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About Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922 | View Entire Issue (March 19, 1903)
The Omaha Daily Bee. ESTABLISHED JUNE 19, 1871. OMAHA, THURSDAY .MOHMJJH, MAIIC1I 11), ' li)03 TEN PAGES. SINGLE COPY THIt El CENTS. ARGUE MERCER CASE Noted Lawyers Attack and Defend the Northern lecnritiei Company. BECK SEES OBVIOUS RESTRAINT OF TRADE Claimi Wabash Employes Were Guiltless Beiide Hill Faotion. RATES NEW JERSEY'S RECKLESS CHARTER Deolarei No Other BUM Woild Grant Un limited Right'- YOUNG REPLIES FOR RAILROAD MAGNATES Briefly Sketches Ulster? of Mara to Coast, Showing How Trade Waa Gradually Bnllt I p to the Gait, 6T. LOUIS, Mo.. March 18. For the first time In history, and by authority of a spe cial act of congress, four United States circuit judges are sitting together to bear arguments In the fight of the government against the Northern Securities company. Under tbia special act the United States circuit court for the district of Minnesota Is holding its session In St. Louis, and by this arrangement the case can go Immedi ately from thla court to the supreme court of the United States and thus aave from two to three years. The four Judges before whom the case la being argued are Judge Caldwell, Sanborn, Thayer and Van Devanter, Judge Caldwell presiding. I The attorney for the government are Games M. Beck and William H. Day, D. T. Watson of Pittsburg and D. P. Dyer of St. Louis. For the Northern Securities company are John W. Griggs, Oeorge B. Toung of St. Paul, M. D. Grover, general attorney for the Great Northern railroad, and C. W. Bunn, general attorney for the Northern Pacific. Most of today'a session waa taken up with an elaborate argument presented by Assistant Attorney General Beck. After he had concluded, an argument for th3 Northern Securities company waa begun by former Judge George B. Young Mr. Beck began speaking aoon after court convened at 10 o'clock and with the excep tion of two hours he spoke continuously until 6:62. He referred to the Wabash Injunction case, saying the laws were such that em ployes of a railroad who did not own 1 cent of stock, or one rail of the road, could be enjoined from striking and thereby Inter fering with the interstate commerce act by topping traffic, but that unless this court o ruled the government waa powerleaa to prevent the ownera of railroads themselves from merging, preventing competition and thereby Interfering with the very rtghta the Interstate commerce act sought to pro tact. Try to Override rnbllo Will. Xji Tila-arg-umart; Attorney Beck said, la part: It would be difficult to exaggerate the Im portance of thla controversy. Few cases have ever been presented to any court which affected corporate Interests of such magnitude, and attll fewer which more . vitally concern the welfare of the Ameri can people. If competing carriers can form a stable, permanent and controlling combination with Indefinite and perpetual powers, through the simple device qf a so-called ' holding corporation organised under a state charter a form which Is far more 1 Inimical to the public Interests than the trnfllo arrangements or technical trusts which the luw has hitherto condemned then both the Interstate commerce act of 1SR7. with Its Inhibition of pooling, and the act of July 2, with Its sweeping condemnation of all combinations in re straint of trade or attempted monopolies, will be nu II I lied by the power of Indi viduals, who will thus show the lm potence of the declared will of the Ameri can people. Mr. Bock then reviewed the corporate history of the Great Northern, Northern Pacific and Union Pacific aystems. He re ferred at length to the attempt made In the . year 189S by the Northern Pacific and Great Northern interests, to unite their respective systems, and quoted at length from the decision of the supreme court In - the ease of Pearaall against Great Northern Railway company declaring the attempted amalgamation unlawful. . Hew Jeraer Recklesa with Charters, There waa considerable discussion as to what charter could be secured to protect Mich extraordinary powers. After careful consideration by eminent counsel. It waa finally decided that the state which had won a bad pre-eminence for Ita reckless sale of corporate privilege to secure petty feea. waa the atate whose protective power should be Invoked. Accordingly, the char tec was applied for In New Jersey on No vember 13, 1901. The whole transaction waa nothing more than, the exchange of oertl&catea of ownership; the buyers were the sellers and the sellers were the buyere. with thla Important difference, that the part owner of the property of the Northern Pact&o railway, or - the Great Northern, found himself a part owner of the property of both. Had the two constituent companies for mally consolidated, no different results would have been accomplished. Had the Great Northern and Northern Paclflo for mally merged their corporate Identity and Issued new capital stock In retirement an J exchange for the pre-existing holdings, the result would have been precisely the