The Omaha Daily Bee
THE OMAHA DEE
Ib the most powerful business
setter In the went, becausa It goea
to the hornet of poor and rich.
WEATHER FORECAST.
Tor Nebraska TrobaMy cloudy.
For lowrt Haln or snow.
For wont her report Fee page 2.
r-
VOI XXXIX-XO. 142.
OMAHA, MONDAY MORNING,
NOVEMBER
20, 10011.
SINGLE COPY TWO CENTS.
TROUBLE BREWS
AMONQCUBANS
Exposition of Offices Splits Parties,
Zsjas Faction Claiming" it is
Not Recognized.
FUSION NO LONGER IN EFFECT
Vacancy in State Department Leads
to Lively Scramble.
TRUCE PATCHED UP IS NO MORE
Gomez Starts Trouble by Declaring
Against Factional Lines.
NEGRO QUESTION ALSO POSER
llnvana Recently Mr foe Colored
Leader Who Claim They Are
Not Receiving Share
of Spoil.
HAVANA. Nov. 23. Not since the down
fall of the administration of President
Palma ban the political atmosphere ot
Cuba been more obscure and more lad'in
with suggestions of trouble than It Is at
the present time. The re-established repub
lic Is scarcely nine months old and already
rumor have become persistent that some
way la being sought to secure the retire
ment of President Gomez, either by per
suasion or compulsion, and place Vice Pres
ident Zayas at the head of the nation.
When General Gome received the post
of chief magistrate at the hand of Govern r
Magoon, the followers of Vice President,
Zayas stood, shoulder to shoulder with
those of the president and even the conser
vative opposition, which had sustained the
banner of General Menereal In the cam
paign of the previous summer, lent him
their loyal support In the determination to
give the new administration a fair trial.
That they regard the trial as a. failure la
evidenced by their manifesto issued shortly
before the reconvening: of congress In which
they declared their Intention of beginning
an active compaign against the administra
tion. Zayas Will Not Fuse.
Prabably the most serious condition that
president is now facing Is that resulting
from the continuing failure of efforts to
effect a complete fusion between hla parti
sans and those of Vice President Zayas.
For about three yeare the negotiations
have been in progress and IK least halt
a dozen times announcement has been
made of their success. During the presi
dential campaign there was a truce, but
with the beginning of the distribution of
offjc.es under the new administration
mutual distrust was re-established, each
aide contending tenaciously for it share.
A few days ago General Gomes startled
the liberal leaders by addressing to them
a letter In which he stated that, ao far as
he was officially concerned, he had de
cided to consider the fusion as an accom
plished fact and In view of this he would
In the future make appointments to his
cabinet without any reference to the par
ticular faction of the liberal party to which
the appointee might have belonged.
Important Post Vacant.
The attitude of (he president was partic
ularly objectionable to the Zayas, because
the Important post of secretary of state
was recently made vacant by the resigna
tion of Junto Uarcla Veles, a prominent
member of the faction, and It was feared
that the president would attempt to fill It
with one of his supporters.
Another disquieting feature of the situ
ation Is the renewal of agitation for the
formation o a negro party. Steps prelim
inary to organization were taken at a
meeting of colored men In the province of
Orlente. For some weeks past Havana
has been the Mecca for local colored lead
ers from all sections of the Ulard. wh)
have come to confer with Senator Hon a
Pel Gado, president of the senate and c
knowiedged leader of his race, in whose
honor a great demonstration was recer tly
held livjiavana.
The grievance of the negroes is .hat
they have not been accorded the number
of offices to which they feel that they are
entitled. Morun Is known to have Presi
dential asperntlona and as his term In the
senate will soon expire. It is more than
likely that he will demand a cabinet posi
tion, either that of secretary of stite or
secnetury of public works.
OVATION FOR YOUNG KING
Portugal's Raler Apple of Eye of
Thousands of Tarlatan Hero
Woreh I pera.
