ThE'O
Sunday Bee
MAHA
VOL. L-NO. 89.
Fnt.r.d if 8Moa-CliM Mr Mv 2$. IMS. it
Onaha P. 0. Uad.r Act ot Maroh 3. 179.
OMAHA, SUNDAY MORNING, MARCH 13, 1921.
B Mail (t yaar). la.ltfa 4lh Z.m, Dally Sunday. It: Dally Only. St unday. 14
Outild. 4tli 2o (I yiar). Dally and Suaday, lit; DH Oaly. II J; Suaday Only. J
TEN CENTS
rz rn
fl IS IE II
a '
mm
I
Give Order
For Arrest
of Claridge
Missing Blaif Banker to Be
Charged "With Violating j
State Laws on Four j
Counts.
Davis Conducts Probe
Blair, Neb., March 12. (Special.)
Violation of the state blinking
laws in four specific instances will
he the charge filed against F. H.
Claridge, missing president of the
banking house of A. Castetter here,
with a warrant for his arrest, accord
ing to Clarence A, Davis, attorney
general.
Mr. Davis, who is here with the
state bank examiner, investigating
the condition of the bank, t.ays the
warrant will be issued immediately
on the completion of the iuvestiga
tfon. t
His investigation 1 revealed there
was $16,000 in cash on; deposit 'at
the bank. This money was dis
tributed among three other banks
for safe keeping.. Much worthless
paper was also discovered, Mr.
Davis said. -
Friends Caused Failure.
Friendship, augmented by exces
sive financial accommodations to his
follow men by F. H. Claridge, miss
ing bank president, is the real cause
of the wrecking of the banking house
of A. Castetter here.
Seventy-five per cent 'of the funds
lost, which rough estimates now
place at nearly $00,000, was due to
friendship, and the other 25 per cent
;o real estate investments, according
to old-time residents here.'
Clarence A. Davis, attorney gen
eral of -Nebraska, and J'. E Hart,
secretary of the department of trade
iiiid commerce, with Gus Hyers, state
sheriff, are here today and declare
tl.ey will have completed their inves
tigation of the affairs of the bank by
night.' '
Opinon in the community is divid
ed with reference to confidence in
l H. Claridge, the missing president
and son-in-law of the founder of the
f an king House of Castetter.
" Thwe ee orobably 25 men here
today iV ho have done business with
Claridge and who, if they knew
where Claridge now is, would send
hint enough money to make good his
losses ami back him in a new start,
Recording to the spokesmen for the
pioneer residents who maintain their
confidence in the missing banker.
In Absolutje Control. '
Claridge held absolute control over
the affairs of the bank, according to
Kdward Carrigan and Dr. Maurice
Nielsen, pioneer residents here, al
though he held but 15 shares of the
Rank's stock, while the direct heirs
of A. Castetter, the founder, held the
balance. . ,
Mrs. Claridge held 208 1-3 shares
Mrs. F. M. Castetter. held 360
shares; Mrs. B. F. Haller, a daugh
ter now dead, held 208 1-3 shares,
and Mrs. Joe Nash, another daugh-
.... utA tiai.1 chares.
thus while heirs of the founder of.
the bank held 98a , shares ot tnc
stock, and Claridge held Is (Shares,
he held sway over the destnr; ot the
bank and mounted to a pos tion ot
one-man-power in Blair.
Came A Clerk.
Claridge came to Blair from Bos
ton as a youthful bank clerk years
ago. He soon won the confidence of
his fellow citizens and builded for
himself a reputation unimpeachable.
"He never speculated in oil, never
gambled, never played the stock
market," said Dr. Nielsen.
"The wrecking of the bank centers
on his friendship for farmers whom
he aided through their financial
straits."
Claridge was the leader in Blair
society and civic affairs, but never
entered politics. Although the
pioneers here say he could have been
elected to any Vffice.
- "Claridge will come back." is ths
by word on the lips of all his frintds
here.: Nobody knows where he is
and nobody knows when he'lf he
back, but everyone declares he will
come back.
Still Holds Confidence.