same as In the exchange tor the certificates of the Northern Securities, with the single exception of the name. Between a tech nical merger and a transfer to the so-called holding company Is the difference between ' tweedle-dum and tweedle-dee, Obtalaa Eatraordlnury Powers. Mr. Beet then analysed the charter of the Northern Securities company, and said: fluch extraordinary powers were never yet granted to a corporation unless It be or.e of the New Jersey breed. In a few words. Its powers may be classified as fol lows: tl) Infllnlte In scope. U) Perpetual In character. I (3) Vested In the hands of a few. () By methods secret even to stockhold ers. It will be Interesting to follow out the possibilities of sut-h a corporation. The or ' Initial Idea of the holding corporation, as explained by noted financiers. Is to enable the minority to rule the majority. A majority of the Northern Securities company, namely. SAl,tM,uno. controls the Hurllngtim, Northern Pacltio and Ureat Northern systems and all subsidiary com panies whose aggregate capitalisation. In cluding funded debt, exceeds $l.(i.(i.(HJ, but the board of directors, whose holdings of Northern Securities may be compara tively Insignificant, can, during the tenure of their oltice, appoint a committee with power to act and to use the aeal of tha corporation at pleasure. This committee may only be thru In number, and c ma jority la determinative This. In the last analysis, two men may control the un limited powers of the holding company, which In turn controls the vunt powers of t:m tiurdngton, Northern Pacific and Ureat (Continued ta Firth Page.) PEOPLE OF FRANCE PLEASED Take an Interest In Panama (.'anal, AHhongh United Stales W 111 r It. PARIS. March 18. ... -cment of the ratification of the Paw -If . 'reaty by the United States senate i -is received with satisfaction by tn.. and others here who have long been , estod in this project. In government circles the senate's action v.aa considered to be an assurance that the United States will carry out the work be- j gun under French auspices. Although the government oi rTance nas no connection with tl:e Panama Canal company, the former has always taken a deep Interest In the success of the late Count de Lesseps' project, owing to the great number of French Investors in the canal company. It Is understood that the French com pany will-not make any definite plana for the future until the congress of Colombia ratifies the treaty, when 'he procedure for distributing the proceeds of the sale of the property will be arranged. On the bourse today Panama S per cents, which closed at 46 francs yesterday, ad vanced to 47 and 48 francs. These repre sent the bonds having a fac value nf BOO francs, which sold u'most at par during the palmy days of Count do Lesseps. They had been greatly depressed during recent years, but revived and have advanced steadily since the United States began the discussion of the treaty with Colombia. MOODY LIKES THE HARBOR Maya Proposed Site for Coa II na ltd tion In Cuba Is Host Desirable. HAVANA, March 18. Secretary Moody and party, with the exception of Postmas ter General Payne and Senator Hale, left for Santiago on a special train today. Mr. Payne continued his Journeys to Santiago on Dc Iphtn and Senator Hale has started for V aahlngton. Mr Moody will atop for three hours at Matanzas. He will also visit Santa Clara and Buerto Principe and will arrive at San tiago Friday. The secretary informed the correspondent of the Associated Press previous to hla de parture that the Impression he had formed during hla three hours' atay ashore at Bahla Honda waa entirely favorable. The harbor, he added, la convenient, and there la ample alte for a coaling atation. The coral formation of the bottom of the harbor will apparently require little dredg ing. Mr. Moody found that an American company had already purchased a big tract of land for colonizing purposes In the Im mediate vicinity of the coaling site. NOVEL' MACHINES FOR FAIR One of Them Catches the Heat Units Firing; Oat of a Factory Chlmneyt BERLIN, March 18. Among the new ma- chlnea . for conserving energy that Lieu tenant Godfrey L. Carden of the United States revenue cutter service haa found for the St. Louis exposition la cue to catch the heat untta flying out of a factory chim ney. This appliance In a plant at Dussel don now yields S.lOO-horse power. Another device to economise force can be attached to a steam engine and Increase Ita power one-third without Increased fuel consumption. Lieutenant Carden, who baa been search ing Europe for eight months for useful ma chines Invented since the Paris exposition, haa arranged to aend over about twenty other novelties. Including the process for making smokeless briquettes, which has been adopted by the British admiralty, and also a German briquette machine to utilize coal waste. LIBERALS WINANOTHER SEAT Conservatives SnflTer a Crushing De- lent In Rye Election In Snssex. ' A LONDON, March 18. The conservatives have Buffered a crushing defeat In the Rye division of Sessex, where a bye election waa held yesterday tor a