8 A
THE OMAHA SUNDAY BEE: MAY 13, 1917.
ATTACK ON WAR TAX
BILL IHCONGRESS
Violent Protests Made Against
Many Features of Measure
in Both Houses at
Washington.
Washington, May 12. While the
house debated the $1,800,000,000 war
tax bill today, the senate finance com
mittee heard violent protests from in
terests on which the new war levies
would fall.
Manufacturers, who would have to
pay the increased excess profit tax,
distillers, brewers, soda fountain in
terests and tobacco companies, all
told the senate committee that they
faced ruin if the bill went through as
presented in the house. Nearly every
witness declared his particular busi
ness seemed to be the target for an
exorbitant tax.
Under Fire In House.
In the house, too, many portions
of the bill were under fire, but demo
cratic and republican leaders in
charge replied that the money must
be raised and only high taxes could
provide it.
Only the excess profits, liquor, beer,
soft drinks and tobacco schedules
were considered today by the senate
committee, which opened hearings be
fore the measure came over from the
house in order to hasten final con
gressional action.
Representative Hull of Iowa op
posed the rates tor magazines and
newspapers and challenged statements
that the government now is losing
millions annually on this class of
business.
Representative Bland of Indiana
told the house that the Postoffice de
partment had worked out an amend
ment to provide that no salaries of
postmasters be increased during the
war.
Paint Gloomy View.
It was a gloomy picture that pro
testants against the war tax in
creases painted for the senate com
mittee. Disorganization of industries,
closed factories, discharged employes,
reduced prices to producer, and
destruction of retailers, were among
the predictions.
Representatives of national manu
facturers and industrial organizations
declared the excess profits was dis
criminatory against corporations. The
whole tax load also was criticised as
too large, and the suggestion was
made that the tax burden be dis
tributed over several decades.
The greatly increased tax on dis
tilled liquors, the committee was told
would decrease production and reve
nues, as well is encourage illicit
traffic. The brewery interests said
many small breweries would be forced
to Close. '
Cigar Men Object.
Protesting against the rates on soft
drinks and ingredients, manufactur
ers' representatives said the increased
burden cannot be passed on the con
sumer and that soda fountain, drug
store, and other small business men
would be crippled.
The bill's rates were said by rep
resentatives of manufacturers and or
ganized cigar makers to be grossly
excessive and certain to cause sus
pension of small manufacturers, de
crease consumption, snd so reduce
revenue.
of Murdered Man
Is Found Near Pierre
BRITISH CRUISER VISITS NEW YORK Unannounced and with its mission unknown, the
British cruiser Roxburg has arrived at New York, the first English warship to put in at that
port since the war began. The Roxburg anchored near the American naval vessel Bir
mingham and Olympia. The photograph shows the Birmingham in the background.
Body'
' Pierre, S. D., May 12. (Special
Telegram.) The body of s man who
is supposed to have been Patrick Mo
Cann of Chicago, was found in s
small clump of brush in a lonely gulch
near this city with the skull crushed.
Steve Capyak, who came to this city
with McCann is missing. The two left
their rooming bouse Sunday, April
29, saying they were going out for a
walk. Late in the evening Capyak re
turned and took sway his suit case
and vanished. McCann was known to
have money on bis person while at the
rooming house, but only a quarter
was found in s search of his clothes,
besides papers, which Indicated his
name and the address of a sister in
New York.
Sioux falls Harvester
Plant Burns; Loss a Million
Sioux City, S. D, May 12. Fire
of unknown origin last night totally
destroyed the International Harves
ter company's office and warehouse
building here.
The Toss is In excess of $1,000,000.
More than 1,000,000 pounds of oiled
binder twine ignited, spreading the
flames to all parts of the four-story
structure, which occupied s quarter
block in the manufacturing district
The warehouse. wis heavily stocked
with farm implements and machinery
repairs.
Mme. Schumann-Heink Sues
Street Car Co. for $95,000
St. Louis, May 12. Mme. Schumann-Heink,
the. operatic contralto,
today filed suit for $95,000 against the
United Railways of St Louis for in
juries sustained .when s taxicab in
which she was riding was struck by
a St Louis street car on the night of
February 23.
W " - J -I
! mmgMJLe. m
H,tt.S. Roxburgh..
Concerning the Flag
By Frederic J. Haskin
By FREDERIC J. HASKIN.
Washington, May 10. Planting the
American flag on the western battle
front is probably merely a figure of
speech, for battle flags are going out
of use. In former wars the flag was
used as a rallying point and as an in
dicator of the center of attack, but
this use has no place in trench and
artillery fighting.
When asked if the American army
would carry flags in this war, the War
department declined to say. Flags
were widely used during the Spanish
American war, it asserted, but so far
as this war was concerned no final
decision had been reached. It admit
ted that flags were supposed to be out
of date in Europe. Since 1879, at the
battle of Isandhlwana, when two
brave and valuable soldiers lost their
lives in attempting to rescue the Brit
ish colors, Great Britain is reported
to have barred use of the nag in
Dattie.