Utter confidence is held in the last
day against the American Meat Cut
ters' and Butchers" Workmen of
lines 6l the note he left his wife
when he dropped from sight: "I'll
come back."
"Claridge has undoubtedly gone
to some country where there is no
extradition treaty. in existence with
he United States." says Carrigan,
who. apparently, is not so sure of
Claridges good intentions. v
Down in the exclusive section oi
this little city are tvyo houses side
bv side. In ont lives Mrs. Claridge.
w'ife of the missing president. Next
door lives Mrs. Castetter.
Neither womatrhas been seen on
the street $toce the failure of, the
bank. They are keeping to he se
clnrion of their homes.
What is left oi the Castetter estate
will never make good the losses the
bank has incurred.
Up, until two years ago, the bank
was sound. But the recent crash
did not come suddenly.
The bank's affairs have been de
clining for two years, ever since
Claridge began helping - farmers
through financial stringencies.
The remote cause of the failure of
the bank, according to the "pioneers
who have watched the affairs of the
bank for many years, was the crash
in the grain market which left farm
ers unable to meet their notes.
Claridge borrowed heavily from
personal friends to help out his
(Tvi to Fi Tno Column One.)
Hoover is Real
Hard Work His Qtfby
New Secretary of Commeroe
!v Secretary oi (Jommeroe viaraing uao
Urges Standardization of All Industries Say,
Problem of Getting Jam of Goods Mov
ing is Biggest Problem.
i
(By E1K WITNESS.)
Chicago Tribune-Omaha Bee Leased Wire.
Washington, Starch 12. "I have no
hobby exoept work." Herbert Haover.
"Thle administration has too darn much
energy. I'll tell the world Mlntah Hoover
ure is a go-getter, but I wish aomebody'd
tearU him how to rest a little bit. It
wn't this w ay In the old days!'
Keover'e Aged Colored Doorkeeper.
It is Hoover's thought and not his
personality that commands here.
His personality is pale; his voice
light, his face round, boyish, unlined,
his manner unaffected and unspoiled.
He likes the phrase "here's a typi
cal case," and that phrase helps to
characterize him, for lie is ever con
crete. "In the long view," is another of
his favorites.
"In the long view," he said, "we
are going to mecr from Europe a de
gree of competition we have never
met before. . To meet it means great
er national efficiency."
Without further preamble, he
brought in the concrete illustration
of what would contribute : to such
efficiency, saying, "an electric rail
way from-here to Bangfcr (I think it
was Bangor anyway some such big
coast town) would effect a saving
of 30,000,000 to 50,000,000 tons of
coal per- annum."
Views on Shipping.
And again, when he was touching
the multifarious and interrelated
problems ofToreign trade and ship
ping board and internal transporta
tion, came this:
"Transportation does not end at
seaboard and we ought tom consider
these steamship lines as just an ex
tension to our internal transporta
tion. And still again, very concrete in
the matter of crying economic scan
dal of I non-standardization in a
hundred lines readily capable of it:
"There are 11 different sizes of
automobile wheels in this country.
Four would meet the requirements
of the trade .without sacrifice to ex
cellence of production. . To reduce
this number of Sizes would reduce
needs and storage costs, etc., one
half. It took 10 years to agree on a
standard car coupling, jii4his. coun
try. Attainment otTa" standard car
wheel meant equal effort and. time
and the work is not yet done. What '
Auto Men Are Busy
Preparing for Show
Auditorium Scene of Great
Activity as Exhibitors Wind
Up Preparations.
Exhibitors were busy yesterday ar
ranging their displays in the Audi
torium preparatory to the opening
of the Omaha .Automobile show,
Monday. Installation of booths
and exhibits continue ' into the
night in order to have all exhibits
ready for the opening. The decora
tions, which crashed to the floor
of the stage Friday afternoon, have,
been replaced and all decorating has
been finished.
The decorations this year, carry
ing out a cobpr scheme of green and
silver with a myriad of electric
lights throughout the Auditorium
and annex, arc more pretentious
than ever. The decorating was
done by the Burgess-Nash company.
"The show will open on time
Monday," Manager Towcll said to
day. "I have manage the' Omaha
Auto Show for IS years an (11 can.
honest'y say this will be the best
of all."
