Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, September 12, 1917, Page 6, Image 6

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THE BEE: OMAHA, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 1917
The Omaha Bee
DAILY (MORNING) EVENING SUNDAY
FOUNDED BY EDWARD KOSEWATEB
VICTOR ROSEWATER, EDITOR
I, I - y , 1 .1 ' -
TBS BEE PUBLISHING COMPANY. PROPRIETOR
Entered at Omaha poetoffice si second-class matter.
TERMS OF SUBSCRIPTION
Br Carrier. Br Mel
Daitr uitl Bond? ...er aooih. M Pat Mar, I
DaUr without eundj..... So
Erasing and Buftdar.... " 40e
BrutD( wiUwet See 47 ... 2le "
4iit at ceaaeY of' 'ttirim at Imgularttr la tWItarr to Omaha
Bee, Ctrevlatlea Odwnauat.
MEMBER OF THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
tie AMocotNl Pre, of which Tta Bee l a ttrntm. l eietustTtl
itltlM i Uk m ht rtjmkHeatlnn of all Bi credited tn It at
uH MlimriM credited In Dili rPff and !m te local nr pnb
itebet errem. All rtjtite of rspubhcatlon of out tpeclal dispatches
art alaa rtaaiffd.
6.M
t 00
f 0
REMITTANCE
K-.tIt Iw draft, riim or postal erdfr. Onlf !-rit atair.pl Ukan tn
.irm'nt of mall eecounla rtnoaal cheek, except oa Omaha sod
i.Hra axchaHfe. nt accepted.
OFFICES
iMiaiu Tlw Be Butlaina. (Titaio Penflla'S Oil Building,
twin 8. itia Bt Nw Yort-MS Fifth Ave.
ri-un.-ll il!utf It K. Mala 8t Pt Loli-Kfi It's of ('oiwa,
t.foln-tjttla Bailalnt. . tvihiirtnn-r2i Mt St., N. W.
CORRESPONDENCE
Vren eeBfltuntcaitone rtlatlnt to oewi tad editorial natter to
irr.'ntt lie. Editorial IMiierunent,
AUCUST CIRCULATION
59,011 DailySunday, 51,912
ii tm clrrnUtlon tor tha montt fuhaeribed and ewora to t Deljht
Miiiiaua. CirculsUoa Mauaier.
Satttcribera leavlag the city should have Tha Baa mailed
ta them. Address cheated as oltaa a requeated.
The senatorial roster of "willful" men dwindles
down to four.
Watch the dust fly as King Corn spurts down
the home stretch.
.1
Maine's inhumanity to women makes count
less suffragists mourn And think things.
Every day improves the reputation of Petro
grad as an exponent of the strenuous life.
Des Moines has the cantonment, but Red Oak
has the Kelly murder trial and divides the limelight.
Ak-Sar-Beri festivities are only three weeks
,off. Send your invitations to your out-of-town
friends now.
Perhaps you noticed that Kerensky did not
bother to send the KornilofT matter to the refer
endum for decision.
The Australian system of dealing with the I.
W. W. shows as many good points as other im
portations from that section.
It's a good thins to get the strike over quickly
a hungry world is waiting for the meat now on
the hoof in the stockyards pens.
Endorsement of womart suffrage by both Wil
son and Roosevelt failed "to put it across" in
Maine. My, but those Maine folks are perverse.
Denver got a little advertising 6ut of its effort
to divert the Wyoming bank business from the
main line to Omaha, but the business will come
here, just the same.
Farmers who are holding seed wheat (an
serve themselves and their country both by let
ting go in time to get the fall sowing done while
the ground is ready.
A building trades strike does not concern Un
cle Sam half as much as a packing house strike.
Stopping the source of food supplies in time of
war cannot be tolerated.
"forward with God!" exclaims the kaiser in
hit congratulations to the captors of Riga. At
the lame time his flying legions emphasise the
blasphemy by dropping bombs on hospitals
marked by the Red Cross. '
Swede politicians see in the Argentinian ex
posures possible material' for the overthrow of
the present government of Sweden. Even this
result will show that the lesson of the centre
temps has not been entirety wasted.
