THE BEE: OMAHA, THURSDAY, AUGUST 9, 1917.
10
The Omaha Bee
DAILY (MORNING) EVENING-SUNDAY
a -
FOUNDED BY EDWARD ROSE WATER
VICTOR ROSEWATER, EDITOR
""the bee publishing com pant, pboprietor.
Entered at Omaht postoffice ai second-class matter.
TERMS OF SUBSCRIPTION
Ur Carrier. B stall
felly n BwOif par CBootn. 6." per year. MOO
Dmily Wiaout auaday ' '
(healr aad Sunday " fj
rania wiUKWt Sunday Z . ' J
tad oUee f caense of address oc trreralaittr la delivery la Oeuae
Bee. CtrcalstlOB DepsrtSMBt.
REMITTANCE
fteailt ay draft, expraaa e poatal mitt. Only -fnt stamps ttieo
pernent of nail eeroonu. penoaal aback, aoapt os Oothe tad
eatiera azekaate, aot aceaptad,
OFFICES.
OmaJia Ttia Baa Bolldlnt. Chleat'V-Penple's Gas Bulldtaa,
Canned Bloffa-14 H. Hala Bu St. UINw B k of Comsgea,
Dacota Little Bulldlns. WaahUuton 725 lata Bt X. w...
CORRESPONDENCE
AoVtraes eoaararileaUons ralatmt to aewt and editorial nutter la
Omaha Bo. Editorial Dapamaant.
JULY CIRCULATION
57,229 Daily Sunday, 51,153 J
1 rata el atation lor Oie awn to aubacritwd aad two ra la W Delia.
Williams. Circulation Mannar.
Snbexribere laavtnf the city should bava Th Bee mailed
to then. Address changed aa often aa requaated.
M. Kerensky comes back. Will the bear?
Wait and watch.
Death penalty for armed slacker hardly fits
the offense. Better a life sentence at hard labor.
A four-million-dollar tax roll puts Omaha right
in the. front rank among taxpayers, if nothing
else.
Viewed from any angle, going where duty calls
and glory waits, spells hard work from start to
finish.
Nebraska's wheat fields are coming back, if
care and preparation can achieve the reward deserved.
, Last fall's prophets"ff reduced taxes have dis-.
credited themselves as thoroughly as prophets of
tha war's finish.
Military authorities have only themselves to
blame if they permit precipitate marriages to ex
pand the yellow streak. , ;
: Jupiter Pluviua put the finishing touches on
Nebraska's bumper crop. Jup 'may name his
terms for. a permanent regulated job. hereabouts.
The slacker who had his teeth extracted to
escape the draft may live a long time to use false
teeth and ruminate over the odium he has in
vited. V -
So far none of the exemption claims enum
erated "cold feet" as an obstacle to draft. The
affliction assumed aliases less odious to disguise
the truth.
Merely as a reminder of bygone pledges, a
sample of November banners promising lower
taxes would lend artistic merriment to the deco
rations of the city hall.
Senator Reed from Kansas City has added an
other chapter to his serial concerning Herbert
Hoover, but the public has ceased to care what
the senator thinks of anybody.
as a gambling deal, won quick expulsion from the
egg board. The crime is not so much in the of
fense as in giving the snap away. -
Speeding up the railroads seems to have been
accomplished in good order and with little fric
tion, just reasonable co-operation and watchful
' . . t ii.i.-. l ,
management ucmg an uiai was required.
. . -
. The protest against inequality and discrimina
tion in state taxes merely underscores a fact of
general knowledge, The revenue law was designed
that way and the result comes up to the speci
fications, v
Where some of the money is spent by the gov
ernment since the war move started is shown at
the naval station, whose "rookies" now weigh fif
teen pounds apiece more than when they started.
If nothing else, this is a good advertisement for
the naval cookery.
Herr Wilhelm Thompson, mayor of Giicago,
Is on the job once more. Returning from a brief
vacation, lie switched- the lever of hia political
machine and the Board of Education saved the
face of the kaiser in the school books. , If Herr
Thompson does not get the iron cross in due time
Potsdam must be classed as ungrateful. ,
Western coal operators defy Inderal and state
authorities 'striving for modesaj'm in prices.
Concessions secure in eastern lie? Have been
turned down in the middle west fienft and last
winter's squeeze with some additions still prevail
at the pits. The issue deeply concerns the public
and the authorities cannot ignore the defy.