Imperial Orange. Council of
World to Meet in Canada
Winnipeg, March 12. The Im
perial Orange Council of the World
will hold its convention here in 1923,
George P. McReedy, deputy grand
master of the Orange lodge of Man
itoba, announced today. He said
several thousand delegates from all
parts of the world probably ' would
attend.
Denies Reports Indians
Forced Into Citizenship
Ottawa. March 12. Denial was
made hv D. C. Scott, dcputy.minister
of Indian affairs, that the Dominion
government was forcing Indians to
take out citizenship papers.
"Ve never endeavored to use com
pulsion," he said, "and wc do not
intend to do so now."
WHERE TO FIND
' The Big Features of
THE SUNDAY BEE
Trailing the Rum Hounds in
Omaha Part 4, Page 1.
Photos of Omaha Night life
Rotogravure Section, Page 1.
Married Life of Helen and War
ren Part 4, Page 8.
Speed Work on Cruiser Omaha at
Tacoma Yards Part 4, Page 2.
"Light and Shadow". Photographs
of Movie Stars Rotogravure Sec
tion, Page 2. '
Letters of a Horrle-Made Father
to His Son Part 4, (Page 8.
Gibson Cartoon Part 4, Page 8.
Blue Law Jazz, by Montague
Part 1, Page 10.
. Heart Secrets of a Fortune Teller
Part 2, Page 8.
Automobile News and Photo
graphs Parts 5 and 6.
Sport Njuis and Features Part 3.
"Go-GetK
iarding Cabinet
s
we need is an industrial or economic
esperanto. Take f. o. b. Merchants
of this country mean two things
when they say that. What we want
to do is to have them get together
and say what they do mean.
Standard Building Code.
"So much of this need not be gov
ernmental. Why not voluntary
standardized action? If we could get
a standard modern building code it
would tontributc substantially to re
duce building costs. Simplify things
in common every day use. but not at
tlte sacrifice of quality. Standardize
qualities. The foreign trade tendency
is to refuse goods from the Uilitcd
States and the quibble is usually
based on quality."
Mr. Hoover wants a much elab
orated bureau of domestic commerce
and points of contact between it and
the trade. "Take a tip," he said.
"Wc want a business functionary
here from the leather trade" and
he went on to tell why from the
leather trade especially.
Hoover s favorite pastime is vvofWjL Admit Settlernent
His hatreds are waste and depart!-,,.. ., , . r .
n,..rNr.n,-no' Tt; j,imi ntw While Mrs.. Brandeis refused to re-
good government good administra
tion I mean is one $5,000 a year
man doing a man's work instead of
five $1,000 a year "poor little clerks
puttering about."
"Yes, but," said one of his listen
ers, "if you had the $5,000 a year job
to give, you'd have to have the con
gressman's brother to fill it."
Going Down to Roots.
"Its my belief this administration
is going to take its courage in its
hands and not worry about discharg
ing a few poor little clerks. It's
going to go to the roots of things
and find out in its work for reorgan
ization what the purpose of such a
department as this for example is.
So long as a department has nine
different purposes it's not going to
function '" competently. All thes
things are going to depend on what'
is evolved here as the theory- of
government."
The Washington correspondents
take htm seriously and. like Jo. listen
to him because he stimulates them
and opens up vistas of news. Dis-
(Turn to Tage Two, Column Two.)
Belgian Patrols
; Leave Hanjborn
This Action Has Tended to i
Ease Situation at
' ' Duisburg.
Dusselford, March 12. (By The
Associated Press.) Belgian patrols,
which took control of the rural com
mune of Hamborn on Wednesday
night, have been removed and this
action on the part of.the allied com
mand has tended to ease the situa
tion at Duisburg. ,
Officials declare the patrols were
thrown out merely to protect the
town of Duisburg, but the advance
of the, Belgians inspired belief on
the part of .the Germans that the
allied lines might be extended im
mediately. Assertion is made in official quar
ters that such a move is not planned.