PARIS. Nov. 28. King Manvel of Portu
gal today received an ovation from thous
ands of Parisians while on the way to
mass In the church of St. Mary Magdelene.
In the afternoon, the king attended the
horse races at the Auteull track wl;h
President Fallelres and In the evening at
tended a banquet at the Ellsee palace, cor
c lal toasts being f chapped.
Kuan Attacks Dakota Editors.
SIOUX FALLS, a n.. Nov.' 2S.-SpecUl.)
The only ripple on the South Dakota
political sea at present la the develop
ments of an attack made rerently by
GivrjiH v, Egan, the disbarred attorney
of thin city, who formerly resided at
l ot-an. la., upon O. W, IMngman, editor
of the Ceiiterville Journal, and a veteran
Eolith I'akota newspaper man. The at
tack, which was of a bitter personal na
ture, was made by Mr. F.gan. it Is pre
sumed, because Editor IMngman had re
fused to support the candidacy of Mr.
K,an for nomination to the office of
governor of South Dakota. Mr. Egan
charged that Editor IMngman has been
bribed to support Governor . Vessey for
renom.iuitlon by being given Insurance
statements by the state Insurance depart
ment. Editor Kingman submits the proof
li. denial of this harge, and a number
of newspapers mhlch heretofore have not
t .ken any part in the Ean and antl
Kean fight, are strongly supporting the
'e:UervUle editor.
struck Head br 'Grladstoaa.
SIOI X FALLS. 8. D., Nov. Sv-cSpeclal.)
Mnhael Brock, a well known farmer
'King In the northern portion of Charles
Mix county, was fatally injured by being
ruik by a piece of grindstone after the
'nrtston had exploded. He aa oper
he grindstone with a gasoline tu-
and the great speed was more than
mrtndKtone could withstand One of the
flying plwes struck him oa the head, ren
dering him unconsdoua from the start.
The unfoitunate farmer was U years of
and aa marrlej
As n Tries
to Minisser,
Gd' ,rong Man
Insane Man Gives Rise to Rumor of
Attempt on Life of President
of France.
PARIS, Nov. 2i-An individual, believed
to be Insane and having Imaginary griev
ance against the War department, shot and
seriously wounded General Verand today
on the steps of the Hotel Continental, as
the general was entering the hotel to at
tend a banquet. The man was arrested.
Later It was learned that he had mistaken
General Verand for General Brun, minister
of war.
The attempted assassination created a
sensation. It occurred a few momenta after
President Fallelres left the Hotel Bilsiol
nearby, where he was calling on King
Manuel. As four shots rang out, the peo
ple and policemen In the streets first
thought that It was an attempt against
the life of the president of the republic, the
king of Portugal.
Hundreds ran In the direction of tha
shots and several of the officer sprang
upon General Verand's assailant, who
proved to be an Algerian. He was over
powered wi;h difficulty and was found to
be a perfect walking battery of revolvers
and daggers.
General Verand received bullets In the
neck and forehead and his condition Is con
sidered dangerous.
Twenty Shots
Fired at BallooU
Army Artillery Men Are Unable to
Hit Target Five Hundred Feet
in the Air.
NEW YORK. Nov. 28. An anchored bal
loon, sent up off Sandy Hook today as a
continuation of the army's first test of
aerial warfare passed unscathed through
a fire from a gun especially designed for
the purpose. Twenty shots In all were
fired, but none hit the bag. The results
of the experiments are being kept a secret,
but the outcome of today's test became
known tonight. The balloon was fired
upon at a height of about BOO feet, but
whether the failure of the special gun to
destroy It resulted from the weapon's In
efficiency or poor marksmanship could not
be ascertained because of the secret policy
adopted In connection with the tests.
Mme. Steinheil
Goes to England
Woman Famous in France Forced to
Leave Hotel in London When ,
Identity' isTCnown."" " '
LONDON, Nov. 28 Mme Steinheil, who
recently was acquitted In Paris of the
charge cf murdering her husband, arrived
at Lonlon this morning. She traveled
under the name of Mme Dumont. The
woman evaded the crowd of waiting news
paper reporters and proceeded to a houl.
