Nebraska Newspapers

    The Omaha Daily Bee
'A
VOIi. XXXVI-NO. 193.
OMAHA, TUESDAY MORNING, JANUARY 29, 1907.-TEN PAGES.
SINGLE COPY THREE CENTS.
3
S If
if
MANY MINERS RILLED
Two Hundred Mm Entombed by Ixplo3ion
in Coal Mine in Prussia.
HUNDRED AND THIRTY-TWO KNOWN DEAD
Fifty-IiTe Injarad Taken Cut, Thiriy-Fite
uf TThom Will Die.
FIRE INTERFERES WITH RESCUE WORK
Eeoond Iiolosion in Which Kunbar of
Belief Firty Are Hurt.
CONFLICTING REPORTS AS TO ITS EFFECTS
Statement That Total Nomber of Cas
aaltlee Will Reach Three Haa.
dred . Mlaa Property of
SAARBRUECK, Rhenish Prussia. Jan.
28. A fire damp explosion occurred this
morning In the Redan coal . mine at BL
Johann-On-Saar, opposite Saarbrueck. and
caused the loaa of from 160 to 200 lives.
The mine la owned by the Prussian gov
ernment. t'p to o'clock this evening; ee- " ' even
bodies had been brought out ') -six
corpse! were known to be u. ,
Only flfiy live men hare been b. ',
and of those the doctors say at lea '',',.
five will die, aa they are frlghtf.. ,
Jured through having been hurled at J
the walls of the galleries by the fore.
the explosion.
An official report given out this evening
snya the number of dead cannot exceed
1M.'''"
Immediately after the explosion rescue
workers were hurried from all the adja
cent mine and boldly entered the Reden
haft in great numbers.
The work of - rescue has been greatly
hampered by the pulmnous gases result-'
Ing from the explosion and by a fierce fire
that broke out Immediately afterwards.
This caused efforts at rescue to be sus
pended and the workers had to be ordered
out of the mine.
After all the rescuers had reached day
light, aoordlng to one version, a second
terrific detonation was heard underground.
Rut, according to another report, many
of the resruere wore still below when the
second explosion occurred and It Is es
timated that the casualty list from the two
explosions reaabes) a total of 800.
It la regarded as certain that the lowest
levels of the mines are completely wrecked,
and the Inspectors are deliberating upon
further measures to get control of the fire,
i The managers are discussing the advisabil
ity of flooding these levels as the only
means of extinguishing the flames. It Is
beltvnd that ail the men who were In the
lower levels assuredly are dead. It will
take a full week to enter and explore the
tnine. t
la Haadred Mrs la Mine.
The disaster occurred 1,300 feet under
ground and Is one and a quarter miles
from the floor of the shaft, It la the
greatest mining catastrophe ever know In
the- flnar" t-etlatt.' About goo men entered
the mine for the Oar shift, but about 4X
s of them escaped through the Blldstook
' shaft, which communicatee with the Reden
Underground. , At a late hour- tonight It
was stilt unosrtaln how many workmen
Still wnre In the mine, the reports being
conflicting The entrance to the galleries
underground la mocked wnn dead nnrses.
Most of the bodies brought to the sur
face are mangled beyond recognition.
The mine Inspectors this evening ordered
. the rescuers to return to their homes, but
to hold themselves In readiness for further
orders.
Hraparor William has ordered that a full
report of the disaster be sent him.
President Waller! ea, Foreign Mlnlet
Plchon and the municipal council of Paris
have telegraphed Emperor William ex
pressing the sympathy of France In the
Saarbrueck disaster and recalling the gen
erous assistance given by German miners
at the time of the CDurrterea catastrophe.
Raplealoa la mark Mlie
I.KNB, France, Jan. 2AA terrible dis
aster, involving the loss of many Uvea, has
jDceurred In a eoal mine at tievtn. In the
Courrleree flistrtot. The catastrophe was
flue to an explosion of fire damp In one of
the pita
A panto followed the explosion and the
greater part of the population of the town
rushed to the month of the pit, prevent
ing the work of rescue until gendarme
restored a semblance of order.
The mayor of Llevln, who la an old
miner, le superintending the work of res
cue. Of the 112 miners who descended Into
the pit this morning (NO had been brought
te ths surface at I o'clock this afternoon.
The bodies ef the chief engineer and his
two assistants, horribly mangled, were re
covered, ,
PARIS, Jan. ML-Advlces received at the
, mlt.lstry ef labor Indicate that Vasalere,
the chief engineer, and two of hie assist
ants were probably the only victims of
the explosion In the coat mine today At
Uevln. It appears that they had gone
down to search 'fur a gas leak, the task
Hot requiring the assistance ef any of the
tnlne employes.
CAMPAIGN IS ON IN RUSSIA
Speakers May Deliver Speeches Hos
tile a the Qeverameat If Set
Revelatlaaary,
MOSCOW, Jan. W. The governor general
has cancelled, at Premier Stolypln's direc
tion, the election order that any persons
delivering speeches hostile to' the govern
ment at electoral meetings shall be sen
tenced te three months' Imprisonment or
to pay a fine of 1X0.
The premier has directed provincial au
thorities to avoid Interference with cam-,
palgn meetings, except where necessary to
prevent the open advocacy of revolutionary
outbreaks.
Cersser Holds Marderer.
