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About Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 24, 1908)
The Omaha Daily Bee VOL. XXXVIII NO. 1G2. OMAHA, TIIUTtSDAY MORNING, DECEMBER 24, 1903 TWELVE PAGES. SINGLE COPY TWO CENTS. OIL COMBINE OUSTED SUMMARY OF TUE BEE PRESIDENT GATHERING FACTS ExecutiYt Will Soon Begin Preparing Answer to Bequest of Congress. NO SENSATIONS ARE EXPECTED Data Will aiiow that Crlattaals Have Bee a Qelck to Take Advantage of Car oa Secret Service . Mts. JAIL FOR LABOR MEN Samuel Gompers ii Given One Yeai lharsriay, December 24, lfOfl. BUte of Missouri W, ' Rockefeller Cot i Against 1903 -December 1908 for Contempt of Court. snr Aav ivz, sa imr m sa DECREE OF COURT IS . YOUS -r- 2 3 4o5 LESSER TEEMS FOR OTHER TWO Nine Months for John Mitchell and GrZ 8 0 10 11 12 Standard of Indiana, Wa and Republio Companies rce m 14 15 16 1Z 18 19 Six Months for Frank Morrison. ' 20 21 22 23 24 25 20 v. V V. GREAT V1CT0EY FOR HAD LEY Attorney General Who Prosecuted Cases Will Enforce Order. MONOPOLY ALMOST COMPLETE Three Companies Do Eighty-Five Per Cent of Oil Bmlim l State had Fix Prices for the Independents. JEFFERSON CITY. Mo.. Dec. 23. De claring that the Standard Oil company of Indiana, the Republic Oil company of Ohio ' and the Waters-Pierce Oil company of Missouri had conspired and combined to monopolies the oil business In thla state. the supreme court of Missouri today issued a decree ousting all three from the com monwealth and fining them $50,000 each The decree against the Waters-Pierce ccn'pany Is tempered by the proviso that It may continue In business If by January 15, 1909, It can show to the court that It has taken steps to ' operate as an Inde pendent concern and has satisfied tho Judg ment against it. The other companies ars given until March t, 190, to wind up their affairs' in the state. The decision, which was unanimous on the part of the seven Judges, Is so sweep ing that Attorney General Hadley and Governor Folk hall it as the end of the Illegal commercial combinations In Missouri and the former asserts that. In conjunc tion with the decision of the supreme court of the United States In the Tobacco trust case, It will affect similar suits In other states. Hadley Will Knforee Deere. Attorney General Hadley, who haa prose cuted the Missouri case since Its inception In March, 1908, will become governor In less than a month and then will be charged with the enforcement of the decree issued today, The attorney general fallowed up the promulgation by the court with a state' tnent In which he asserted that attempts had been made to compromise the suit. "At least three efforts have been made by attorneys for the oil companies to get me to compromise the cases," he aald. "I In variably told them that the ultimate deals. Ion must be made by the court and refused their offers. It was Intimated to me that the oil companies were willing to accept a good, large fine and concede a victory to the state. The propositions were not ever reduced to details, but they were entirely legitimate and such as might be made In any other form of litigation." Flae-ln or the Coart. In coming to Its' decision the court says "If such abuses as those complained of are permitted to continue untrammelled, It would be only a question of time until they would sap the strength and patriotism from the very foundations of our government, overturn the republic, destroy our free In stltutlons and substitute, In lieu thereof, some other form of government." The principal Indictments against the companies are: ."That they have created and become members of a pool, trust, agreement, con. federation, combination, arrangement and understanding, among themselves for the following purposes "First, to regulate, fix and control the prices to be paid by retail dealers an others In the state of Missouri for the re fined products of petroleum sold and of fered for sale In this state Second, to control and limit the trade In refined products of petroleum in this state, "Third, to control, limit and prevent com petition In 'b business of buying and sell ing refined products of petroleum In this state between themselves and others en gasrd In like business, and 'Fourth, to tuiulead the public Into the belief that they were separate and distinct corporations and pursuing an Independent business as