Tracod to this place, she declined to see
anybody and the manager of the hotel,
upon learning her identity, requested" her
to leave. She took a train at Euston Sta
tion, It Is believed, for Liverpool.
GIL DECISION WITHOUT
PERMANENT MARKET EFFECT
Financial Intereats Recover Promptly,
but Pear Revival of Antl
Trnat Agitation.
NEW YORK. Nov. 2S. Nearly the whole
thought of persons Interested in the stock
market ws given up last week to the
court decision against the legality of the
Standard Oi" company. The effect of this
was the greater on account of the active
speculation that had been going on for
some time because of reported plans and
consolidation of the principal copper pro
ducers and the passing of control of the
Western Union Telegraph company to the
American Telegraph and Telephone com
pany. Fears arose that these transactions
would be nullified by the new decision.
The passing of anxiety over the Imme
diate money situation lacked the power
to help the market In face of the unset
tlement caused by the Standard Oil de
rision. The liquidation forced on the mar
ket and coming on a specu'atlve position
over-extended In some directions, made a
weak market at times. Some recovery
ensued as operation on the new situation
crystallized and apprehension of the con
sequences subsided. The returning con
fidence was based mostly on the prece
dents of other similar cases to which re
adjustment has been successfully made.
There was also voiced some confidence
that the hearings of the anti-trust law, ea
Interpreted on all forms of combinations,
and even, It was maintained, on partner
ships, might prompt Its modification or
repeal. There remained an undercurrent
of apprehension, as was shown by the
weak ending of the stock market, over the
prospect of the public agitation and open
ing up for discussion of the whole sub
ject of legislative regulation of corpora
tion affairs, which would accompany a
program of attempted modification of the
existing law.
Uncle Samuel's Payroll
Swelling Year by Year
WASHINGTON. Nov. 28-The personnel
ot Uncle Sam's establishment is Increas
ing by leaps and bounds, the grand total
of all federal employes at present being
approximately JTO.OCi, as against 306.141 In"
1T. an Increase In the two years of about
41,000 persons, or about 80 per cent. These
and other Interesting facta are brought
out In the official register, or government
"blue book," for 1S09, which shortly wli:
be Issued by Director of the Census Du
rand. The oew publication will show that there
were ift.H7 pvrsons In the faderal employ
In Washington on July 1. last, the annual
Payroll for them being S31.S41.zS, an aver
age of nearly S1.OO0 each. This total wli:
be temporarily swollen next year by the
addition of about 1.009 persons to the
FREEZING RAIN
LEVELS POLES
Sleet Storm of Saturday Night Causes
, Astonishing Amount of
Damage.
ICE ON WIRES WRECKS LINES
Thousand Telephone Poles Fall in
Lincoln District Alone.
GRAND ISLAND LINES SUFFER
Communication by Wire to Interior of
State Demoralized.
DAMAGE REPORTED EVERYWHERE
i Some Respects Steady Drlsale of
Saturday Night Was Moat E -traordlnary
Ever Experi
enced In Nebraska.
About the time day was breaking In
Omaha Sunday morning call boys were out
routing from their beds all the linemen
of the Nebraska Telephone company and
the telegraph companies. This step was
made necessary by the condition brought
ibout by the slret storm, which had been
quietly but persistently getting In Its work
during the whole of Saturday night.
Reporta received at Omaha headquar
ters of the telephone company Indicate that
1.000 poles are down In the Lincoln dis
trict alone. Out In the Grand Island sec
tion there Is a'so a great deal of damage
reported. In Omaha and vicinity the
trouble Is not of so serious a' character,
but It la bad enough to keep ail hands
hustling to maintain uninterrupted service.