America PhysicalltfFit
1 LauU villa Courier-Journal
That young Americans of the twentieth cen
tury vere physically inferior to their forefathers,
as a result of the flabbiness of peace was asserted
pretty generally before the beginning of the pres
ent war. A Washington report says that of 72.
914 men who offered for the officers' reserve,
51,838 were found on preliminary examination by
civilian physicians physically satisfactory. A
higher percentage of physical fitness probabty
never was shown by an equal number of applicants
for military service. A few centuries ago, when
any able-bodied man was considered fit to bear
arms, the entire 72,914 would have been physically
acceptable. Less ;tlran 51,838 would have been
physically sound. As late as the civil war, when
confederate officers made the requirements for
th cavalry service "ability to ride a horse and
fire a gun' and the standard of eligibility for in
fantry service "ability to walk and carry a gun"
more than 51,838 of these men would have been
acceptable, but that five-sevenths of them can
pass up-to-date preliminary examinations, shows
that the blood, the bone and tfie brawn of the
breed have not run down during a period of peace.
That the American people, admittedly peace
loving, would not be united in willingness to f.ght
bt defense of liberty was asserted, and believed ap-
rirently in Germany six months ago. Many
mericans of limited vision believed it. Let any-
te who doubts that sentiment is more united
favor of war in 1917 than it was at the begin
ning of any previous war, including the revolu
tion, re-read the. history of the United States.
That America, despite its ample financial re
sources and manufacturing facilities and supplies
- - . ,w. m mit titrvi. ill uc ill a U1S-
advantage in the drive against Germany, because
of the efficiency of the seasoned German
an opinion frequently expressed, yet some of the
mo Druiiani military aviators are men in their
J early twenties and some of those fighting on the
aide of the allies are eager Americans who would
not wait to follow the flag to France, but pre
ceded it
Postage and Revenue. '
The Lincoln Journal takes The Bee to task
for its news story about the arrival at the Omaha
postoffice of 3,000,000 3-cent postage stamps as
the advance agents of an increased letter postage
rate and particularly this estimate of the reporter:
"Three million stamps at 2 cents each bring $60,
000 ; 3,000,000 stamps at 3 cents each bring $90,
000 a gain of an actual $30,000 for Uncle Sam's
war chest." 0
The Journal rightly, we believe, questions this
conclusion. "It cannot be so," it says, "if the
higher rate causes people to reduce their letter
writing. Should only two-thirds as many letters
be mailed under the new rate Uncle Sam would
gain practically nothing from the increase and
the public would lose one-third of-the service."
For this reason a proposal to raise war funds by
increasing the postage rates is pronounced of
doubtful wisdom.
If higher letter postage may be expected to
reduce the number of letters written and mailed,
without corresponding reduction in postal ex
pense, the same tendency will be observed all
along the line, ihould postage rate's be increased
for transmitting newspapers, circulars, books or
parcels; that is to say, the profit computfcd on
paper is not likely to materializein fact, because
of the disturbing effect on the demand forand
use of the service.
The widest use of the postal facilities at com
pensatory rates, or at even less than compensa
tory rates, is worth more to the people than any
questionable revenue that might be squeezed out
through higher charges and limited, use., That is
the traditional policy of the Postoffice department
and it is its justification in a democracy.
Seed Wheat for Nebraskans.
The Nebraska State Council of Defense is in
its most important work just now, that of making
sure than an ample acreage is seeded to wheat in
this state this fall. It has been found impossible
to greatly increase tha acreage for several rea
sons. One of the principal of these is that fully
two-thirds of the wheat land was plowed up and
seeded to corn last spring and it will be covered
by this crop until longr after the winter wheat is
sown. Oats and similar crops were grown on
other abandoned wheat land and this will soon
be available for the new planting. New land and
fallow ground "will be utilized to bring the fall
wheat acreage up to the normal, which means at
least three million acres will be sown.
One of the encouraging features of the situa
tion is the spirit of mutual helpfulness shown by
the farmers themselves. Instead of. those who
have a surplus of wheat endeavoring to practice
a holdup on their less fortunate fellows, an ample
supply of seed is being furnished at market prices
and cases are reported where neighbors are giv
ing assistance to one another, leaving the price
for future adjustment. This is the spirit that means
success as far as it can be controlled. Barring
the possibility of another unfavorable winter, Ne
braska will wheel into line in 1918 witha bumper
crop and take its place again as the second winter
wheat state of the union.
