TUB DM AM A DAILY HKKt TUfiSDAlf, AUUUJST IT-', 1WX
Tire Omaha . Daily Bee.
K ROPEWATCIl, EDITOR.
rBLI8HKD EVERT MORNING.
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THE BEE PUBLISHING COMPANY,
STATEMENT OF CIRCULATION,
tate at Nebraska, Douglas county, ss. :
C C Rosewater, secretary of The Bee
Publishing Company, being duly sworn,
ays that the actual number of full and
Complete copies of The Dally, Morning,
Evening and Sunday Bee printed during the
month of July, 19& was as follows: t
I. . ai.Hio n i.-,4ju
t S,200 g 9A.ONO
I Sv.SOO 9 28,510
4....t 80,100 20 2H.100
I ..... 29,750 . 11 28,300
...; 28,65(r" 2t 2O.6T0
1 28.UAO tt 2S.0O0
1 80,000 24 2M.OTO
.,...28,160 25 28,170
10 88,000 c 26 28,180
II. .., I 28,640 - 27 28,130
12 t,. 28,000 28 28,100
It 28.ltlH 28 20,400
14 28.710 30 28,4.10
U 20,880 tl 27,010
U 28,130 .
Totals 8.23U
Less unsold copies v t,e)15
Net total sales 882,418
lajly averaga 8S.400
C. C. ROSEWATER,
Secretary.
Subscribed In' my presence and sworn to
before me this first day of July, 1906.
(Seal) M... B. HL'NQATE,
t Notary Public.
WHEX Ol'T OF TOWS.
Rabacrlbers tearing the city tern
Siorarlly ' ahaald hare The Bee
nailed to them. It Is better then
dally letter from home. Ad
dress will be chanced as oftea as
requested.
A "famine" of grain curs at tbe pres
ent time uiujr make an active demand
for stuck cars later.
It Is hardly probable, In the light of
history, that Turkey will Join the powers
in a demand for Immediate peuce iu the
fur east.
Ambassador Conger might have speci
fied whether he "sido-stepped" that spe
cial mission to China or was unable to
catch it
Envoys awaiting instructions from
their government glow 'that "full pow
ers to negdflate" are not always what
the seem.
After the gus inijpect.or gets through
testing gas meters In the basement of
the city hull be might more up into the
council chamber.
An Omaha divine takes exception to
Sunday golf playing., The ministers are
evidently feeling the effects of golf as a
counter attraction.
Tublic confidence In tig ability of
General. Line v itch to hold Uyaraa would
be greater hud not his immediate prede
cessor sent similar messages.
With a case' of yellow fever reported
in Missouri, it 'will be strange If the
health officers of Iowa and Nebraska
cannot be frightened into print.
In 'view of the resignation of Lord
Curson in India some of our democratic
stump orators can probably sell to the
British opposition a lurge number of
well-worn speeches on the subject of
"Imperialism."
Indians who are demanding separate
statehood for Indian territory evidently
desire to show the palefaces how well
they have learned the lesson of politics;
nd the first goaj is to make as inauy
offices as poHsible.
According to experts the foreign in
Ttders will have to find work for the
Chinese before they can sell a large
amount of goods lu that country which
(Will probably' allay the fears of many
regarding the -boycott. ,
Poland has a strike precipitated be
cause Polish, people will not be permit
ted te elect delegates to the Russian na
tional congress. They should wait until
fhey find out If representation in that
congress is worth the trouble.
: Now that a number of negro miners
have teen stopied on the way from the
south to mines at Zlegler, JH., because
tbe authorities of the state fear yellow
fever, .voting Mr. Letter may have a
hard time attributing an outbreak of
this disease to the Miners' union.
News from-Rerlin thut Germany will
Support the action of President Roose
velt iu the matter of the peace negotia
tions would show that the JapRe of the
commercial treaty does not sever pleas
ant relations lietween the countries de
!it the claims made thut commercial
ism dictates all governmental policies in
these latter days.
The democratic ex-congressman from
this district tries to poke fun at lJls re
publican ucceor for declaring at thf
recirootty convention that ho lsrno
coward even though he is a congress
man. The democratic ex-congressn!-was
duly commissioned 1.7 Goveriiof
Mlrkey ss one of the delegates frooi Ne
braska, but he has not yet given the
-koa whj hs failed to show up.