successor to A. L. Brookfleld, conservative, who has been ap pointed British consul at Montevideo. The result waa the return of C. F. Hutch inson, liberal, by a majority of 631 over Edward Boyle, conservative. Mr. Hutchin son, who appealed to the electora aa a critic of the government's whole policy, obtained over 2,000 more votea than he did In 1900, when he opposed Mr. Brookfleld, while the conservative vote fell oft about 100. There was much talk in the lobby of the House of Commons today about the "moral" effect this and the Woolwich reverse would 'have on the government. SULTAN IGNORES AMERICA Refuses Cls to luia See Minister Rearing" Roosevelt Wishes Settled. LONDON. March 19 The correspondent of the Dally Chronicle at Constantinople aaya United Statea Minister Lelshman ia atill vainly waiting for an audience with the sultan to deliver President Roosevelt autograph letter on the American clalma regarding the missionary schools In Ar menia. In response to Lelshman'a demands Tew flk Pacha promised that the sultan would receive him after the celebration of Ba.ram but the festival passed and Mr. Lejshman la becoming exasperated. MEMORIAL WREATHS CENSUREO Berlin Pollre Gnnrd Aaalast Sedition When the Pepnlnee Decorate Rebels' Graves. BERLIN, March 18. This bring the an nlveraary of the revolutionary outbreak of 1848, crowda of Berllners wsndered to the cemetery to decorate the gravea of those who were killed. A police lieutenant stood at the gate and examined the Inscriptions on the wreaths, while a policeman standing behind him with a pair of shears clipped off the rib bons on which objectionable Inscriptions had been made. KING REMEMBERS COL. CODY Sends Distinguished American Hand seme Scarf Pin aa a Soavenlr. LONDON. March 18 King EJward haa sent Colonel Cody (Buffalo BUI) a hand some scarf pin with the royal cipher In diamonds surmounted by the crown, aa aouvenlr of hla visit laat Saturday to the Wild West show. FLOOD SURROUNDS TRAINS Past enters Caught Between 8pend Day in Can. Wa'honta WEATHER BUREAU IS MORE HOPEFUL "'atera Mill Rise at Memphis, hi atlsewhere Situation Is iteported J as Grently Improved and Dancer Passed. WASHINGTON, March 18 The Ohio river j ha fallen 1.8 feet at Cairo, and as a conse quence the Mississippi river, while slightly ' higher at Memphis, can rise but little more. The stage at the last named point thin morning Is 39.6. The situation, below Is un changed, the stages belo?: Vlcksburg, 43.3, a rise of three-tenths; New Orleans, 19.S, a rise of one-tenth. MEMPHIS. Tenn., March 18. There Is scarcely a ray of hope In the flood situation tonight except In the fact that tributaries of the Mississippi to the north of Memphis are reported falling. One of the molt serious developments Is that all railroads enter'ng the city from the west have been washed out and all tralna tied up. So suddenly did the rise come after the St. Francis levee broke at Price Landing that two passenger tralna were caught be tween washed out points and are now sur rounded by water on blind tracks about three miles west of Bridge Junction, Ark. Aboard each of the trains are about seventy-five passengers. Hescne Fifty by Risky Work. The trains are on the track of the Iron Mountain . near Altmar, Ark. By taking risks several handcars succeeded In rescu ing them today and about fifty passengers were brought to thla city over submerged and snaky tracks. The remainder are housed In the coaches, being fed by the railroad companies. Some persons were rescued from Marlon, Ark., today by means of skiffs and the sit uation there is 'somewhat relieved. Eight white families 'and fully 200 negroes re main there In the second stories of build ings. NATCHEZ, Mies., March 18. In spite of the great width of the river a rise of a quarter of a foot waa recorded here today. A dispatch from. Covington atates that Island No. 85. which la considered one of the highest In the north end of the river, is flooded for the first time In Its history. Sixty persons were rescued from the Island this morning by a steamer. The situation In North Memphis Is un changed. People are transferred in skiffs and many are Idle because of the shutting down of several Industries. SPRING VALLEY, Wis., March 18. Very heavy ralna last night over central Wis consin caused floods In all the smaller rivers. At Martell, on the Rush hlver, a dam went out, taking three men, two of whom were rescued. Leon Gasman waa drowned and Henry Gasman badly hurt. Five railroad bridges are out between here and . Elmwood, a distance of eight miles. The roads are almost Impassable. 