Some Gould Family Affairs.
George J. Gould, titular head of the Gould
family, has had some experience with other folks
marriages, having had to straighten out tangles
involving brothers or sisters on Several occasions,
and It is possible he is "fed up" on this. There
fore when his sons contracted alliances against
his wishes he showed quite a bit of temper. - This,
too, is quite his own affair, just as it was when
he himself married Edith Kingdon, who was earn
ing her living as an actress before he met her.
What he overlooks is that his sons seem to have
some of their father's spirit, and feel cjuite com
petent to pick their own wives. They think very
likely, that Lady Decies is quite enough of no
bility for their own branch, not faking into con
ideration the adventures of an aunt among the
aristocracy of France. At any rate, the boys
wed without regard to their father'a wisher, ad
promptly were cut off the family pay roll. It
doe not appear that even this proceeding has
made much difference to them, for both have
gone to work'to earn the wherewithal to pay
household expenses. In this they also show
something of the grit that enabled their grand
father to rise from obscurity to his ultimate
place in the financial world.' In good time they
may come into possession of some of the Gould
millions, but meanwhile they will command a lot
of respect from the American people they might
otherwise have forfaited. At all events, if they
realty settle down to workk for their own, just
as millions of other lusty young Americans have
to do, they will be proving themselves worthy of
their name.
Cur,Dog or Woolly Sheep Which?
County fairs are being held all over Nebraska
at this season and two great gatherings of farm
ers are at handone at Fremont, where the trac
tor show is being held; the other at Lincoln,
where the Nebraska stale fair shortly opens. To
these The Bee commends for some consideration
the question; Which crop means most to Nebraska
the cur dog or the woolly sheep? The Bee has
published lately some very comprehensive articles
on this topic, written by G. W. Hervey, a rec
ognized authority on the sheep industry, in which
the potential value of the sheep and the actual
danger of the dog were made very clear. If Ne
braska is to take its proper place among the sheep
raising states of the union it will be when the
farmers have been awakened to the importance of
the proposition to eliminate the cur dog as a fac
tor of the problem. Only the farmers can do it
and it is' worth -their while to give the question
consideration
Uncle Sam's uniform nowadays carries the
wrer to the pinnacle of public favor. Beside
him thestay-at-home tags himself as a back num
ber. His needs are anticipated. Mothers and
grandmothers do their devoted bit in his be
half and Sisters of Cheer promise to make com
plete the happiness of national service. With
such a , wealth of consideration showered upon the
coming Ijeroes of the nation the stay-at-home be
comes the lonesomest object on the highways.
When men of high repute disagree on war
mortality, who will decide? Former Ambassador
Gerard estimates Germany's losses in man power
at 3,000,000. Colonel Repington, military critic
of the London Times, is equally positive in plac
ing Germany's losses in three years at 4,500,000
men. The wide margin leaves ample room for
amateur guessers.
Omaha, Minneapolis and New Orleans con
tinue week after week a lively neck-and-neck race
for primacy in bank clearings. While they shift
from twelfth to fourteenth place, the margin of
gain is small. Considering the greater population
of the others, Omaha's position clearly marks a
larger relative volume of business. ;
Fighting New York's Fires
BfrFred ric J. Raskin f
New York, Aug. 5. The recent national em
bargo on exports has thrown New York harbor
into unkempt disorder. Long rows of tramp
steamers, freighters and ocean liners crowd the
docks and block the channel. The wharves are
piled with idle cargoes; the city warehouses are
bulging with merchandise that was to have gone
to Europe and every hour or two another line of
freight cars arrives, bringing many more tons of
goods.
This crowding of the harbor has increased the
city's fire risk about 75 per cent. Much of the
cargo is extremely inflammable stuff, some of it
is munitions, and shipments are arriving so fast
that there is no time to sort the goods. Further
more several small fires have occurred on the
upper river as the result of collisions, it being
difficult to navigate through the mass of craft.
The city has nine fire boats for the control
of fires in the harbor, but these are how inade
quate, and the railroad and steamship companies
have had to form their own fire brigades along
the wharves as well as to appropriate 143 tug
boats to guard their cargoes. New York itself,
of course, also shares this new fire risk. Its
safety depends more or less upon the wind. If
a large fire broke out upon the wharves and the
wind happened to be blowing landward the haz
ard would be great, especially since numerous
munition plants and high explosives factories
would lie in its path.
