THE BEE: OMAHA, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 1917.
The Omaha Bee
DAILY flfORNINQ-EVENINO SUNDAY
FOUNDED BY EDWARD ROSEWATER.
VICTOR ROSEWATER, EDITOR
TBE BEE PUBLISHING COMPANY, PROPRIETOR.
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OFFICES. .
Omaaa-Tha Bee BrtMfr CTItMJ-Prt MldlBl.
Smlta Omehe-Mli N 111. Jen Tnrl-IM FWh
Council Bluffe-H N Mela t. it. Imli-N 81 of tT
liaeola-UUIe Bolldlaa. Walhlntum-TM Hia It. M. W.
CORRESPONDENCE.
1M eonnraateettoris relating u neal ens) alltorlel natter ee
Omaha Bm. Editorial Hansrtaient,
" JANUARY CIRCULATION
54,320 Daily Sunday 49,878
Inw curalailon for the axpnl. sobeerlbeil end saora lo br Dulitt
William. Clrculetioa Uwk .
Suaacrlaara leavtaf tha clt shoalo kava Taa
auM to Ihtm. AaUnaa ca eared aa aitae) as raajuaatasl.
Mr. Groundhog must be credited with making
good on one-half the shadowy prediction.
Ten days more of congress I If, for any rea
son, you want to "telegraph your senator," do it
now I
In making fee grabbing unlawful as well as
odious, the legislature serves a distinct public
need.
Viewed in the light of prevailing prices, vege
tarians are becoming objects of sympathy from
meat eaters.
Every day will be clean-up day in due time.
Just now the prime order of business is to clean
up the coal bills.
It ought not to be necessary this year to put
up garden-atch prizes when the products of each
garden promise to- be worth more than all the
prize money, '
jXdmiraJ Peary laments the absence of many
essentials that make for national 'preparedness.
Here is Doc. Cook's big chance to come back
with the goods,
Funston.
Another name, that of Frederick Funston, ma
jor general 01 tne united states army, nas dccii
added to the list of American immortals. His
career, closed so suddenly, has in its record so
uch of spectacular achievement and romantic
adventure as to almost resemble fiction in many
of its parts. Like most of our national heroes,
Funston came from inconspicuous surroundings
and apparently through the sheer love of adven
ture pushed himself into public notice through
following the impulsive promptings of a spirit
that later showed itself capable of stern discipline
and splendid service. That he attained to unusual
eminence is not to be wondered at, when all his
life is reviewed.
He made no pretense to eminence as a student,
lthough early his mind had a scientific rather
than a military bent. But no cloister or student's
cell could hold him; from a botanizing tour in
Death Valley, he found adventure in the subpolar
regions of Alaska a preface to a wild notion of
helping Gomel and Garcia in Cuba's struggle for
freedom. From the canebrakes of the island he
emerged fever-stricken and ragged, an officer in
the artillery of the army of liberation, and just in
time to receive a commission as colonel of a Kan
sas regiment entering the Spanish-American war.
Whatever of fiction may have been written about
is adventure on the Bagbag river, it is without
question that he brought Aguinaldo, leader of
the insurrectos, a prisoner into camp, and thus
broke the strength of the Filipino uprising.
His promotion from colonel of volunteers to be
brigadier general in the regular establishment
brought out much criticism, but Funston realized
is situation as well as his opportunity, and sim
ply settled down to make good.
That he achieved his ambition none will gain
say, for he proved himself a capable commander
under trying conditions. His service in the army
was honorable and notable, and was performed
with tact and patience that contrasted strangely
with the dash of his earlier days. Fate played
another of its unaccountable pranks in preserv
ing him through a remarkable series of dangerous
adventures to die as he did. His physique was
unequal to his spirit, but he never spared work
on that account.
Funston will stand forever as an example of
what opportunity affords the American youth. He
added luster not only to the west, but to America,
and for his services as well as his personal at
tributes he will be sincerely honored by his country.
; Omaha music lovers certainly have no cause
to complain of their opportunities this season to
hear the best music by the worlds greatest ar
tists without ' going away from .'home.
, Governor Neville delicately intimates that he
can deliver a message first hand to the legisla
ture whenever the needs of the public service re
quire it. Now, Murtey, will you be good?