8T, PAUL, Minn., March 18. In eighteen houra 1.42 Inchea of rain fell In St. Paul, this being- within t.OS Inches ef the aomtaal rainfall for the entire month. SCHWAB TALKS OF HIS TRIP Steel President Indnla.es in Sarcasm, bnt Closea with Prac tical Hint. NEW YORK. March 18. Charles M. Schwab, who returned to New York on the ateamer Kronprinx Wlihelm, said In the course of an interview that he never had felt so well la his life or been so glad to get back to work. He declared he bad no Intention of resigning the presidency of the steel combination, adding: "But, of course, I don't own the United States Steel corporation, and Ita stockholders choose Us officers." When asked regarding hla big automo bile, Mr. Schwab replied: "The one In which I was said to be making a tour of Europe T Oh, I sold that. It waa too fierce for me. 1 am pretty strong, aa you aee, but that machine waa a terror to every chauffeur I had, but I bought three machines aud they will be here pretty aoon." "What about that phantom yacht of your that waa making such remarkable speed on the Swlsa lake?" Mr. Schwab was asked. 'That waa a nat little launch that I hired for a few days. Its remarkable speed was only part of the phantasmagoria that have surrounded my Journey and given the trip Ita bizarre character." "Your cruise in Mr. Drexel'a yacht, Margherita, was real, waa It not?" "Indeed It was, and the most delight- ful reality of my life.- We all enjoyed the Mediterranean, but a great many absurd things were said of that cruise. We did not go up the Nile and our Itinerary does not call for special notice." ' , Referring to hla observations In Europe, Mr. Schwab 'said: "I made this trip to study nature. I muat Bay, however, that there Is great commercial activity In some parte of Europe. Germany, for example, as well as France. This Is not the only manufacturing nation In the world, and the aooner we realize that the better." Charles M. Schwab was at the office of the United States 8teel corporation today, where he waa greeted by the chiefs of the various divisions. Later be called at the banking house of J. P. Morgan A Co., and conferred for a long time with several members of that firm. ' FIVE BOYS DEAD IN WATER Haft rnpslsCs on Which Ther Are Playing Near Chant, In dian Territory. 4 JOPLIN, Mo., March 18. News of ths tragic death of five boya waa received here today from Chant, I. T. The boya were playing on a raft which capaized. Dead: RAYMOND CROCOFT. RALPH OAKS. CHARLES OAK8. PETER BERRY. LUTHER BERRY. The ages of the boys rsnged from 6 to years. The bodies were rescued. JAIL OPENS FOR MAD MAN St. Joseph Eiobesaler Leaves Prison for Washington Iasnne As lam. JEFFERSON CITY. . Mo., March 18 United Statea Marshal E. R. Durham to day atarted with Lee Gallagher for Wash ington, D. C, where he will be placed in tha government Insane asylum. Gallagher waa serving a term for em bezzlement committed while s beak dark la SU Josafh. WABASH WA AE ON UNIONS lalms Real (rtrTsinres Originated tilth Men's Leaders, Who Wish Organisation Recognised. ST. LOUIS, March 18. Affidavits were finished and argumenta commenced late this afternoon tn the Wabash Injunction suit. In opening for the company. Colonel Blodgett said: "We claim that the griev ances said to exist on the Wabash origi nated with the defendants in this case and not with any of the employes of the com pany. As evidence of Ihjs I point out that there Is not In any 'of the reports of the meetings of their grievance committee a single statement to show that any of these so-called grievances were ever discussed by that committee. These grievances must have originated somewhere, and we claim that the proceed ing.! of the grievance, committee show that they were made In accordance with the demands of the Western association of the general committee ot these two organiza tions as a foundation tor their demands for official recognition of their union. "It Is Important," to declared after read ing the bill of complaint, "that It should be understood what ,is meant by a 'union road.' It Is' a road whore committees of labor organizations ; are recognised and contracted with, whefre written agreements are signed by the mi of their representa tives, and by the managers of the road. A nonunion road formulates Its own rules and schedules and posts them where they may be seen. There are no algned agreementa." At this point court adjourned. Among affidavits submitted by the railroad today were those of John W. Schrader, who said he was a member of the Brotherhood of Railway Trainmen and personally acquainted with Grand Master Morrlssey. He declared he had heard Mr. Morrlssey threaten to bring about a general tleup of all Gould lines unles-t the union waa rec ognized officially by the Wabash. Grand Master Hannahan of tUe Firemen and Vice Grand Master Lee of the Train men, were similarly accused. , In rebuttal, Messrs. Morrlssey, Hannahan and Lee offered affidavits of energetic de nial. They declared the affidavits charging them with uttering threats to tie up the road or injure ita business were false In every particular and declared they had never before heard ot the men who made them. OMAHA TACTICS REPEATED Kansas City Soathern Follows Union Pacific Lead In Attempt to ' Break Strike. PITTSBURG, Kan., March 19. After being idle for a week, the Kansaa City Southern shops started again today with ninety nonunion men .brought tn from the north. The men were unloaded and escorted to the shops under an armed guard fur nished by the railway. The guard, however, waa unnecessary, as the strikers made no attempt to molest the hew men. A ato,?kade Is being 1 built around the ehops and grounds, inside which the new men will Bleep and eat in tents and board ing cars. ' Today fifty guards walked a. beat around the ahops, whjle 300 rifles were tacked, up Inside tht,' a Closure. ... 