n
THF, OMATTA PATTV TIFF: TUESDAY, JUNE 10. 100.1.
The Omaha Daily Bee.
E. HOSE WATER, EDITOR.
PUBLISHED EVERT MORNING.
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ally Bc (without Sunday), per week...l3c
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THE BEE PUBLISHING COMPANY.
STATEMENT OF CIRCULATION.
Bute of Nebraska, Douglas County as.:
George B. Tsschurk, secretary of The Fee
Putilisulng Company, being duly sworn,
ays thai the actual number of full and
complete copies of The Dally, Morning,
Evening and Bunday Bee printed during the
month of May, uua, waa aa loiwwa
I....
I....
I....
4....
...80,MK
17 ....,
U - 81.080
U ,3,T80
jo so.two
a 80.8T0
ZL 90fi0
...,SO,TS
....80,500
I. 8W.TSO
. asTo
t ao,TO
I. .. aoio
.80,740
10 T.TT
II 30,440
12 80,870
11 8U,M
14 ao,TSO
15 80.USO
,80,830
24
26
26
27
2S
..80.H30
..80.T90
..80,780
..SO.OMO
. .80,000
..SlUVO
SO.
i...,...........aTtx
14 ....aooo
Total
Leas unsold and returned copies
.ssa.ooo
. 1034
Net total sales 843.803
Net average sales 80.43T
QKOROE B. TZSCHUCK.
Subscribed In my presence and sworn to
before me this Ust day of May, A. D. 1901.
M. B. IlUNOATE,
(Seal.) Notary Public
We will all be pleased to call him
King Peter and let It go at that
No apprehension of regicides in the
peaceful realm of good Ak-Sar-Ben.
With the National Saengerfest on in
full -blast, there should be music in the
air at Baltimore.
With Its strikes practically all settled.
it is high time for Omaha to bucklo
down to business.
The BkupshUna would also confer a
great favor by rearranging Its alphabet
at the earliest possible day.
Colonel Clown, continues to hold the
helm at the Western Union, all yellow
journal fakes about his enforced resig
nation to the contrary notwithstanding.
Government inspection and grading of
hemp Is to be instituted in the Philip
pines to facilitate exporting. A special
grade should be established for hemp
suitable for necktie parties.
Now watch, the American small boy
who wants to see the base ball game
without going through the gate take a
tip from Santos Dumont's scheme to
take In the races from bis airship.
Colonel Bryan may not be president of
the United States, but his late law
partner m ill be head consul of the Mod'
ern Woodmen- of America, which Is
small presidency In Itself.
. When the messengers come to tell him
that he has been elected king and de
mand if ' he will accept. Prince Kara
goorgevltch wll.1 not have to say "This
lit so sudden'.'' and ask for time to think
It over.
Plana for the reconstruction of the
Kansas City platform regardless of car
penter strikes and without the aid or
consent of the' boss builder are being
prepared by , democratic architects in
various sectlous of the country
Unless the assessor of Florence pre
cinct sees fit to revise his returns of the
assessment of .personal property It may
be Incumbent on County Attorney Enn
llsh to proceed against him' In accord
ance with the provisions of the criminal
code. .
The local democratic organ, quoting
a democratic member of the South
Omaha council, says that . there ure
"plenty of good, Intelligent, progressive
and well-informed business men even
among the republicans." That Is a con
cession as Is a concession.
Along with the institution of the per
manent teachers' list, the duty devolves
upon the school board to see that ho
incompetent teacher Is Invested with a
claim to permanent tenure. A corps of
Instructors permanently loaded up with
incompetents would be a calamity to
the schools.
Iowa democrats are still dividing on
the lines of fealty to the Kansas City
platform which promises to furnish the
fireworks again In their coming state con
vention. If there were the ghost of a
chance to elect anybody on the demo
cratic ticket in Iowa the disposition to
fight over dead issue would be speedily
repressed. .
Assistant Postmaster General Brlstow
thinks rural free delivery as now in
dulged is altogether too great a luxury
for the Postottiee department to afford.
When free delivery was started lu the
cities there were also many to predict
that the results would not Justify the
outlay, but no one would now advise
curtailment of this service. The same
thing Is likely to happen with reference
to the rural free delivery. The postal
business it stimulates la sure eventually
to bring it close to a self-supporting
basis, -4
. mutrKhDKitcu.or rn wkst.