. In normal times New York is one of the great
est fire risks in the world. On an average of thirty-five
fires a day, or 12,700 fires a year, occur.
The greatest accumulation of wealth In the world
must be protected, the highest skyscrapers and
the .lowest slums. Hence the Nw York fire de
partment is one of the most efficient, in spite of
being the most overworked fire department In ex
istence. There are 310 fire companies, employing 5,000
men. Tney are distributed through thirteen fire
districts, with a chief at the head of eacn dis
trict, who is responsible to one chief executive in
charge of the whole organization.1 Fire fighting
is a different problem in each district, some of
which lie in suburbs of clean detached houses,
others in crowded business districts and congested
foreign quarters. The new physically fit recruit,
after sufficient training, is placed in a company in
the worst section of the city, for here the work
is so strenuous that only the men in best physi
cal trim and with the greatest enthusiasm for their
work can make good. And even these cannot stand
the pace very long. After three or four years
they have to be removed to easier districts.
New York has recently made some Important
improvements in its fire equipment. It 4s replac
ing its horses with motor apparatus for one thing
a change that has brought bnefit not only to
the city, but to the firemen themselves. Housing
conditions are(much better. The fireman no longer
has to live in a stable and spend the greater part
of his time in performing the duties of a groom.
A garage does not require nearly so much room
and in all the stations having the new appara
tus the extra space has been used for a handball
court. Firemen are required to do a certain
amount of gymnasium work every day.
Every day certain firemen are relieved of their
duty in answering fire calls to make fire inspec
tions; that is, they .make the rounds of all the
stores, theaters, garages, factories and public
buildings in their district to inspect their qualifi
cations for resisting fire. There are certain laws
concerning fire escapes, doors leading to the out
side and the storing of inflammable goods as well
as very stringent regulations regarding smoking
in garages and factories and it is up to the fire
men to see that they are complied with. This
inspection serves a double purpose. " It not only
educates the fireman with respect to the city's re
quirement, but it makes him familiar with the
physical features of his district. He knows the
exits, trapdoors and stairways of every building
private residences excepted, of course he
knows where there are pitfalls that would prove
dangerous at a night fire; he knows how raany
occupants are in each building and where the
chemical sprinklers and other fire apparatus are
located.
t All oT this is very important, for fire fighting
is not an unskilled profession, but a very scien
tific one. A fire is a disaster which requires just
as much cool-headed thinking, courage and exec
utive ability as a battle and perhaps even more
technique. For example, there is a fire in a tene
ment house. The first response to the alarm is a
hook-and-ladder company, which finds the build
ing filled with smoke from a fire which is raging
in the cellar. Now the first order of the chief
of this company, before the ladder apparatus has
been touched at all, is to open the scuttle on the
roof of the tenement. This allows the fire to go
up instead of spreading out like a mushroom and
imperiling the buildings on each side.
Or suppose the fire is one of those innumer
able stores which have side stairways that lead
to apartments above. Instead of attacking from
the front or back entrance of the store the fire
men start their fire fighting from this side hall
way in order that the fire may be kept from as
cending to the apartments above.
,
Various factors such as these must be taken
into account. A fire chief has the lives of his men
to think of as well as the course of the fire and
his position is not always enviable, as, for in
stance, when it is the life of a trapped child against
the life of one of his lieutenants. So far as cour
age is concerned, however, it must be said with
all possible due credit to New York firemen that
they usually do not have to be urged to en
danger their lives for others. In the fire training
school the recruit is taught how to save his own
life and he is taught many other things besides
which would astonish the average layman. He
must know building construction and he must
learn certain specials things about chemicals.
Some fires are only made worse by the application
of water and instead must? be chemically treated.
To this technique of firVftShting the fireman
also adds his physical strength, mental agility
and courage. Sometimes a life may be saved by
the fraction of a second, so that it Is absolutely
essential that the fireman should think quickly.
Now that the harbor has been added to the
list of bad fire risks in New York the number of
volunteer firemen has increased enormously.
They train just as the others do and perform
the same sort of work, but they receive no remu
neration and if they are killed their families in-
herit nothing but honor. It is rumoreu, tiowever,.
that the New York philanthropists-of . which
there are an overwhelming humbr are on' the
trail of these volunteers with additional medals of
honor, s ' - v -
Income Tax in Canada
Naw York Pott.'