King Alfonso of Spain announces he has se
cured promises of immunity for hospital ships
frdm U-boat assaults, which is quite a conces
sion, if experience counts for anything. Now let
us devoutly , hope the kaiser keeps this promise.
. Reports from Funston and Deming draw allur
ing pictures of tamp life. Accommodations and
food the best to be had, w6rk abundant and diver
sions equal to essential needs. Moreover, the pay
is regular, no bills to pay and no fear of living
cost obtrude. Lucky lads I
The mobilization of the grand army of public
school children for another campaign against in
trenched ignbrance has been successfully accom
plished without any parades, brass bands or undue
noise making. This Is one army in which we have
true universal service, mighty few exemptions or
fewer slackers.
It isn't the language that makes certain Ger
man newspapers odius, but what they say, which
would be just as bad if printed in English. Trea
sonable aid and comfort to the enemy is aggra
vated when cloaked in, German words only be
cause the appeal is made especially to those sus
ceptible of German sympathies.
A flotable triumph of smooth diplomacy center
round the fact that Maurice Francis Egan just
completed ten years, of continuous service as
United States minister to Denmark. Appointed
by Roosevelt he escaped the subsequent changes
of two administrations. Standing in with three
presidents verges on diplomatic genius.
Taxation By Extortions
-New York World-
All the opposition to the price-fixing policies
of the United States government and to the super
tax on war profits is built upon the thesis that
American, business cannot be patriotic unless it
can be a hoar.
We do not believe that the thesis is true, how
ever large the number of persons who hold to it.
but whether true or false it cannot be maintained.
No intelligent person would seek to denrive
business of its normal and regular profits in time
of war. Every economic consideration demands
that such profits be protected. They are part of
the resources, of the country and add to its war
power, cm me proms trom exploitation are
quite another matter.
No scheme of taxation that the wildest radical
haa proposed in Washington is One-half ao on-
Eressfve at the taxation that various kinds of
eslness have been levying upon the American
consumer. Mr. Hoover, not long ago estimated
that the American people had been mulcted out of
$60,000,000 a month on flour alone and flour it
only- one of the items in the schedule.
i The country is being taxed to death, not by its.
government, but by its exploiters, and that is the
. sort vi .oing wai is going to oe topped.
Russian Leaders' Remarkable Course.
Russia just now presents a most astounding
spectacle, that of people but lately freed from
despotism, still confronted by a deadly foe bent
on their subjugation and before whose armies they
flee, stopping to fight among themselves over
what course to take towards salvation and free
dom. A more lamentable misapplication of lib
erty it is not possible to imagine.
None will question the patriotism either of
Kerensky or Korniloff, nor their devotion to what
they conceive to be the best interests of Russia.
It is purely a question of methods that divides
them, and one that might easily be compromised,
were they to calmly discuss the problems from a
detached point of view. Their course, however,
is such as to warrant the conclusion that each
has for the time lost sight of the great goal
towards which they were together leading the
people, and to be willing to waste precious time
in foolish quarrels that can bring only discredit
to themselves and additional danger to their
countrymen. They are, however, proving the
absolute futility of the socialistic program, and
equally important fact that stable and enduring
government, even with the consent of the gov
erned, must rest On a foundation that is not to
be shaken by the whim or notion of any group, no
matter how powerful.
Our own people may profit by e-Iosely watch
ing the course of this experiment in applied so
cialism, meanwhile congratulating themselves
they are blessed with a government established
on sound principles and not subject to such fluc
tuations as have marked the course of Russia.
Korniloff's rebellion can serve only one good pur
poseit may awaken the Russian dreamer to a
sense of his danger and give him a chance to save
himself.
German Language in Commerce.
One of the arguments used in favor of teach
ing modern foreign languages in the public
schools is that it gives the pupil needed equip
ment for business activity. In Germany'English,
French and Russian have been taugh it) connec
tion with German, because Germany has looked
ahead to the emigration of a considerable num
ber of its youth, to carry the empire beyond its
bounds. This does not pertain to the United
States, where only a few of the young men plan
for service irt commercial pursuits abroad. More
over, the English language is extending its scope
and more nearly approaching the requirements of
the universal language of business, and one direct
effect Of the war will very likely be to check the
spread of German and give an additional impulse
to English.