In its last Issue the Wall Street Jour
nal discusses the Claim that the west Is
financially Independent of. the east and
concludes : that It " to only measurably
true.- After pointing out the command
ing position ' which the west has long
held 'In the polities of the nation a
position certain to be maintained and
strengthened that paper says that while
the growth of the west in wonltA has
In i measure given It financial inde
pendence, the claim is sininewhat exag
gerated. "There is no doubt whatever,"
says the Journal, "that . the west has
made so much money that it has been
able to pay-oft, its-Indebtedness, to the
east and to acquire a large surplus but
it is noticeable that it has come to jWall
street to invest this surplus. Its banks
and trust companies still deposit a, part
tit (thelr reserves with New York institu
tions in order to earn the '2,-per (cent
interest paid on such deposits. More-
over, they have become a fartoT In the
New York money market; "by making
heavy direct loans and by, purchases of
mercantile paper. Western, .capitalists
likewise have employed the facilities of
the Wall street market Jn order b make
their investments and to carry on ithelr
speculations." These facts, in .the view
of the Journal, show that while in one
sense the west has become independent
of Wall street. In another sense It still
depends very largely upon it ; i
As the financial center of the country
Wall street will always draw capital
from other sections of the country. , For
purposes of speculation and for certain
classes of investment those having sur
plus capital will Inevitably , take It to
that center.,' There will be-no dissent
from the proposition of the Journal that
because of powerful . mutual .interests
there cannot be absolute financial inde
pendenee in any section. ' Yet tt is a
fact' that' the west -no longer has to rely
upon the east, as formerly.-for means to
carry on its business arid move Its crops,
and the independence It has attained In
this respect will not be lost. Western
capital is steadily increasing and the
promise of 'abundant crops this year
holds out the assurance of a larger ac-
cumulation of capital in the next twelve
months than in any past year. The
west is now prosperous and. if what Is
promised shall be realized it will ex
perience a higher measure of prosperity
than it has yet known.
. For the purposes of its legitimate busi
ness we think the claim that the west
is financially Independent ; is well
founded. Its own capfrat is ample to
meet the demands of legitimate- financial,
industrial and commercial ppera lions
and there is no doubt that it is being
augmented at a satisfactory rate. There
Is good reason to bellete that jlhe west
will be in position next-' fall to finance
the moving of the crops ' without calling
upon the east for assistance, unless
there should be an lrnexpected-Tiiange
from .existing conditions, ' 21 A
i ..? i .it a f!ft
SKH VIA'8 JIBW KlIIQ.
''It required only a few'triltints'for!the
Servian parliament to, choose! a new
king to succeed the murdered Alexander
and it was accomplished, without .the
least excitement The .enthusiasm with
which the people balled the event at
tested the . popularity of Prince Kara
georgevltch, whose title as king will be
Peter I. He has bad an adventurous and
checkered career, the most notable fea
ture of which is a good record as a sol
dier in the Franco-Prussian, war, he
having ( received 'a thorough military
education in ' France. : From what has
been Bald of him, hev appears to, be a
man who should give Servla stable and
good government and promote Its ma
terla I growth. . The expectation Is that
Russian influence will 'now be para
mount in Servian affairs and whether or
not this will be of benefit to the country
is d question. 7 '
As now Indicated King Peter may find
the chief difficulty confronting, him that
of. dealing with those who are respon
slble for the murder of the late king and
queen. It Js quite probable that some
of the leaders in that bloody event will
ask to be recognized in the new govern-
ment and if the king should give any of
them recognition Servla's relations with
other powers might be imperiled. This
Is shown In the position taken- by 'the
British Foreign, office that If the new
cabinet shall include, those who were in
the assassinations it .would be impes
slble for Great Britain to 'continue dip
lomatic relations with Seryia. On the
other hand the leaders la the revolt may
make trouble if they are refused recog
nltlon. However, a way win jdoubtless
be found to arrange everything to the
satisfaction of the powers and permit
the little kingdom to enjoy a period of
peace and do away with the unhappy
conditions that have long disturbed It
1 '
THK TRVST VPPOHITIOIT.