In spite of the fact that our armv
may also ngnt without a nag, tne flag
factories in the United States are
speeding up their output. The com
mercial establishments, of course, are
swamped with a tremendous demand
trom patriotic civilians, but the gov
ernment lactones are also over
worked. For the flag has many uses
other than in battle.
The government has two flag-making
factories one for the army and
one for the navy. The army plant is
attached to the Philadelphia depot,
while that of the navy is on the third
floor of the Bureau of Eauioment
building at the New York navy yard.
The navy at all times requires a lot
mnr flava than r1na h armv In
addition to the Stars and Stripes in
various sizes, every ship must carry
nearly oitterent nags ot otner na
tions, the material and making of
which costs Uncle Sam approximately
$2,500 per ship. Every time a United
States battleship calls at a foreign
port, it must display its good man
ners by flying the flag of that par
ticular nation along with the Stars
snd Stripes.
The makinff of this larse number
of naval flags even in peace times
keeps a force of fifty women snd sev
eral men busy, snd now that we are
to have s thousand wooden ships to
bs flagged the force has been in
creased. Moreover, the price of bunt
ing has gone up, so that the govern
ment flag bill this year is going to be
enormous. All of the bunting for
government flags comes from Lowell,
Mass., where there are three large
factories devoted to the manufacture
of this fabric. When it arrives at
the flag factory It is put through vari
ous teats to determine its quality.
hirst it is soaked in soap and water;
the next day it is soaked in salt wa
ter, and the third dav it is hung out
in the air, where it remains for ten
days. For thirty hours, at least, it
must be exposed to a bright sun.
When it thus becomes apparent that
the bunting will not "run or fade, a
strip two inches wide of the warp is
put in s machine snd submitted to a
pulling strain of sixty-five pounds,
which tests its tensile strength.
un tne noor ot one ot tne rooms
In the factory are chalk mark lines
and metal markers on which the flags
are measured and cut out Iney are
sewed on regular sewing machines,
fitted with electric motors, and the
stars are cut by s special machine
invented for that purpose. Thirty feet
long by nineteen feet wide is the
largest flag made by the government,
which is the United States Ensign No.
1 costing $40 to manufacture. Other
flags, such as the president's flag,
bearing special and intricate designs,
are even more expensive and require
weeks of patient work to embroider
and limsn.
The present standard flag of the
United States consists of thirteen red
and white stripes, with a blue field
in the uDoer left-hand corner con
taining forty-eight white stars placed
in six rows ot eight each. I his de
scription may seem a trifle unneces
sary to the average American patriot
who has a perfectly good American
flag hanging from his front window,
but it is well to recall the fact that
this arrangement was authorized by
the secretary of war as late as 1896.
Before that designs of American flags
were legion. For years they had been
the confusion and despair of for
eigners. Indeed, in 1847, the Dutch
government inquired politely: "What
is the American flag?" Ten years
later nine different styles of American
flags were observed on one day in
the harbor of New York.
Even now it is disconcerting to
note the opinion of some foreigners
concerning it Mr. Frederic Harrison,
for example, says something to this
effect: "When the United States de
cided to adopt a flag after the an
cestral emblem of their chief, they
committee an absurd blunder. Than
the Stars and Stripes, nothing more
grotesque, confused snd unheraldrical
can be conceived."
Granting Mr. Harrison the right to
his opinion, he is nevertheless wrong
concerning the origin of the American
flag, according to the best evidence
that extensive research has brought
to light. The flag was not modeled
"after the ancestral emblem" of
George Washington, but after the flag
of the Dutch republic.
We have absolute records to tell
us when the American flag was
adopted, and what it was then sup
posed to be. The thirteen war vessels.
which then constituted the Colonial
navy, were desirous of a flag to use
1. ,.: . T.... i 1777
the same day that John Paul Jones
was appointed captain of the Ranger
the continental congress passed the
tollowmg resolution: Kesolved, Ihat
the flag of the thirteen United States
be thirteen stripes, alternate red an
white; that the union be thirteen
stars, white in a blue field, represent-
g a new constellation.
This, however, savs nothing about
how the stars should be placed. The
flag designed by Washington snd
made by Betsy Ross contained a cir
cle of stars, but there is no evidence
to prove that this was the flag gener
ally used. In fact, from what evi
dence nas Deen gathered together it is
practically certain that the first
American flags used had no stars
whatsoever. In "a book of photo-
grapns oi extant nags used, or alleged
to be used, m the American revolu
tion, compiled by Gerhard! Davis
(New York, 1908), the field of stars
is seldom seen and never as an ab
solute surety until 1780. In Faun
ces Tavern, in New York City, there
is also a collection of British prints
oi tne American nag, wnicn snows the
same thing no stars until 1780.