LONDON, Jan. 2S.-A verdict of Wilful
murder was rendered by a coroner's Jury
this morning egalnst Horace George Ray
ner, the man who shot and killed William
Whlleleyi the merchant. January la But
few additional facts developed at the In
quest and ths motlvs of the crime remains
a an Starr, unices, as the police claim. It
was a failure of attempt to blackmail the
ineroaast- The eons and the old employes
ef the murdered tbaa teettfled that they
had never seen or heard of Rayner before
the day of the tragedy.
Wtetk la erta Uakuia.
ST. PAt'L. Jan. -A special to the Dis
peicn from Hiemara, S. 1 . says: Northern
Iwrioo paaeriiRer trains No. 4 and t run
ning late with sou We- headers, collided butt
ktsht at Know l tun, west of here. No de
tails have ben reeafved. Reports euaaiet
as Se the luJureA,
SUMMARY OF TUE BEE
Tgesday, Janoary , 1WT.
1907 JANUARY 1907
um mos rut wio tnu ret at
if $ I 2 3 4 5
6 7 8 9 10 II 12
13 II 15 16 17 18 19
20 21 22 23 24 25 26
27 28 29 30 31 J
TKI WIATKIB.
FORECAST FOR NEBRASKA Rnnw
Tuesday anl probably Wednesday; cosier
WedneKday In south portion.
FOKKX.'A8T FOR luWA Snow Tuesday
and probably Wednesday.
Temperature at Omuha yesterday:
Hour,
lg. liur. ueg.
o a. m.
6 a. m.
7 a, m.
8 a. m .
t a. m.
10 a. m.
11 a. m.
12 m...
15 1 p. m -ii
... IS 2 p. m 22
... IS 3 p. m 24
...14 4 p. m I
...16 S p. m 25
...17 p. m 26
... IS 7 p. m 2
... 21 8 p. m 24
t p. m ii
X.EOX8X.ATTJBZ.
Drastic child labor bill reaches third
reading in house of Nebraska legislature.
' rags 1
Clarke of Douglas offers bill for tho
local taxation of railroad terminals in the
house of Nebraska legislature. 'age 1
Hearing before committee at Lincoln
dlsrlpses that Chairman McMullen Is op
posed to measure of state-wide operation.
rage 1
Railway committee has agreed on all
lnts of Nebraska commission bill.
eure gives the commission wide power
, -ates." Fage 1
-. WASHIWOTOaT.
'te Commerce commission finds
t Standard OH company to form
n oly. rare 1
Sarhatpr Beverldge talks four hours In
senate In support of his bill to prevent
Interstate commerce In products of child
labor. rags
DOMESTIC.
Commissioner Lane probes Pacific rail
road merger at San Francisco. rage X
Political speakers may criticise govern
ment, but must not advocate revolution
In Russia. rag's 1
Thousands of head of sheep and cattle
freese to death In the northwest. Loss to
stockmen in the northwest will exceed
1 1.000,000. rags 1
Two more Junprs secured for the Thaw
trial. Statement from Pittsburg says
theory of defense probably will be In
aanity. rags 6
VZBRABZA.
Snow, from two to three Inches deep.
Is reported from many points In Nebraska.
rags s
roBxiow.
Three hundred men killed and Injured in
the coal mine belonging to the Prussian
government. rage 1
Chinese famine sufferer need cash
more than supplies. rage
' . X.OGAX..
Board of Fire and Police Commission
ers dismisses charges ' against Chief of
Polios Donahue. Mayor declares he has
power ever the officer and doesn't propose
to have police enforce Sunday closing
laws. ,.' rare 10
Government official - say seven "dry
farming experiment stations will be es
tablished' In ths west, rage 8
Weighing of mall in this postal division
will begin In February. rag's S
Western Trunk Line association pro
mulgates rule which makea trpuble for
"prise package" shippers. " rags 5
Firemen appear before Commercial club
to argue In favor of "double shift" bill.
rage a
Railroads rap at Omaha grain market
by taking pff proportional rates on Iowa
grain to all territories. rags 3
. J. D. Shanahan, government grain ex
pert, says federal Inspection of grain will
come, and In meantime government will
establish laboratories for tests, probably
one at Omaha. rage 6
W. J. Connell la found guilty by Judge
Button of contempt of court and sentence
Is deferred. He pleads his pwn case.
rage
couvoxt Bztrrrej ajtd iowa.
Legislative committee busy formulating
a state-wide primary bill from two meas
ures submitted to It rage
City council pf Council Bluffs orders
Broadway paved to the motor bridge.
v rags
MINORITY ON SHIP SUBSIDY BILL
Reports Say Greatest BeaeSelarlsa
'Will Be Hill and
Harrlasaa.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 28.-J. J. Hill, Q H.
Harriman and the republican policy of
protection are assailed In the minority ad
verse report on the Llttauer compromise
subsidy ship bill which was filed In the
house today by Representative Bplght of
Mississippi. The report Is signed by Mr
Bplght and the other democratic members
of the house on merchant marine and flab'
ertea Messrs. Oouiden, Sherley and Pat'
terson. '
After reviewing the proposed subsidies
to South American and oriental lines the
report says: .
It is not pretended that the proposed ap
proprlationa are intended merely to compen
sate for services rendered, but admittedly
the larger part Is pure gratuity. This ob
jection is fundamental and no amount of
sophistry or volume of tfpeclous argument
can obscure it. Were it limited simply
to payuionts for new mail routes it might
be acceptable for that purpose though not
as a real aid to merchant marine.