This should not convey the impression that
knowledge of the German language is to be dis
pensed with. It will remain not only indispensible
to higher education, but imperatively a qualifica
tion for the understanding and application of the
arts and sciences to which German research has
contributed so extensively. Its place in commerce
may remain secondary, and the young man who Is
well equipped in the use of English may easily
fit himself for service in the country to which he
is assigned; the student and the expert must know
German if he is to become a master of his chosen
subject.
Study of modern languages is recommended
for those who pursue the higher learning, but our
lower schools will do well to devote time ta the
inculcation of a complete familiarity with English,
the greatest and most useful of all languages,
written or spoken.
More Attention to Fire Risks.
The keynote speech at the convention of the
National Association of Building Owners and
Managers, now -betng fcelS in -Omaha, had tdllO
with the lessening of the fire risk. It is natural
that this should be so, for these men represent a
tremendous total of material wealth, All of which
is exposed in some way and threatened by the
existence of any defect in fire protection. These
men, too, are coming to understand the impor
tance of the gospel The Bee has been preaching
for many years that the best possible protection
against fire is before and not after the conflagra
tion is under headway. Splendidly equipped anJ
maintained fire-fighting organizations are of little
avail against an outbreak until the blaze is started.
Vigilance on part of building owners will have
its echo among city authorities, and he two,
working together to prevent danger by, removing
cause, will have greater effect on reducing fire
losses than all the apparatus for throwing water
ever made. Give attention to the risks and we will
be able to reduce our annual bill of wastage in
this regard, and not until we do get busy at the
source will any real good be accomplished.
To Choke Off Ocean Profiteers.
Word comes from Washington that the long
arm of the government is to reach out after the
ocean profiteers and choke off their rapacity. This
is to be accomplished through the shipping board,
which will not only control the vessels seized
from the Germans, but will also, if need be, com
mandeer all shipping. Chairman Hurley is said
to have worked out the details of the ptan for
action, which includes foreign as well as domes
tic shipping, and will extend to neutral aliens. The
control contemplates a reduction in rates that now
range from $18 to $100 per ton to charges as low
as from $7 to $13 per ton. Chairman Hurley,
among other things, can see no real reason why
$100 per ton freight should be charged on Coal
shipped to Italy, where a stringent shortage
exists. Extortions practiced by ship owners have
exceeded all other forms introduced by the war,
and finally a check is to be put to their greed.
With the navies of the Allies active to keep clear
the Ocean lanes, governments providing war insur
ance and otherwise affording every possible pro
tection against loss, vessel owners have demanded
and received rates for service far In excess of any
risk incurred, and these have become too onerous
to bear longer. Our government can and will end
the tremendous tax laid on the nations by this
unorganized but powerful agency.
The thrifty French turn with war time vigor
to co-operative societies as one efficient way of
combatting high living cost Similar organiza
tions in this country are urgently needed for the
protection of consumers. As things go nowa
days, the unorganized multitude are surrounded
by compact bodies of traders in human neces
saries. Some degree of unity in the masses must
be had to insure consumers a living within wage
units.
Thirty-two cents a day for feeding county jail
prisoners is a-plenty, but nowhere near the imposi
tion on taxpayers that it was under our last demo
cratic sheriff, before food price boosts. The Bee,
however, still insists it is not a question of price,
but of profit that the sheriff should not make
anything out of boarding the jailbirds, but should
furnish the meals and let the county reimburse
him at actual cost We know this is not the law,
as it now stands, but the law should be amended.
The Forest Fire Menace
By Frederic J. Haskin
Washington, Sept. 9. Reports reaching the
headquarters of the forest Service here show that
the northwest is having one of the worst fire sea
sons in years. Millions of feet of spruce, which
is the best wood for making airplanes, are de
stroyed or threatened. Meanwhile the forest serv
ice has suspended important constructive work to
fight fires. In Montana and northern Idaho the
fire fighting army has numbered 2,000 men and it
is costing $15,000 a day to keep it in the field. At
that it is merely preventing the spread of the dam
age to some extent. Nothing but the fall rains
can put the fires out.