4 A number of the railroads painters went out today and eight ot the company a roundhouse men also quit. LABOR UNION INCORPORATES First to Tnke the Step Fllea Artlclea at Hartford, Connecti cut. HARTFORD, Conn., March 18. The first labor union to file artlclea of Incorporation in this state did so today, when an applica tion was presented at the office of the sec retary ot state for the incorporation of the Metal Polishers, Buffers, Platers, Molders and Brass Workers' union No. 73 ot Merldan. The objects of the proposed corporation. as given In the application, are reduction of the houra of labor, municipal ownership of public utilities, government ownership of national monopolies, abolition of govern mcnt by Injunction in controversies between capital and labor and the enhancement ot wagea and the general welfare of all labor Ing classes. COLORADO MINERS SCORE WIN Most Companies Agree Not to Ship to Boycotted Redaction Works. CRIPPLE CREEK. Colo., March 18. With few exceptions the mines approached by the Western Federation have agreed not to ship ore to the mills of the United States Reduction and Refining company. The mines which have shut down are the Independence, 4.r.0 men; Isabella, 100; Thompson, SO, and Granite, 40 a total of 640. MORRIS TO BUILD A PLANT Chicago Meat Packer Decldea Spend One Million Dollars In Kansas City. KANSA8 CITY, March 18. Nelson Morris Co., the packers, are to establish $1,000,000 plant here which will employ 1,000 hands, according to a statement made pub lie today by Colonel C. F. Morse of Chicago, bi baa been In (he city for several days in connection wnn tne project. Colonel Morse says that building opera tlons will be begun at once and that the plant probably will have been completed by fall. The plant will be built at Riverside Kan., a suburb of Kansaa City, near the stock yards, and on a tract of land forty Ave gcres in extent, which waa purchased several montha ago. WOULD RAISE RAILROAD TAX Mlnnesotn'a Lower House Asks Peo. pie to ote oslllon, Prop. i ST. PAUL, Minn., March 18 By unanl nious vote this afternoon the house passed a bill to aubmit to a vote of the people a proposition to raise the gross earnings tsx on railroads from 3 to 4 per cent. A similar law passed by the last legisla ture failed to receive a aufllcient vite at the last election. FINE FUN TO WRECK TRAIN Indiana Boya Pile Ralls on Track and Hide to Watch the Crash. MARION. Ind., March 18. Charles Cecil, IS, aud Harry Wilkinson, 12, were ar rested today for attempting to wreck a train on Saturday. Cecil ssys a crowd of boya placed Iron ralla on ths tracks and then hid under iuidae la watch tha train Jump off. MANY NEW UNION BUTTONS Omaha Street Car Employes Can Nearly All Wear Them Now. ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-FIVE IN A DAY I nlon Holds n Bin" Meeting and Takes In Members by the Score and Is Kow Numerically Strong. Division No. 28S, Amalgamated Associa tion of Street Railvay Employes of Amer ica, received a landslide ot new members at the all-day meeting held yesterday. About 125 names were added to the roll of the union. According to Presldcjt O. H. Smith of No. 2S&, there are now, counttng the accessions of yesterday, 425 men In the union. The street railways of this city and Council Bluffs employ about 600 men, so It will be seen that the nonunion men, that is those who hsve not yet Joined the organization, are greatly tn the minority. The unusual number Joining yesterday did so because that was the last day on which membership could be obtained for t'.. At the time, of organization it was decided to hold the membership fee at this figure until this date and then raise It to $5 for one month and afterwards to $10. This raise affects only men in the service at this time; all men newly Joining the street car service will be charged the original fee. The men who are still holding aloof from the union are almost to a man old employea of the company, and those who Joined yes terday were for the greater part aleo ot this class. Those early In the organization were mostly men who had not served any great length of time. Many of those who have Just Joined had Intended to put In their names at some time, but had delayed action, for one reason or anotner. Those still remaining out ot the organization are aald to have done so through fear of some complication or unpleasantness. Lenders nre Jubilant. Men who have been prominent In the work of organizing and Increasing the union are Jubilant over the accession of yester day and think that It will be but a short time until practically all of the car men are In line. The majority of the men ot the Council Bluffs line early Joined the union, and most ot those still unsigned are on the Omaha side. The union was organized August 28 of last year. At the time application was made for the charter 234 names were signed to