The report diacuvses the two lines which
the bill proposes to substdiie between the
Pacific "oast and the orient, saylna:
Rut when It is recalled that at Seattle
north of Cape Mendocino Is the existing
steamship line owned by J. J. Hill and south
of It at San Francisco is the Harriman Una,
the Vaciric Mail, we may begin to bus.
pect that there is a "nigger In the wood-'
pile." Who are J. J. Hill and E. H.' Har.
riman? The former Is the great railway
magnate of Northern Securities notoriety,
who tried to merge vast interests in viola,
tton of the law and onlv was prevented t'
proceedings In court. Harriman is another
leader of corporate wealth who control
more railway trackage than any other
man In the world. Is it hard to guess who
under this bill would pocket $1.KVjU) of the
peoples' money ?
It la then stated by the report that the
proposed line from the Pacific, coast to
Chile would be a mere extension of the
Harriman line to Panama and the general
principle of the governmental subsidy is
attacked. The report declares that gov
ernmental aid of this sort can never result
In a great merchant marina and urges the
repeal of legislation which hinders ship
building In this country.
Pear.se Seleeta Caaasel.
COLt'MBl'S, O.. Jan. Z8. Announcement
is made today that Major fenn.se, who is
to be tried by court-martial in connection
with the Brownevilss riot by the Ct4ored
troops has selected Ueutenant Colonel
Glenn of the Harracke here to defend him.
Lieutenant CVIonel Ulenn Is known as one
of the bet posted luea uo nutrtlaj law lu
the anuv
STANDARD OIL M0X0P0L.
Interstate Commerce Commission Makes
Report to Oon cress on Combinations.
SECRET RAILWAY RATES AID COMBINE
Investigators Ft ad Competition Stilled
mad Pablle Misled as to Rela
tions Between Compaalee
Offering Oil for Sale.
WASHINGTON. Jan. 2. The Interstate
Commerce commission has sent to congress
a report of tbe Investigations made by it
under the Tlllmaa-Olllesple resolution con
cerning the relations of common carriers
by rail to the production and distribution
of oil. The report covers the distribution
of petroleum and Its products east of the
Mississippi river and, Incidentally, the
Kansas and Texas fields. The report points
out generally the methods by which the
Standard Oil company "has built up and
perpetuated Its monopoly." It Is asserted
that "the ruin of its competitors has been
a distinct part of the policy of the Standard
Oil company in the past, systematically
and persistently pursued. The report says:
No instance la found where any railway
company lias been Interested in oil lands
or in petroleum production, and only one
Instance is shown where officials of a rail
way company were Interested In the pro
duction and sale of oil. This relates to
certain officials of the Baltimore A Ohio
boumwestern railroad having owned stock
of the Araand Reftnlnx company, which
was, on their recommendation,
tYlerward
sold to the Standard Oil company, and the -
Lubrtcatinir contract which the road trans'
ferred tn the Galena Oil company, a Stand
ard company.
The Htandard Oil company largely monop
llr.es the handling of petroleum from tho
mouth of the well until it Is sold to the re
taller, and sometimes to the consumer,
and under ordinary circumstances its
margin of profit la very large. Estimates
made In the report show a profit on re
fined oil from the Sugar Creek refinery at
Kansas City of from B to 8 cents per gal
lon. A much higher profit Is Indicated for
gasoline. The sale of refined oil from the
large Standard refinery at Whiting Is cor
respondingly profitable.
Shrewd Advertising; Plane.
The evidence shows little basis for the
contention that the enormous dividends of
the Standard Oil company are the legiti
mate result of its economics. Except for
Its pipe lines, the Standard has but little
legitimate advantage over the Independent
refiner.
The Standard buys advertising space in
many newspapers, which it fills, not with
advertisements, but with reading matter
prepared by agents kept for that purpose
ollzes the handling of petroleum from the
nary news. The assumption is that this
literature furnishes many of the Ideas
touching the great benefits conferred upon
the public by the Standard Oil company.
Posnesslon of the pipe lines enables the
Standard absolutely to control the price of
crude petroleum and the price which Its
competitors in a given locality shall pay.
It ran raise the price In one locality and
and paid for at advertising rates, as ordi
verse the process when It desires to do so.
Whoever controls the avenues of transpor
tation of the raw material or or the re
fined product can speedily drive his com
petitors out of existence, and tho produc
tion and distribution . of petroleum Is no
exception to the rule.
Tho pipe line system of the Standard, the
report , contends. Is not a natural, bat.
rather, an artificial advantage. It Is argued
that the reason why long pipe lines com
peting with those of the Standard have
not been provided Is found In obstacles In
the way of such undertakings, having been
opposed by the railroads, 'whose rlght-of-
was has generally stood as a Chinese wall
against al attemptr.To ejeftrad pipe' tinea
Secret Rates Secured.