Saturday night's storm was one of the
most extraordinary, In some respects, ever
noted In this section. When morning
dawned the telegraph and telephone wires,
trees, shrubs and bushes of every descrip
tion were white with Ice or hoar frost.
Myriad icicles were dangling from every
wire, and everything In the nature of
foliage was a cold specimen of Santa
C'iaus portraiture. The water on the
ground was not frozen, and only on cer
tain kinds of brick walks was there any
appreciable Indication of frost.
The clinging of the misty rain to the
wires and the Fubsequent freezing thereon
lias that which caused them to sag and
go down, in many Instances taking the
poles with them. This was especially true
In cases where the poles were light or
not very solidly set. Officials of the com
panies that Buffered loss say they do not
recall such another storm, apparently In
significant In aspect, which was respon
sible for so much dsmage.
When all reports are in, the telegraph
and telephone companies expect the total
damage will be much heavier than they
know of at present, for the reason that
out In the state so many wires are down
no- communication can, be had with their
lical agents,, . ' . . . '
"XlNCCTLNr vNb v. kTbe 'worst " sleet
storm for years In Lincoln and south
eastern Nebraska early this morning
worked havoc with telegraph and telephone
systems, demoralized street lighting and
stopped street car traffic
A heavy rain lost night was followed
by freezing temperature. Trains enter
ing Lincoln were from two to ten hours
late.
English King's
Position Unknown
He Has Not Yet Said Whether He
Will Arbitrate Alsop Claim
for Chile.
SANTIAGO. Chile. Nov. 28. The request
of the Chilean government to King Ed
ward that he act as arbitrator In the Al
sop claim will be made through the charge
d'affaires of the Chilean legation at Lon
don. It has not been announced whether
the request has yet reached his majesty.
LONDON, Nov. 28. In reply to a euery
as to whether the king has consented to
arbitrate the Alsop claim, Lord Knollys,
secretary to his majesty, today sent a mes
sage from Sandrlngham. where the king Is
at present. Baying: "The matter has not
been officially brought before the king."
SUGAR SCANDAL IN JAPAN
Directors Charce that Cabinet Mla
Istera Shared in Graft of
Remitted Taxes.
VICTORIA, B. C, Nov. Sensational
charges have been made by the directors)
of the Dal Nippon Sugar company. In
volved In the sugar scandals of Japan,
against cabinet ministers andaelder states
men of sharing In the graft of $3,000,000
secured by the Formosa Sugar company,
according to reports brought today by the
steamship Bellcrophon.
Director Isomoura made a statement to
the court that his company had sought to
monopolize the vugar Industry In the Orient
and that the government permitted the
exemption of taxes to the Formosa Sugar
company alone, permitting profits of 6,
000,000 yen to be made.
In this be said, elder statesmen, cabinet
minister and other distinguished person
ages shared as compensation for their as
sistance. clerical force of the census bureau, adding
nearly $5,000,000 In salaries during the year
or more of their employment.
The District of Columbia leads all the
states and territories In the number of
persons working for the government In
this city. The district has given the gov
ernment l.flbl employes, who receive an
annua: compensation of $7.1te.32t. while
New York follows with 1323 employes,
ahose yearly compensation aggregates
H.071,510. Arizona Is credited with the
smallest number, nineteen, whoa eggTa
gate salaries amount to pb.iX.
The Treasury department, with (KM per
sons, takes the lead of all the government
departments In Washington In the num
ber of employes, while the executive office
ends ths list with only forty-three employes.
From the New York ' Herald.
TWO DAYS MORE TO PAY TAX
Corporations Have This Time Limit
or Existence is Endangered.
FEW LARGE ONES STILL OUT
Commercial Clob Committee at 1.1
cola Reports that Traction Com
pany Acreemeat la Devoid
of Any Trick.
(From a Staff Correspondent.)
LINCOLN, Nov. 23 (Special.) Every
corporation In the state which has not
paid Its occupation tax" by 4 o'clock Tues
day afternoon will be proclaimed out of ex
istence by the governor under the provis
ions of the occupation tax law.