Regarding the alleged feeling of hoe
tlllty to President Ropsevelt on' the part
of. the men in the great, combinations,
the New lork Commercial says it is
convinced that the feeling has been
greatly exaggerated and. that pnper is In
a position to speak with some authority
in the matter. While there is oe definite
information that the trust people will
oppose1 the president there Is little rea
son to doubt that most of them are hos
tile to him and that In due time this will
be manifested la some unmistakable
way. It Is a matter that is not causing
the friends of Mr. RiKvelt any con
cern or uneasiness. , They do, not fall
recognise the fact tbut the' represents
tives or trie great combinations are
financially powerful and able to put an
almost unlimited amount of money into
a campaign, but as the Philadelphia
Ledger remarks. In any contest fought
out to a conclusion between them and
the plain people of the country, they
and their campaign fund) woold cut but
a sorry figure. "The plain people hav
the votes," says that paper; V'and they
do not forget nor fall to appreciate that
in fighting his winning fight againat the
tnufts-aud 'vested -latarts Provident
Roosevelt fouslit the plain people's bat
es, and the.v love him for doing It and
for thp enemies lie made by doing It."
As we have heretofore tut Id. the next
presidential election will be decided by
the prop I e and not by the men who con
trol the great corporations and combina
tions. Opposition of the latter to Presi
dent Roosevelt should and it Is not to
e doubted will strengthen , him with
the people, whose Interests and welfare
he has In view In enforcing the laws
gainst combinations believed to be vio-
atlng the laws and doing Injury to the
public. Mr. Roosevelt will Ih nominated
n resjonse to a popular demand that
ttests the unqualified approval of his
course by the people. Opposition to his
election by the combinations will only
tend to make the people more earnest In
his support .
urKX THK STUttT IMPAIR CAMPAIGN.
Now that the Board of Public Works
has agreed upon its muster roll and Is
ready to resume active operations, the
first thing in order should be a cam-
tmien "of street ' clearing and street
cleaning. " Before this is begun, how
ever, the board should require the vari
ous '. corporations that have been en
gaged In street ripping within the past
year to restore ' the pavements, that
have been torn up for their benefit, at
their own' expense with the same ma
terial that was taken up by them.-- Un
less these companies are forced to put
these pavements In good condition tl)e
burden of repairs, which should be
cheerfully borne by them in view of the
valuable privileges they enjoy, mnst
come out of the pockets of the tax
payers. It is the manifest duty of the city
authorities to enforce the city's rights
gainst the corporations that have been
freely permitted to dig up the streets
and tear up pavements for the purpose
of laying tracks, planting conduits and
laying pipes and wires. Miles upon
miles of good pavement have . been
pulled up by the roots and the gaps In
these pavements have been shiftlessly
filled In with loose material. Nearly
every thoroughfare in the city bears
testimony to the vandalism of the ditch
diggers and track layers. In every in
stance promises have been made that
the gashes and gaps would be filled in
and the pavements replaced ns soon as
the weather would permit such work
to .be done with safety and dispatch,
but we are now approaching midsum
mer without any sufficient evidence of
good faith on the part of the various
public utility corporations that enjoy
the privilege of occupying our streets
and alleys. -
The, latest excuse for putting off the
repair and replacement of damaged
pavements has been the lnhor trouble
that made it impossible to prosecute the
work with any degree of regularity and
safety. . Now that the labor - troubles
are happily adjusted no more excuses
quid-be available. It Is not he 'city's
business to restore the pavements at ifs
own expense, nor is the city warranted
in incurring further, risks of damage
suits, -for .loss of life, limb or property
by reason of defective pavements or the
overflowing of sewers flooded by water
that, soaks into the trenches adjacent to
warehouses and store buildings. ,The
public utility corporations should be re
minded that there Is such n thing as
riding a free gift horse to death. .
What is the matter with the county
assessors? Can anybody explain why
their assessment returns for 1003 show
a decrease of $230,181 as compared with
the assessment for 1902? Has the value
of farm property In Douglas county de
creased 9 per cent, and where is there
any evidence of a decrease in the value
of personal property of nearly 10 per
cent in the fourteen precincts?- Has
there been any material decrease in the
number or value of live stock and chat
tels, and if so, when and where? How
can the) assessor of Florence precinct
for example, explain the slump of 7 per
cent in personal property returns for
this year as compared with the preced
ing year? Surely there must be a screw
loose somewhere.
South Omaha assessors return an in
crease of real estate valueg for the year
1902 of . just $2,407; multiplied by six
this would represent a true value of
$14,442. In view of the fact that sev
eral of the packing houses have ex
pended more than double that amount
In improvements within the past year,
and in view of the fact that the im
provements In the stock yards will run
several times four ciphers, and In view
of the further fact that the building
record of South Omaha shows very
gratifying activity in home building,
there must be an evident Impediment
to the veracity or capacity of the
assessors.