Governor Neville gives assurance that the state
banks are perfectly sound, although he explains
that the banking board is making a few of them
"clean up." This is a place where eternal vigi
lance is the price of safety.
What about the chronic violation of the rules
and regulations governing the parking of autos
in the streets?, A stranger dropping in on us
right now' might find it hard to decide whether
our business thoroughfares were designed for
traffic or for auto storage. '
To the demand of the city that it cease op
I erating its cart and hand over the main part of
its lines, the street railway company politely
answers: ''No, I thank you," which is precisely
the answer, that wit expected. The track is clear
now tor tne lawyers special.
Uncensored stories of American correspond
ents just out of Germany indicate widespread
prait and favoritism in food distribution. Simi
r conditions are revealed in - England and
. ranee. Twat ever so stay-at-home patriots
rarely forget the interests of No. 1.
It is ijust human nature for , a legislature
dominated by the democrats to be generous with
appropriation! to be spent by democratic office
holders and skimpy with money to be spent by
republican, officeholders. Yes, it woutd probably
be the same with conditions reversed.
Workmen's compensation in Nebraska hat
wrought great improvement- over conditions that
previously existed between employer and em1-
ploye. If the compensation law it to be changed,
it should be strengthened and perfected, not weak
ened and laid open to additional abuses. -
- Our Auditorium may not be spacious enough
to accommodate the growing demands of the an
nual auto show, but it alto hat other deficiencies
that should be remedied. If the Auditorium -were
equipped to answer all the purposes it should tub
serve, it would be a profit-making asset for the
city instead of a red-ink figure m the expense ac
count. - r-
What Ye Shall Eat or Drink
-MlamaajMlU Trlau
A department of alimentation is to be estah
lished in Germany. : The cabinet has an rlrriilrH
It sounds imposing and it is, in fact, important
since it will have to do with what, when and how
much the people should eat.
After the war possibly before it is over we
may expect to hear from this department a lot
of new thinara about ealnrira for tha human hnrlv
In the English translation the words most likely
to De Bumped up against are starch, tat, proteids,
albumen, carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen,
suKf.r. salt, water, sulphur and DhoaDhates.
1 he belligerent European powers are giving
more and more thought and attention to the
question of fuel to run the human organism. They
may get down to scientific basis as exact as
that which' the automobile experts have reached
in the relation of gasoline to motive power in
the running of a car. We shall be Dreoared to
learn something of calories per hour per 100
Sounds ot muscie energy, or tne same thing per
rain exertion.'. ... ..
It haa come 'to pass that the mere interior
decoration or -pleasurable excitation of the human
body with food is .taboo. Nutriment has become
purely utilitarian, and the taking of it a naked
necessity and not a pastime. Every one must do
his or ber, citing and drinking with reference to
the eating and drinking of everybody else.
This is the- first time in the recorded history
ot tne woria wnen so mucn ot governmental gen
ms has been given to the internal anairt of th
,, Will. 1 UIIU1IBKIT lUUI'llllll, VI TCIiai IB
essential in the average daily diet Is . water. - The
' rest is maae up or. surcn, sugar, ainuminoms,
fats, common salt phosphates and ootash salts.
Tbe German alimentation exDertt Drobablv will
: be called la lay down for the aeveral classes of
individuals scientifically devised diets which shall
give a maximum of. energy with a minimum of
content or cost. .
New York Food Riots.
Unseemly disturbances in New York, con
nected with the high cost of living, sharply em
phasize a problem that has comronted Ameri
cans for many days. Alleged shortage of food
has been aggravated by4 extensive exportation,
and through admitted storage of surplus for the
purpose of controlling prices. To what extent
the later practice prevails cannot be accurately
stated, but that it is a factor is fairly well es
tablished. Famine prices for food in time of
peace has developed much resentment throughout
the whole land, and the New York outburst is but
ndicative of a feeling that is widespread. It is
a significant illustration of the maladjustment of
social conditions, too, since alongside of these re
ports we get word of the huge sums that are daily
and nightly squandered in the metropolit In pur
suit of extravagant pleasures. While it is doubt
less true that much of the difficulty is due to ex
aggeration, and little of real basis exists for the
cry of starvation, t'e very fact that such a dem
onstration is possible shows but one thing, and
that is that the price boosters have very nearly
reached the limit of public endurance. Reason
able profits will be denied to none, but 9 cents
a pound for potatoes seems an excessive price,
even in prosperous, gold-flooded New York.