Canada, expecting to call 100,000 men to 'tne
army under the conscription act, has had to, turn
to further taxation measures; the income, tax bill
introduced by Sir Thomas White this-week is
the resulting innovation. The Dominion has al
ways shunned an income tax, for the reasons that
it has been feared that it would be expensive to
administer among a sparse population and would
discourage immigration. Inasmuch as the prov
inces are restricted by the British North America
act to direct taxation, the federal government
has preferred to resort to indirect SinceHhe war
taken its place, but has proved too narrow. It
left untouched large incomes in the form cf sal
aries or of interest and dividends derived from
bonds, mortgage's, and other investments. The
increase in imports has thrown a disproportion
ate burden upon the masses, resulting in the
recent cry for the "conscription of wealth." The
new measure, which begins with a levy of 4 per
cent upon unmarried men with an income of
$2,000 and married men with an'income of $4,000,
is expected to yield up to $20,000,000 a year; super
taxes begin when the income exceeds $6,000. The
bill appears to have the support of both Liberals
and Conservatives.
Proverb for the Day.
In multitudes of counsellors thre
la wisdom.
,One Year Ago Today in the War.
Italians captured the city of Gorits,
the supposed key to Trieste.
German airships bombed the east
coast of England.
Russian drive up the Dniester val
ley continued unchecked.
At Verdun the Germans gained
more ground at Thlaumont work.
In Omaha Thirty Years Ago Today.
' While Vincent Burkley, the genial
and pleasant' inspector of customs, and
his wife were sitting in their cozy
home on Jones street they were sud
denly surprised by the arrival of the
families of their two daughters, Mrs.
C. A. Leary and Mrs. A. F. Bethge,
who informed them that It was their
forty-fifth wedding anniversary and
properly congratulated them. . .
The morning trajn through Omaha
over the Union Pacific had on board
the smallest man ever seen in Omaha;
namely, Anastasius Cardens, thirty-one
inches in height and weighing fifty
five pounds, who was on his way home
from a visit to his favorite brother,
who lives in Los Angeles this same
brother being over six feet tall.
A pleasant evening was spent at the
Omaha division armory of the Knights
of Pythias, the occasion being the
presentation of a handsome sword to
Colonel Crager, aide de camp on the
staff of Major General Carnahan, after
which an election took place, the re
sult of which was the selection of G.
W. Plasner to the position of sover
eign knight herald, vice James Don
nelly, raised to adjutant since the es
tablishment of the regiment " ,
Harry Walker and family have ar
rived from Chicago and It Is stated
that Mr. Walker will have charge of
the Armour Packing company In South
Omaha. i
The many friends of the genial Colo
nel Frank Hanlon were surprised to
learn that he had become a musical
composer of note. His latest and most
creditable effort which has come to the
attention of the people, hereabouts is
"Tell Me the Old, Old Story," which is
dedicated to M. O. Maul.
Contractor Coots is considering the
feasibility of cutting an entrance to
the court house under the steps on
Farnam. v
This Day In History.
1780 Francis Scott Key, author of
"The Star Spangled Banner," born In
Frederick county, , Maryland. Died in
Baltimore January 11, 1843.
1787 South Carolina ceded its west
ern lands to the federal government.
1805 Exploring expedition left St.
TJbulB to trace the source of the Mis
sissippi, v.
1814 Indians by treaty ceded to the
United States nearly half the present
state of Alabama.
1817 General Charles A. May, who
commanded the United States cavalry
in several of the chief battles of the
Mexican war, born in Washington, D.
C. J)led in New York City December
24, 1864.
1842 Daniel Webstery and Lord
Ashburton signed the treaty of Wash
ington for the settlement of the Maine
boundary dispute.
1862 Battle of Cedar mountain be
tween the federals under Banks and
the confederates under Jackson.
1880 William Blgler, governor of
Pennsylvania and United States sena
tor, died at Clearfield, Pa. Born at
Shermansburg, Pa., in 1814.
1894 The (Hawaiian republic was
officially recognized by the United
States.
1914 Serbia declared war on Ger
many. , '
The Day We Celebrate.
Albert Cahn has reached his fifty-
)! seventh mile stone. He was born in
Omaha and is well known as a shirt
manufacturer, billiard champion and
trophy golfer.
Dr. Rodney Waldo Bliss was born
August 9, 1878 at York, Neb. He
graduated in medicine from the Rush
Medical college and is instructor in
the medical department of the Univer
sity of Nebraska.