Lancaster county has trouble with
bridge contractors who have appro
priated building material that belongs
to the county for bridge construction
and repairs without crediting the value
of the material back to the county, But
that leak after all is only a drop In the
bucket, if reports of bridge depredations
on the taxpayers of that couuty are to
be credited. In this respect, however,
Lancaster couuty is not much worse off
than Douglas, where gigantic bridge
construction frauds have been openly
charged by at least one member of the
Board of County Commissioners and
never explained.
Well-deflned rumors Indicate that the
contention over the confirmation of the
mayor's appointment of members of
the Board of Review for South Omaha
Is not so much because the men selected
by Mayor Koutsky are Incompetent, ir
relevant and immaterial as because
there is a well-grounded suspicion tbat
they might raise the assessment of the
big. corporations somewhere nearer to
the proper level.
Something is evidently awry with the
asaesaoca' returns for the country prt-
cincts In Douglas county. It will be
pretty hard to make anyone believe that
the taxable property In this county out
side of Oinalia and South Omaha has
shrunk during the past year by 10 per
cent
Governor Hunt of Porto Rico reports
that business conditions In that island
are more prosperous than ever before.
Porto Rico would have had to go a long
time under Spanish rule to reach the
point of progress It has niade In a few
short years under the Amerlcsn flag.
Time to Square Himself.
. Chicago Record-Herald.
By the way, how does this Karageorge
vltch fellow stand on the Kansas City plat
form? Who Gets the Difference f
' .St. Louts Globe-Democrat.
. Recently .testimony before. the Interstate
Commerce commission In New York shows
the avernge cost of anthracite at tidewater
to be 13.20 a ton. Consumers wonder why
they are required to pay so much more
for the additional transportation.
"I nsUnlflrant Coincident."
Chicago Chronicle.
It Is an Interesting but of course entirely
unnlgnlflcant coincidence that the learned
Jurist who has decided that the coal barons
are practically exempt from the operation
of the Interstate commerce law is the same
who clapped Peter Power into jail when
that Individual waa attacking another
trust.
Raer Working; Overtime.
Washington Star.
It Is to be feared that the Coal trust.
which wss last autumn forced by public
opinion to accede to the presidents liy
tervention to end the coal strike, is seeking
to precipitate a conflict with the miners
which will break the three yeers' agree
ment formulated by the commission, and.
ir It Is possible, throw the responsibility
for the breach on the workers.
Busy Dnys of m Basy Han.
Chicago Chronicle.
Brother Baer graclourly announces that
he will obey such' provisions of the Interstate-commerce
law as he deems constitu
tional. This attitude of Brother Baer indi
cates that. In addition to acting aa adviser
and counselor to Omnipotence, he has like
wise kindly undertaken to supervise the
United States supreme court. . Brother Baer
must be a busy man these days.
Rare and 1'nacconntable.
San Francisco Call. ' -
Those who love the odd and fantastic
facts of history, which serve to Illuminate
and color the monotone of life, have a
chance to suggest a memorial tablet for
some niche In the treasury of California.
The legislative committee chosen to sreet
President Roosevelt -did not spend all of
the money allowed and actually turned
back some of It Into the treasury , vaults.
"Onr Old Kentucky Home."
Philadelphia Ledrer.
Nothing ' could more clearly reveal the
benighted condition of Breathitt countv.
Kentucky, than the statement that 90 per
cent or the special' venire men summoned
to serve as Jurors'' In the trial of Curtis
Jett and Tom White had not read any
newspaper account of the killing of Mar
cum, though It- eeeurnd- In their own
county, and ws an event of great local In
terest. ThS region should be Invaded hy
school teachers; and Ofher agents of civil
isation. . Growth In Cotton Exports.
,. Philadelphia Press.
Under the last Cleveland administration
the exports of cotton manufactures In one
year Increased to the extent of ri.82.B39
over, although the exports In a year under
the' Harrison administration, and that in
crease was In 1896, when the days of demo
cratic rule were drawing to a certain end.
But under President Roosevelt the exports
of cotton manufactures last year were tl5.
271,23 greater than they were under Cleve
land !n 1896. That Is proof of what the
future promises to the cotton growers and
manufacturers under republican rule. If
there were no race question In the south
it would probably soon become republican.
Overworked Nerve. '
Philadelphia Press.
The claim of the anthracite coal roads
that the United States Interstate Com
merce commission has no right to see the
contracts between the roads and the coal
companies appears extraordinary. It Is a
question yet to be passed on by the courts.