Espionage and Freedom of Speech.
One of the incidental effects of the war abroad
is to stir up the federal government to realization
of the possibilities of our free and easy ways of
life. Especially hat attention been given to the
facilities our national habits of speech and public
communication afford for agents of forcigngov-
ernments to gain information of incalculable
value from a military standpoint. To be sure,
our government has some secrets most carefully
guarded, but a great deal that other nations with
hold from the public is freely accessible in Amer
ica, and quite as freely bandied about. Thus, when
we were at war with Spain, one of Spain's rep
resentatlvet said a file of American newspapers
strved his government very well In lieu of an
extensive secret srvice.
This it now to be changed, under provisions
of a measure prepared by the Department of
Justice, and just passed by the senate. Uncle
Sam it going to do something, if not behind
closed doors, with less of ostentation than here
tofore.'and when war comes, if ever it does, the
government will put the lid on as tight as any
European power ever thought of doing. This
wilt, of course, be considerable of a shock to
many patriots, who prize above everything else
their right to know and talk about all that is be
ing done, but it wilt be enforced as a military
necessity. Giving aid or comfort to an enemy has
always been held as treason, but many have given
such aid with no thought of betraying their
country.
It will not be easy for Americans to yield
their habit of gossiping about governmental
affairs and military movements, but in time they
may learn to be prudent if not exactly secretive
The safety of the republic may some day depend
on maintaining discreet silence as to what we are
doing to defend ourselves.
Passing of an Iowa Landmark.
In the death of J. J. Richardson of the Dav
enport Democrat an Iowa landmark has passed
In the days of the reconstruction and growth of
the union, when Iowa statesmen loomed large in
the counsels of the nation, J. J. Richardson was
a figure bf some size in the affairs of the demo
cratic party. He belonged to the most active an
notable era of the state. Contemporaneous with
William Boyd Allison, John Henry Gear, Davii
Bremner Henderson, William Petert Hepburn,
Jamet Harlan, James Wilton, Samuel Jones Kirk
wood and others of great caliber on the republi
can tide; and of John P. Irish, Judge Claggett
Jamet B. Weaver,. "Ben" Frederick, "Ben" Hall
Timothy O. Walker and democrats of similar
strength, Mr. Richardson was a factor in the af
fairs of a day when "there were giants in that
time" in Iowa. He outlived most of those with
whom he was closely associated, and by whose
side he gallantly engaged in many a hopeless
combat for political control. Iowans will en
shrine hit name with those of other sturdy Hawk-
eye editori whose efforts brought fruit in the
glory of their ttate.
The Second Inauguration
Wuhuifton Letter in Bolton Tranecrlpt
For the first time in the nation's history the
fe nf its chief executive will be by his side when
he takes the oath of office at the impressive m-
ugural ceremonies of March 5. un mat -uim-
,;,, M Wnodrnw Wilson will not only
ride with the president from the White House
o the capitol, but she will stano oniy a iew mi
frnm liim when he takes the oath ot omce on an
improvised stand that will be erected in the cast-
rn corner ot tne capuoi piaa. mus .u.
son will establish an even more cwmmj
dent than did Mrs. Taft eight years ago when
he caused almost endless comment ny fining
own IVtinsvlvania avenue with President 1 att
and by going as far as the door of the senate
chamber where the ceremonies were held. While
Mrs. Taft could not go on to the floor of the
senate and stand beside her husband as ne tooK
h of office Mrs. Wilson can and will be
near the present president as he replies to the
oath which will be administered by the chief jus
tice of the United Mates.
Washino-rnn has been converted into a tre
mendous workshop in preparation for the cere
monies. Thousands of mechanics are construct-
ig the great wooden stands from which the peo
ple will view the almost endless passing parane.
The greatest care has been taken in designing
the court of honor which will be occupied by the
president and his guests. Thirty-three architects
entered into the competition and the design sub
mitted by C. Percy Adams of this city was finally
selected. His sketches provide for a classical
colonnade extending the length of the court
each column carrying an urn of flowers and
smilax, the columns being relieved at intervals by
pilons bearing the American flag, and the whole
connected by festoons of laurels.