legitimate competltora In the - purchase and aale of the products of pe troleum." Monopoly Almost Complete. In explaining how these were consum mated the decision says: "Prices for the products of petroleum, r-speclally refined oils, Illuminating and gasoline, are fixed by the Waters-Pierce company. It sends out to the trade card quotations giving tank, wagon and barrel prices. As a rule, those prices are followed by all other oil companies. Including the Independent companies doing business in this state. As long as 'the Independent companies do not reduce prices or Increase the aggregate amount of their aalea above 10 to U per cent of the entire amount of the sales made In the state, there la no war made upon them regarding prices. But whenever any Independent company reduces prices below those fixed by Waters-Pierce or whenever their aggregate sales exceeds 15 per cent of all sales made In the state, a vigorous warfare Is waged against them, chiefly through the Republic company by mems of an elaborate system of espionage of their business and cutting prices or giv ing rebates until the Independents are glad to throw up their bands and say 'enough' ' and be contented to eel! oil at the prices and quantities prescribed by the Waters-Pierce company and acquiesced in by the Indiana and 'Republic company. And as a result of this method, tht Waters-Pleroe company fixes the prices for which all such oils are sold In the stste by all dealers, Including the Independent companies, and at the same time and by the same means It controls and monopo lises for Itself and the Indiana and Repub lic Oil companies from H to 96 per cent of the entire oil business of the state. Divleloa of Territory. "The common Interest running through Mil of these companies is responsible for their formation and business as schemes and policies and lead up to and Induce the Standard Interest, Including the respond' ents to J 1 vide the state In twain; to furnish oil and transportation (or each other; to decline to soli to or to transport oils for the Independents and to fight them through the Republic company by a sys tern of espionage and rebates. . "The direct effect of .those facta which aie not seriously disputed, wsa to create y tbdlrectioa, a pool, trust and comblna- tlun la restraint et trade, and to fix and . i . aCustlnued on Third Page.) 2Z 28 2930 31 Til WZATKXm. FOR OMAHA. COUNCIL BLUFFS AND VICINITY Cloudy and possibly snow flur rles Thursday; not much change In tem perature. . FOR NEBRASKA Partly cloudy Thursday- t FOR IOWA Snow flurries rnurmaj. Temperature at Omaha yesteraay: Hour. Deg. .... M .... 4 6 a. m. . 6 a, ni . . 7 a. m.. 8 a. m.. 9 a. m.. 10 a. m.. 11 a. m.. 12 m 1 p. m.. 2 p. m.. S p. m.. 4 p. m.. 1p.m., p. in.. T p. m.. 8 p. m.. 9 p. m.. .... W .... ax .... ST .... 3 .... .... 45 .... 47 .... 47 .... 4H .... 45 .... 43 ...f 41 .... 40 .... ! .... DOMXSTIO. Justice Wright of the court of appeals of the District of Columbia sentenced President Gompers of the Federation of Labor to one year. Vice President John Mitchell to nine months and (Secretary Morrison to six months In prison for con tempt in the Bucks stove case for violat Ing a court Injunction. Page 1 The supreme court of Missouri jester day ordered the Standard OH company of Indiana, the Republic OH company of Ohio and the Waters-Fierce company of St. Louis out of business in the state and fined them $50,000 each. Page 1 Frederick Burnham, former president of the Mutual. Reserve Life Insurance com pany, Is dead from Inhaling gas in his home In New York. Page a Sixty councilmen are said to have re ceived bribes In connection with the filtration plant In Pittsburg, according to testimony brought out yesterday. Page a Snow baa fallen In the east for Christ mas. Page 1 The low price of silver In Asiatic countries la bringing In competition for American products by reducing the cost of manufactures. Page a pomsiox. Vice President Gomes has asked for an American warship to be sent to Venezuela and hag begun negotiations for the re sumption of relations with the United States. Page X Mrs. Frederick L. Peterson shot and killed her husband in Kansas City be cause he slapped her while trying to ef fect a reconciliation because of domestic troubles. 