There is an agreement among the various
roads and mining companies fixing the
price of coal. That is In contravention, p
parently, of the Interstate commerce law,
and all of the facts should be made known.
It should not be a matter of secrecy, aa it
directly affects the public. There ought to
be no secrets In such a matter, and cer
tainly not from the Interstate Commerce
commission.
1003 AND 1883.
Dlacasaloa Over Tbel Reaemblaac.
and Contracts.
New York Evening Post.
There has been discussion In the markets.
lately, as to the parallel presented by 1903
with 1883. These comparisons have been
more interesting from the remarkable
similarities between the years 1900-1902 In
clusive, and 1S80-1882. In IPSO, as In 1900, we
had a halt pending the national campaign;
a fall in stocks, followed bv violent
recovery after the election; an Immensely
profitable grain crop, a huge export trade,
apd the beginnings of a stock company
C-raie. In 1KK1, as In 1901, there was a wild
advance In stocks, checked by a corn crop
failure and the assassination of the presi
dent; an Immense Increase in consolid
ations, railway "deals," and Issues of new
securities. In 1882. aa In 1902, there were
excited and unsettled stock markets, con
stant strain on money. Imports hugely in
creased, while exports decreased, and eon
sequent adverse movements in exchange,
.tike 1883. the present year started with
an overstrained banking system, a market
glutted with unsold securities, and a pro
longed decline on the Stock exchange. Oth
erwise, the resemblances are not so plain.
Signs of serious reaction In our trade at
large were already visible at this time In
1883, as they are not now. Railway rate
cutting was constantly breaking out, and
apprehension over the silver 6urrency was
felt on every side. Nothing of this sort
now exists.
The second half of 1883 wss strangely
Interesting. It comprised, first, the most
profitable season ever witnessed In railway
industry; ending, however. In a rate war
It comprised, also, large Increase in ex
ported merchandise end heavily decreased
Imports; exports rising 177.300,000 for the
full calendar year and Imports falling ff.
700,000. Whst was quite as Interesting, the
full year 1888 showed decided) decrease In
our loss of gold; exports decreasing $31. -Of
(no from the year before, and Imports
Increasing t8.snft.ono . A very serious reaction
In the Iron trade was witnessed, pig Iron
selling, at the year's end. SIS per ton below
high level of the "boom." and steel rails
127 below It. A curious precedent. If It be
a precedent, la that, despite the violent
pinch In money during the spring of 188S.
the highest rate en call from Septtmber )
to December U was I per oent
its of wMinNTft5 t.trn.
Mil
Scenes and Incidents Sketched
on the Spot.
Pension Commissioner Ware hss a nice
sense of honor which Is not sppreclated
by fellow Kanaahs In the pension office.
During his absence from office a few dnys
ago a paper waa circulated among employes
of the bureau asking for subscriptions to
the relief fund for flood sufferers In the
Sunflower state. Upon returning to his
desk Commissioner Ware expressed disap
proval with the subscription movement and
peremptorily ordered that it should be
stopped. In consequence he hss been made
the subject of adverse criticism. In this
natter the commissioner said he expected
to be misunderstood. But knowing the
situation and sentiment In Kansas, he be
lieves he was right In stopping the sub
scription. He made a liberal contribution
to the fund for relief, and Is prepared to
give more if It shall, be needed, but he
strongly objects to having a psper circu
lated among the people of the pension office.
"I object," said the commissioner, "to
have a subscription paper circulated in the
bureau over which I preside. It might
suggest to those to whom the paper was
presented that If a subscription was not
made those refusing would become per
sona non grata with me, upon whom they
look as their chief. It might be regarded
as coercion. It is perfectly proper for
Kansans residing In Washington to assist
their fellow citlsens who may be In dis
tress, and I feel the same Interest In ac
complishing the largest measure of relief
that others do, but I cannot consent to
have a paper circulated for subscriptions
In the pension office."
"One of the most peculiar as well as one
of the rarest plants produced by nature is
the clock plant and there is only one
specimen on view in the gardens of the
Agricultural department," said an employe
of that institution to a Washington Star
man.
"The clock plant la a native of Borneo,
and in that country, even. It is said to he
as rare as in other sections of the world.
Of course, the plant derives Its name from
Its peculiar habits, which are known to
but a few who have not studied the plant
from a scientific viewpoint. The plant
has leaves of two sizes, one of which acts
In the capacity of a minute hand, which
keeps moving until about 4 o'clock In the
afternoon, and the other keeps going until
morning. The larger leaves act as the
hour hands.