Restaurants, cafes, cabarets, wine
rooms, and theaters of Dusselford
are cheerfully catering to a record
patronage, which is not particularly
affected by the ringing of the cur
few at 10 o'clock in the evening.
Crowds throng the streets until mid
night and are apparently in the best
of spirits.
Erie Road Restores
Wages Recently Cut
New York, March 12. Reductions
in wages of common labor, put into
effect by the Erie railroad on Jan
uary 31, have been wiped out and
the former wage schedule restored, it
was announced here today" at the gen
eral offices of the company.
The company statement said that
a "slightly improved condition of
business" permitted payment of the
old scale.
The railroad labor board recently
condemned action of the road for not
first submitting the proposed reduc
tions to it for approval and ordered
restoration of the former scalcv
The announcement said that the
road now would formally submit the
whole question of wages to the rail
way labor board.
George Harvey Decided on v
As Ambassador to England
"'Washington. March 12. George
Harvey of New York, editor of
Harvey's Weekly, is understood to
have been definitely selected by Pres
ident Harding as American ambassa
dor to London to succeed John W.
Davis, who is now returning home.
The nomination may go to the sena'te
before the present extraordinary ses
sion ends.'
Indians .Want Nebraskan
Named as Commissioner
Washington, larch 13. Thirty
five Indians, some of them in tribal
uniform, called at the White Houe
today to recommend the appoint
ment of Thomas L. Sloan of Ne
braska as Indian commissioner,
They came from various western
states,
' I -
Brandeis'
Wife Admits
Settlement
Young Woman Says Agree
! ment Was Made Before Fil
ing Divorce Suit Against
Millionaire Omahan.
Exact Sum Not Revealed
Los Angeles, Cal., March 12.
(Special Telegram.) "Even if I do
receive $1,000,000 settlement in my
divorce case it is nothing to brag
iibout." I
Just these few words reveal the
story of the sensational divorce case
of Mrs. Madeline Frank Brandeis
against Erviue John Brandeis, mil
lionaire merchant of Omaha.
For the first time since she filed
suit for divorce in Omaha, Mrs.
Brandeis, who is residing at the ex
clusive Beverly Hills hotel, a fashion
able southern California resort, ad
mitted today she had made a settle
ment with Brandeis previous to ask-
i ing a decree, basing ncr action on
3ihc grounds of extreme cruelty.
veal the exact amount, it is reported
in Los Angeles that $300,000 has
been given by Brandeis as a trust
fund for his daughter and that the
vAc is to receive several hundred
thousand dollars as the result of a
settlement reached prior to the filing
! of the decree for divorce. Mrs.
Brandeis refused at first to talk of
the divorce suit, but finally consented
to answer a few questions.
"Yes. I understand reports are in
circulation to the effect a settlement
has been reached in my suit for di
vorce which was filled in Omaha
Thursday," said Mrs. Brandeis to
day. "I am not in a position to talk
much about the case, as my attor
neys have advised me to remain quiet
until the suit conies up in court.
To Remain in West. ,
"It probably would be foolish to re
fuse to admit a settlcmen has been
reached, therefore I will say such an
agreement has been made. I intend t
remain in southern California for sonfc
time. Whether or not 4. wiu return
to Omaha before the suit is calleAfor j
trial depends upon decision of my
attorneys. I suppose such action will
be unnecessary."
Woman Attempts to
Commit Suicide by
Swallowing Poison
Said to have been despondent over
"affairs of the heart," Mrs. Edna
Elys, 29, 123 South Thirty-second
avenue, . attempted suicide in the
basement of her home yesterday
afternoon by swallowing a quantity
of liquid poison.
Miss Effie Miller, who stays at
the house, saw the woman take the
poison. Mrs. Elys' mother, Mrs. L.
Hoffman, summoned police and Dr.
Kepyon treated the victim. She will
recover.
According to Mrs. Hoffman, her
ciaughter, who separated from her
husband, had threatened for the last
few days to kill herself. The mother
said that at noon yesterday she
halted Mrs. Elys in an attempt to
commit suicide with an anaesthetic.
The attempt later in the afternoon
was said to have followed a visit by
an alleged lover of the woman. Mrs.