At the entrances at Fifteenth and Seventeenth
streets the pilons are to be exceptionally elab
orate. Each will be surmounted by a tripod
bearing a cluster of lights. The intersection at
Madison place and Jackson place will be marked
by pavilions roofed with domes, through the
arches of which a passage for vehicles will be
provided. Immediately in front of the White
House on the south side ot tne street win ne a
portico with huge columns marking the center of
the president's reviewingstand.The illumination of
the court will be accomplished by lighting each
nilon and its flag, and also the center pediment,
by flood, lights placed on the opposite of the
street, by lighting the festoons with incandescent
lamps and the urns on the columns by separate
lamps. The globes on the main pilons will be
kaleidoscopic, with an exceptionally wide range
of colors. White and green will be the coloring
effect of the court. No other hues will be used
except those of the American flag, which will
be liberally employed in the decoration scheme.
Excentional care is being exerci?"d in arrang
ing for the de. mstration on the nij,lit of March
5. If the plans work out satisfactorily, the city
will be literally in the limelight that evening. The
White House, the capitol, the government build
ings, the parks and the wide streets and avenues
will be bathed in a flood of patriotic glory. The
first innovation will be the illumination of the
capitol. From the glass roofs of the senate and
house chambers will came a glow of light, while
the great dome itself will stand forth in striking
relief against the clouds in the brilliance of power
ful searchlights. The Union stntion in the near
distance, with its great plaza. I be a picture of
lights. Spotlights will be th n on the Peace
monument, which at one lime during even
ing will stand out vividly in a name of fire, spot
lights, too. will be played constantly on the
Washington monument, the treasury and other
government edifices.
., only will Washington be nung witn elec
tric lights' and trimmed with thousands of yards
of bunting, but it will be serenaded by every kind
of a band in the United states.
HJI, Patriotism Above Politics
f he On- Bee pertinently ' s:"TheAmerii
an peo.i will unquestionuLly, without di
vision, support the president in vpholding the
honor of the nation, but they "1 also second
his every effort, as they have Heretofore, to
find a way to keep us out of war without sac
rificing our standing among- nations or de
stroying our own self-respect. In the mean
time, let us hope for the best and prepare for
the worst." This is a most patriotic spirit
shown by The Bee, for during the campaign it
fought the president to the last trench, but
when international complications arise Mr.
Rosewater is American to the core and will
direct his energies for the good of the nation
and all will concede that his talents are great.
Ulyssea (Neb.) Review.
Aviation of the Lowly Spud
Loulevllle Courier Journal
llialili Hint for tlin Day.
Worry should be avoided as much
as poHHihle as it is as much the source
of many diseases as physieal deficien
cies. .
One Year Aro Today In Hie War.
British House of Commons voted
war credit of $2,000.01)0,000.
Austrians captured Russian ad
vanced posts at Kozlov, on the Stripa.
Germans captured SOD yards of
Kn-nch positions near SoucheK, but
lost of most of them laeer.
Petrograd reported Russians had
captured Hitlls, below Iake Van, and
were close to Trebozond.
In Omaha Thirty Years Ago.
Mrs. Georuc Squires entertained the
following ladies at the club: Mesdames
Armour, ,S. T. Smith, Andrews, Dietz,
Cole, Siiuires, William Wallace, Gar
rabant, Allen, Ramsey, Coutant. Car
ter, Carrier and Sai'Kt-nt.
Charles Pratt, the popular general
storekeeper of the t'nion Pacific, has
returned from London, Ontario, with
his bride, formerly Miss Minnie Gal
lena. Amonp; the presents was an an
tique oak chest containing a complete
sot of solid silverware, the gift of
Messrs. Callaway, Smith, Burns, Hack
ney and Win, heads of the several de
partments til the Union Pacific.
Mrs. Kstabrook gave a reception at
her residence, Twenty-eiKhth and De
catur, at which she wus assisted in
receiving bv Mesdames Redii-k, Ches
hrouKh; Misses Collins, Russell and
Congden.
J. II. (lilfoil, recently of Detroit, has
moved to Omaha and is looking for
a location for a varnish factory. He
brings experienced men with him and
expects to build an institution here.