Now, according to the greatest
number of authorities, the alternate
red and white stripes used in the flag
were not taken from Washington's
shield, but were borrowed from the
Dutch flag. At the beginning of the
revolution, it must be remembered
the Dutch had a strong hold upon
America. In the greater part of New
York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and
Delaware the language was Dutch.
Moreover, the greater percentage of
the commerce was Dutch, so that the
Dutch flag on trading ships, as well
as on handkerchiefs, boxes, title pages
of Bibles, and many other articles,
was a familiar object.
The Dutch flag consisted of alter
nate red and white stripes, and its
meaning was popular with the colon
ists at the time of the revolution. It
signified the union of the provinces
of Holland, which had deposed its
monarch and become a republic,
with a written constitution, a judi
ciary free from the executive, and
public schools free to all, and sus
tained by taxation," long before 1775,
ti . . : . i . i r. .
inu. H i interesting 10 noic mc met,
the importance of which is often
overlooked by historians, that the
Dutch influence was strong in the re
bellion of the colonists. We have
Benjamin Franklin s word for it in a
letter which he wrote during thenar,
which says, "In love of liberty and
bravery in the defense of it she (Hol
land) has been our great emample."
Hence, in using the stripes in the
flag, the United States borrowed the
idea from the Dutch to siunifv the
union of the colonies. As far as can
bs ascertained, this striped flag was
The Berg Clothing Co.'s
NEW LOCATION
1415 Farnam Street
J- 3
Beer Hounds Try to Buy Beverage
From Police Captain Mike Dempsey
"Hello! s this -the police station?
Got any. beer down there that you
want to sell?"
"What?" said Tony Francl, desk
officer,
"We want beer. Got any down
there?"
"Sure," said Franc!.
"How much" said the voice.
"We'll let you have it for $1.50 a
case if you come before 8:30 p. m.,"
answered Francl. "But, of course, it
will be $2 a case if you wait until
morning.
"We'll be right down," the inquirer
replied.
Ten minutes later two swarthy men
whose dialect indicated Italian de
scent, strutted into the central police
station.
"That beer, where is it?" one asked.
"Over there," said Francl, pointing
to some confiscated wet goods. "But
see that man over there before you
take it away with you." '
The "man over there" was Captain
Dempsey.
"What?" the captain thundered at
them as they offered him money for
the beer. He thought they were try
ing to bribe him. Then he caught
Francl smiling. '
"Oh," said Captain Dempsey, more
suavely, "if you really want to buy
beer, and can use a lot of it, you
ought to talk with Sheriff Clark. I
can't sell you any of this, Mike
Clark is the man vou want to see.
"Come on. We'll see Mr. Clark."
said the more aggressive of the beer
hounds, leading his companion by the
arm. .
3C
Reduced Clothing
Prices
39c
25c
. . 19c
75c Ladies' Onyx Fibre
Silk Hose, only
50c Ladies' Onyx Fibre
Silk Hose, only. ........
35c Men's Onyx Fibre
Hose, only
All colors and sins ineludad. Corns early.
$27.50 Ladies' Spring Suits $12.75
A wonderful opportunity to buy a charming Spring Suit at less
than half price. AU sizes included in this lot as 04 A !
well as all that is new in colors snd materials, d I Z. I
Regular 127.R0 valuna. at 1 "
NEW DRESSES -Regular
17.50 Dress
vslues, tomorrow. ....
Regular (13.75 Dress
vslues, tomorrow
Regular $22.50 Dress
vslues, tomorrow
Ladies' Spring Coats, in apple green, mustard,
gold, navy and fancy mixtures. Wonderful styles
snd fabrics
OFF
SPRING
HATS
y3
OFF
Off
Regular
Price
$4 OO "Dr,st Well Never Miss the Monty"
IHAZZ PER WEEK
vns. s wr o Qty THE PURCHASE YOU MAKE
Specials in the Men's Shop
Men's Suits Divided Into Three Huge Lots, At
$12.75 $15.75 $22.50
Boys' Spring Suits, $3.95
Men's Good Shoes, $3.95
ALL GOODS MARKED IN PLAIN FIGURES
IMQNL
"THE PEOPLE'S STORE"
OPPOSITE HOTEL ROME
immediately employed in the navy,
but in the army it was never adopted.
There a flag bearing a rattlesnake em
blem was the most popular, although
other designs were also used. In
May of 1779, Washington wrote to
the board f war, stating that he was
in receipt o constant applications for
colors, but there were many dinerent
flags used by the various regiments
and "it is not yet settled what is the
standard of the United States."