"Starting In a position when all of the
leaves He close to the stem, with the
points hanging down, they rise gradually
until they turn toward the top, and then
they drop to their former position. It
takes. the smaller leaves about one minute
to, go through this performance, and the
longer leaves Just about an hour. When
the conditions are favorable this move
ment continues throughout the entire day,
but not such days as we have been having
lately.
"It requires good, warm sunshine for
the plants to perform this function. Such
days as we have been having the leaves
move, but they do so In an imperfect and
Irregular manner. Why, sometimes the
large leaves cling so closely to the plant
that It looks like a huge bundle of twigs.
"The plant Is delicate and extremely hard
to propagate, which accounts for the fact
that we now have only one of them. We
had several, but they have all died. The
plant, bears a small . flower like that of a
pea, and Its seed grows In a pod In the
same manner. . It Is hard to get It to seed
in. this country, which makes it extremely
difficult to get seed for pther plals.";
v-1 ; ' ' ;' v -1
Here Is a story of the president's family
now 'going the rounds: "The present oc
cupant of the White House until the re
cent, renovation found It cramped quarters
for a large family. With one or two of
the little Roosevelts off at boarding school,
then, were enough beds to go around, but
none to spare. Well, last winter the presi
dent was entertaining a foreign envoy of
great state and many years, and invited
him to the White House over Sunday. He
was put in Ethel's room arid Ethel, when
she came back from school Saturday, went
to sleep with Alice, but unfortunately
Kermlt did not know of this arrangement.
"So, when early morning came, mindful
of his strenuous Inheritance, he crept to
Ethel's room with a pitcher of water, and
softly opening the door without awakening
the slumbering ambassador, dashed for
ward and threw the Icy water over the bed
with the shout:
" 'Get up, you old laxy bones; get up.'
"Then, when a gray head was lifted from
the pillows, dripping and alarmed, the as
tonishment was mutual and the departure
of the youngster Instantaneous without his
pitcher."
In the room of one of the bureau chiefs
of the Navy department a huge gong
adorns the wall over the door. It has not
been In use for a number of years In fact
not since a certain assistant secretary of
the navy retired from office and took up
the practice of law. And thereby hangs a
tale. It was told the Brooklyn Eagle cor
respondent by one of the department em
ployes as follows:,
Some years ago there was a bright civil
Ian employed at the Naval academy as pro
fessor of mathematics. The superintendent
of the academy was a capable officer, but
one of the strictest men in the service. In
fact, he was a perfect martinet, and, above
all. things, delighted to show his authority
over the unfortunate civilians under his
control. So the poor civilian professor led
a very unhappy life for a couple of years:
A turn of the wheel of fortune brought
both men to Washington some time later,
and each found himself on duty In the
Navy department. A happy political stroke
caused the appointment of the former pro
fessor of mathematics to the position of
assistant secretary of the navy. The offi
cer. In the meantime, had been promoted
to the chlefshlp of the bureau. Things had
turned completely about In the short space
of a few years. The civilian official started
In at once to get revenge. He ordered a
monster gong placed In the room of the
bureau chief In question, with a push but
ton on his desk to connect with It. Every
time he pressed the button the officer up
stairs had to Jump up and run to the office
of the assistant secretary. The latter found
frequent occasion to push the button, and
the gong was kept going right merrily. It
waa a full-powered gong, and used to ring
out with a suddenness and volume of sound
that startled every' officer and clerk on that
floor. The assistant secretary kept It In
use all during his term of office as a con
stant humiliation and reminder to his old
enemy that, at last, the civilian was on
top."
Hon. Carroll D. Wright, chief of the De
partment of Labor, has under way an ex
tended Investigation of the trend of wages
In the United States. Statisticians, special
agents and experts of the department al
ready have been on the task for nearly
three months and It was expected that a
preliminary, If not the final report, would
be ready for publication some time during
the summer. The work broadened as it
advanced, however, and now Mr. Wright
says It will not be finished until late in the
winter and probably not until near the time
when he will leave the department. When
It Is done, he says, it will be well done. It
Is intended that a historical record of
wages be made for the last half century,
which will faithfully rehearse the pay
which the worklngman has received for his
labor. ' Beyond this period the experts are
f HJfoof .kdl
Watch D0SS
8ttffmi COLO
Watch Cases
. yT f SolUl fold cOT lMt that I 1
T jr Ko wlibonl wwrtni too this. I 1
' ' ssfcly protect the worts. If I I
yoq want s watrh ojm for pro- I
JF isctlnn, durability so Imutr,
S t.11 St the Bees with the .