The following committee on ar
rangements for the turnvereln mas
querade ball has been appointed:
Prof. Ilempel, Robert Rosenzwelg, P.
Andres, Henry Kummerow, C. F. El
Basset, E. (J. Grube, Charles Metz and
C. E. liurmester.
Frank Wasserman of this city was
married to Miss Addie Fox of Coun
cil Bluffs at the home of the bride's
parents.
George P. Bemis has placed a me
morial window, commemorative of his
grandfather, In the Seward Street
Methodist Episcopal church.
This Day In History.
1798 General Antonio Lopez de
Santa Ana, one of the foremost figures
in the history of Mexico, born at Ja
lapa, Mexico. Died In Mexico City,
June 20, 1876.
1803 Execution of Colonel Despard
for plotting to assassinate King George
III.
1847 American army under Gen
eral Taylor arrived at nuena Vtsta.
1848 John Quincy Adnms, sixth
president of the Unit I States, died
in Washington, D. C. Horn at lirain
tree. Mass., July 11, 1767.
1874 Benjamin Disraeli became
premier of Great Britain for the sec
ond time.
1885 Dedication of the Washing
t a monument in the national capital.
1891 Funeral of General William
T. Sherman held at St, Louis.
1900 General Buller crossed the
Tugela river and drove In the Boer
rear guard.
1912 A great Are at Houston. Tex.,
destroyed property valued at $7,000,-000.
Yesteryear we called 'em spuds. They were
free, universally, with each meat order in a res
taurant. They were the ever-present reliance in
the household. Farmers hauled 'em to town and
sold 'em from 90 cents a barrel upward. Today
potatoes are retailing in Louisville stores at 6
cents a pound. Selected potatoes for baking sell
for 4 or 5 cents each.
Potatoes once were the mainstay of the poor.
Nowadays only the well-to-do can afford pota
toes.
Restaurants, which abandoned a couple of
years ago the time-honored custom of serving
bread and butter free with each order, struck the
free potatoes off the meat order. Nobody can
blame them for so doing. Can anyone afford
to give away 5-cent potatoes?
But try to be not utterly disconsolate. Potato
planting soon will be begun. Before the frost is
out of the ground, or at least as soon as it is out
sufficiently for land to be tillable potato growers
will begin those of them who can raise the price
of seed potatoes to plant a crop that will be
harvested in July. If the crop is a good one iot
all the speculators' horses and all the speculators'
men can keep the price of a bushel of potatoes
up to the present price of a peck.
The potato is 78 per cent water. Water is one
of the few commodities that remains cheap. In a
potato skin it costs very nearly 6 cents a pound.
Rather high-priced waterl Eighteen per cent of
the potato is starch. Some persons need starch
in their diet. Many should avoid it. Whether you
need potatoes for the starch they contain de
pends upon your physical condition and powers
of assimilation. The potato contains 2.2 per cent
protein and 1 per cent' ash. It contains only
one-tenth of 1 per cent fat.
When potatoes are so cheap that they are
hardly worth hauling to market it does not pay
to feed them to hogs. There is not enough pro
tein, ash or fat in them. When they are as high
as they now are, does it pay to eat them? Very
probably it does not. The potato is at present,
seemingly, selling at prices wholly out of propor
tion to its food value, but if it is the fact is a
poor argument against the allurements of pota
toes au gratin, or lyonnaise, or French friend,
German fried, cottage fried, or just fried, or
boiled, or baked, or treated in any one of fifty
other ways.
The fact that potatoes promise to be plenti
ful in July, and promise to be cheap, does not
make the steak look the same without the usual
trimmin's, or the roast seem like the real thing
without potatoes browned in the gravy.
There is hope always. Hope springs eternal in
the human breast. But is there, at present, balm
in (jilead Are there potatoes?
Another Boy Prodigy.
Master Roy Fork, the 6-year-old son of a well
driller living at Findlay, O., is hailed as the latest
mathematical prodigy. If you tell the lad your
age he can tell in a second the yeaf you were
born, and if you give him the date of your birth
day and ask him what day of the week it comes
on he replies at once, correctly and without fail.
Ob
a
To Get the Most Out of Needles.