To this the war board replied ask
ing Washington to give his opinion as
to what was the "one common flag
of the United States," at which recom
mendation would be made to congress
to order some for the army. In his
reply to this inquiry, made on Sep
tember 3, 179, Washington makes no
reference whatever to stars, but sug
gests that the number belonging to
each regiment be inserted within the
curve of the rattlesnake.
From this it may be seen that the
stripes are the only sure and per
manent fea'.ure of the American flag
as it has come down to us in historv.
Suffered for Eleven
Years Made Well
By Peruna
Mrs. Elin Malmgren, No. 133 Fred
erick St., West Manchester, N. H.,
writes: "Every spring and fall for
l.v.n y.n, I have been troubled
with catarrh in my throat and no..
and hoan.na.., and I am very
pleased to state that at last I found
a medicine, Peruna, from which I re
ceived great benefit, and I will h.r.
aftar us. and recommend it. 1 always
keep it in my house in cj. of .ick
ne.i. I recommend your medicine to
all my friends and every sufferer as
an excellent medicine."
Every Spring
and Fall,
Troubled With
Catarrh in
Throat and Nose, Also
Hoarseness.
3d
Thoi. who object to liquid medi.
cin.s can now procure Peruna Tab-l.ts.
Rockers and Easy
Chairs In every de
scription of pattern
and covering. Many
odd pieces from suites
Sharply reduced.
TEE SERVICE
Funilturo Store
This Easy Hair Up
holstered Chair, cov
ered in a smart tapes
try, at 835.00
Upholstered Rocker,
at $18.75
Spanish Leather Chair,
at $21.75
This Overstuffed Rock
er, tapestry, $35.00
This Jacob
ean Rocker
in English
tapestry
back and
seat, SI 6.75
Chair to
match ths
rocker
$15.75
The dresser here il
lustrated is in black
walnut or mahogany;
48-in. base, full width
mirror; all parts of
suite to m a t c h this
piece are shown at
corfespondingly low
figures.
Golden Oak Dressers
$8.75, $11.75, $12.50
and $15.75
Our Message
Direct affects follow every cause.
Our Store Service has for its basis
the true meaning of all that service
can mean to you. First, in a far
reaching preparation for the antici
pated wants of our customers in
providing the two large and com
plete stocks of House Furnishings.
Since consolidating with the Ray
mond, just a block away from our
"home store," at 1513 Howard. In
making this preparation, the result
of the free use of our "Buying Pow
er" at a time before such sharp ad
vances in manufacturers' prices, re
cently made, makes the fullest Val
ue Giving easy for us to pass on to
you in a lower price on the newest
and best in Furniture from our
country's strongest and most de
pendable makers. Examine the val
ues illustrated in this "ad" and see
the actual pieces this week.
Bflal
This Buffet, in golden
oak ' or fumed oak
genuine quarter-sawed,
48-inch length, $19.75
This Dressing Tahle
38-in. base, triple mir
ror, as pictured, in gol
den oak $13.85
Same style, mahogany
or walnut $19.75
juaiwnvrisr
Chiffonier like
this illustra
tion, genuine
black walnut,
at $25.00
Dresser to
match, $26.00
$822.75
Many New Bedroom
Suites have recently
been placed on our
floors at both stores,
and the smart designs
among them will
please you and meet
your visions of just
what you looked for.
The values we are giv
ing in this department
are the biggest yet
shown on our floors.
This beauti
ful White
Ename 1 e d
Side leer,
ice ca
pacities pounds
$24.50
u3
Refrigerators
That keep foods pure, because of a
perfectly dry air circulation. Ask
to see how the THERMO Cell
shuts out all outside air.
The Blizzard Prices range in this refrigera
tor $6.75, $7.65, $9.00, $12.75 and up
The one illustrated is a front icer, 50-lb. ca
parity, white enameled interior $17.50
Lawn Swings
t This illustration pictures the
9 Adult Lawn Swing, $4.75
The Juvenile Size, like the
cut, for $3.25
48-inch Porch Swing, with
hooks snd chains. . .$1.85
50-Ib. Capacity
Blinard, $17.50
Electric Iron .$1.8S
"Sklblu." Enam.l War.
And Aluminum That W.ars
The Kettle in Enamel. .39c
The Kettle in Aluminum,
that wears $1.65
The Coffee Pot, 2-qt., enam
el, ski blue 3!
The Coffee rot, z-qt, am- ., ,
minum, for 75c Family Sc.l.,
The Berlin Kettle, 2-quart 19c and 85c
aluminum that wears... 55c
WE SAVE YOU MONEY-THERE ARE REASONS
lhu
Swing, $4.75
Our
Porch
and
Lawn
are
Daily
Arriving,
See Them
The Store
With
SERVICE
As Its
Watchword
V K AaBI MM m
Values Based
on High Qual
ity and Our
Broad Guar'
antee of
Satisfaction
Consolidated With The Raymond, 1513-15 Howard St
17th and Howard St.
"-"' ygS""