S ' f ten Um1-tntrkatmti!
. -JT , if Inilds. Head for booklet.
J M i A THE KEYSTONE
JS0" I V wTCH CASE CO., JT . Y
fS J ' V X. fsiiassiphia, yr jr
having a hard time In sernrlnv tatlatlro
from which worthy deduction can be made.
maeed, according to Commissioner Wright,
the department has never begun a work so
difficult.
While he could not give the exsct per
centage, the figures at hand showed that
there has been a constant fnnr., in ih.
general run of wages. Kach year in every
industry so rar Investigated has found the
worklngman getting more monev for the
same amount oT work than the preceding
one.
PROTRCT1KO THK PI BLIC LANDS.
Need ef Checking; the Grabs of Capl.
, tallats aad Speculators.
Minneapolis Tribune.
Th crusade against monopoly of the
pubUc lands by capitalists and speculators
is no new thing. It only gains new Interest
now from the Increased danger that this
monopoly will destroy the whole heritage of
the people if It be not checked. Of the
three lows, whose repeal is demanded by
the president and the secretary of the In
terior, only one was enacted In the Interest
of the people.
The homestead commutation act served
a good purpose In enabling settlers to ob
tain title so that they could raise money
on their homesteads for Improvement. But
It served a much larger purpose of cor
ruption In enabling fraudulent entrymen to
obtain title In order to transfer It to the
capitalists and speculators by whom they
were klred to commit perjury. The stone
and timber act and the desert land act
never , were passed in the interest of the
people. They were passed to serve the
purpose of capitalists and speculators at a
time when public opinion on this subject
was languid, because so large a propor
tion of the arable lands had been taken up.
But the adoption of the national policy of
Irrigation revives public interest In pres
ervation of the land for the people, as It
Increases the activity of the speculative
raid upon them. Ehtries under the stone
and timber act are nearly ten times what
they were 'five years ago and probably the
Sams' is true of the other two acts. The
department believes that a large propor
tion of these are fraudulent and it urges
that even honest entries under these acta
are opposed to public policy, now that the
government has decided to redeem the arid
lands for actual settlers. .
The senate committee on publio lands, in
Its report on the rei eal bill, points out .that
presidents and secretaries of the Interior,
and later secretaries of agriculture, have
been urging-th repeal of H (these acta
for twenty yeafS past. ""Secretary Hitch
cock and President Roosevelt have been
led to give more earnest attention to the
matter by the fact that publio land entries
Increased from 8,000,000 acres In 1898 to 19,
000,000 acres In 1902wlth'out any perceptible
increase in the area of actual settlement
outside of Oklahoma, where only the origi
nal homestead act prevails. It is perfectly
clear that .the public domain is passing
Into the hands of great landed proprietors,
who will reap the benefit of the national
policy of Irrigation If the movement be not
checked.
PERSONAL NOTES.
The remodeled White House contains
thirty miles of wire, but Is so arranged
as to be useless for a pull.
There Is no distress In Kansas. The
rescNied poets are already writing of "the
crystal waters of the noble Kaw as they
glide laughingly to the sea."
Richard Carvel has been arrested In New
York on a charge of extortion, which would
seem to Justify him In believing that The
Crisis In his affairs has arrived.
A St. Louis Judge decided that a woman
can lawfully extract nickels from her
husband's pocket. Everything seems to be
playing Into the hands of the street car
companies.
Morgan Necessary eloped with Pearl
II oss down In the Indian Territory, and
the heartless Judge sent the Lochlnvar to
Jail, Insisting that Hoss stealing waa not
Justifiable under any conditions.
A New York Judge was recently called
upon to decide that a man ninety years
old has a perfect right to fall in love and
get married. After a man has lived ninety
years he Ought surely' to know his own
mind.
Governor Pennypacker of Pennsylvania
delivered an address . at Lancaster the
other day in which he made this extraor
dinary assault on the rules of speech:
"Pennsylvania will never again produce
a great general, a great poet or a great
statesman until the people behind them
recognize their greatness when the man
appears among them."