'age 1 ITIBB1IXA. New-born babe, destitute of clothing, is found beside track at David City Just after train had. passed. ' Woman, alleged to be Its mother, detained at Ltnooln. age a . ?.OCAX. Hearing to be had today on Injunction restraining the Water board from advis ing customers of water company regard ing, payment of bills. Page 5 Clerks tell some of their experiences with Christmas shoppers. Page 4 Omaha Commercial club will send a large delegation to the Dry Farming con gress at Cheyenne.: Page 4 Talk among railroad men to the effect that all the Hill lines are to be consoli dated Into one corporation, with Goorge B. Harris as president. Page 4 COmCXKCIAX AsTD XHSUITIA&. Live stock murkets. Paget Grain markets. Pag) Stocks and bonds. Page KOTSMSBTT8 OP OCXAJT BTZAMgXXTS. Port. Arrived. NEW YORK Voltcd duln BOSTON Binv),. . , . , . , . HAMBl'RO K. A. Victoria... NAPLKt) k-ln 4' Italia... NAPLES Indian OIHHAI.TAR Crstlc OLArtOOW HAVRK Chicago LONDON Anillaa LIVKKPOOI, Lulltaala tifKENST'JWN...Warloa PLYMOUTH Ocsaale Hailed. Oallta. Nuoitdlaa. CONTRACT FOR ELECTRIC LINE Road to Ran from fe Mnlnea Omaha and .Alio to Bloax City. to NEW YORK. Dec. a.-8peclal Tele gram.) As the result of an Important financial transaction negotiated here today Dee Moines and Sioux City will be con nected In the near future by a new lnter- urban line. The line will coat about 15.000,. 000. It will run from Dea Moines through Adel and Perry to Sioux City, a distance of 1W miles. Branch lines will be built to Fort Dodge, Council Bluffs end Omaha, and also a line from Council Bluffs to Des Moines. Because of the heavy trafflo they are expected to handle these branches are regarded as of the first Importance by the promoters of the enterprise. The company, which will be known as the Des Moines A Sioux City railway, has been in process of organisation for some time, but it was not until today that formal announcements was made regarding the plan and scope of the company. That the com pany's plans had progressed so far occa sioned no little surprise in financial cir cles here today when the first Intimation of Its plana came with the announcement that the contracta for the construction of the line had been awarded. When all the extensions and branches are completed the road will have 400 miles of track. The lines will be or standard con struction and will cost ubout 3,000 a mile. SNOW IN EAST FOR CHRISTMAS White Coverlag Will lasare Old Faaaloaed Good Time for Her ri ma here oa Day. NEW YORK. Deo. SJ. Snow on the ground for Chrtatmaa. hailed Joyfully by the well-to-do with tho first fall of Hakes last evening, haa nevertheless emphasised the hardship which It brings to the poor. As the flakes drifted and the wind howled last night and early today many women, some with babes In their arms, applied for shelter at the municipal lodging house, PHILADELPHIA. Dec. tJ.-Eas e:n Penn sylvania. New Jersey and Delaware are today burled In a blanket of auow from six Inches to a foot in depth. The anow began fall'-ng yesterday afternoon and I ceased early today. The weather today la I-'-tt and aa old-f jshloned white Christmas Jaa suur WASHINGTON, Dec. Indications are that persons who expect President Rootje velt to say something of a personal nature In his message to congress replying to the Inquiry as to the basis for that portion of his message dealing with the secret servlco will be disappointed. While the president has not yet written his reply he has collected a stock of In formation which will servo for Its basis. It Is believed that he will confine himself principally to an effort to sustain the dec laration in his annual message that the ac tion of the congress in limiting the activi ties of the ' secret service agents has re sulted In Increase of. crime. Data will be produced to show that criminals and con fidence men have been- quick to take ad vantage of' the cessation of the work of the secret service men, but It Is not believed that there will be any reflection' upon the character of Individuals that will In the slightest degree embarrass any member of the house or senate. To meet any objection that the secret service la limited by statute to the detection of counterfeiters, revenue and customs frauds and at the same time to preserve the general us fulness of that Institution the president probably will rec ommend a change In the law so as to pro vide for the merging of the secret service, the land office inspectors," postoff ice in spectors ana all of the other minor govern mental Inspection service Into one gineral bureau of criminology In the Interest of economy and good administration. FREDERICK BURNHAM DEAD Former President of 'Wrecked Insur ance Company Breathes Gas. NEW YORK, Dec. .