Not only national forests, but great areas of
privately-owned timber are involved in these fires.
In fact, they are the greatest menace, for during
the last fifteen years the forest service has built
up a system of fire fighting that keeps the num
ber of fires originating upon the reserves down to
a surprisingly small number and a small figure
for damages.
In the matter of fires prevention is of the first
importance and the finding of fires before they
have attained dangerous size is second, but at the
same time there must be an organization and a
method ready for the great fire that gets beyond
control.
Every year the forest service is extending the
network of roads, trails and telephone lines and
every additional mile of these means of communi
cation is a mile of fire protection. For by means
of them warning can be given and the fire reached.
Along many of the trails are tool boxes containing
the axes, mattocks and other tools necessary for
fighting a fire. They are simply marked United
States property and no one molests them. "The
tool box" is now a landmark often referred to
throughout the forest reserves.
Even more important than roads and trails is
a fair and reasonable attitude on the part of the
people who live on and about the forests and in
this matter, too, there is great and rapid improve
ment. In many parts of the west the forest serv
ice has encountered hostility. It has varied all
the way from open attacks on forestry officers and
the deliberate setting of fires to disregard of fire
warnings and a surly refusal of co-operation.
Everywhere now this attitude is passing and
only in a few of the most remote regions does the
forest service have to contend with vandalism or
open hostility.
Naturally when it comes to fighting a big fire
the kind and amount of co-operation that the
service gets from the people is the deciding fac
tor in the struggle. The chief difficulty, of course,
is in organizing a large force on short notice. The
officers of the Taos national forest in New Mex
ico are particularly fortunate in this regard. On
the edge of the national forest is the pueblo and
reservation of the Taos Indians. In addition to
rich farm and pasture lands they own a splendid
timbered canyon which cuts right into the national
forest. The forest service has an agreement with
these Indians by which they are to fight all fires
in f he forest in return for the protection given
their timber lands by the government.
When a fire breaks out on the Taos forest the
supervisor merely sends to the war chief of the
pueblo (who is still elected every year, although
the pueblo has not been at war for two genera
tions) and tells him how many men are needed,
The war chief shouts an order from the roof of
the pueblo and within a few minutes that number
of Indians mounted on their fleet ponies are off
for the scene of the fire.
The king pin of the fire fighting system is the
fire guard. During the seasons of danger he lives
as near as possible to the top of some high peak,
from which the fainest tinge of smoke may be
seen on any part of his jurisdiction. He has one
Of the lonelieet jobs in the world.
The most important equipment of the fire
guard is a ntap of the forest, which is fastened
so that the directions upon the map are actually
those of the compass. Fastened to the point from
which the guard is making his observation is a
needle moving like a compass needle upon a pivot.
When the guafrd sights a fire he carefully aims
thi- needle at it, then telephones to another guard
er ranger station. This second man will also taker
a line on the smoke and will communicate it to
the first man. By a simple process of triangula
tlon (which you can figure out for yourself) either
of them can now mark the exact location of the
fire upon the map. This information is telephoned
to headquarters and men and tools are rushed to
the spot.
Railroads start a great many fires in spite of
their best efforts not to do so and incendiaries no
doubt start a few. The blame for most of others
falls upon the camper. Consequently every ef
fort is made to inculcate in him an appreciation
of the need for care. The old "forest fife warn
ings," reciting the terrific penalties that are vis
ited upon those who start fires are now seldom
seen. They didn't do much good because of the
difficulty of ever proving who started a fire. The
camper is now appealed to upon his honor as a
gentleman, a sportsman and a lover of the out
doors to behave himself. He is requested not
only to put out his campfires, but to burn his
trash, observe the game law and not catch more
fish than he needs to eat. The fact is impressed
upon him that .there are two kinds of campers,
that he is the right kind, of course, and must act
accordingly.
Our Fighting Men
Ell B. Hoyle.