THE MILITAHT
The military Influence Is very power
ful st 8t. Petersburg and the lDdlcat4os
are that It l now being strongly eierten
ngslnst peace. It appears to lx also In
evidence st Portsmouth. The state
ment Is made that General Llnevltcli
has expressed absolute confidence In vic
tory and since the conference began he
and his generals have pot only reassured
the cssr that the army was never 1n
better condition, but have sent messages
to M. Wltte Imploring him not to make
peace. According to the. report they de
mand an opportunity- to retrieve the
"honor and prestige" of the army and
It Is observed that "In a country where
the army Is the bulwark of the govern
ment the wishes of its generals are not
likely to be disregarded by their sover
eign." That the cxar is in sympathy
with the desire of the array to retrieve
Its lost prestige Is not to be doubted,
but In view of the failure of past assur
auces from his generals he may have
some misgivings as to what they now
tell him regarding their ability to defeat
the enemy. He can hardly fall to call
to mind tbe boastful declarations and
promises of Kouropatkln and others
whose carefully prepared plans proved
futile and whose armies were beaten in
every important engagement. These
also, it will be remembered, assured the
czar that their forces were In the best
possible condition and could be de
pended njion to sustain the honor and
prestige of the arny.
It is doubtless a fact that the Russian
army kr Manchuria was never in better
condition than at present. It has been
reorganized since occupying its present
position and has received large rein
forcements. The most trustworthy esti
mates place Its strength at nearly half
a million men, well equipped in all re
spects. It Is an army composed largely
of yeterans and is capable of doing tre
mendous fighting. They occupy a
strong position. But while the Russians
have been strengthening themselves the
Japanese have not teen less active in
augmenting their army and increasing
its equipment. There Js reason to be
lieve that both in men and in guns' they
are superior to the Russians, while at
least equal In organization and in cour
age and fortitude. Judged by results
Oyama and his subordinate command
ers are much greater generals than their
opponents. They have shown the high
est ability as strategists and tacticians.
The Japanese do riot boast, but they
are not lacking in confidence. What
they have already accomplished cer
talirly Justifies them in feeling that if
the war goes on they will win other vie
tories. In a receut interview the Japa
nese minister to London said: "If the
war continues our forces will capture
Vladivostok and Harbin, taking by force
territory of greater value thon the pay
ments demanded by Japan, after which
our army will Intrench an advantageous
line, from which It will require treble
the number of the enemy to dislodge
us." This indicates the Japanese plan
if the war goes on and it is altogether
probable that she could carry -it out. If
she should do so It would force Russia
to fight an offensive campaign, entailing
a greater strain upon her than she is
now experiencing. '
In the event of the military Influence
prevailing with the cxar and defeating
the efforts of peace, it Is most probable
that the Japanese will force a general
engagement without 'elay. Undoubt
edly they are fully prepared to do this
and are quite as eager for it as the Rus
sians profess to be, and the very gen
eral belief, outside of Russia is that the
result would be another great victory
for Japan.
No step back Ward.
The late fusion candidate for gov
ernor, who, since his defeat a year ago,
has acquired a weekly newspaper, is
trying to raise an issue on the abolition
of the county asseswar and the restora
tion of the discarded system of assess
ment for taxation by, elective precinct
assessors. After devoting several col
umns to fault-finding over special griev
ances disclosed by the state assessment,
he comes to the conclusion that this is
"the" remedy for existing "Intolerable"
conditions, and clinches the argument
by declaring dramatically that "the new
revenue law and those charged with its
enforcement stand condemned before
thet people of Nebraska."
The trouble with chronic office seeking
reformers who are playing only to the
gallery is that they do not go below the
surface and Jump at conclusions even
before the symptoms of development.
Although there Is still much room for
improvement, we have no healtstion In
saying that careful study discloses this
year's assessment of taxable property
lu Nebraska o be nearer the relative
true value than last year's assessment,
and last year's assessment to be much In
advance of the assessment of the previ
ous year. If We compare the present
assessment of taxable proierty In Ne
braska with the assessment made tinder
fusion regime, it will be found that the
progress made in tlie direction of equity
has been still more remarkable.
Railroad property Is still greatly un
dervalued In Nebraska, but the railroads
will pay more In proportion to their bold
lugs under the new revenue law as en
forced ty those, charged with Its execu
tion than they did before the new reve
nue law was enacted. Bo far, also, as
local assessments are concerned the
county assessor system has so far been
a great improvement. It is safe to say
that In the great majority of Nebraska
counties the county assessor Is far better
qoullnod for his work than were the
average precinct assessors who were
elected under the old system.