-Frederick A. Burnham. former president of the Mutual Reserve Life Insurance company, was found dead In bed In Ms home at 68 East Seventy-eighth street this morning of gas poisoning. The police say death was due to suicide.' The Mutual Reserve Life Insurance com pany went Into the hands of receivers In February last. President Burnham, his brother, George Burnham, Jr., the treasurer of the company, and George D. Eldredge, the actuary, wer Indicted on charges of larceny and forgery which grew out of an alleged payment of the funds of the com pany In satisfaction of personal claims against some of Its officers. George Burnham, jr., was tried on the charge of larceny,' convicted and sentenced to serve two years in prison, but the ap pellate division of the supreme court set aside this verdict and Burnham was re leased. The case agalfest Frederick A. Burnham had not come to trial, and it Was understood that it would, not be prosecuted unless that against his brother George waa eventually won by the prosecution. A civil suit to collect some of the funds alleged to have been paid In settlement of personal claims had lately been Instituted agalnat one of -the officers of the com pany. The Burnham family physician, who reached the home a few moments after Mr. Burnham was found, said the case un doubtcdly waa one of accident. The gaa had escaped from a small stove which was used to heat Mr. Burnham's sleeping room. Mrs. Burnham, who occupied an adjoining room, was awakened by the odor of gas and, opening the door of her husband's rcom, found the apartment flooded with tho deadly vapor. She threw up the win dowa, sent a servant for a physician and made desperate, but vain efforts to revive Mr. Burnham. When the physician reached the house he said Mr. Burnham's weak heart had made him an easy victim to thj fumes and that he had been dead for some time. POPE TIRES OF CONFINEMENT la Conversation with Bishop Scaa. nell Compares Himself to a Caged - Eagle. ROME, Dec. 23. (Special Telegram.) "I may be an eagle, but It Is a caged eagle, and eagles, you know, are unac customed to cages," said the pope today to Bishop Scannell of Omaha, who had told the pontiff from the quiet of the Vatican he dominated the whole world like a "spiritual eagle." The pope questioned the bishop r.'fc.ird ing the reported strenuousness of Ameri can life. "Perhaps there Is too much nolae end bustle In America," the pope told, the bishop, ''but I sometimes think there Is too much quiet and lack of bustle here. If we could strike a medium I think we would all be better off." The pope's reference to being a caged eagle is in line with a number of state ments he haa made lately. Indicating that he is chafing under the restrictions of the Vatican. At one time he declared that he would gladly exchange the pontificate for the old freedom he enjoyed at Venice. POLICE TAKE TRAIN ROBBER Officials Claim to Be Positive They Have Maa Who Stepped Orleatal Limited. ST. PAUL. Minn., !c. 23.-Through the orders of Chief of Police O'Connor and James Mumane, Bertfllon expert, George T. Frankhauser, alias Ed 8mlth, alias Frank Hauser, Is In custody at Moorland, Minn., and will toe brought, to thla city tonight. The officers assert that they are positive in their identification of the man. who, with a companion, held up and robbed the Oriental Limited on the Great North ern railroad near Rondo, Mont., Septem ber 12. 1907. and secured nearly $60,000 in booty. Rewards aggregating fU.OOO have been offered for his capture and convlc tlon. STICKNEY CONFIRMS REPORT Says Horses G. Bart Will Imobi P reel dea t of Great Weatera aa Reorsjaaleatloa. ST. PAUL, Dec. a That Horace G Burt will assume the charge of the Chicago Great Western railroad as receiver on the first of the year, and will eventually be come president of the road, and that a reorganisation of the road will be effected the coming year, waa the atatemcnt made today by A. B. Stlckney, the retiring re ceiver. TIIE RETURNING FLEET MOST PEOPLE ARE From the Philadelphia Record. GOMEZ ASRS FOR WARSHIP Opens Negotiations . with United State on Own