While there are only a few very large cor
porations which have jiot. paid the tax.
there are many hundred which have failed
to remit, and the list of defunct corpora
tions; fm expected tu bejargf, .A. a..
In September the seeretary ot state pub
lished a list 6f those corporations which
had not paid the tax In two papers desig
nated by the governor. These delinquents
were Informed through these papers that
unless they paid up by November 30 their
charters would be declared forfeited and
they could no longer do business In Ne
braska, It is very evident that very few people
read the list of corporations, for the re
sponses were not generous. A district
Judge of Lancaster county was up yester
day looking up a delinquent corporation,
and he was surprised when told that all
the delinquent corporations had been pub
lished. In the meantime the occupation tax law
Is being contested In the supreme court,
but no decision Is looked for before Tues
day afternoon.
After the governor Issues his proclama
tion it will be necessary for a delinquent
corporation to re-Incorporate, paying the
original fee. before It can do business ac
cording to law In Nebraska.
No Joker In Agreement,
The committee selected from the Com
mercial club to read over the proposed
agreement between the city and the trac
tion company has made Its report to the
effect that the agreement contains no
Joker. The mayor was so suspicious of the
traction company that he appointed this
committee to Investigate ar.d discover. If
possible, whether the agreement meant
what it said, or said what it did not mean.
but the committee has decided that It
means what it says and says what It means
so far a the committee could discover.
The committee had no further authority
than merely to Interpret the language In
the proposed agreement, and that Is as "ar
as It went.
REFORMERS TO BESIEGE
CONGRESS AT EARLY DATE
D'etterment of Laves Governing; Traffic
In Drati and Liquors Among;
Topics to Be Dlacnsacd.
WASHINGTON. Nov. 2S.-Corgress Is to
be assailed by reform organizations within
a day or so after It convenes, for the of
ficials of various organizations announce
that a "reformers' conclave" is to be held
here between December 12 and 17. Presi
dent Taft, Andrew Carnegie and General i
Frederick D. Grant are among those who
have been Invited to peak.
Delegates will attend the resslons of con
gress and urge the necessity for changes
and betterment In the laws governing the
traffic in liquor and druifs. Other ques
tions also will be taken up with congress.
looking to betterment In the social struc
ture of the country ar.d numerous church
meetings will be held.
CATTLE STEAMER IS OVERDUE
Nineteen Daya Now Since Maria
Herrern Left Snntlago for
Porto Rico.
SAN JUAN, Nov. SV-It is nlnetn daya
since the Herrera Line steamer Maria Her
lera left Santiago, Cuba, with a cargo of
cattle bound for Ponce. Porto Rio. where
she was expected to arrive November 11
The steamir. however, has not been heard
from and it Is believed that she has
flcundered. The Herrera line officials have
sent out the steamer Havana to search for
their missing vessel In West Indian waters
wHle the Cuban government has Instructed
the coast guards to explore the coast ot
Santo Domingo.
Flow of Lava Caaaea.
SANTA CRl'Z. Tenerlffe. Nov. 28. The
flow of lava from the craters has atopp-id.
Activity Is now apparent only within h
craters.
if)
THE WHIRLIGIG OF POLITICS.
Nine Missing
From Gunboat
Blown Seaward
United States Gunboat Mariette Loses
Boats Filled with Its
Sailors.
COLON, Nov. 28. Nine men are missing
from the United States gunboat Mariette,
which Is lying off Port Union, Coata Rica.
The gunboat today sent out a gttneral
alarm by wireless and a request that ehlps
proceeding in that vicinity keep a lookout
for Us gig and whale boats. The -gig was
manned by a crew of four and the whale
boat, with five men aboard, who were car
ried out to sea In the heavy weather on
Friday night. Nothing has been seen or
heard of either of the boats since. A re
ward la offered by the commander of the
Mariette 'for any one finding thej boats, "or
rescuing the men.
