In 1900 to Increase this to $450,000. In 1899 postal receipts In creased $4,000,000. as compared with 1898, while the deficiency declined $2,300,000. In 1900 receipts rose $7,240,000 higher, but the deficiency fell only $1,000,000. Then, In 1901, congress took hold of rural free delivery In real earnest, allow ing $1,750,000 for that branch that year and nearly $4,000,000 la 1902. The effect was positive and Immediate. In 1901 re ceipts rose nearly $10,000,000 above those of 1900, while the deficiency tell $3,300,000. And in 1902 receipts gained more than $10,000,000, while the deficiency sank an other $1,000,000. In fact, since rural free delivery was seriously undertaken the postal deficiency has declined practically in Inverse ratio to the expenditure on that branch of the business. Statistics at band do not give the pro portion of Increased 'revenue derived from the rural free delivery routes. Nor Is it really necessary to have such figures. It Is evident that the largely profitable new business of the department the business which returns considerably more than the cost of doing It comes from the rural free delivery branch. This Is the only strictly new facility afforded by the department to the publio for several years, and the more widely it Is offered the more rapidly do the revenues of the department Increase. About 1,000,000 square miles of the na tional territory are considered by the de partment's experts to be able to give profit able support to a rural free delivery service. Only about one-third of this territory Is now covered. In the light of the facts rapid and vigorous extension of the rural free delivery service, without, of course, neg lecting other Improvements, la evidently the policy that will bring the largest re turns for a liberal expenditure. Rural free delivery Is plainly the field wherein con gress can Just now spend money for the postal service, and so wipe out the de ficiency altogether and make the service self-sustaining. PROSPERITY HERB TO STAT. Evidences of the Country's Ability to Avert n Flnnnclnl Crisis. Louisville Courier-Journal. The testimony of the London Statist that large American loans have been paid off In Paris, substantially reducing our interna tional debts, is only part of the evidence of the financial strength of the United States which has come to light during the past six weeks of a stringent money mar ket. What Is still more notable Is that the heavy liquidation which has been go ing on in stocks has caused no serlouB fail ures anywhere a proof that the specula tion was not as rampant as had been rep resented. All the stocks sold have found buyers at good prices, showing that some body has had the money for investment at the declines. There has been no nanlo. though a powerful "bear" party has been operating and very heavy declines were predicted at the beginning. Of late the rallies have been more violent than the declines, and the low points at the market are on each decline a little above the pre vious ones, so that if the worst Is not over there is little likelihood of any great fall. Leaving Wall street, which Is entitled to notice purely as the Indication of financial opinion, we find every branch of trade con tinuing to flourish. Our agricultural Inter ests, on which our prosperity is based, have been strengthened by large gains In the corn and oats, hay and potato crops. The wheat crop Is turning out larger than the preliminary report gave reason to believe, and it is the largest yield, with but three, and possibly only two, exceptions In his tory. The cotton crop, at first thought to be seriously cut short, has been favored ex ceptionally by the season, ana now there is little expert questioning of a yield of at least 11,000,000 bales. Best of all. these farm products are In great demand at highly remunerative prices, thus guaranteeing the prosperity of trade for the next year. If no longer. For a while the croakers have been claim ing that railroad earnings were shrinking. There was some decline In the net earn ings of August and September, due to the anthracite strike, which seriously affected a number of Important lines, but late figures on September show the upward march was only slightly checked. October earning did better. The typical corn-carrying road, How About a Robe? If you are undecided about what you would like Kant a Claus to give the male portion of your bouse, or some other bouse, turn your thoughts to Louuglng Robes and to us. Our gathering Is worth eonsideration, for the assortment of these useful and ornamental garments Is large autl varied and you can reach thetn so economically that to be without one is nothing short of neglect. From $5.00 up to $40.00 covers a wide range, and at about any price between that you want we can show you the best for that money. Smoking Jackets, too, If you like. A glance at our windows will furnish plenty of ideas. No Clothing Fits Like Ours. Commencing Thursday we are open evenings until Christmas. R S. WILCOX, Mana?er. THE OLD RELIABLE ' ' Si Absolutely Puro THERE IS NO SUBSTITUTE the Atchison, showed a gross Increase of $520,000 tor the month, and a twy large net Increase, yet the new corn crop has barelv begun to move. When this Important cereal Is marketed In all the forms la which It goes Into consumption, expert opinion la that the railroads will have such traffic as never before. The railroads cannot have freight unless general business Is active. The legitimate business situation has not had a backset anywhere, while Europe has been waiting with bated breath for a reo etltion of the hard times of 189S. These hard times seem still far off. for we have weathered apparently what Is the worst part of a serious monetary famine, with out a distressing accumulation of business failures, as must have been the case were not conditions Intrinsically sound. WHITTLED TO A POIT. Chicago News: Giles There Is a fortune In grain speculation. , Miles How do you knowT Giles Because I put one there. ' .D!lr.0,t. Fr". Pt""- "Tour eon 1s a phil osophical student I hear?" hY.e,v. I b?",?Y "e 1 can'' understand what he's talking about." Indianapolis News: "Your office was burglarized last night7" "Yes." "Did they blow open the safe?'' -"No. They weje too smiirt for that. They went right after the coal bin." Philadelphia LedRer: Quest I noticed a football In the front hall. Tenant Ys. The Jnnltor put It there. He said when we wanted to kick we could use that. Philadelphia Press: "Yes. he has an In curable heart trouble. He's fallen In love " "Oh! that's not incurable." "Not ordinarily, but I'm afraid his age Is against him. He's over 60." New York Times: "Here la a letter from a lawyer ' said his wife, "who savs that your uncle has died and left you $10,000." "For these and other kindred hlevslngs " murmured the dominie, "let us be devoutly thankful." Washington Ptnr: "Intrinsic value should never figure In considering a Christmas gift. "It never does with me." answered MHs Cayenne. "What touches me Is the thought that anybody has been willing to brave a crowd of holiday shoppers for my sake." Atlanta Constitution: "I can't git. my mln' right On what sort er fish hit wins dat swallowed Jonah," en Id the lay member "You don't have ter," replied Brother Sin Bhet, ,yo' m'V.'. up- en thank God hit dldn t swailer you!" A ,Mean Man. 8. E. Klsei1 In Record-Herald. . Oh. the meanest man la not the man Who snatches a lady's purse; A mn Hke that is a mean, mean man. But there In a man who's worse; He has last year's gifts all piled away The doll, the drum and the engine, too And he II get them out on Chrlotmaa day And pretending he's Santa, strew Them around on the floor to be used once more, As if they all were new. CASDOR, H. C. Brunner. "I know what you're going to say," sht said, Andwhe stood up looking uncommonly You are going to speak of the hectic fall. And say you're sorry the summer's dead And no other summer was like it. you know, And can I imagine what made It soT Now, aren't you, honestly?" "Yes," I said. "I know what you're going to say," she said; "You are going to ask If I forget That day in June when the woods were And you'carrled me" here she dropped her 'Over the creek; you are going to say Do I remember that horrid day; Now, aren't you, honestly?" "Yes." I Said. .' "I know what you're going to say," she said; "Y011 are going to say that since that time , r,T V iMu 10 run o rnyme, And her clear glance fell, and her cheek "And have I noticed your tone waa queer? Why, everybody has seen It here! Now, aren't you, honestly ?" "Yes" I said. ' 'I know - what wou're going to say," I "You're going to say you've been much annoyed. And I'm short of tact you will say de- And Ira clumsy and awkward, and call me And 1 bear abuse like a dear old lamb And you 11 have me, anyway. Just as I am Now aren't you, honestly? Yea," she