Omaha, Feb.. 20. To the Editor of
The Dee: I was reading in the best
poper in Omaha, The Bee, about Vic
trola needles being scarce and that
the clerk said she had orders to sell
but one package at a time. Now, I
have a Vlctrola and about thirty-five
records and I have the best collec
tion of old songs and hymns in the
city. I have been playing some of
them for abuut three years and they
are as good as ever, and to cut down
the high cost of living I turn the
needle half around. In this way I
use the same needle to play four or
live pieces. Yes, and I have nothing
to sell. BEN SMITH.
A Protest of Patriotism.
Omaha, Feb. 20. To the Editor of
The Bee: "I have more respect for
the cld-blooded Mexicans who kill
their seriously wounded outright than
I have ror we Christians who, by the
Red Cross society, compel them to suf
fer long and tedious deaths by trying
to patch them up and cure them.
These are the words I heard from the
mouth of -Adolph Germer, national
secretary of the socialist party, at me
meeting in the Auditorium Sunday.
What has become of our common
sense tu permit such talk? And what
has become of the Individuality and
natriotlsm of those whose applause
rent the air in response to such a
statement?
The American Red Cross society,
one of the greatest, grnndest and most
human sympathizing organizations
ever known to the world has been
sorely slandered and Us slanderer In
criticizing it had almost declared him
self a murderer. Life is sweet to all
and even under the most adverse con
ditions we choose everlastingly to cling
to the thread of life, even though it
may be nearly broken. That organi
zation whose representatives have gone
almost Into the very mouth of the
belching cannon and bravely carried
away the wounded, cared for them
night and day in relieving their suf
fering, and has sacrificed their all in
the cause of eliminating human suf
fering, is worthy of the highest praise
and respect that true Americans can
give them and I say that any person
who sat at that meeting and applauded
such a statement is beneath contempt
and an enemy to true American sen
timents.
Patriotism! We should consider it
a disgrace to this great national qual
ity of character to allow such a man
as Germer to even utter the word. I
suppose he would have us think that
patriotism consists In pacing up and
down a platform and slandering our
great men who have developed the
resources of our country, cursing our
national government and its execu
tives, or sneering at the American
flag: rather than going Into the wa
zone and trying to alleviate human
Buffering at the sacrifice of all per
sonal ambitions.
I am a member of no political party.
I am simply an American citizen. I
claim the rights of an American citi
zen and I also sense the duties of an
American citizen, fine of those duties
is defending those principles, sacred
to Americanism which I heard so
basely slandered Sunday afternoon. I
am deeply offended for the wrong that
has been .d - id I protest against
those in leasing our Audi
torium for . s destructive to our
society ant. . ... u.
LA G RAN DE S. HAWKE .
2244 Landon Court.
The Day We Cele-brate.
Charles H. Pickens,- president and
general manager of the Paxton-Oalla-gher
company, was born in Detroit,
February 21, 1856, and has been in
Omaha from boyhood. He is a top
notcher in all the local business or
ganizations and enterprises.
Thomas L. Davis, cashier ot tne
First National bank, Is an Omaha
boy, born February 21, 1882, the son of
F. H. Davis. He was eoucatea at
Yale and began climbing the ladder
of banking twelve years ago.
H. H. Fish of the Western News
paper union, is 47 today. He wus born
at Oxford. N. Y., and has been with
the Western Newspaper union since
1893.
Dr. Thomas Z. Magarrell, Who
practices as a drugless doctor and
conducts the Vitapathic sanatarium,
was born February 21, 1852, in
Canada.
William II. Garratt, assistant gen
eral freight agent of the Union Pa
cific, is 60 today. He was born in
London, Canada, and began railroad
ing with what is now the Grand
Trunk railway when he was only 16.
Alva B. Cook, president of the
Union Fuel company, was born Feb
ruary 21, 1863. at Astoria, III. He has
been engaged in his present business
Since 1898.
Ross B. Johnson, who works for
the Nebraska Telephone company, is
celebrating his natal day today. He
was born in Omaha February 21, 1887,
and is a grandson of one of Omaha's
pioneers, J. T. Allan.
William H. Osborn. I'nlted States
commissioner of Internal revenue,
born at Oxford, N. C, sixty-one years
ago today.
Brigadier General George P. Scrlv
en. U. S. A., retired, late chief signal
officer of the army, born In Philadel
phia, sixty-three years ago today.