Ordinarily, It Is said, the Standard has
not received rebates In recent years, so
far as has been discovered, but It has
nevertheless enjoyed secret rates possessing
sit of the element of Illegal rates, and the
advantage so obtained over Independent
shippers have been of very great value
to that company. Numeroua Instances of
discrimination In favor of the Standard
resulting from the published railway rates
were found, saye the report. In this con
nection the following Is an Instance given:
A low rate of 10 cents per hundred pounds
upon petroleum and Its products existed
for manv years from Neodosha, Kan.,
where the Standard operated a refinery, to
Kansas Cltv. This was for the interest
of the Standard; but when the Standard
constructed us rennery at sugar creeK,
Kansas City, and connected it by pipe
line with the Kansas oil wells, the rait
rate was advanced from 10 to 17 cents per
hundred pounds. While the railways in
sist that this waa not done at the Instance
of the Standard, the significant fact re
mains In this and many otner cases canea
to the commission's attention that the rate
was not changed until it came to be for
the Interest of the Standard that it should
be changed, and It waa changed aa that
company naturally would desire.
In discussing the assertion contained tn
the report that "the rum of Its competitors
has been a distinct part of the policy of
the Standard Oil company." the commis
sion says one method has been the or
ganisation of a perfect system of espionage
over the shipments of He competitors, re
sulting In knowledge aa to the destination
of every car of oil leaving the refinery of
an Independent,
Agents Mast Straagla Oompetltloa.
The Standard agent at the destination,
says the report. Is held responsible If the
Independent oil la sold.
"It does not appear." aaya the report,
"that the railroad companies have directed
the furnishing of this Information, or that
the .practice baa been sanctioned by su
perior officials of ths roads, but tt does ap
pear that auch Information la systematic
ally obtained from railroad employes. The
testimony shows that the Standard, at one
time. If It doea not now, devoted a fund
to the purpose of obtaining thla informa
tion. It has frequently happened, when
the aupply of Independent oil In a particu
lar territory was low and a shipment waa
peculiarly necessary, that tbe shipment
has unaccountably gone astray. Informa
tion also appears to have been given ths
Cnlon Tank line, a creature of the Stand
ard, concerning ths whereabouts of Its
cars, while such Information was not fur
nlshed to other owners of tank cars, and
some discrimination In tank car mileage In
favor of the tank line Is shown for one
railroad.
It ta asserted that It la the practice of the
Standard, whenever a competitor erects a
atorage tankt to which the oil Is trans
ferred from the tank car, to reduce the
price of olUin that locality to such a point
as to make "ths bustnese unprofitable to
such competitor, while prices were main
talned In other localities. There was much
complaint that ths railroads allowed tbe
Standard to erect Its tanks at convenient
points on the right-of-way and declined to
accord this privilege to independent re
finers. The commission aaya It la satisfied
that auch discrimination has been very
generally practiced in ths past
Ths report shows that "at present every
considerable' railroad in the United States
la buying of the Galena Oil company, one
of the Standard companies, most of Its
lubricating and signal oils, the prlree paid
for lubricating oil, which le of th
grades, being substantially ths same tu
the various road a The sontracta generally
contain a guaranty to the road that the
cost at lubrication shall not exceed a cer
tain sum per mile, or engine mile, snd
provide for oil inspectors appointed by the
oil company to supervise the use of the
(Continued ea Sixth Paga)
COST OF MEAT INSPECTION
Three Mill Ian Dollars Per Year Faaad
Ample o Meet the Re
aalretaeats. (From a Staff Correspondent.) s
WASHINGTON, Jan. 28 (Spe'clal Tele
gram.) When the, meat Inspection meas
ure was before the house during the last
session It was contended by some that Hw
permanent annual sum pf 13.000,000 would
prove to be lnsuffeclrnt to meet the ex
pense of enforcing tho law. While the
agricultural appropriation bill was under
consideration In tlie house on Saturday
and the provision for meat Inspection was
up Representative Kennedy addressed a
note to Chairman Wadsworth which
bnpught out the fact that the appropria
tion was ample and may prove to be more
than sufficient to meet alt requirements.
Mr. Kennedy drew out the further s-.sto-ment,
that the law Is operating smoothly
and effectively and no amendments are
contemplated or required.
Members of ths Nebraska delegation In
troduced In the eenate and house a reso
lution pf the house of representatives of
Nebraska urging the Nebraska senators
"to use all honorable means to brin
about such laws as will place a revenue
ax . on Incomes," following the line of
hought expressed' by President Roose
velt.
Senator Millard today Introduced a bill
tp increase the pension of Bridget Coadey
of Omaha to 115 a' month.
Mrs. Ida F. BroWn, at present clerk in
the Omaha postoffloe, has, through the ef-
forts of Senator Millard, been transferred
to a similar position In the postofflce at
Lob Angelee.' Cat.f Mrs. Brown Is In
structed to report) to the Loet Angelea
postmaster for duty February 1.
Representative Klnkald today recom
mended L. M. VanjPelt to be postmaster
at Van Pelt. Banner county. Neb.
The pension bureau today advised 'Rep
resentative Klnkaid that a pension of $S
per month has been allowed to W. P. Os
trand. Big Springs, Ncb.
Congressman Hlnshaw today received
telegrams from H. U Duval, J. E. Hpugh,
8. S. Hlnitt. J. C. Bryant. L. C. Hullt,
John Dillon and A. O. Spenco, conductors
on the Rock Island, with headquarters at
Fairbury, asking congress to assist lnthe
passage of the , LaFolletto slxteen-hour
bill for railroad employes.
These appointments have been made to
fill vacancies In the rural carrier service,
effective February 1: Iowa, Glenwpod,
William H. Hlttle regular, Cora M. Hlttlo
substitute route 1;. Manly, Frederick J.
Wadsworth regular,' N. T. Knudeon aub
etltute, route 1; New London, Edward L.