the application as Intending members. Most of these later withdrew from the movement and only seventeen men . ..uielned to fight for the association. These were suspended by the street railway company, but were later reinstated. Eight others Joined the movement on the night that tho seventeen were suspended, and these twenty-five pioneers elected officers and began work among their less active companions. The union men say that they have no grievance against the street railway com pany at this time, but tool that they should be organized. They expreas the Intention to inake the union work for the good of Ita membera and for the good of the service, and are confident1 their employera will never have any cause to complain of Ita actlona. SNOW STORM IN COLORADO Proves to Be the Most Severe Bllssard Experienced There Thla Winter. DENVER, March 18. The snowstorm which reached this city from the west this morning haa proved to be the most severe bhzzard experienced here thla winter. The snow, driven fiercely before a high north wind, makes pedestrlanlsm difficult . and business la generally suspended. There la every indication that the storm will con tinue throughout the night and that the weather will become decidedly colder, es pecially in northeastern portion of atate. Within the city llmta all street cara with the exception of a few downtown lines were effectually stopped and tralna have been stalled on some of the railroads. F. P. Johnson, a well known stockman, said If the storm should continue for twelve hours the loss of cattle will be Incalculable. "The sleet Is of such dampness that It will atlck to their hides," he said, "and will chill them so that they will die by thousands." CHEYENNE. Wyo., March 18. What the stockmen consider the worst blizzard of the winter has been raging In thla section since early morning. The air la full of wet anow, and a high wind la drifting It badly. The weather Is cold. SALT LAKE, Utah, March 18. The se verest snowstorm of the winter Is prevail ing here today. Up to 2 o'clock over four Inches of snow had fallen, accompanied by a forty-mile wind, anl street t radio is aerlously Interfered with. The storm Is general throughout southern Idaho, north ern Utah and western Wyoming and Is working westward rapidly. MERCURY BREAKS RECORDS Reaches Eighty In the Shade at Bur lington nnd Breaka Rec ords Klsewhere, BURLINGTON, la., March 18 The mer cury rose to 80 In the shade today. MILWAUKEE. March 18. According to the weather bureau today'a heat broke the record for March for the thirty-three years alnce the local weather bureau waa estab lished, the thermometer registered TlVs. LOUISVILLE, Ky., March 18. The ther mometer registered 81 degrees today, 23 above normal. CLEVELAND. March 18. The tempera ture today for March was a record breaker, reaching 74.6. The highest previous record for March waa In 18'.6, when 74 degreca waa reached. AMES PLEADS NOT GUILTY Appeara la Minneapolis Conrt on Seven Indictments Charg ing Bribery. MINNEAPOLIS, March 18. Dr. Ames, former mayor of Minneapolis, pleaded not guilty to all aeven indictments against him, charging bribery, conspiracy and ex tortion, in the diatrlct court today. Bail was then fixed at $18,000 and he waa given four days to secure bondsmen. CLEVELAND KEEPS BIRTHDAY Former President Passes Slsty-Slsth Anniversary Quietly nt Home. PRINCETON. N. J., March 18 Former president Cleveland waa 66 years old today. He passed the day quietly with his family at his residence Bayard lane. CONDITION OF THE WEATHEf. Forecast for Nebraska Snow and CoMer Thursday; Friday Fair. Temperature at Omaha yesterday! Hour. Dear. Hoar. Den. n n. m ill 1 p. n tw n. m till 8 p. m IT T n. m tui A p. na hh H a. m Ht 4 p. m 7 f n. m t K p. m MM to n. m. . . . . . Ul II i. m 11 n. m U T p. tn l 1J m til M p. m l 9 p. tn Ut WESTERN UNION MOGULS CALL Snperlntendenta of the Centrnl Divi sion Spend n Dny at the Local Office. Prominent representatives of the West ern Union Telegraph company were In Omaha yesterday. T. P. Cook, general superintendent of the central division; D. R. Davles, superintendent of construction for the same, and Morris Cook, private secretary to the superintendent, arrived In the morning In the Western Union's private car Electric over the Purllngton road on a tour of Inspection and remained until after noon, when they went to Lin coln. From there they go to Topeka and through Kanana to Derver aud then per haps south to Texas. They are accom panied from Omaha to Denver by C. B. Horton, superintendent of the third dis trict of tht central division, and Foreman C. L. McKean of the same. W. W. Umstead, local manager, stated last night that the officials were on a tour of Inspection and that while there is con siderable construction work In progress and several new wires coming In from the east, their visit here waa without' special significance. PENNSYLVANIA TO MEET Are Arranging for Their Annual Re union at Myrtle Halt on Mnrch 2K The Pennsylvanians of Omaha, South Omaha, Council Bluffs and the tributary vicinities are to have their annual as sembly and reunion