Archduke Joseph, one of the chief
Austrian commanders in the present
war, born at Alosuth forty-five years
ago today.
Rt Rev. William T. Capers, Episco
pal bishop of west Texas, born at
Greenville, S. C, fifty years ago today.
Louts B. Hanna, former governor
of North Dakota, born at New
Brighton, Pa., fifty-six years ago today.
(Charles Nagel. former secretary of
commerce and labor, born in Colorado
county, Texas,, sixty-eight years ago
today.
Blair Lee, former United States sen
ator from Maryland, born in Montgom
ery county, Maryland, sixty years ago
today.
Timely Jottings and Reminders.
Harvard college held Its first com
mencement 275 yers ago today.
American angling club are to cele
brate today as the birthday anniver
sary of Isaak Walton, author . of the
classic, "The Compleat Angler."
' Injunction proceedings are to be
heard in court at Minneapolis today
to test, the validity of the new local
ordinance requiring all bread sold In
the city to be in half pound or pound
loaves or in multiples, of one pound.
Storyetto of the Day.
f One of the attractions of the church
fete was a fortune teller's tent
A woman took her 10-year-old red
headed, freckled son inside. The
woman of wisdom bent oyer the crys
tal ball. - - v -
, "You Bon will be a very distin
guished man If he lives long enough!"
she murmured in deep, mysterious
tones.- .- .
i "Oh, how nice!" gushed the proud
mother, "And what will he be dis
tinguished for?"
'For old age," replied the fortune
teller slowly. Knoxville Sentinel.
4 ; BEGINNING OF THINGS.
In 1861 tha airbrake wai invented.
' Th trade name Kodak waa coined in 1888.
I The first linotype machine waa operated
fal 1884. :
The flrat electric locomotive datea aa far
back aa 1851.
Cocaine waa dlaeovered in 1855.
The Kinetoacope waa invented in IStt.
In 1861 the first elevator waa operated.
The automobile industry dates back to
1855. y
The GatUng run baa beea In use since
1862.
. In 1851 the breech-loadinc rifle waa dm
enatrated. '
The eewing machine waa given to the
country in 184S. . -
The first airship made aueesaful flight
In 1901 and the 'first airplane four, years
later. , f
The first westers sovereign to adopt a
flag waa Clovia, king of the Franks. v
The first charge of dynamite, aa the ex
plosive is now known, waa prepared in 1868.
lee
j ir.T z
Saunders County Corn. '
Wahoo, Neb., Aug. 7. To the Edi
tor of The Bee: Practically the corn
crop Is assured In Saunders county
Saturdaywith a rain of 1.32 inches
and followed by one and a half inches
Monday evening. The corn should
mke an average yield of thirty bush
els to the acre. The total acreage in
the county is 199,248 acres. The farm
ers report extraordinary yield of oats
and spring wheat.
Frank Klotz of Memphis has sixty
acres of spring wheat averaging thirty-four
bushels to the acre. The low
est report has been twenty-eight bush
els to the acre. Oats are fine and are
yielding from thirty-two to 130 bush
els per acre. ,
Lou Rasmensen of Colon has twenty-seven
acres of oats yielding eighty
three bushels per acre. Thomas Blair
of Cedar Bluffs has twenty-two acres
yielding 112 bushels per acre. Roy
Benson, of Wahoo reports a yield of
100 bushels per acre. Henry Mays,
Memphis, reports ninety bushels per
acre to cap the climax. Ralph W.
Woodworth of Wahoo had twelve
acres yielding 13 bushels per acre.
The total acreage of oats in the county
Is 75,561 acres and will yield on an
average of fifty bushels to the acre.
BEN D. RUPP.
Our Commssion Government.
Omaha, Aug. 8. To the Editor of
The Bee: I wonder If those who are
talking of submitting to the people a
petition for the repeal of our commis
sion form of government have really
stopped to think what It would mean.
I am willing to recognize the deficien
cies of our present plan, but I also
assert that It has never yet had a fair
trial. Our elections have been domi
nated by the liquor crowd. That is
now a thing of the past Let not the
form itself be blamed for the poor
material we secured for the city ad
ministration. Let us try again.