Brigadier General Eli B. Hoyle, U. S. A., who
has been called from retirement to take command
Of the Department of the East, has often been
pointed to as an ideal American soldier. He was
born at Canton, Ga., sixty-six years ago and in
his sixty-fourth year was retired for age. He
graduated from West Point in 187S snd from the
Artillery school in 1880. In the war with Spain
he served as chief ordnance officer of volunteers.
Later he saw service in the Philippines. General
Hoyle married the daughter of a United States
army officer, the late General R. E. DeRussy.
He has a son and four sons-in-law who are cap
tains in the army and his brother-in-law is Gen
eral Arthur Murray, who has just been given com
mand of the Western department.
William H. Carter.
Major General William H. Carter, who has
been called from retirement to take command of
the Central department with headquarters at Chi
cago, was in charge of the same department six
years ago, before he went on the retired list.
General Carter was born in Nashville, Tenn.. in
1851 and graduated from West Point in 1873.
After leaving the military academy he was as
signed to the Sixth cavalry and soon rose to a
captaincy. He was awarded a medal by con
gress for distinguished bravery in action against
the Apache Indians at Cibicu Creek, Ariz., Au
gust 30, 1881. He served at Santiago and later
was in command' of the Department of Hawaii.
General Carter has served two details on the
general staff and is the author of several books
on military matters.
People and Events
Minneapolis politicians anticipate a boom in
that section for Robert La Follette for president
as the champion of the "party of discontent."
Formal launching of the boom is predicted early
next month at a projected convention of peace
advocates, pro-Germans and I. V. W. sympa
thizers, all of whom are hot for Bob.
"Don't bother about me. Going to war will
make a man of you." That was all the satisfaction
Jesse Frankenburg, a Chicago draft dodger got
from his desserted wife, when he appealed to her
to back up his dependency claim. Jesse was
rounded up after filing a bogus affidavit. "I have
two brothers who enlisted," she continued, "and
I am a real patriot You know I bought a Liberty
bond and -joined the Red Cross and can support
myself." Thus the wife cheerily shifted her re
form job on the army,
1TOPANH
One Year Ago Today In the War.
Austrian seaplanes attacked Venice.
Russians made heavy attacks In
East Galicia and on the lower Stokhod
river.
French stormed entire German
first line on four-mile front In Combles
region.
In Omaha Thirty Years Ago.
Mrs. Alfred Sorenson and children
have returnad from a brief visit to
Denver.
St. Joseph's Catholic church, corner
Ninth and Center, was dedicated.
While John Nelson of the Herald
business office was coasting down
Harney street on a bicycle he was run
Into by an Inebriated Individual, the
result being that John took a violent
header into the street.
The Omaha Business college
scooped In every premium offered at
the fair best display, best pen draw
ing, original work and also plain pen
manship. T. F. Elliott Is In South Omaha rep
resenting an eastern syndicate which
contemplates erecting seventy-five
tenement houses there as soon as they
can secure proper locations.
The intersection of Twenty-fourth
and L Is entirely Impassable with any
kind of a vehicle since the graders
have been at work there and left after
completing the roadway.
Chief Seavey of the Omaha police
and County Attorney Simeral took a
drive to Council Bluffs.
George Mercer, son of Dr. Mercer,
has gone to Peekskill, N. Y., to at
tend the military school there.
Edmund B. Gaze, one of the most
successful salesmen In the employ of
D. M. Steele & Co., has left for a two
months' trip to Europe, accompanied
by Professor Butler of Trinity cathedral.
This Day in IHsTory.
1777 General Gates with the
northern army encamped at the
mouth of the Mohawk river.
1788 Commodore John T. Shu
brlck, celebrated naval commander In
the war of 1812, born at Bull's Island,
S. C. Lost at sea with the "Epervler"
In 1815.
1806 Andrew Hull Foote, famous
union naval commander in the civil
war, born at New Haven, Conn. Died
in New York City, June 26, 1863.
1814 British advancing on Balti
more were repulsed at North Point.