at Myrtle hall, Fif teenth and Douglas streets, Thursday even ing, March iS. In preparation for tho event, which Is Invariably a "big time," the various committees met at Drlesbach's candy store last night to report progress and discuss the finishing details. This year, aa last, the plan ia to have a box social at which each woman will pro vide a box of lunch and the men bid for It, the highest bidder to lunch with the woman who filled the box. Tho proceeds of the auction defray the expense ot pro viding music and decorations. The Pennsylvanians have an organization or club, with W. G. Bhrlver as president and Mel Horner as secretary. At the box social the attendants are to be native Penn sylvanians or the wives or children of such. It ia anticipated that between 600 and 600 will be present. TO STUDY THE RACE PROBLEM Bill Before, tho Wisconsin Legislature Provides for a. Conference ' oat the Subject. MADISON, Wis., March 18. The Joint resolution of Senator Hatton providing for a conference on the race problem came up In the senate today for action. Senator Hation made a speech in favor ot the resolution. He spoke of the importance of the question and cited the sayings of southern writers on the outlook. It was not proposed, he said, to have a gathering of politicians, but of economists and so ciologists to consider establishing train ing schools for teachers, in different branches, etc. He read a letter from Acting President of Wisconsin University E. A. Birge rec ommending the conference, and moved to refer the resolution to the oommittee on education. The motion was carried. While the sentiment In the senate seema to be atrongly against the bill Senator Hat ton Is ot the opinion that when ita Intent and scope are better vnderstood the feel ing regarding it will be different. METHODISTS HISS MORMON Utah Elder Trlea to Address Chris tian Conference, Wlthont Success. PHILADELPHIA, March 18 A Mormon elder, who attempted to addresa the Methodist Episcopal conference today, was ejected amid a storm of hisses. Dr. Sarah J. Elliott, formerly a medical missionary among the Mormons, was de nouncing Mormonlsm and polygamy, when a middle-aged man edged his way to tho front and handed her a card bearing the Inscription, "N. F. Simpson, Salt Lake, Utah." The reverse side bore the Mormon declaration of principles. The card waa passed to the chairman, who announced that a Mormon elder de sired to speak. Immediately the church was In an uproar and there were cries ot "Put him out." "I only want to say a word," shouted Simpson, but the sexton was called and escorted the Intruder to the street. TO HUNT F0R BLUE BEAR English Museum' Wants Specimen of One of the Rarest Aalmnls in the World. NEW YORK, March 18 To aeek In Alaskan wilds the blue or glacier bear, an animal so rare that ao far at is known only one has been killed and none captured, two English sportsmen. Captain Charles Eustace Radrllffe, a retired officer of the Life guards, and Richard Fitzgerald Ulynn of the First Royal dragoons, having been commissioned by tha British museum to get a specimen of this animal, have arrived here on their way to northern Alaska. Movements of Ocean Vessels March IS, At New York Arrived: Georglc. from Liverpool; Astoria, from Glasgow. Bulled: St. Paul, for Houthnmpton ; Germanic, for Liverpool; btatendum, for Rotterdam. At Liverpool Arrived : Oceanic, from New York: Hhynland, from Philadelphia. Sailed: Celtic, for New York via Queens town. At The Llsard Passed: Minneapolis, from New York, for Ixindon. At Queenstown Arrived: Baxonla, from Boston, for Liverpool, and proceeded, flailed: Ultonla, from Liverpool for Boston. At Houthnmpton Arrived: Philadelphia, from New Vork. At Naples Arrived: Palatia, from New York, for Genoa, and proceeded. At Fay&l-Balled: Commonwealth, from Genoa and Naples, for Boston. At Algiers Hulled: Sardrguu, from Genoa, for New York. At ("herbourg Arrived: Pennsylvania, from New York. At Hong Koug Arrtvsd: Hysdes, from Taconis via Yokohama: Indrasama. from Portland, Ore,, via Yokohama; Shlnuo Uaru, front Seattle via Yokohama. BILL READY TO PASS Home Orders Bevenue Measure Engrossad for final Passage, SEVEN fUSION VOTES GO TO RAILROADS Test Comes on Amendment Offered by Ten Ijck During Debate. CLOSING MOMENTS IN COMMITTEE LIVELY Ilectrio Light, Gas, Telephone and Other Companies Get Bnsy, RAILROADS HAVE ALL THEY WANTED Measure aa at Present Endorsed t on tains Exnrtly the Provision Pro posed by the Special Rev enue Commission. (From a Staff Correspondent) LINCOLN, March 18. (Special.) After all the pow-wow indulged tn by the organa and leadera ot hyphenated politics In Ne braska abotit minority membera In the legislature being the only true advocates of tax reform, seven of these minority members fell In line and cast their votes with those to whom these organa ot fu slonism have all along been referring as "tools of the railroads" and "hirelings ot the corporations." The test in which these aeven fusion membera Jumped the track came on an amendment to the revenue bill submitted by Ten Eyck (rep.) of Douglas, providing for n method