The great indictment of our old rev
enue law' was that It produced a com
petitive contest in undervaluation, each
precinct assessor trying to do a Bttle bet
ter by those who elected him in order
that they might not get the worst of It
U comparison with neighboring pre
cincts. If the tendency tow ard such n
dervslnatlpn hss not byen entirely elim
inated by the county assessor plan. It
still has been reduced to a competition
between only ninety county assessors
lnstesd of a competition between some
1,000 precinct assessors. All this, en
tirely aside from the very material sav
ing in the expense of making assess
ments by elective precinct assessors.
As we have already said, there ore,
doubtless, several places in the new rev
enue law that can be bettered,-but the
aboUtipn of the county assessor to re
turn to the' elective precinct assessors
would te a distinct step backward.
AS TO A TARIFF COMMISSION.
The old idea of a permanent tariff
commission, to be created by congress
and appointed by the president, was re
vived by the Chicago reciprocity con
ference. It resolved that "the question
of schedules and items to be considered
in such reciprocal concessions (under a
dual tariff) preferably be suggested by
a permanent tariff commission, to le
created by congress and oppolnted by
the president, which shall consist of
economic, industrial and commercial ex
perts." We will not venture to say how
many times such a commission has been
proposed, but It is one of the academic
devices that have never attained popu
larity. It is not at all probabje that
congress wll ever creute such a body
and even if it should it is not likely,
Judging from past experiences, to pay
much attention to its suggestions.
There is of course something to be
said in support of the idea of a perma
nent tariff commission. Such a tody
composed of economic, industrial and
commercial experts, who would give dis
interested consideration to the tariff
from a national point of view, might
prove very serviceable, but the first dif
ficulty to be encountered would be In
finding men of that kind men who
would not bo more or less under the
control of sectlonul influences or of in
terests with which they were or hud
been Identified. A tariff commission
would of course be made up of men
selected from every section of the coun
try and of different political affiliations,
so that on most, matters there would
be likely to be wide difference of views.
However, it is safe to say that this is
one of the suggestions of the conference
"which will get no attention from con
gress. That body is very Jealous of
its prerogatives and will not confer any
of them, at least so far as the tariff is
concerned, upon a commission.
FOB A Ml It ISO DEPARTMENT.
. The mining interests are persistent in
urging the creatl.i of a deportment of
the federal government to look after
the industry of mining ami they suc
ceeded in getting an endorsement of
the proposition from the Transmissis
slppl commercial congress. The matter
was forcibly presented to that body by
the president of the American mining
congress, who said he believed the great
mining industry can be uplifted and the
American people thereby blessed by a
mining department on as great scale os
the Agricultural department "I be
lieve," he said, "that 'a' department of
mining would bring to 'the prospector,
the forerunner of promise, and the
miner, scientific information and would
return to the American people a far
richer legacy than the Department of
Agriculture is bringing and will bring."
The government Is not neglecting the
mining interests of the country. The
value and importance of the mining In
dustry has long been recognized and
there is a bureau intended to give at
tention to it and which is performing
this function. Perhaps a department,
whose chief would have a seat in the
cublnet, would be able to do more to
promote the development of the industry
than can be done by a bureau, but there
is a pretty strong popular sentiment
against creating any more executive de
partments and we apprehend It will be
a very long time before there is another
one created. Everybody desires that
the t mining Interest shall continue to
grow and as rapidly as possible. It Is
a source of wealth to the country and
of prosperity to hundreds of thousands
of people. The industry is growing and
will continue to grow, perhaps quite as
vigorously as if it was represented by
a department at Washington instead of
a bureau.
,The announcement aid to have be'en
made by Judge Barnes that the North
Platte will concede tp the South Platte
the supreme Judgeship nomination to be
made in the coming republican state
convention seems to have been a trifle
premature. Omaha and Douglas county
belong geographically to the North
Platte and they never yet went Into a
state convention without asking for the
best place in sight, or something equally
as good.
"Does anyliody discover anywhere
anything to indicate that the railroad
machine Is losing Its grip on republican
organization In Nebraska?" asks the local
demo-pop newspaper mouthpiece. Does
anylody discover anywhere anything to
Indicate that the rollroad machine would
not have as good a grip on a restored
fusion administration In Nebraska as it
bad on the old dislodged fusion state
house gang?