1815 Richard J. Gatling, famoun
as the Inventor of the machine gun
which bears his name, born In Hert
ford county, North Carolina. Died in
New York, February 26, 1903.
I860 William Walker, the filibus
ter, was court-martialed and shot by
the Honduras government.
1876 Henry A. Wise, governor of
Virginia 1856-60, died in Richmond.
Born December 3, 1806.
1914 Allies advanced against Ger
man entrenchments on the Aisne.
1915 Austrians rushed reinforce
ments to the Italian front.
Tho Day We CelebratcT 7 "V
Carl J. Ernst assistant treasurer for
the Burlington at Omaha, was born
September 12, 1864, at Goerllts, Prus
sia. He was formerly with the com
pany at Lincoln, has served one term
as regent of the University of Ne
braska and Is now president of the
Omaha school board.
Thomas F. Stroud Is , 63 years old
today. H was born in Atlanta, I1U
and In 1894 began his present wagon
business here, which has grown to
large proportions now under the name
of T. F. Stroud & Co., of which he is
president.
Rt Hon. H. H. Asqulth, former
prime minister of Great Britain, born
in Yorkshire sixty-five years ago to
day. Dr. Francis E. Clark, f oundeY and
head of the United Society of Chris
tian Endeavor, born at Aylmer, Que
bec, sixty-six years ago today.
Milton 11. Smith, president of the
Louisville & Nashville railroad, born
In Chautauqua county, New York,
eighty-one years ago today.
Florence Kelley, general secretary
of the Consumers' league, born in Phil
adelphia fifty-eight years ago today.
Hannls Taylor, former United States
minister to Spain, born at New Bern,
N. C, sixty-six years ayo today.
Henrys J. Allen, Wichita editor, who
has announced his candidacy for the
governorship of Kansas, born in War
ren county, Pennsylvania, forty-nine
years ago today.
Timely Jottings and Reminders.
The Army and Navy union today be
gins its eighteenth biennial encamp
ment in Baltimore.
A one-day session of the American
Institute of Banking is to be held in
Chicago today, taking the place of the
annual convention to have been held
In Denver.
Four socialist and labor leaders of
Seattle are to be placed on trial today
on a charge of seditious conspiracy
and use of the mails to Incite resist
ance against the selective dratt law.
A municipal parade is to be given
In Baltimore today in celebration of
"Old Defenders' Day," the anniversary
of the battle of North Point, where the
Marylanders successfully repulsed the
British during the war of 1812.
The Navajo fire dance, a four days'
ceremony and one of the most sacred
of Navajo customs It Is held only
once in seven years Is to open today
at Lakeview, stxty-flve miles north of
Thoreau, N. M.
To Increase the capacity of mints
for coining subsidiary silver, now at
the limit, a meeting of the heads of
the various minta and superintendents
of the government refineries has been
called by Director Baker to meet at
San Francisco today.
Storyette of the Day.
Howard Chandler Christy, illus
trator, was walking down the street
when he was overtaken by a dog that
began to snap at his heels. Its mis
tress made no effort to call it off, so
he turned and gave the dog an ad
monitory kick.
"Brute!" cried the woman, "to kick
a little defenseless animal! That little
creature is a pet and Is not accus
tomed to such treatment."
"I beg your pardon, madam," re
plied Mr. Christy. "I did not mean to
hurt your dog. But you should have
called him off."
"He would not have hurt you." re
plied the woman in a grieved tone.
"He is a pet."
"I did not care to be bitten by him,
nevertheless, madam," returned Mr.
Christy. "I am 'somewhat of a fa
vorite at hom myself." Pittsburgh
Chronicle-Telegraph.
AROUND THE CITIES.
Telephones amll enough for both tfana
mittar and a receiver to be carried in a veat
pocket are a Dutch invention.
Siamese flsbtrroen use boat with low,
loping white aidea that frighten fish ao that
they leap over tha aide into waiting neta.
A hsmmock-ahaped llfesaving buoy haa
been invented in Europe, large enough for
a man to He in and paddle himself along in
the water.
An offaet rib to be attached to a shotgun
barrel has been invented to enable a man
to aim with his left eye while holding the
gun normally.