Those $3.50 Suits
for boys, we told you about Friday night are
about gone, and if you had any idea of buying
a good, strong serviceable, stylish suit for '
dress or play now is the very time to consider
this offer. Nearly all of our different styles of
$5.00 suits are included in this special offer of
$3.50, and you can better appreciate the splen
did values by making a personal visit to our
store. Everything for your comfort. Easy
chairs Electric fans obliging service in
fact, home comfort throughout'.
"NO CLOTniNO FITS LIKE OUR8.M '
groWnii2; Kmsf- (
R. S. WILCOX' Manager. '
1
THT5 FA 1. 1. IS STOCKS.
Country "Fsrlsw a Condition, Not a
Theory."
Philadelphia Press.
The railroad plant' of the cotmtry was
also expanded to a basis needed not only to
handle enormous business, but the addi
tional business during the last three yenr.t
created by railroad expansion itself, a
very considerable Item. The brfTWIInfc In
our cities are all built on the basis of a
boom. i . '
The three, manufacturers, railroads and
buildings, are now-each of them waiting
for the business and the profits which will
Justify the expansion of the last three
years But the Instant the 'expansion, of
all three had a check In the early part of
the year, there came also a check In the
demand for manufactures, and this In Its
turn brought one In the demand for
freights. Things are worth not what ihey
are valued In prospectuses and In stoclt
certificates, but what 'thev , will earn.
Earnings depend hot upon gross business,
but upon net business. Net business has
been sadly cut into by ' the fashion in
which the priceof material and the rate
of wages has been raised.
The country therefore faces what many
a man and corporation has faced, a sud
den demand, an expansion to meet the
demand and the discovery, when the ex
pansion Is made. ' that the demand has
passed. A fall under these conditions Is
certain. Intrinsic values remain. The
only men who will suffer will be very rich
men, who have borrowed money to ' pay
for what Ihey did not own.
There has also. It must not be forgotten,
been a prodigious conversion of 'floating
capital Into fixed capital, and much of this
fixed capital Is lost because the business
for which It was Invested Was exaggerated
exactly as the capital Invested was Itself
overstated. How long the fall will last
no one can say, but It really depends upon
causes and conditions which are wider and
more powerful than any man, however,
able In banking, any corporation, however
great, or any trust, however rhlghty. '
SMILING LINES.
Fairy In the Pink Shirt , Waist Reggie
boasts thst you're his best girl. - i
Sweet Young Thing in Blue Maybe I am,
but he ain't my beet feller by a long shot
Chicago Tribune. f j (
"Some men," said Unole Eben, "glta a
heap o'. credit foh beint good natursd when
dey Is simply too laiy to look out foh delr
rights. 'Washington Star.
"What Is an optimist, pa?" -"An
optimist Is a man who pretends
to . be just as well satisfied when, the
weather's bad as when "it's" good." Detroit
Free Press. ..:
' "Oh, well, talk Is cheap," sneered the
angry lawyer.
"Not that kind," replied the Judge,
promptly. "Ten dollars, please." Syracuse
Herald.
"So you want to see the government
owning everythlngT"
"I do," answered Mr. Slrlus Barker. "I'm
tired of paying taxes." Washington Star.
"Do you believe In the argument that a
big navy tends to promote peace T"
"Certainly. After a nation has built a
big navy It feels too poor to Indulge In the
luxury of war." Chicago Post.
"Yes. I wss turned down fur dat office,"
said McBrlde, the ward heeler, "but I aln t
no quitter. De adminlstratlon'U make a
place fur me yet." ,
"I believe there la such a movement on
foot already," said the honest . clMxen. 'I
hear there's talk of building a new pen
itentiary." PhtladelpldaPress.
TBI PRAIRIB BTATE IN JUNE. -
I've been touring round a spell an' I tho't
Bout1 the folks who think they own the
. gun and moon. ' ,
When they talked from morn till late of
the beauties of their state, .
I kept thinking ot the Prairie state In
June.
They would tell of sunshine bright and of
mountain tope so white, . , .
An' of orange groves an mockln birds
All the while I seemed to hear the meadow
Oo 'Sw'nghr ough the Prariel state In
June.
At a swell hotel one day I Just up an' had
To "the'cKap who et his orange with a
spoon; . ' - .
An' he owned I'd won the race, when I
asked him face to face
If he'd ever seen the Prairie state in
June.
When my days on earth are past an'. I go
to rest at last.
Be the summons late or be the summons
I wIlTrest contented there. In that land
so bright and fair.
If It s something like the Prairie state In
June. A RETURNED TOURIST.