The state's attorneys who ure moving
to have the Nebraska Inheritance tax
law enforced on estates probated in tills
county call attention to the fact that the
United States supreme court has upheld
laws of substantially the same tenor, but
our learned county Judge some time ago
declared the law unconstitutional. No
decision of the United States supreme
court could be expected to cut any figure
with him.
It Is gratifying to note that building
activity in Omaha continues unabated.
Incidentally, however, we could get
along very well without having any
more one-story shacks erected along our
principal business thorough fores.
Some of tbe populist organs through
the stats do not take kindly to tbe issue
f a call for a populist state convention
to meet at the same time and place as
the democratic state convention. The
fusion habit, however, has gotten so
strong with those In charge of the party
machinery that the populists, cannot
shake lt off no matter how often they
announce that each time Is the last time.
If the new primary election law
knocks out one of the old registration
days as contended, what is there to
show which one is knocked out? For
convenience sake It would be better to
abolish the last registration day the reg
istration day fixed for the Saturday be
fore election and to keep those that
come earlier.
Since President Castro has been able
to place orders for war material In Eu
rope it is evident that either there Is
some confidence in him in that quarter,
or manufacturers of firearms expect the
United States to play Again the part of
constable and collection agent.
A Manifest Rrror,
Washington Post.
It may be all rlg-ht to close the mint
at Philadelphia, but we protest asalnst
the government explaining- the action by
declaring that "there Is no demajj for gold
or sliver coin.",
Better Go Slow.
San Francisco Chronicle.
It is Intimated that al? the army officers
mixed up In tha Taggart scandal will be
cashiered. The authorities should proceed
with patience. It Is never wise, even In
time of peace, to hastily Impair the
strength of military organization.
1V I,ed la World.
Boston Herald.
Statistics are now brought forward to
show that America has supplanted France
as the leader In the motor car Industry.
Not only does the United States supply 95
per cent of the cars now In this country,
but American manufacturers are now ship
ping cars all over the world. So we forge
ahead as a world power.
Impressions that Last.
Baltimore American.
Governor Hoch on his visit to Atlantln
City encountered some other surprises be
sides those received from the breaking
whltecaps. His hotel bill for one day took
the whole of his salary as governor for one
week and made an impress on his mind
that may tinge the official remarks when he
enas in tils next annual message tp the
state legislature.
A Melancholy Finish.
Boston Transcript.
A man who had been In tha enlrt nih
of '49, had survived shlrjwreck off Hnuth
America, had escaped by tbe smallest pos-
ioie margin rrom a burning hotel, and
rad lived to tell the tale of his escane from
a serious mine disaster, was finally killed
xne otner day by a locomotive. It was a
conventional ending to a romantic exist
ence. He was walking the track.
Corporations Here and Abroad.
'Philadelphia Press.
The United Btates has in the aggregate
about the total wealth of Great Britain and
Germany combined. These two countries
have, one an aggregate wealth of about 180,-
000,000,000 and ihe other of about $50,000,-
000,000. The aggregate wealth of the United
States Is about HOO.OOO.000,000.
The orguniiaUoa of companies, however,
goes on far more actively In this country
man In either,,. In Germany In 1904 there
were 104 companies Incorporated, with a
capital of 3S,4.74,rOO, In England there were
J.478 companies organised, with a nominal
capital of $416,000,000. In the United States
In 1904, $429,000,000 6f new bonds and $120,-
000,000 of hew tocka were listed on the New
Yoric Stock Exchange, or $549,000,000, a
larger sum than the aggregate capital of all
the companies, . listed or unlisted, both In
England and Germany.
But these American figures only Include
the new securities actually listed on the
New Tork Stock Exchange. If ll the com
panies organized in this country were in
cluded, the aggregate would be far larger
Each year probably sees In this country, as
far as one can Judge, from partloal figures.
about four tlmee as much corporate capital
launched as In both France and England
combined.
PERSONAL NOTES.
Mr. Ion Perdlonrls, who 'was lately In
peril' In Morocco, Is now spending the sum
mer among the automobiles of the Berk
shlres. '
Ida Tarbell says it Is Mr. Rockefeller's
desire to live to be very old and very rich.
Ru'.ell Sage seems to cherish a similar
ambition.
Corporal "Jim" Tanner believes he will
win In the race for commander-in-chief of
the Graryl Army of the Republic with votes
to spare.. ... .