Anti-Suffragettes
to Organize
Eastern Association Leader : Opposed
to Enfranchisement Woman .
Visits South Dakota.
HURON, S. D.. Nov. 28. Special.) Ad
vocates of woman suffrage in this county
and Immediate locality are somewhat ex
ercised over the arrival here of George
Clarke of Chicago. Mr. Clark Is the or
ganizer for South Dakota for a New York
association opposed to woman suffrage
and also represents the Anti-Suffrage as
sociation In Illinois. Ha is making a pre
liminary tour of the state In the Interests
of the antl-v.oman suffrage and In the
event that an organization of the state la
deemed advisable, the headquarters will
doubt'ees he established In Huron. Indi
cations point to South Dakota as being
an open field for an Interesting campaign
for and against equal suffrage from now
until the next election. The advocates of
the movement are desperately In earnest
and will oppose eny and all efforts to
weaken their hold upon the people of
South Dakota. The campaign will be one
of the most lnteiesting In the history of
the state and money and talent provided
by eastern people, both for and against
the measure, will be used In this state to
the best possible advantage.
NO CHANGE IN CONDITION
OF EX-SENATOR DIETRICH
Physician In Attendance Says
Caae la Not Critical at
Preaent Time.
Ills
There has been no change In the con
dition of Penitor C. It. Dietrich at !h9
Methodist hospital during the last twenty
four hours, according to a statement made
last evening by Dr. Bridges, the attending
physician. Dr. Bridges does not think
the senator's condition Is critical at this
time.
Alabama Votes on State
Wide Prohibition Monday
MONTGOMERY. Ala., Nov. 28. The
voters of Alabama will decide Monday
whether they will make the prohibition cf
the manufacture and sale of intoxicating
liquors a part of the organic law of the
siate.
The bill to be voted on Monday provldo3
for the submission to the voters of an
amendment to the constitution for the pur
pose of forever prohibiting the manufac
ture, sale and keeping for sale of alcoholic
and malt liquors and other Intoxicating
liquors and beverages with the exception
that alcohol may Le sold for medical, scien
tific and mechanical purposes, tnd unit
for sacramental purposes under sucii regu
lations as the legislature may have pro
scribed or may hereafter prescribe and to
declare that nothing In the constitution of
Alabama shall be construed to prevent the
legislature under the police power from
designating the places where liquors may
not be stored or kept.
The second provision gives to the legis
lature the power to prohibit citlsena from
f
MANY SEEKING DR. COOK
Mystery as to Whereabouts
Explorer Continues.
of
POSSIBLE HE IS IN SECLUSION I
Friend Do Not Knove Where Mrs.
Cook Is Cither Prevailing View
He la Taking; Best for
Health.
NEW YORK, Nov. 2X The sudden shift
of base by which Dr. Cook, the seeker,
became Dr. Cook the sought, has enlisted
a email army of eager explorer, who
have been able to contribute facts of col
lerated Interest only. Dr. Couk who slipped
quietly away somewhere yesterday, waa
Btlll In retreat tonight. Mr. Wack, his
counsel, has gone to the country for a
week, also to seek seclusion. Mr. Wake,
his confidant, still affirms that be knows
where Dr. Cook Is and that be Is not going
to tell.
Friends of Dr. Cook, who are grieved over
the turn his affairs have taken of late,
undertook to explain the situation today in
this way: x
"It Is true," they say, "that the doctor's
fears have been greatly worked on by the
belief of some with whom he associated
that there exists a plot to steal his records,
even to spirit him away In person."
Detectives on Gnard.
"He even engaged two private detectives
to shadow his supposed shadowers, Mrs.
Cook and those In her confidence felt that
this atmosphere was not good for the
doctor and arranged to have him con
veyed Into seclusion.