Johns regular. Bud Redfern substitute,
route 6; Ridgeway, William O. Neest reg
ular, John H. Banken substitute, route 2.
CATTLE FREEZING TO DEATH
Stockmen la Herthweat Will Lose
Million Dollars Owlnar to
Serosa Wlator.
MINNEAPOLIS, Jan. 28.-J. H. Howella
of Mlnot, N. D., a leading buyer of cattle
and sheep, declared here -today that the
cattlemen of the northwest would stand to
lose more than 11.000,000 .. by the . severe
winter. He has made a tour of Inspection
along? tho transco4entol lines, J both , In
the United Statesman! Canada, and says
the losses will not be so great In North
Dakota as In Alberta am) Montana. ,
In the Alberta country, according to Mr,
Howells, thousands of cattle had huddled
together along the railroad tracks and dead
cattle were to be seen for 100 miles or
more, lying twenty deep In some places.
The same condition, he says, prevail In
Montana.
Mr. Howells says that while In Havre,
Mont., last week, a ranchman offered him
10,000 sheep for $3,000, which last fail were
worth (30,000. Sheep were dying by hun
dreds for want of food.
Last year Mr. Howella' company ahlpped
out of Havre nearly 400 cars of cattle,
but thla year it haa been unable to get out
a single carload.
I
BUFFALO FIREMEN MISSING
Twenty Mea Carried Dowa by Fall of
Walla and Three Are Still
fader Debris.
BUFFALO, N. Y., Jan. 28. Buried under
tons of Ice-coated debris of the eight-story
Seneca building at 101-109 Seneca street,
destroyed by Are today, three firemen are
probably dead or so badly Injured that
they will die before aid can reach them.
About twenty-five men. Including the three
missing men, were on the roof of the Hey
wood building adjoining the Seneca, fight
ing agalnat a spread of the flames, when
two thick brick walla of the Seneca build
ing collapsed. Tons of debrla from the
crumbling walla crashed down on the roof
of the lower Heywood building, going
through the roof and carrying floor after
floor Into the basement. Not one of the
men escaped without Injury, but half of
them were able to light their way out and
to give aid to their leas fortunate com
rades. The rescuers worked all the after
noon, but no trace of the missing men
could be found. Aa night fell electric light
wires were strung Into the ruins and to
night ths work of reacua waa kept up.
Ths names of the missing men are Hlnkey,
Norton and Megarm.
BIG REALTY DEAL IN SIOUX CITY
Two Hotels, a Theater and Five His-
dred City Lots Chanse
Haads.
SIOUX CITY, la., Jan. 28. (Special Tele
gram.) F. W. EBtabrook of Boston, vice
president of the Sioux City Stock Yards
company, has purchased a controlling In
terest tn the Mondamln and Garretson
hotels and the New Grand theater building
and an entire Interest In nearly 600 Bloux
City lots. The property Is valued at I6O0,-
Ouu. The Mondamln will be completely re
modeled. Nothing le yet known aa to what
will be done with the Garretson .but there
has been some talk of making it Into an
office building. Mr. Estabrook la close to
Swift and Company and his large purchase
Is regarded aa significant.
HOPEFUL F0R CREIGHTON
Rests Natarally Darin Bight sal
Takes Noarlshmeat Daring
the Day.
Hopeful reports continued to come from
the home of John A. Crelghton last night
regarding the condlton of Mr. Crelghton.
After a day of marked Improvement, dur
ing which be received nourishment, be
slept and rested well and was asleep early
this morning without the use of opiates.
Tbe nourishment given htm yesterday was
tn liquid form, but was nevertheless In
considerable euantlty, and gave added hope
to tbe taml'jr and physicians.
WORKING ON PR1MANT BILL
Lsffislatirs Committees Considering Two
Contaiiinc Kadical Differences.
COMMITTEE BILL TO BE CAUCUS MEASURE
Colonel Palmer of Waahlagtoa Dela
Groomed for Departmeat Com
maader of the G. A. R. Hard
ware Men Are Coming.
(From a Staff Correspondent.)
LINCOLN, Jan. a. (Special Telegram.)
The Joint committee to draft a direct pri
mary bill held an open session thla evening
which brought out an Interesting discussion
of various phases of the question. At the
start & P. Brown tried to get the com
mittee committed to a state-wide primary
by offering a resolution which the chair
man, McMullen of Gage, promptly ruled
out of order, and the committee showed
no disposition to reverse his decision. The
resolution was aa follows:
Whereas, The republican state platform of
law declares:
"We demand that the next legislature
enact a direct primary law providing for
the nomination of all state, county and
strict officers. Including congressmen and
United Stales aenators, by direct vote,''
and,
W here as. The democratic, state platform
of mm declares:
"We will pass a comprehensive direct
primary law for the wnole state under
which party candidates for all offices shall
be nominated by the direct vote of the
people," and,
Whereas, The populist state platform of
19u6 declares:
"We favor the enactment of a primary
law for the nomination of all publlo of
ficers," be it
Resolved, That this committee deems It
Its duty to formulate a bill providing for
state-wide primary elections for ail po
litical parties to nominate state, county,
district and municipal officers.. Including
United States senators, by direct vote.