John I. Rockefeller, having taken a
course ot the iTarbell. cold-feet cure with
out any visible 'benefit, Is now taking the
Knelpe wet-feet oure In a wan smile and a
white bathrobe on the banks of the Hud
son. t
When Ohio points with virtuous satisfac
tion to thirteen bankers In Its state prison.
New York feels that It Is going the Buck
eye state several better by pointing to
193 lawyers in durance vile In the Empire
state.
Every one Is ' familiar with Wlllard's
famous painting, "Yankee Doodle." Of the
three men who figure as the drummers and
the flfer Harry ;K. Devereux of Cleveland,
Is the only one now living. He was the
model for the bey of the trio.
Dr. Douglas Hyde of French Park, Ire
land, the distinguished Irish scholar and
poet. Is coming here this fall en a lec
turing tour. Df. Hyde la president of the
Gaelic league, a body which has done much
to preserve the Irish language as a
spoken tongue and to create a new litera
ture in Irish.
Mayor Rose of Kansas City, Kan., has
requested owners of vacant lots In that
city to allow them to be used as play
grounds for Children. If the request Is
granted the mayor says he will have the
street department clean the lots and pre
pare them for playgrounds, where - the
small boys will be allowed to congregate.
An eastern woman who has added five
to her century ( of years, and admits It,
says the secret of her long" lire and un
varying cheerfulness Is that she did her
own housework. In this manner she escaped
the terrors of hired help and preserved the
bloom of youth long after her contempo
raries took shelter beneath the willows.
What an old-fashioned dame she Is!
For some time Miss Helen Gould has been
quietly conducting a charity at Liberty,
N. V., and only her most Intimate friends
have known of this particular philanthropy.
At a farm near Liberty she has for years
been caring for a number of poor children,
but now it Is learned that elsewhere In
that vicinity she entertains groups of about
a dosen children for periods of three weeks.
A cold-hearted Pittsburg man wants a
divorce from Ma wife, accusing her of un
seemly levity while he was sick. It appears
that the madame often. sat on the foot of
the sick m in s bed and jollied him by ask
ing which 0? the town's undertakers he
would prefer for his last trip. Just like
other men, he took offense and got well.
Now the ungal'ant cuss would reward
loving care and forethought by shaking the
source. Tbe ' mean thing! '
RAILROAD ACCIDENTS COMPARED.
Qrltlah and Aaserlraa Rererds Coa
eealments of Ihe Former.
A comparison of the ofOVIat records of
accidents on American and British rail
roads for the year 1904 la not complimen
tary to American railroad management.
According to the ' statistics ot the Inter
state commerce commission one passenger
was killed for every l,fi22.2C7 carried in the
United Btates and one for every 199,75R,ooo
carried In Great Britain. The number of
passengers Injured was one In every 78.623
carried In the Vnlted States and one In
every J,!44,472 carried In Great Britain. The
official statutes further show that In 1904
$.632 railroad employes were killed nnd 67,067
Injured in the United Btates against seven
killed and 114 injured In Great Britain.
These comparative figures. If correct,
are an Indictment of the reckless mnn mo
ment of railroads In this country. 80 start
ling is the discrepancy between the records
that the reader Involuntarily asks whether
the first Is not excessive and the second
a partial one. The difference In the physi
cal condition of the roarln Rnd f mart-.
tiv operating department can acarcely be
great enough to produce tha wide di
vergence in the record.
, v tf u. uis vi j 1 'tj
Democrat, writing from London, presents
some facta hearlnr nr .1...
mortality records of the railroads In both
countries. He shows the methods of con
cealment and elimination by which the
rmiroans or ureat Britain are made to ap
pear SO much safer fur trvolr thon Y.
railroads of the United States. He says:
i nrough the eourtcsv of a hih nmviat
of the British government I was permit
ted to see the preliminary report of the
board of trade statistics giving the num
bers of those who were killed or Injured
on British railways during 1904. It showed
tnat the railway death roll Inst vnr
amounted to 1.158, and that 18,749 persons
were more or less grievously injured.
1 nese figures mav be tnknn nnrrmt
If the report had been allowed to go forth
without alteration everybody would know
the true situation. And UttlA TKTAtllft Vn
heard about the alleged marvelous Im
munity irom clangor enjoyed by those who
travel In the antiquated, stuffy and Incom
modious carriages of the British railway
companies. But before It cohM he taanorf
to parliament It had to undergo some won-
aerous cnanges at the hands of expert sta
tistical manipulators. I b
vance sheets of that report. The original
compilation has been cut up Into sections,
and the casualties distributed under vari
ous headings devised, no doubt, to relieve
the railroads of as much responsibility as
possible for them and fool the public. And
In the process many of the killed and In.