Thomas Sterling, United States sen
ator from South Dakota, born In Fair-
Held county, Ohio, sixty-six years ago
today.
General Charles V. F. Townshend,
who commanded the ill-fated British
expedition against Bagdad, born fifty
six venrs ago today.
Brander Matthews, noted author,
educator and advocate of simplified
spelling, born in New Orleans, sixty
five years ago today.
Edward Alnsmlth, catcher of the
Washington American league base ball
team, born at Cambridge, Mass., tnir
ty years ago today.
Timely Jottings and Reminders.;
Ash Wednesday, the beginning of
Lent.
The National Farmers' association.
composed of persons actually engaged)
in agriculture, will -meet at Kansas.
City for Its annual convention. The
improvement of marketing conditions
will be the chief topic of discussion.;
Drastic regulations prescribed by
the Interstate Commerce commission
to relieve the shortage in coal cars
and help bring about a lowering of
the present high prices or coal are to
become effective today.-
Manufacturers, educators, labor
leaders and noted economists from all
sections of the country are to rauher
at Indianapolis': toaayt for. jn .lentn
annual convention of tne National Ho
ciety for tba Prurnutloh .ofj industrial
Educations ' '.- 1 . li
The Missouri. Pacilio railway, and
the St. Louis,:.' jlron. Mountain &
Southern railroad are to fie' bJTfered for
sale at publie4 out-thin wt SVLouls to
day.. Tht sales- of the two l-haasr are
to clear the way tor the ending of tho
recftlvarahip loC-.Ul. Missouri Pacific
Iron Mountain Bystem.
year. It would be a joke were It not
so exasperating.
Representative Fuller of Seward Is .
endeavoring to have these fire insur
ance companies taxed 2 per cent on
their gross premium receipts, the same
aa the life companies. What myste- '
rlous Influence is being wielded by ,
the Are insurance combine that en
ables them to hoodwink or some
thing worse members of the legisla
ture, who are mighty anxious to pose
as defenders of the people against
railroad rapacity? Why not make
these fire Insurance companies pay a
fair tax, the same as the life compa
nies. In 1916 these foreign fire com
panies took more than $3,300,000 more
out of the state than they returned
in losses paid. And upon this enor
mous earning they paid to the state
the miserable pittance of $19,822.50!
Would It not be a good idea to pay
a little less attention to the private
and personal habits of the individual
and a lot more attention to this groBS
perversion of Justice in the matter of ,
taxing the fire insurance companies?
WILL M. MAUPIN.
Still More Light Needed.
Erunlng, Neb., Feb. 20. To the
Editor of The Bee: In the Letter Box
last week you had a writeup headed
"Don't Rock the Boat, Mr. Bryan,"
hy P. G. Lewis, but his writeup Is
quite strongly seasoned with person
ality. W. J. Bryan is only continuing
to say, "Let us keep out of war."
which was made an issue in the fall
of 1916 and upon which Wilson won
the election, namely, "He kept up out
of war." If P. G. Lewis is not too
forgetful he will know that such Is a
fact, but I must congratulate him on
the closing sentence of his writeup:
"America first, last and always! My
country and my flag is my motto."
But such should not only be In words
without facts to prove it. Mr. Lewis
does not seem to be aware of the fact
that we have to make provision for
$400,000,000 bonds to cover deficiency
in time of peace, and he does not men
tion the fact that our United States
cotton growers have suffered the loss
of many millions of dollars while be
ing hindered from exporting It. (Ques
tion: by whom?) Neither does he
mention that cargoes of meats have
simply been taken from our citizens
in spite of our flag, nor what has been
done with our mail to and from for
eign countries, and who it was that
did it, instead of trying to correct
William Jennings Bryan? Mr. Lewis
should give us a little light on this .
subject and state why he condemns
Mr. Bryan for continuing the issue
which was used to elect Mr. Wilson
as president of the United States.
J. DUIS.
LAUGHING GAS.
How Bo They Get Away With II?
York,' Feb. 20. To the Editor of
The Bee: While the legislature is
very busy with something like seven
ty-five bills affecting the revenues oi
railroads and their management, it
may not be worth while to call atten
tion to the methods or tne roreign
fire insurance companies doing busi
ness in the state in evading taxation.