Motion. SPECIAL COMMISSIONER IS SENT Netherlands Will Soon Cease Activity in Caribbean Sea News of Csn tro'a Fall Reaches Germaay. WASHINGTON, Dec. 2J. A resumption of 'American diplomatic relations, with vensueia is at nam Arjolllcat communi cation haa been received at the. State department through the Braslllan minister at Caracas expressing the wish of Vice President Gomes to settle satisfactorily all International questions ' between the United States, and Veneiuela and for the presence of an American warship at La Guaiara, , W. I. Buchanan haa been appointed aa a special commissioner to represent the United States In any negotiations which may be had and Is now aboard the cruiser North Carolina on Its way to Venesuela. THE HAGUE, Dec. 23. The departments of marine and colonial affair have sent telegraphic Instructions to the commanders of the three Dutch warships In Venecuelan waters to cease further activity against Veneiuela. t Foreign Minister Van Swlnderen will make a . atatemcnt In the second chamber this afternoon concerning affaire in the Caribbean sea, In which he expected to announce the suspension of Dutch hostile action against Venesuela, and the pros pect of an early settlement of all the dif ficulties between that country and The Netherlands. Castro Yet la Igaoraaee. BERLIN, Dec. 23. Clprlano Castro, the dictator of Veneiuela, deposed by his peo ple and discredited by his government. Is lying on a sick bed In Berlin In complete Ignorance of the events at Caracas that have resulted n his downfall. A member of the president's entourage said thla morn ing that Castro had received no news from home and cMd not know what was taking place there. While the newspapers of Berlin are filled with dispatches setting forth In detail the highly sensational occurrences of the past few days that culminated In the repudia tion of Castro and the Installation of a new government in place of the organisation he left behind to run the country during his absence statements that were given of ficial confirmation by the German foreign office this morning Castro Is reposing In private sanitarium In thla city, the sub ject of a consultation of eminent physicians. TAFT TALKS OF ISSUES Brother of President is For Larger Vavr, Tariff Revision and Bigger Merchant Marine. COLUMBUS, O.. Dec. 23. Charles P. Taft today Indirectly struck at Congressman Burton, his principal rival for election as senator to succeed Senator Foraker. Mr. Taft said: 'I still favor the caucus, because the caucus Is the part of republicanism. The ab sence of the caucus will lead up to a situ atlon where the democrats of the legislature will elect a United States senator. The re publican majority will be split up and the democrats will cast the deciding votes If no caucua la held. What such a combina tion would Indicate, we can only learn by examining the records of all candidate. If he be a free trade republican, democrats would naturally aend him to the senate. Before making a choice on purely sentimen tal grounds, the people of thla state should look Into the records of the candidates, for Ohio should see that Its representative is a man who would stand by the protective tariff system at all basarda. I favor re vision along protective lines. I favor expan sion of the navy and a greater growth for the merchant marine. We need proper com munication with South America." Aldermaa Admits Bribery . MILWAUKEE. Dec 21 -Former Alder man Charles Jungman today pleaded guilty to bribery in connection with a special or dinance la 190S, He paid a fine of 1600. The alternative was eighteen months lmyrUoo- ASIATIC LABORJNTERS FIELD Low Price of Silver Abroad Said to Threaten Markets of Gold Countries. WASHINGTON. Dec. 23,-The publication m Paris of Senator Teller's letter to Sir Morton Frewen, the English blmetallst, rel ative to the rate of exchange between American and European countries on one hand and Aria on the other, has served the purpose of calling attention to the fact that Frewen spent some time last winter and spring In Washington urging upon congress and cabinet the Importance of a recogni tion of the rapidly Increasing divergence between the gold prices of the Occident and the silver prices of the orient. '2 During the -course of his stay m Wash ington Mr. Frewen addresed a letter to Repreaentatlve J. W. Weeks of Massachu setts, who Is a member