Jured disappear altogether."
In the introduction this statement Is
made: "The danger of railway traveling
has been reduced to such a point that In
1904 the chances against a passenger be
ing killed in the course of a given Jour
ney were more than 200,000,000 to 1." That
statement will be quoted far and wide
as proof of the worn -ous vigilance and
efficiency f British railway officials In
safeguarding the lives of passengers. It
will be conr-md with the mortuary rec
ords of Am can railways, with results
overwhelmingly In favor of the English
syi-iem of transit. But the statement Is
absurdly false. It is based on "doctored"
figures. It Is amaslng that a high-salaried
British official should have the audacity
to make It, and to ask Parliament and
the British public to believe It. w'ht.i the
same report In which It appears furnishes
conclusive proof of Its mendacity.
A foundation for It Is obtained by a
process of elimination which makes It ap
pear, as set forth in one of the tables,
that only six passengers were killed
through "train accidents." And only these
six are allowed to count In reaching the
comforting conclusion that a passenger In
an English railway train runs only one
chance In 200.000,000 of being killed. But
there were 109 other passengers killed,
according to the official report, by "acci
dents from other causes." Nine of them,
for Instance, lost their lives through "pas
senger trains or parts of passenger trains
leaving the rails." Thirty-three were
killed by "falling out of carriages during
the running of trains." This is due to the
subdivision of cars on British railways
Into small compartments, with doors on
either side. Railway attendants bang them
to as trains leave the stations, but often
they fall to close them securely, and the
luckless Individual who chances to lean
against one that hasn't been fastened finds
it a veritable death trap. One passenger
In every 39,000,000 runs the risk of being
killed In this way on an English railway.
But he doesn't figure among those who
are killed by "train accidents." What are
vaguely termed "other accidents" account
for the death of twenty-one of tha ex
cluded 109.
The same methd Is adopted In dealing
with railway employes who are killed or
Injured. Only seven of them figure as
being killed by "train accidents." To
other causes variously classified are at
tributed the deaths of 4"9. The "grand
total" of the official report, which is sup
posed to Include all casualties on railroads,
shows 1.0E9 killed and (,2RS Injured. By
some statistical hocus pocus ninety-nine
deaths -hat appeared In the preliminary
report have been dropped out, and the
number of those Injured has been dimin
ished by over 12,000.
British railway companies obtain their
earnings chiefly from their passenger
traffic. The accident statistics relating to
them are distorted In their Interests. By
some mysterious method they control the
system under which they are tabulated.
The board of trade statisticians who com
pile the figures are not responsible for It.
They view with disgust the botch that Is
made of their labors by the higher officials.
One of the compilers, with whom I dis
cussed the burlesque official report, told
me that he had visited the United States
a few years ago and Inspected the rail
ways there to obtain points for parlia
mentary railway legislation.
"I found." he said, "that American roads
are far superior to ours so far as appli
ances for the protection of life are con
cerned. The report which I was Instru
mental In drawing up bore fruit In an act
for the prevention of accidents on English
railways. But as passed It was a very
Imperfect measure. It made no provision
for automatic car couplers, such as are
used on American railways. The hand
coupling process employed here Is respon
sible for fully $0 per cent of the fatalities
among railway employes. Railway com
panies bitterly oppose all attempts to com
pel them to adopt appliances and methods
that will render the roads safer. Their In
fluence In Parliament, where many of the
members are railway directors, is great.
And as long as our figures are distorted
to make It appear that English railways
are miracles of safety there la small chance
of arousing public opinion on the subject."
Beats All Creation.
St. Louis Republic
The Interstate Commerce commission's
report showing 297.073 miles of railroad in
the United States must Include all sidings,
switches, double track reduced to single,
and so forth. The actual length of our
railroads Is something less than 710.000
miles, which is about two-fifths the entire
railroad mileage of the world. It la 30.000
more miles than all Europe has, about four
times the mileage of all Asia and seven
times that of South America. Surely
America beats creatloti far traveling and
swapping products.
Get a copy of the September
number of Everybody's Magazine
at the newsdealer's. Read it. If
you don't like it, write a sensible,
abusive letter to the publishers.