"The doctor Intended no mystery. All
that aspect of his affairs has resulted from
the announcement made by Mr. Wack,
who has not Been Dr. Cook for a' week, and
merely acted on presumption that he was
to sail on the Caroniaj"
Mrs. Cook's whereabouts is as much a
mystery as that of her hueband. The is
, supposed to be staying somewhere In the
city, but .lust where could not be learned.
Dr. Cook's health Is a matter of great con
cern among the friends whom he left in
the dark. Prior to his sudden retirement
he was reported to be on the verge of a
breakdown, and It Is assumed that the ne
cessity for abso:ute r-st may have prompted
his wife to Insist on his seclusion until he
shall have recuperated.
Wellmaa Kntera Ring.
WASHINGTON. Nov. 28 Walter Wei
man, whose preparations for a conquest of
the North pole In an airship were aban
doned upon the announcement of the clf.lms
of Dr. Frederick A. Cook and Commander
Robert E. Peary, issued here tonight a
long statement in which he analyzes the
narratives of the two explorers, declaring
that of Peary "precise, workmanlike, con
sistent, credible In every particular," and
denouncing that of Dr. Cook as a self-evident
and even deliberate imposture."
"Cook's story Is suspicious, both In what
It does tell and what It does not tell," Mr.
Wellman declares. "He Is generally vag le
and Indefinite, but. Ukr most men of his
class, altoeethor too precise at the wrong
place. Nowhere does his story ring true,
It la always an approximation of reality
Itself. , This Is true of his figures, his de
tcrlptlon of everything."
keeping liquor In their homes If at any tlm
prohibition enthusiasm became strong
enough to demand this drastic action. The
latter part of the amendment is put forth
frankly to meet the recent ruling of the
supreme court that liquor Is a commodity
which can be possessed and stored wh-jre
and In such quantities as Its owner may
see fit, so long as he does not offer It foi
tale.
The fight during the campaign Just closed
has been marked by more bltterners than
has attended any other political issue In
years. Both I'nlted States senators aiU
five congressmen are opposing the amend
ment. Governor Comer, Lieutenant Gov
ernor Gray and speaker Carmlchael are
supporting It.
Durtng the balloting Monday, the women
111 serve hot coffee and lunches to voters
All guesses as to the result are hazardous
About half of the 10 000 voters failed to
pay their poll tax. not knowing that there
would bs an election tills year, consequently
thets ar debarred from voting.
15ALL1NGEII ASKS
CONGRESS TO ACT
Secretary of Interior Discusses
Remedial Laws for Control of
Rest of Public Domain.
ANNUAL REPORT GIVEN OUT
More Specific Authority Asked to
Segregate Lands.
RIGHT TO CLASSIFY DESIRED
Wants Power to Conserve
Deposits to the Nation.
Coal
WATER POWER UNDER DISCUSSION
l.lkc Mineral Or poults, lie Thinks
These ltea Should lie t'nrtrr
Control of vcrnmcn(at
Head.
i
WASHINGTON, ' Nov. IS Important
recommendations urging renv dial le 'sta
tion by congress for securing the best
u?e of the remaining public lands ar the
principal features of the annual teport of
Secretary of the Interior BaliliiKer, made
public today.
These recommendations Include specific
authority to classify and sesr.-gate tlie
lands Into well defined divisions according
to their greatest apparent use, legislit on
designed to conserve the coal depo'lts as
a public utility and to prevent monopoly
or extortion in their disposition and au
thorizing the classlflcaticn and disposition
of all lands capable of bi Ing used for water
power development under the Interior de
panment. Warm praise Is given manufacturers of
explosives used In coal mining, who, the re
port says, have made commmdable ef
forts to Increase the safety of their ex
ph slvcs even beyond the requirements of
the geolo.lcal survey tests. Tl ey have
shown a desire to carry out the wishes
of the staie Inspectors and the recommend
ations of the federal engineers and chemists
connected with the investigations Into tha
causes of mine explosions.