' Entirely aside from these consider
ations, however, let us stop to exam
ine for a moment what a repeal of
this form would mean. It would, by
such repeal, re-establish the old laws
regmlating elections in Omaha. That
would mean a return to the old party
plan of choosing candidates. It would
bring issues into the local situation
that have no business in it. It would
mean increase in the size of the ballot
already too cumbersome. More city of
ficials would have to be chosen. It
would mean a repeal of the initiative
and referendum and recall. In short,
it would mean a return to all the of
fenses under the old system, with
none of the compensating benefits of
the new.
I have not time nor space here to go
further into details as to what this
return to the old. system would mean.
A slight reflection upon the above
stated .facts should be enough to give
pause to any such movement. Let
every Voter who is asked to sign such
a petition stop to consider these things
and the chances are that he will not
sign it and thereby he will save the
community the expense ot such an
election.
There is nothing to show that a re
turn to the old plan would contribute
anything to the elimination of unde
sirable officials. It might even' per
petuate them, as they were before.
- L. J. QUINBY.
SOLDIER AND TEMPTER.
Under the anure sky of night.
Touched by the moon's caressing light,
Floated tha pride of land and sea,
Old Glory, the proud flag of the freer
And. gazing at it, hat In hand,
Stood a fair son of our native land.
While standing there In Mm. moonlight dim,
He whistled softly our eountry'a hymn;
And In his eyes burned undying love
And reverence for tha flag above:
The flag that waved tn tha stiver light
For our country, and the causa of Right.'
Long he mused while standing there
In the moonlight pale and the cool night air,
How that flag waa to lead him on and on
Into strugglea fierce to be fought and won.
And a Spirit born of the evening breese
Came tripping to tempt this son ot ease.
First she told of a mother dear,
Of a silent prayer, and a falling tear. '
"Your mother needs your aupportlng hand.
Why go to defend your native landT"
"My mother la proud that her aon may
. fight
For his .country and ttie cause of Right."
But still the Spirit whispered low:
"Tour Bweetheart la weeping to see you go.
Will-you miss the future her love would
light -For
this thing jou call the cause of Right?"
"She could love but a man, of willing hand.
A man defends his native land."
The test of the man was almost through.
Would he prove a soldier, fearless, true 7
The Spirit born of the evening breese
And the dancing moonbeams on the tjfees
Hhd yet one test, e'er her time would call;
le test that was hardest of them all.
"Oh heaf, that waa made to roam the aea,
And tame the unresting wave.
Why must you die In an unknown land.
And rest In an Unmarked grave?"
"I have given my all heart, mind and
hand
To tha cause of Right, and my native land."
He had not paused. Not one Instant's doubt
Had shadowed the anawer hia soul flashed
out. , 1
He had stood the teat. He waa free from
blame.
The Spirit vanished from whence It came.
And the pale moonlight and the cool night
air
Touched Old Glory amlllng on him there.
Alma, Neb. MISS O. V. BAKER.
THE GENUS HOBO.
Brooklyn Eagle.
He pays no rent, he paya no tax,
He buys no coal or Ice;
He doesn't worry when
He" hasn't got the price.
He doesn't lie awake, at night
And try to figure out
A way to meet the grocery bill,
And never haa the' gout.
He doesn't have to entertain
Or go to partiea that
He doesn't care a anap about
In aome kind neighbor's flat.
He doesn't have to worry leat
His clothes are not In style:
The weather la a question that
He doesn't think worth while.
He simply seeks another when
A climate doesn't suit.'
II,e Isn't Interested In -
A single blamed dispute.
He doesn't have to work at all
And la a happy lad.
To lead the genus hobo'e Ufa '.
Can't be ao very bad.
, We plead our devotion to a single
principle that of satisfactory aervice.
- We conduct all -ceremonies In an effi
cient," diplomatic manner and oar aerv
ice charges are dictated by Justice.
W. R SWANSON
Fuaeral Parlor. ;"." (Established 1S88)
17th and Cuming Sta. TaL Doug. 1060
Nebraska Editors.
Editor W. E. Alvia of the Morrill Mail
completed the installation of an Intertype
last week.
Editor E. B. Kingsbury, editor of the
Fonea Journal-Leader has gone to Colorado
for a three weeks' vacation trip.
Editor Charles R- Stoekdale of the Elgir
Review haa announced an increase in adver
tising rates to meet the increased east ot
print paper and other necessities of life.
Brundage ft Thurber, editors of the Te
cumseh Chieftain, have ordered a linotype,
which will be installed within a few weeks.
The Chieftain, which purchased a modern
press within the year, will be one of the
best equipped offices in southeastern Ne
braska when its new typesetting machine
arrives.