of local taxation of railroads. a counterpart of the principle embodied in H. R. 330, out of which the fusionlsts tried to make so much campaign thunder. Thirty votes were cast for the amendment and 62 against. Of the twenty-four fusionlsts In the house only sixteen supported tha amendment, seven voted against It ani one evaded the roll call. Fourteen repub licans votd for it. The house '.oncluded conoideratton of tha revenue bill and adopted the report ot tha committee ot tlu whole recommeudlng It fc passiKC. Th. bill, with Its amend ments, will be engrossed fcr a third read ing after tho amendments have been printed ai.d It Is not probable that it will be back In the Jioui, for a third reading before next weeK. Corporntlons Lose Again. The house devoted the greater part ot Ihe day to the Ml). In the Interest of the street railway tori orations certain mem bers prolonged uipcusslon on tbe bill so aa to give tha Interests they represented time to slip In their amendment placing them under the gross earnings-franchise tax system. The amendment waa submit ted by Burgess of Lancaster after the mo tion was made in the committee ot tha whole to report the bill for passage. But It did uot prevail. On the contrary. It waa voted down very decisively. Koetter and Mangold of Douglas voted for it. Thompson of Merrick secured tha adop tlou of his 4Ttcnd.ucnt knocking out tha electrlo light companies from this provi sion. The electrlo light concerns, with other utility corporations, had surrepti tiously tacked on an amendment to sec tion 80 of the revenue till giving them tha benefits of this gross earnings-franchise method of taxation. They were found out and Mr. Thompson's amendment waa their deathknell. However, the gaa companies were not caught. The bill got through before It. was discovered that they were couched safely in the fohls of thla provl sion. The street railway concerns, which are accused of tying up with the Burlington In securing a sifting committee to their lik ing, endeavored to rule with an ircn hand today and probahly this accounts, In some measure, for their decisive thrbwdown. Certain membera balked when thla com bined lash was wteldcd end the result wsa disastrous to ths street railways. It has been suggested that It might have been better for them had not they fallen heir to a share In the sifting committee. Railroad Clause Stands. Desperate efforts were made, to amend the revenue bill ao as to change the pro visions relating to railroad taxation, but all in vain. Loomla submitted an amend ment, which waa a modification of the Caldwell amendment, and Perry ot Furnaa resubmitted the Caldwell amendment. Tbe former was defeated by a vote of (7 to 35, one fuslcniBt voting against It, and tho latter was lost by practically the same vote. Thus the bill goes through with the Iden tical railroad taxation method provided by the joint committee that framed tbe bill. It bas been generally argued by those op posed to the bill that this mesne an enor mous Increase in all taxes save those of the corporations, which, under the State Board of Equalization arrangement, will be given Just as good, If not better, opportunity for evading their taxes aa under tbe old law. To offset this friends ot the bill protest that the measure contemplatea aa equality In taxation and places at the disposal of the assessors every means of getting at the taxable property ot the railroads which will tend to prevent tax shirking. Course of Fusion Leadera. Now that the revenue bill Is recom mended for passage by the house, tbe atti tude of the fufclohlute will be watched wjLh Interest. As a matter ot fact, tho fusionlsts have themselves largely to blame for the succeM of tbe bill, aa la generally understood. It la no secret In the state house that the high pi tests of fuslonism wanted a revenue bill passed that would not be satisfactory to the people of Nebraska. Their purpose waa ao ob vious as to deceive no one, and the man ner In which they have conducted their fight to suppress any other sort ot legisla tion along this line haa been a aubject ot general comment. One little detail of the fusionlsts meth ods: Soma days ago they mads a big ado about not allowing the street railway, ga, electric light and telephone companies to be taxed on tbelr gross earnings for their franchises, and gave It out cold that they would see that all these utility cor porations ware placed in tbe same category for taxation purposes. Today was the time for them to "mks good" their housetop proclamations. But toey slunk away in stead with the amendment In tbelr pockets and didn't open their mouths about tha proposition, except to consult privately among themselvea, and decided alnce one prominent fusion member owted stock In an Independent telephone company that It would be unwise to suggest this change, y Legislative Employea. The present bouse of representatives haa bad appointed Just an even 100 em 11 of chapter xlvllt of the compiled atatutea ployes, the senate only flfty-nlna. Section provides that the house ahall not have to excesd seventy-live employee, and sec-