It will be appreciated.
Everybody's Magazine has a larger circulation
than that of any other general magazine. Sold by all
newsdealers, at 15 cts. per copy. THY IT.
THE RAILROADS AJID TUB PEOPLE.
Central City Record: There is 'such a
strong feeling in the Btate against public
officials being the recipients of railway
passes that many of the leading repub
lican papers are demanding that the next
candidate for supreme Judge be a lawyer
who does not ride on a pass. If the con
vention should stick for that kind of a
candidate It will more than likely find
Itself compelled to leave the place vacant.
Bradshaw Republican: A large number
of our exchanges have done us the courtesy
to reprint oar suggestion to call a meeting
of editors to discuss the evils of the "free
pass" question. The Omaha Bee and Lin
coln Star were among them. Our editorial
brethren have our sincere thanks. We are
In real earnest In thinking something should
be done, and that the republican press
should be the prime and foremost movers
in this mission of reform.
Columbus Journal: The World-Herald la
out again with Its basket gathering edi
torial chips from repybllcan newspapers
In IU annual attempt to start a "smudge"
to "smoke out" some of the republican
tate officers. The learned editor of the
"senior yellow" should have discovered be
fore this that these chips are smokeless.
He will have to burn up those railroad
assessment records made by a fusion ad
ministration before he can start much of
a smoke In the republican cam
Albion Argus: The Chicago ft North
western paid Its tax when It should, but
we are Informed that the Union Pacific
has not yet paid. Some of our business
men seem to think it would be the right
thing to have all their freight come over
the Chicago & Northwestern until such
time as the Union Pacific might find It to
Its Interest to pay Its taxes like other
folks. While a boycott Is unlawful, yet
it would be funny If all the business men
would happen to be seised with the same
Idea and make a peculiar coincidence.
Alliance Times: The Omaha Bee is wait
ing to see how many of the 991 delegates
to the Nebraska state democratic conven
tion pay their railroad fares. It Is to be
hoped The Bee will be able to make an
accurate count. The democrats will need
to be as "strenuous" surely on the pass
issue as the republicans, and the result
of the canvas will Interest everybody. It
would be Just as well, too, to keep tab
on the republican convention. The public
is quite Interested In the question as to
how much the politicians' of both parties
really mean It.
Columbus Journal: WWle the railroads
are doubtless right In pointing out. that
there are dangers in vesting the rate
making power In a political commission,
yet the public woul be open to fewer dan
gers under a oompetent commission whose
duty It would be to secure the public the
lowest possible rates, consistent with a
fair and reasonable profit on Investment,
than they are now under a few railroad
presidents whose salary and reputation are
In direct proportion to their ability to col
lect the highest rates the traffic will bear.
The railroads are entitled to a fair and
Impartial hearing, but they may as well
save their "red flags." The people are
with Roosevelt on the question. They will
give the railroads a square deal, but they
don't want the railroads to do ,ajl the
"dealing."
MC5IICIPAL OWNERSHIP.
EihaniHre Investigation Planned by
the National Civic Federation.
Pittsburg Dispatch.
It will prove gratifying to those who
have for years felt that municipal owner-
shin of rjublia utilities would solve city
franchise problems to learn that an exhaus
tive Investigation of the subject, both in
this country and abroad, is being under
taken by the Executive Council .of the
National Civic Federation at the Instigation
of its departments of Industrial Economics
and Trade Agreements. A committee com
posed of the most representative men of
all classes in every section of the United
States who have been brought faoe to face
with municipal problems has been ap
pointed, and the Intention is to send abroad
a sub-committee, accompanied by experts
for the purpose of studying thoroughly the
effects of the various systems and the pos
sibility of the successful operation In this
country.
There are few In this country who have
given the subject any study who sre con
vinced that municipal ownership will not
result In art expansion of present evils
rather than a solution of them. Political
This your head to the left?
Then there's no use trying. 'It's too late! Noth
ing in the world can make hair grow on a bald
scalp that has been smooth and shiny for years.
It's too late I No use trying now I
Or is this yours to the right?
Good. Only look out for dandruff I It leads
straight to baldness. But there's use trying now,
for Ayer's Hair Vigor cures dandruff, keeps
the scalp clean and healthy,
SUA by ths . O.
aTtT.a AtsPintA-rer tae SliwS.