Gering Courier: If it hasn't rained by the
time this is printed, there's a few of us
skinny ones will be completely dried up and
blown away.
MIRTHFUL REMARKS.
Tommy Atkins had taken a German offi
cer prisoifer and demanded the la'.ter'a
sword. The officer shook his head.
"I have no sword to give up," he said;
"but won't my vitriol spray, my flame pro
jector or my gas cylinder do as well?"
Boston Transcript
"The dance craze would soon die out if '
"If what?"
"If you could pass a law compelling hus
bands and wives to dance with each other
all the time." Detroit Free Press.
"I wish some of our slang specialists
wool d learn early English."
"How now?" asked the senior partner.
"A lady today tried In vain to buy some
stays In our corset department." Louisville
Courier-Journal.
DEARMR.kABABBYJE, -
J WA IM LOVE Wru A CIRrMH
YOUHt lAW-SHOULb I ASK
HER TO m MV MKME?
IVAN WrAOrrRDtoPduS
VES A SJVIIABIE AY
A.YlVAEl
Polly That novel you recommended ir
positively stupid. I thought you told me it
contained a naughty problem.
Dolly Oh, you misunderstood me. I said
a knotty problem. Judge.
Motorist Tou have one big advantage
over us in your speeding.
Aviator What la that?
Motorist Tou don't meet any fool pedes
trians disputing your right-of-way. Balti
more American.
Patience What'a the matter with Peggy?,
She looka uncomfortable.
Patrice She Is. They're gone and aold
her some winter furs for summer, to keep
her warm. Yonkers Statesman.
He What! Another new dress?
She Tou needn't be cross. I bought 14
with my own money.
He Where did you get it?
She I aold your fur overcoat Bostorf
Tranacrlpt '
Mickel(2ateRoad
excursions
Chicago to New York and
Return $31.70
Chicago to New York and
Return, one way via
Washington $34.40
Chicago to Boston and Re
turn ....... r. $30.50
Chicago to Buffalo or Niag
ara Falls and Return. . . .$18.31
Through Observation Library
Lounging Sleeper and Standari
Sleepers to New York. Write
A. B. Burrows
D. P. A., 787 Brandeit Bldf.,
I OMAHA, NEB.
Reputation Established,
A Future Guarantee
We dare not jeopardize our
priceless asset, Good Reputation,
for a transitory Profit. We dare
not misrepresent our goods or our
endorsements.
"' Consider this well ! ' '
Reputation is the safeguard of
Inexperience. "Avoid those that
make false claims." Whether or
not a man has expert knowledge
of Diamonds, Watches and Jew
elry, he is safe if he puts his trust
in merchants of good reputation.
Why take a chance with small
or unknown dealers when your
credit is good with Loftis Bros. &
Co., The Old Reliable, Original
Diamond and Watch Credit House,
409 South Sixteenth Street. Es
tablished 1858.
This business, "the largest of its
kind in the world," is a monument
to the proverb, "Honesty is the
Best Policy."
SKIN TROUBLE ON
FOUR YEAR OLD
BOY ITCHED
Face, Ears and Neck All On Erup
tion. Would Lie Awake Nights,
Cuticura Healed, Cost $1.25.
" My little boy had eruptions on his
chin, and in six weeks his whole face,
ears, and neck were all one eruption.
ine breaking ,out was
in pimples and itched so
that4ie would scratch till
it bled, and he would lie
awake nights. His eyes,
were pretty nearlyclos'ed,
and the eruptions later
went down his back
"I read about Cuticura
sent for a free sample. When it was
gone I nocced a change, so I bought
a cake of Cifcicura Soap and two boxes
of Cuticura Ointment, and he was com
pletely healed." (Signed) Mrs. E. Wee
tendorf, R. F. Di 6, Waverly, Iowa.
It is easier to prevent skin troubles
than to heal them. O ear the pores and
-Jteep them clear by using Cuticura Soap
for every-day toilet purposes and touches
of Ointment as needed.
For Free Sample Each by Return
Mail address post-card : " Cuticura,
Dept. H, Boston." Sold everywhere.
Soap 25c Ointment 25 and 50c.
THE OMAHA BEE INFORMATION BUREAU
Washington, D. C.
Enclosed find a 2-cent stamp, for which you will please send me,
entirely free, a copy of The Red, White and Blue Book. . . . ,
Name... ...v , .
Street Address ,
City State