of the banking and currency committee of the house and also of (he present congressional monetary com mission. In which he outlined his plans for an Improvement on the exchange rate. In part, he said: The demand for stiver to put bohind the small notes would raise the price of silver bullion to $1 an ounce. The effect of this rise In silver would be magical; It would raise the exchanges with silver-using Aula; It would thereby greatly Impair the ability of Asia to export to Europe such products as wheat, cotton, rice, timber, etc., products which compete with your exports to Asia. which now languish with each fall In ex changeIn other words, with each fall In the price of silver bullion. You are build ing the Panama canal, amongst other rea sons, to assist your trades with the orient. A rtse of 30 cents In the price of silver bullion, while giving that profit to your mountain states, would, by rising the ex change with Asia, pay, and probably mauy limes over, me entire cost or ine canai. BRYAN STILL IN "POLITICS Ntbraskss Says lie Expects to Be In Politics for Twenty Tears. PHILADELPHIA, Dec. 23.-Willlam J, Bryan was asked today concerning his at- tltude toward another nomination for the presidency. He replied "All I can say about 1912 Is that I hope It will never be necessary for me to run for office again. I prefer to do my work mm m ...ll.a ,i. nil l.an private citizen. I 'U'l.on mmlraA wh.th., T m,n,,l -of,, ha In 1 advance ever being a candidate again, I have said I would not promise anybody not to be a candidate for any office. "I will add one thing, and that Is, I am still In politics and expect to be for about twenty years, and I shall make It conven ient to be present whenever and wherever a man or group of men attempt to republl canlze the democratic party. Six million five hundred thousand voters of the de mocracy endorsed the platform adopted at Denver. I am satisfied that a great ma jority of those who voted the ticket honestly believed In the platform, and I shall co-operate with them rather than with those who 'would attempt to conciliate the special Interests that have defeated the democratic party and now dominate the country through the republican party." HUSBAND SLAPS, WIFE SHOOTS Kaaaas City Woman Who goes for Di vorce Kills gpoase While Seeklaat Reeoaelllatloa. KANSAS CITT, Mo., Dec. 23.-Frederlck L. Peterson was shot and Instantly killed this morning by his wife .Mrs. Rose Peter son, as they were returning from a dance. The couple were married three years ago, but lived together but one year. Last .year Mrs. Peterson filed suit for divorce, but her husband has been attempting to effect a reconciliation, and last night persuaded her to accompany him to a dance. They quarrelled while he was taking her home early this morning, and in a lonely spot in the southeast part of town. It Is claimed, he slapped her face. She drew a small re volver from her pocket and shot htm four times. She waa arrested, but expressed no regret. YOU DON'T CATCH BATH HOUSE Chicago Aldermaa foaad Not Gollty of Aasaalt I'aea Newspaper Photographer. I CHICAGO, Deo. 2J. Alderman "Bath Houe" John Ooughlln, accused of assault and battery on Lyman Atwell, a news paper photographer, waa found not guilty, THINKING ABOUT. BAN ON HEADACHE POWDERS Contents Mast Be on the Label or Prosecutions Will Follow. BANES MAKE A GOOD SHOWING Deposits and Reserves Both Increase aa Compared with One Year Ago Woman Registers . . aa Lobbyist, . , (From a Staff Correspondent.) LINCOLN, Dec. 123 (peclaL) Druggists 'ho have on hand headache powders, and other medicines which are not labelley showing their Ingredients, will be arrested and prosecuted. The pure food law pro vided that druggists who had these inhibi ted medlcncs an hand pror to the enactment of the law wauld not have enforced against the the penalty of the law for selling the same, when it was so shown at a prosecu tlon. Some of the druggists took thla to mean that they would not be prosecuted and have kept on selling the medicines. J. W. Johneon, the fond commissioner, has ruled that tne showing can be made when the prosecution is begun and not to him to prevent prceerutlon. To all the druggists In the biate t.ts been sent out a circular letter tostethc- with the name of the medi cine which h la trying to have properly labelled. Bask Statements, , Secretary Royse of the State Banking board haa Issued a compilation of the state ments of the 428 Neb-aska state banks showing thoir condition at the close of business November 27. The resources and liabilities reported fol low. RESOURCES. Loans and discounts $ot.721, 627.01 Overdrafts 654,434.46 Bonds, securities. Judgments, claims, etc 1.2S2.S15.7 Due from hanks 16.264, 606 97 uunKing nouse, lurniture and fixtures 2.1W.266 M 1S8.2S1.B? Other real estate Current expenses and taxes paid., other assets 1.O29.7M.0S 4H.186.56. I Cash . I 4.188. 