Question for Mr. Schmidt.
Omaha, Sept 8. To the Editor of
The Bee: I have- been a subscriber
to your paper for something ever
twenty years and am quite a hand to
read your Bee Letter Box.
Mr. George A. Schmidt In his letter
to The Bee Letter Box dated Septem
ber 1 tells about Rockefeller develop
ing the oil industry and bringing out
or causing the discovery of gasoline
and other kindred products that make
for commercial Industries, etc. He
also speaks of alkali refining in East
Omaha.
I would like to know something
about how to treat potash-laden waters
other than by evaporation to obtain
potash. I believe it can be done by
a mechanical device and if I had the
time to invest as well as money I would
give it a test. Evaporation is slow and
if my Idea would work out the pro
duction of potash would be Increased
and time and money saved. It might
be that Mr. Schmidt could give me
some Information on this subject.
S. H. COLE.
if
Farmer States His Case.
Peru, Neb., Sept. 7. To the Editor
of The Bee: I have just read the
article In The Bee where Neal scores
the man who holds wheat for high
prices.
Now I think Mr. Neal Is rather pre
mature in applying the word slacker
to the farmer just at this time, for
I think the farmer should have been
given time to take up his belt after
the government hit him such a Jolt in
the wheat bin. I am a farmer and
belong to the majority of real farm
ers In Nebraska a renter and I am
pretty well acquainted with the feel
ing among the farmers in this com
munity respecting government price
fixing, and I have yet to hear any word
of complaint from any farmer who has
expressed himself as dissatisfied with
tha government fixing the price on
farm products, providing the govern
ment will fix a fair price on the arti
cles that the farmer has to buy, and
I know of no farmer who is asking for
more than market price for wheat for
seed. 1 sold my wheat for $2.25 a
bushel, and delivered it, from the
threshing machine when it was worth
$2.65 on the market. I kept in the
bin at home fifty bushels of wheat for
flour for family use, and if any farmer
wants this fifty bushels of wheat for
seed he can have it at market price,
and I can tell him of other farmers
of the neighborhood who will sell all
the wheat they have for seed at mar
ket price.
Mr. Neal seems to get the idea that
because the farmers did not haul their
wheat to market the next day after
the government took charge of the
wheat buying that they are slackers,
profiteers and enemies to the govern
ment. On behalf of farmers of Ne
braska I resent such accusations and
contend that the farmer is just as
willing to do his bit and Just a loyal
to the government as any other class
of men as evidenced by the boys
from the farm who have volunteered
their services to their country. I have
no objection to Mr. Neal or anyone
else applying the word "slacker" to a
real slacker, but do not think he is
justified in calling the farmer a slacker
just at this time and think he has done
more harm than good for all slack
ers are not farmers ahd when the
government fixes prices on the articles
which the farmer has to "buy there
will be no complaint from the farmer.
The farmer will be found doing his
bit willingly and without complaint
no matter what the sacrifice.
As an evidence of slackers and profi
teers, I call your attention to the Im
plement dealers and manufacturers of
shoes and leather goods; also sugar
manufacturers. When Mr. Hoover
came to look over the food situation
he told us that we ought not to be
paying more than 6 per 100 for
sugar; yet we are paying from $9 to
$10 per 100 for it. As another instance
of profiteering, our local implement
dealer sold a certain cultivator for J31
until he hati sold all he had ordered
for his spring trade, and to supply his
customers after that he ordered them
at the wholesale house at Omaha or
Council Bluffs, each time with an in
crease in price, until the last cultiva
tor he sold oost the purchaser $36. I
don't believe the last cultivator ordered
had cost any more to place on the
market than the first one, as there
were only a few days between the sale
of the first cultivator and the last
one and no doubt the last cultivator
ordered was in stock in the warehouse
When the first cultivator ordered was
shipped; therefore It had cost nobody
an extra penny.
Now I am wearing a pair of com
mon work shoes that I paid $3 for
just about two years ago. That same
shoe today would cost me $5. Two
years ago I shipped a cow hide that
sold for 17 cents & pound. Last April
I sold another cow hide, equally as
good, for 17 cents a pound. Now
here are some places where I think
Mr. Neal can uSe his branding iron.