ATkB'g Casks t-kClOftAL Per CMtas.
conditions are to different In the United
States compared with European municipali
ties that even those who have placed In
successful operation abroad public utilities
under muncipal and even government guid
ance have been forced to admit that nftt-r
an American Investigation that polltlcsl
machines nnd the opportunity for graft
would bo strengthened by the addition of
municipal corporations with their heavy
revenues and their armies of employes ithi
would add to the campaigning strength
of the rings and bosses.
The National Clvlo Federation however.
Is seeking light In the most sensible way.
It was selected a committee whose report
will be above reproach and whoso conclus
ions can be regarded In po other light thnn
that of wise conservatism. Nothlog of tan
gible and practical worth to the various
municipalities may result from the Investi
gation, but the careful study of the great
and growing question by men of such abil
ity and standing as those selected cannot
but result In a wider knowledge of the sub
ject of undoubted good. It Is certainly a
step forward In reaching a practical under
standing of a problem which has threatened
for some time to become a national Issue.
LIKKS TO A SMILE.
.lGo,!,lfer 0,(1 Muntoburn Is so rich now
that I suppose he Indulges himself In the
luxury of giving a million to some strug
gling Institution now and then.
( ioFP h Cl nv IF.', mrt . 1 .
JaT, hV,''. t0 lv WB-y scrut lulled
Lit lulled
take It.
isUmary
..... ......... i . , unuio uii y wjuy will
Chicago Tribune.
The Cannibal King-Take that mis?
aw a v.
chef What's the trouble, sire?
The Cannibal King lie s tainted.-Brook-lyn
Life.
Proud Father We have spent ,00O t:
our daughter's voice.
Neighbor Dear me, and is it Incurable ?
New lorlt Sun.
Miss Wytheropp Mr. Newcnme remarked
to you that I didn't show my sgc, didn't
he"
Miss Knox Not exnctlv; he R.iid you were
careful to conceal It. Philadelphia Press.
"Naw!" sold the head waiter, "that mn?
that Jest went out ain't worth much."
"How do you know 7" Inquired the favor
ite customer.
"Oh. it s easy for us waiters to take a
man s measure."
"I suppose you measure him from tip to
tip, eh? ' Philadelphia Ledger.
"Two things muke my wife awful mad."
What are they:
"To get ready for company that don't
come and to have company come when
she Isn't ready." Philadelphia Inquirer.
Mother (reproachfully, to her small son)
Jamie, where have .you been all after-
Jamie (uneasily) At Sunday school,
mamma.
Mother Then how is it you are wet and
smell so of flshT
Jamie (In desperation) Well, you see.
I ve been studying about Jonah and the
whale, and well I guess It came oft on my
clothes. Harper's Weekly.
TUB MORMNQ A FT Kit.
James Barton Adams In Denver Post.
"There is no fool like an old tool!" when
the siren on him smiles,
And around him casts the network of her
fascinating wiles,
He forgets his hoary whiskers and hi
straggling locks of gray,
And in apelng youth and vigor gets ridicu
lously gay.
He Imagines she Is smitten with his many
manly charms,
And is longing for the clasp of his emacia
' ted arms;
Longing for his age-dried kisses
that
would rail upon her lips
From a pair as far from ripeness as a
pair
ot mca ry cnips.
"There Is no fool like an old fool:" though
me juiniv ue sun una ary,
Though of ardent, manly energy and vigor
he Is shy,
Though his shoulders may be drooping
and his sight be growing dim.
He Imagines there's a fountain of perpe
tual youth In him.
He will meet the amlls of siren with an
age-enfeebled grin,
And will stroke the bunch of whiskers,
tlme-frostbltten, on his chin.
And his eyes will try to goo-goo, try t
answer to the goo
Of the goo-goo, shy and tempting, In hei
yes of liquid blue.
jiirr is no iooi use an oia looi: ' as hi
signs each asked-for check; '
Deeper sinks the dart of Cupid in th
wrinkles on his neck.
For the sly god when ths granddad with
the siren plays a part,
Never aims his pointed arrows at the old
enfeebled heart.
Then there eomea ths sad awakening from
his Idlotlo dream.
And he learns that lovely women are not
always what they seem;
As he figures up his losses, he remarks
with surly grunch:
There is no fool like an old fool, and I
guess I lead the bunch!"
and checks falling hair.
Are O. , LawsII,
auiolurY. ml
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aKkH'S A6U8 CUxS-fw oialaos aas Sg.