7K8. 33 joiai LIABILITIES .1X1,402,206.24 .IIO.OOS.OSO.OO , 2.106,892.32 Capital stock Surplus fund l ndlvlded profits. Dividends unpaid 3.213.41 Total deposits . C5.3M.753.23 K7.148.9f . 206.650.00 in ois and bins re-discountea. Bills payable Total ....i .181.402 2n6.24 The banks report a reserve In available funds of 81 U per cent, being an Increase In the amount reported a year ano and more tnan aouhle tne legal requirement This report shows a very satisfactory and gratifying condition of the banks throuirhout the state, and compared with the report of November 30, 1907, there is round a alight decrease In loan and dis counts and notes and bills rediscount! snd bills payable, with an Increase of 93, 603. 4S In deposits and over 500,000 Increase- in paid hd capital. Tne anrlnKafre in deposits since the re port for August 20, 1908, Is but 12S2,- 169.69. being a much less shrinkage thHn Is usual between the third and last re ports for the year. From AuauMt 81. 107, to November SO. 1907. deposits In the state banks were reduced over f 7.010 - One, and during the same period In 190( the shrinks ire in deposits amounted to nearly 11.500.000. The number of banks have Increased seven during the year. To Indicate the condition and character of Nebraska banks, the records show that there has been but three failures In te last six vears. as follow: One In 1903 one In 1904 and one In 1907 There were no failures In the years 190R. 19fl end 190t. The bank that foiled In 190T paid 76 per cent to denoltors and wll pay more, the one In 1904 has paid 60 per cent and the one in 1907 70 per cent with a good prospect of paying the re maining SO per cent or nearly so. fhaaace la School Land Law. An effort may be made in the coming legislature to change the present laws governing school lands. At this time the Board of Educational Lands and Funds has authority to sell any school land except that school land for which application was filed prior to ltOT. The board now has under lease all of the state school Isnds, but some of It brings In a yearly rental of only cents an acre and some I cents an acre and on up. One member of the hoard bulieves the state could make a good deal more on the Invest' ment if It hid authority to sell this land some' of which will bring as high as f 10 an acre, and invest the proceeds in bond or other securities. Secretary of State (Continued on Third Page.) SCATHING LANGUAGE OF COURT Studied, Defiant and Determined Contempt of Tribunal. APPEAL IMMEDIATELY TAKEN All Are Released on Bond and Case Will Be Taken to Sapreme Coart Presldeat Asked to Interfere. WASHINGTON. Doc. 23 -Twelve months In Jail for Samuel Oomprrs, president; nine months for John Mitchell, one of the vice presidents, and six months for Frank Morrison, secretary, ell of the American Federation of Labor, was the sentence Im posed by Justloe Wright of the supreme court of the District of Columbia today for contempt of court for violating an order enjoining them from placing on the "un fair" or "we don't patronise list" the Bucks Stove and Range company of St. Louis. All the defendants were In court when sentence waa pronounced and notice of an appeal to the District of Columbia appellate court at once was filed, Gompers being re leased on $5,000 bond, Mitchell on 14.000 and . Morrison on $3,000. The wlfo and daughter of Gompers heard the sentence and were visibly affected. With tears coursing down his cheeks. Pres ident Gompers heard the order which con demned him to prison 'for a year. Both Mitchell and Morrison seemed stunned, al though Mitchell appeared to be the least concerned." Asked If he had anything to say why sen tence should not be pronounced, President Gompers declared that he had not con sciously violated any law. There was much he would like to say, but he could not do It at that time; he