At the Invitation of the committee a
number of persons present were Invited
successively to give their views pf the
proposed primary bill. Victor Rosewater
expressed his opinion on different aapecta
of the bill, emphasising the need of sim
plicity and conciseness and opposing tho
rotated ballot scheme In the bill Intro
duced by Representative Dpdge. At the
conclusion a running fire resulted In an
swer to questions propounded by McMul
len, which showed plainly that the Gage
county man was not friendly to the. direct
primary, although professing to favor
bill for county nominations as the easiest
way to answer the popular demand with
half a loaf.
H. M. Waring explained and championed
the Dodge bill, with particular emphasis
on the rotated ballot aa Ita saving clause.
George W. Berge, T. C. Munger, H. T.
Dobbins and J. M. Devine, all spoke for a
direct primary legislation, citing examples
from different places where It had been
tried, and more particularly In nominating
city tickets In Lincoln.
Representative Baker of New York, In
answer to questions, gave Information
about the direct primary trial In hie county
last aummer. and Chairman McMullen con
eluded the meeting by a atatement of his
position, arguing directly against ' direct
primary nominations and quoting a letter
from . Minnesota declaring the MInneeota
law only, partially successful, . He Insisted
that his bill for-a county primary only, .eras
best, but coupled with It a promise to vote
for a statetwlde primary In case the com.
mtttee decided to report such a measure.
i
Two-Cent Fare Bill Ready.
The sub-committee of the Joint railroad
committee met tonight and formulated a
bill for a 2-cent passenger rate. The bill
Is exactly like the old law, with the excep
tion of the rate, which is reduced 1 cent.
This measure will be reported to tho Joint
committee.
Aareeraent oa Commission BUI.
The subcommittee appointed by ths legis
lative Joint committee to draft a bill cov
ering the general powers of the State Rail-
way commission has agreed upon all mooted
points and at a meeting tonight a rough
draft of the bill which will be presented
to the Joint committee for Ita approval waa
prepared. The measure will be put Into
final form tomorrow and will be taken up
at once by the Joint committee. Before the
end of the week It la hoped to have it In
troduced Into both houses and well on Its
way toward passage.
The subcommittee was divided only by
certain matters of detail, but these have all
been cleared up and at the close of last
night's session everything was harmonious.
The subcommittee declines to make an au
thoritative announcement of the contents
of the bill before It la presented to the
Joint committee, when tt will be made pub
lic. It la known, however, that the measure
will be entirely satisfactory to that faction
of the republican party that le In favor of
vesting the Railway commission with wide
powers over rates and of giving It the legal
means with which to enforce Its decrees.
A rough draft of the bill haa been submit
ted to some of tho best posted rate men tn
the state and has received their approval.
The commission Is given power over all
common carriers. Including telephone, tele
graph, sleeping car and express companies
and Is allowed ths widest latitude In regu
lating their rates. The general plan of the
Aldrich bill has been followed, but It has
been broadened somewhat to make It more
Inclusive than tt was originally.
Only Point of lMffereaeo.
The principal question over which there
was a division In the sub-committee re
lated to the method of procedure before
the commission. It has been agreed to In
sert a provision which will prevent the
railroads superseding a rate fixed by the
commission until it has been passed on by
a court. The commission Is also given wide
powers in securing evidence from the
records of railroads. One section gives
the commission power to punish for con
tempt for refusal to obey Its orders. It Is
also given Jurisdiction over terminal and
switching rates, a provision which will be
satisfactory to Omaha Jobbing and manu
facturing lnteresta
C. W. Dalamatyre and D. L. Johnson of
Omaha appeared before the senate Judl
,ary co.nnlltte tonlght , th4 ,ntereaU
of Klng'e bill, S. F. No. 71. relating to the
descent of the property of decedents. The
committee did not take action. The senti
ment of the committee waa atrongly ln
favor of a change In the present law, giv
ing the wife only a dower Interest In her
husband's estate, but there waa some dif
ference of opinion as to what the change
should be. The committee may take action
at a meeting to be held tomorrow after
noun. The Judiciary committee haa decided to
report favorably on the bulk aalea law,
after a fight In the committee room. Th
vote waa 7 to 1
The committee on privileges and elec
tions voted a favorable report on ths
county option bill aad Senator Thomas'
"anti-leg pulling" bill, making it a misde
meanor for any person to offer to deliver
bis own or any other person's vote te a
candidate for a money er ether eunsidere
MISSOURI AFTER ICE TRUST
Rvldeaee of Former (Itlaea Betas
Taken hy State la
Vlrglala.
NORFOLK. Va.. Jen. 2. The Ice "trust"
prosecution by the state of Missouri against
the Polar Wave Ice company, the Mer
chants' Ice company and others came up
In Norfolk today for the taking of deposi
tions made by F. A. Stlllwell, formerly a
restaurant proprietor in St. Louis, who de
clared that he had been buying Ice from
the Merchants' Ice company In that; city
for 17H cents per 100 pounds, when the
price waa auddenly Jumped to 25 centa per
100 pounds. Stlllwell said he refused to pay
tho Increase and sought to buy from other
Ice companies In St. Louis, all of which
refused to sell to him, compelling him to
return and buy1 from the Merchants' com
pany at the advanced price.
Commonwealth Attorney John O. Tllton
of Norfolk appeared for the state of Mis
souri. Attorney D. M. Klrby of St. Louis
appeared for the defendant companies.