Somehow these foreign companies
and with one exception all stock Are
insurance companies doing business in
this state are foreign manage to
smother all bills calculated to make
them pay their just share.
Fire and life companies are not
taxed the same way in Nebraska. The
life companies pay 2 per cent on gross
premiums, less the return premiums.
It Is very easy to get at the exact re
ceipts of the life companies, too. But
the fire companies pay the same tax
on receipts at a one-fifth valuation that
other form of property pay. compa
nies with headquarters in states that
tax 2 or 2 tt per cent on the gross pre
mium receipts are taxed the same in
Nebraska, less cancellatien and rein
surance. In the 1915-16 blennium
forty-one Are insurance companies out
of 112 licensed In Nebraska paid $19,
822 In taxes. The life, health and acci
dent companies paid $218,187. In
other words, the life companies, re
ceiving less than twice the gross pre
miums received by tne nre compa
nies, paid eleven times more taxes.
Approximately 15,000 Are insurance
agents are licensed in Nebraska. In
flfty-three counties of ninety-three In
1916 these agents reported for taxa
tion premium receipts of $2,612,045.
By putting over this "local" method
of taxation the Are companies saved
about $18,000 in local taxes. By the
reclDrocal Drovlsions and the cancella
tion and reinsurance provisions they
also manage to save something like
$125,000 a year.
In mv own county of York the asses
sors reported only $49.48 of Are In
surance premiums received In 1915.
which would show only $247.40 of
premium receipts all told during that
"No, t have nevar played brldsa before." .
"So 1 should aurmlse," said the disgusted
partner. "But how came you to enter an '
important tournament like this?"
"Oh. I thought it would be a good time
to learn." Louisville Courier-Journal.
The Man Tou women have Invaded almost
lines of man's activity.
The Woman Yes, and now we want to
invade some of the lines of man'B Inactivity.
That Is why we want to hold political of
fices. Judge.
"Jiggs haa a hoard of uaeleaa Informa
tion." "In what respect?"
"He la considered an authority oa Inter
national law." Buffalo Express.
EAK IAR.KMJIBoUE,
I'M AH MCRE:$S AND VNIU.
OUCj MWW A POOR MAN
VWHERE CAM X H AVEW
POORMAU?
fw-ft: SAMueu
ANN MAM WAV OHM AM
AUTo
Ha was a man noted for hli Chesterfiel.;
lan address anrt he had been very 111.
"Tou were at death's door," remarke..
the doctor an his patient began to mend.
"Really, doctor?" came the reply. "Do
you happen to know whether I er left my
card ?"' Boston Transcript.
"James, what's the meaning of this they
call the Pan-American policy?'
"Just like a woman's stupidity to ask
such a question. Americans are getting
panned all right, ain't they I' Baltimore
American.
"Art Isn't what It was In tht old days,
my boy."
"That's right. All you had to do then
was to wear a slouch hat, flowing tie and
an old velvet jacket. Now you've got to
wear good clothes and know how to draw!"
Browning's Magaslne. -
THE BEST TREAT
is a soda, sundae, hot chocolate,
beef tea or some equally good se
lection. At this time of the year
the demand changes with the time
of the day. In the morning it's
something hot, in the afternoon
something cold, and tou will find
the "Four Rexsll Drug Stores"
ready to serve the most fickle
taste at any time.
New Store Soon in Dundee
Our new "West-End Phar
macy" at 49th and Dodge will
be open in a few daya.
Sherman & McConnell
Drug Co.
Four Good Drug Stores.
ROCK ISLAND
To Chicago
Arrive La Salle Station on the Loop any
part of the city quickly reached by elevated
trains. Most convenient location in Chicago.
"Chicago Day Express" at 6:00 a. m.
"Chicago-Colorado Express" at 3:55 p. m.
"Chicago-Nebraska Limited" at 6:08 p. m.
"Rocky Mountain Limited" at 2:00 a. m.
Connections at Englewood Union Station
(63rd Street) with limited trains for all Eastern
territory.
Automatic Block SignaU
Finett Modern All-Steel Equipment
Superior Dining Car Service
Tickets, reservations and information at
Rock Island Travel Bureau, 1323 Famam
Street, or at Union Station.
J. & McNALLY
Diritisa Paaacafer Afcat
Fkoaa Donlaa 428