Now Mr. Neal may brand the slack
ers wherever he finds them, but farm
ers will not submit to the branding
iron unless he brands a few of the
other slackers. As evidence that I am
not a slacker, I volunteered my serv
ices and served on the registration
board of my precinct. I purchased a
Liberty bond, I contributed to the
Young Men's Christian association
fund, to the Red Cross fund and to
the base ball fund for the boys. I
also have two sons who volunteered
heir services; one Is in Company B,
the other in Company D, Fifth Ne
braska regiment and am still ready
to do my bit and If I am to be branded
a slacker would first like to see what
a fellow who is not a slacker looks
like. O. TUCKER. f
FIGHTING THE KAISER.
(New York Sun.)
Bring out the good old bugle, boys: we'll
sing another song;
Sing it with a spirit that will start the
world along:
Sing It aa we soon will slag It, many mil
lions strong,
When we go fighting the kaiser.
How the Tommies will be shouting when
they hear the Joyful sound:
How the Poilus all will Jabber with the new
friends they have found;
How the Boches all will sramper to their
holes down in the ground.
When we go fighting the kaiser.
Yes, and there'll he Sammy boys who'll
weep wiui juj iui s
vhn th.v the honored flag they have
not seen for years;
Hardly will they bo restrained from break
ing forth with cheers,
When we go fighting the kaiser.
Pershing's dashing Sammy boys will never
rros the line.
So the siuoy Boches say, they'll show us up
this time.
Have they not forgot, alas! we're making
for the Rhine,
When we go fighting the kals?r?
So we'll make a thoroughfare for Freedom
and her train,
All the way front Belgium to old Alsace
Lorraine; Autocracy will flee before us, for resiJtnce
Is in vain.
When we go fighting the kaiser,
t
Chorus:
To France! to Franco! sjid on to Germany,
To France! to France and fight for Liberty.
So we'll ting the chorus on the way across
the sea,
When wo go fighting the kaiser.
.ggy'.-.'jgcy
vv 1
A Concrete Garage-
Is Fire-Proof -And
IPs Permanent
YOUR automobile represents a
large investment. That investment
should bava perfect protection against the
ever present fire hazard.
The concrete garage Is fire-proof. When
jrou ilace your ear under the protection of
concrete, you have taken the best and cheap
est means of removing the danger of fire,
for the concrete garage is not expensive,
Extremely reasonable in coat. Requires no
upkeep expense, no repairs, no repainting.
Concrete is by far thecheapastin the long run.
And beantyT The concrete garage Is
the aristocrat of the back yard. Nothing
more attractive is appearance can be built
for the purpose.
Portland Cement
' la akA imI Mnrint Am, avev
standpoint. Dewey-bofit structure
Insure good looka, low con
protection against fire, and
permanence.
Look for the
Dewey Sign
See the Dewey Dealer and
let him tell yon about
Dewey Cement in per
manent construction.
He baa bulletin on
Concrete Garages,
or will get It for
you.
SKIN TROUBLES
That Itch and Burn
Quickly Relieved by
CUTICURA SOAP
and Ointment 25c Each
Don't Neglect
your stomach. Keep it strong
and well. When food disa
grees with it, strengthen it with
rani
mm
Ursatt Sale el Aay Medicine in the World.
Sold ever where. In boxes, 10c. 25.
Our Country's Telephone
Needs Are Served First
At the etttrafice of this nation la the great war, the Bell
Telephone System pledged Its entire serrlce, its equipment
and its men, unreservedly, to the government.
The government's telephone calls are given right-of-way
over private messages and the government's requirements
for men, for switchboards, wire, telephones and other
equipment are served ahead of private requests.
Won't you patriotically co-operate by
asking only for equipment you must
OCX ng OUR irrj have, and make only such local or long
1 1 ii1 distance calls as are absolutely neces
VVJy sarv?
NEBRASKA TELEPHONE CO.
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 "War Papers."
Name f
Street Address.
City.....
State.