LA CROSSE. Wis.. Jan. SR. Car shortage
Is causing a famine In Ice which promises
to have a serious effect over a large sec
tion of country next summer. On the
Mississippi river between La Crosse and
Lake Peppin vnst quantities of Ice ere har
vested each winter. This year the dealers
are unable to get cars, and as there are
not sufficient storage facilities on the
ground, harvesting of Ice for shipment has
atopped. Dealera predict thla will mean
an Ice famine of serious consequence next
summer. The matter will be called to the
attention of the Interstate Commerce com
mission. '
GREAT GRAFT IN ST. LOUIS
Excise Man Revokes Salooa Licenses
and Law Partaer Has Them
Reissued.
ST. LOUIS, Jan. 28. Testimony taken by
tho senate committee on municipal affairs,
which la making an investigation) Into mu
nicipal affairs, developed at today's hear
lng that E. C. Dodge, who has been the
law partner of Excise Commissioner
Thomas E. Mulvihill since March 19, 1317
has represented thirty-five or forty saloon
keepers whose licenses were attacked by
Excise Commissioner Mulvihill, and that
he had collected In eleven of these cases
fees ' amounting to $730. In one Instance
Dodge admitted on the stand that he re
ceived a fee of S200 from a saloonkeeper
named Vach for arranging to have his li
cense reissued after Mulvihill had revoked
It. He also admitted that he had received
other fees. The committee Is endeavoring
to ascertain whether Dodge and Mulvihill
are atlll law partners and whether the firm
profited by the legal business of Dodge be
fore the excise commissioner. Dodge as
serts the partnership haa been terminated
by mutual agreement.
OHIO FALLING , AT . CAIRO
Mississippi la Rising; at AH Points
Below Except at New
Orl
WASHINGTON, Jan. 28. The weather
bureau tonight Issued the following flood
4-uUeUnt ... ' - ' .
The .Ohio river at Cairo la falling, th-
guage tonight reading to.S feet, a fall of
. . V- I . 1 .. U . . . In w -l.k, Th.
atage at Memphia tonight waa 3t. feet, a
rise of one foot elnce Sunday night. State s
In reet at otner stations on me tower
Mlsslsslsslppi on Monday morning were as
follows: Helena, 46.3; Arkansas City, 4 and
Greenville 43.S, a rise of three-tenths foot
at each place during the last twenty-four
hours; Vicksburg, 46, a rise of one-tenth
foot; New Orleans, 17.8 and stationary.
Maximum stages as follows, are now Indi
cated In the Vicksburg district, the crest
to reach Vicksburg in about twelve days.
Arkansas City, 63; Greenville, 48, and Vicks
burg, at least 61 feet.
EVA N S VI LLE, Ind., Jan. 28. Ths river
tonight continues to fall and tonight stands
46.2 feet. A communication from Shawnee-
I town tonight, says tralna will not be able
to enter that place for several days. Con.
dltlons along the Wabash river are greatly
Improved tonight.
NO MERGER OF CANAL BIDDERS
Contractor Oliver Mast Look to Others
for Cash to Carry oa
Work. '
NEW YORK, Jan. 28. A. F. MacArthur
of the MacArthur-Olllesple company, whose
bid for completing the Panama canal was
next to the lowest, Issued a statement to-
day that the four contracting Arms com-
prising hla company i"decllned all augges-
tlons looking to a combination with any
other bidder."
"They are unwilling to entertain any plan
for undertaking the work at a percentage
ao low that adequate personal attention to
the work would be Impossible and ulti
mate failure. In their opinion, most prob-
able. Aa the only blddera who qualified
under the specifications, they acquiesced in
the suggestion that an opportunity be given
Mr. Oliver to form a new association of
contractors and. raise the required capital,
despite the fact that he had entirely failed
to qualify as a bidder, both by reason of
his failure to ehow the necessary pecuniary
responsibility, and by reason of the gov
ernment's definite rejection of hie co
bidder, Mr. Bangs."
LANE PROBINGAT 'FRISCO
lateratate Commerce Commissioner
Investigates the Collection of
Tolls at California Port.
SAN FRANCISCO. Jan. 28. Interstate
Commerce Commissioner lane today began
an Investigation of complaints of Jobbers
and manufacturers that the Southern Pn
clflo company Is collecting a toll of I cen's
a ton on all freight received here, whether
It cornea over the' wharves of the state or
not.
Commissioner Lane will also continue the
Inquiry Into the facts connected with the
so-called Harriman merger.
Among those who arrived to attend the
hearing are J. C. Btubbs, vice president
of the Harriman lines, and traffic directors
of tbe Southern Pacific and other com
panies; Attorney C, A. Severance of St.
Paul and R. B. Lovett, one of the Southern
pacific's legal advisers In New York,
LEVEE BREAKSJN ARKANSAS
Govorameat Wark Holds aad Armed
Gaards Protect ItAll Wires '
Dowa, '
MEMPHIS, Tenn., Jan. a. -Ths Luxors,
Ark., town levee broke Sunday and the
place ta flooded, ths water driving the resi
dents to the second story of houses. No
loss of life Is reported.
Ths government levee back of Luxora Is
still holding and It Is being patrolled by
armed guards. All wires are down and no
.further particulars are obtainable.
CHILD LABOR BILL
Driutio tessure Fasses to Third Heading
in Ernie at Linooln.
PROVISIONS OF ILL-CONCEIVED MEASURE
Effeot of Proposed Law Would Ba Fa
Beaotnnsr in Extreme.