added, however, that "this is a struggle of the working people for right. It Is a struggle for ages the struggle of the men of labor to throw off some of the burdens which have been heaped upon them, to abolish some of the wrongs and to secure some of the rights too long denied." Mitchell and Morrison told the court to day they endorsed what Gompers .bad said. Justice Wright's decision, which consumed two hours and twenty minutes In reading, Was a scathing arraignment. "Everywhere." the court said, "all over, . within the court, without, utter rampant. Insolent defiance la heralded and pro claimed; unrefined insult, coarse affront, vulgar Indignity measures the litigant's conception of the tribunal's due, wherein his cause still pends." . . , , "Tho law's command hss been, he said, "to stand, hands off until Justice for thla matter can be ascertained," but, he said, there has been a studied, determined, de fiant conflict, "precipitated In the light 6f open day between the decrees of a tribunal ordained by the government ot the federal union, and of the tribunals bf another fed eration grown up in the land." One or the other, he declared, must suc cumb, "for those who would unlaw the land are public enemlea." At the conclusion of the reading of his opinion Judge Wright, looking directly at Messrs. Gompers, Mitchell and Morrison, saifl: Have either of you anything to say Why judgment should not be pronounced 7" Gompers Addresses Coart. President Gompers stood up and Address ing the court said: "I am not conscious at any time during my life of having violated any law ot the ountry or ot the atate In which I lived. would not consciously violate a law now or at any time during my full lift. It Is not potkible that under tne circumstances which I sm before your honor this morning and after listening to the opinion which you have rendered to jay that which I have 111 mind, but sir, I may bs permitted to aay this: That freedom of speech and freedom of the press has not been granted to the people to say the things which please, but the right to say the things that displease, even though they do a wrong. There Is much that I would like to say, but I Can not do it now." 1 At this point Mr. Gompers aald ha had , said all he cared to, but after a short pause, said he would like to make a few more remarks. "I may say," he added, m that this Is a struggle of the working people of our country and It Is a Struggle of the working people for right. The labor movement doea not undertake to presume to be a higher tribunal than either the courts or the other branch of the gov ernment of our country. Straggle of the Agree. "It Is a struggle of the ages a struggle ot the men of labor to throw off some of the burdens which have been heaped upon them; to abolish some of the wrongs and to secure some of the rights too long de nied. If men must suffer because Uiey dare , speak for the masses of the men of our country; If a man must suffer because he may have refused to meet the sordid greed even to grind the children la the dust to get in dollars they must bear the consequences." But," continued Mr. Qomperi, "If I cannot discuss grave problems; .rrat is sues la which the people all over the country am Interested. If a speech made. by me during a poi tlcal campaign, after the close of this rase. If the speeches In furtherance of a great principle or a great right, are tn be held as against me, I shall not only have to, but am willing to bear the consequences. I would not have you believe me a man of a defiant character In disposition or In conduct. But In the pursuit of honest conviction and in the furtherance of the common Interest of my fellow man, I shall not only have to, but be willing to submit to whatever your ( honor may Impose." Mitchell's Sentiments Same, Mr. Mitchxll followed In a strong, re sonant voice: "I thoroughly and unreservedly endorse ' what Mr. Gompers haa said. I should like his expression to be accrpted as my own.'' Mr. Morrison spoke last. "I indone," said he, "what Mr. Uompors has said. I am conscious of do ng no wro.ig or having , In any way v.uli t-d sny taw, and It Is my belief that In every act t have committed I have but exercised my rights under the constitution and the laws of thla land." In commenting upon these remarks tlx. court said that there wag huthlcjt ia-tbaoa 1 ' a X t . -I .1 1 ..t 4 4 '4 1