Secretary Hallinpcr favors the Issuance
of certificates cf Indebtedness, not exceed
ing jnO.OUO.000, against the reclamation fund
for certain lines of irrigation work. The
reclamation service, says the secretary,
has been subjected to much unjust and to
some Just criticism.
Since the foundation of the government
the report shows there has be:n disbursed
for pensluna S:l,913,02.al3, of wh eh J3d,4tr,U
was disbursed prior ;0 June 30, 1S03.
T Land Statutes Old.
Extracts from the report are here given:
"This report covers a portion of the tlma
under the administration of my predeces
sor, Mr. Garfield, who, by his earnest and
disinterested services, contributed greatly
ty the advancement of the department in
organization and efficiency of administra
tion." -.;-" f
' After dleetrertmr the proper use and dis
position of public land, the report con
tinues: "All of the principal land statutes were
enucted over twentv-flve vears ao: tha
! homestead act, the pre-emption and the
timber-culture act, the coal land and tha
mining acts for the aid of the Industrious
prospector, were among the earlier acta
of this nature.
"The liberal and rapid disposition of tha
public lands under these statutes and tha
lux methods of administration which for a
long time prevailed naturally provoked
the feeling that tlie public domain was
legitimate prey for the unscrupulous and
that It was no crime to violate or circum
vent the land laws. It Is to be regretted
that we, as a nation, were so tardy to re
alize the Importance of preventing so largo
a measure of our natural resources passing
into tho hands of land pirates and specu
lators, with no view to development looking
to the national welfare. It may be safely
said that millions of acres of timber and
other lands have been unlawfully obtained,
and it is also true that actions to recover
such lands have in most Instances long
since been barred by the statute of limi
tations. The principal awakening to our
wasteful course came under your prede
cessor's administration. The bold and vls
orous prosecution o land frauds, through
Secretaries Hitchcock and Garfield, havo
restored a salutary respect for the law, and
the public mird has rapidly grasped the Im
portance of safeguarding the further dis
position of our? natural resources In tha
public lands In the liierest of the public
good as against private greed. Notwith
standing this, It Is necessary to continue
with utomst vlr?er, through all available
sources, the securing of Information of
vlciatlons cf the public land laws and to
follow such violations with rigid prosecu
tions. I'tlllsatfnn by Control.
"In this present policy of conserving ths
netural resources of the publio domain,
while developmf.it Is the keynote, the best
thought of the day Is not that develop
ment shall be by national agencies, but
that wise utilization shall be secured
through prlvtte enterprise under national
supervision and control. Therefore, If ma
terial progress is to be made In securing
the best use of our remaining public lands,
congresR must be called upon to enact
remedial legislation.
"In order that Intelligent administration
shall be applied in the disposition of the
public lands, it Is essential that they be
classified Into varlouj clearly defined divis
ions according to their principal value or
use.
"Full legal effect should be given such
classification when made so as to prevent
entries, under laws applicable to on clasa,
of land beloncing to another class, except
aft"r appllcstlon for and a review of th
classification; In other words. If lands ar
cHsnified as coal Isnds, they should ba en
terafcle only as coal lands, and In case It
be shown that they are Improperly classi
fied an coal lands and are. In fact, agrl
c.iltiual. thev should then be enterabl
only as agricultural lands. This, to my
mind, is the only wsv the government can
scientifically and effectively proceed to
conserve the natural resource of tho pub
lic domain To leave to the self-interest of
applhants the option to claim a particular
tract ef land ar. more -valuibla for min
eral, agriculture tlmtrr. phosphate, oil or
j rrn. or for power sites, Is to Invite confu
sion, fraud and contention, and this has
been the source of a major portion of th
difficulties of the Interior department la
administering the public domain.
Morh V'or'-t Already Done.
"It may seem at the outset that thlsj
would be a radical departure, to the extent
o? suspending the disposition of public
lards pendmtf their classification, but, as
a matter of fact, a large portion of th un-dlsposed-of
public lands has already been
classified by th department, hut such
i