TERMINAL TAXATION BILL IS OFFERED
Clarke of Sennas liesents Bsw Keaiux
to Govern Atsewmeut.
NOT TO LESSEN THt GENERAL TAXES
Bill So Framed as Not to Interfere
, With the Action of the State
Board la ratting Valaa
tloa oa Railroads.
(From a Staff Correspondent.)
LINCOLN. Jan. 28. (Special.) The child,
labor bill, sponsored In the house by Clarke
and In the senate by Thomas, seems to
have slipped through far enough to cime
up for a third reading In the house without
any one realizing the far-reaching and
drastic character of the measure. The bill
la a lengthy one, evidently drawn by the
paid promoters of some eastern child labor
association, and shows Its foreign origin
by reference to all sorts of offices that do
not exist In Nebraska, If It should become
a law, no child undor 14 years of age can
be employed Is any regular occupation
under heavy penalty on both employer and
the child's parents or guardian, and no
child between 14 and 16 years of age can
ba employed except by going through a
formal procedure to prove hie age and tes
tify to his proficiency In the schools to the
extent of having passed through ths eighth
grade. The bill provides the forms for all
these certificates and requlrea the child to
be publicly labelled more thoroughly than
la a penitentiary convict.
OrtlSeates Are Explicit.
These certificates must ahow place and
dote of birth, the school record of the child
and In "doubtful cases ' a physician s cer
tificate of "sound health and physical
ability." The certificate must further ad
vertise "the color of the heair and eyes,
the height and weight and any distinguish
ing facial marks of such child." Of course,
a child between 14 nnd 16 years may Changs
In height and Weight, but It Is expected to
carry Its distinguishing facial marks
through life, so that It can be Identified
forever after. As if thia were not draatio
enough, no child under It yeara of age can
be employed In . any gainful occupation
which requlrea him to work before the
hours of 7 o'clock In the morning or after '
tbe hour of 7 o'clock in the evening, aum
mer or winter, daylight or darkness. Every
person who employs an office boy or cash
girl or messenger under 16 yeara of age
will, If thla law la passed, be required to
post the namea of his employes, keep pub
llo records of their certificates; put up cards
telling the hours of work; admit child labor
inspectors Into his place of buaineas at any
hour upon tbe mere announcement ef the
name and "office ' of , the' Inspector Without'
any other identification, and refusal will
involve fines and eOmetlme imprisonment.
To cap the climax the ttIl wlnda up with
an emergency clause to put It Into effect
at once without even giving the people
time to read It before the penalties accrue.
It Is possible members of the legislature
may wake up o the scope of this bill be
fore they vote It through finally, for to all
appearances few of them have aa yet read
it.
Railroad Lobby on Deek.
The big guns of the railroad lobby came
down from Omaha this afternoon. The
j delegation waa headed by Chief Lobbyists
Frank Young and Jim Kelby of the Bur
lington, Ben White of ths Northwestern
and Edson Rich of the Union Pacific. They
did not state their businsss, but probably
I came down to assure the legislators that
there le no railroad lobby in Lincoln.
Clarke's Terminal Taxation BUI.
fn his new bill for the taxation of rail
road terminals for municipal purposes. In
troduced today. Clarke of Douglas county
answers the argument'of the railroads that
to tax this property locally would be to
take from the school fund of the state
, money they are now receiving from the
railroads. In the following language, which
l eectlon 1 of the bill:
"This act shall not apply to nor In any
j manner inert tne asssssmeni, equalisation
levy or collection of any state, county,
township, school district or road district
tax, nor shall It affect any assessments or
levies heretofore made on any property
In the state of Nebraska. Nor shall thla
act be construed to affect any specific tax
which may now, or which ahall hereafter
provided for by law, upon the property
j r business of any oompany or essoclatiow
within the state.
In brief the Clarke bill provides for an
added tax on railroad property and la not
an amendment to the present revenue law.
but measure complete in Itself, giving
I authority to the local assessor of every
town In tho state to tax for local pur
poses railroad property located within hla
Jurisdiction. The bill provides that all ma
chine repair shops, general office build
ings, store houses, real and personal prop
erty, outside of the right-of-way, and prop
erty which la not actually occupied and
used In the exercise of railroad franchises
ahall be liable to taxation In the same
manner and for the same purpoae and to
the aame extent, and aubject to the same
conditions and limitation aa to the collec
tion and return of taxea thereon aa Is
other real estate and personal property In
the several counties, cities snd villag.a In
which the aame may be altuated.
Local Assessor's Dalles.
The local assessor, ths bill provides,
shall have access to the records, books,
accounts snd papers of any company,
owning, operating or controlling any of
the property mentioned In this act and
shall also have access to papers relating
to this subject tn any state, city or county
office, and shall have power to summon
witnesses and administer oaths which power
Is also given to the State Board of Equali
sation and assessment. The railroad com
panies are required to report to the state
board and to the local assessors ths gross
snd net receipts of the roads In Nebraska
and for the entire roads separately; tho
sxpenaea for operation separately; annual
reports of the board of directors; the gross
and net Incomes of earnings received In
each city and village and out of each city
and village on business done therein dur
ing the twelve months next before the first
day of January on which the report la re
CHre4 to be made.
Depot companies are required to repr.rt
a de'alled statement of real ettate owned,
personal property, all money and crsdlt-i
owned by ths company, the value of prop
erty owned In Nebraska and owned out of
Nebraska and all ether Informs Uoo. the)