Elys has a 5-year-old son.
Two Credit Bureaus
Announce Combination
With the consolidation of the J.
J. Cameron credit bureau and the
Retail Credit Men's association, in
Suite 217-218 Leflang building, Six
teenth and Capitol avenue, more than
130,000 individual credit and collec
tion records are combined. The an
nouncement was made by J. J. Cam
eron and J. C. Robertson.
The Retail Credit Men's associa
tion is a private agency, in existence
10 years, and is not connected with
the Associated Retailers' Credit bu
reau, v
The Cameron Credit bureau has
been established 12 years in Omaha,
gathering and assembling credit in
formation for Omaha retail mer
chants, whdf make use of these rec
ords when opening a charge account
with a new customer.
The Retail Credit Men's associa
tion has been established 10 years
and specializes on collections for re
tail dealers and professional men.
Four American Saijors
Reported Killed in Tampico
Mexico City, March 12. Four
sailors, said to be Americans, were
killed in 'J.'ampico yesterday, accord
ing to newspaper dispatches received
here. Up to ,noon the United States
embassy here had received no re
ports of the killing other than the
newspaper advices. i
The men, who were part of the
crew of the Norwegian' ship Sazon,
wcr attacked as they were boarding
a launch, by five masked men in
another launch, the press dispatches
say. The bodies have not been re
covered. J s
New Cabinet Formed.
Madrid, March 12. Former
Premier Manuel Salazar today
formed a new cabinet to replace that
cf the late Premier Dato.
ft
Growing With 'Growing Omaha
! I I
i ' 1 ' II i i- i-ai """" ' '
Petitions Asking
Passage of Vets'
Aid Bill Circulated
Veterans of Foreign Wars
. .
Seek Signatures for Pas
sage of House Roll
No. 336.
Petitions prepared by the Veterans
of Foreign Wars, asking the state
legislature to pass House Roll No.
356, relating to ex-service men's re
lief, are being circulated, beginning
today, in Omaha and Lincoln for
signatures'.
The measure was drafted by a
committee of the Veterans of
Foreign Wars and provides for the
sale of school lands of the slate on
long term payment plan to the ex
service men of Nebraska for farms
and homes.
The money received on such sales,
under the bill, would be loaned,
along with the money which the
state has at present loaned out on
Massachusetts bonds at 3 per cent.
to the ex-service men for the term of
15 years at 5 per cent for the purpose
of improving their farms, building
homes, or entering into their own
chosen profession, business, or vo
cation. The bill also provides for institut
ing a state forestry service for the
benefit of future : development and
extend a development project de
signed to promulgate activity in dor
mant resources. Funds front the
sale of these lands would also, un
der the provision of this measure,
provide for an increased school fund
for the better education of the chil
dren of the state.
Eugenics Lecturer To
Address Mothers' Meet
Mothers only will he addressed
Monday afternoon at 3 o'clock in
the assembly room of the Y. M. C. A.
by Dr. Winfield Scott Hall, interna
tional lecturer on eugenics and sex
hygiene, of Chicago.
" Dr. Hall is spending a week in
Omaha giving a series of lectures.
This special meeting j for Omaha
mothers has been arranged by the
boys' work committee of the Y. M.
C. A., of which Supt. J. H. Beveridge
of Omaha public schools is chair
man. I
Dr. Hall will speak to the mothers
on the subjecof "Mother and Child."
He will talk on the mother's part
in teaching the great truths of life
to the children in the home.
Dr. Hall has spoken to thousands
of mothers in, America on this sub
ject. He has spent 32 years teaching
in medical colleges and universities
and is now a member of the faculty
of the college of medicine of North
western university.
Superintendent Beveridge will pre
side at the Monday afternoon meet
ing and introduce Dr. Hall to the
mothers of Omaha.
OMAHA AUTO
SHOW
March 14-19
CITY AUDITORIUM
Clarke G. Powell, Mgr.
" ' I
: . j
BfuM Methods
Used to Obtain
Murder Avowal
I District Attorney " " Admits
L
Shameful Treatment of
Youth Sentenced to Hang
To Force Confession.
Indianapolis, March 12. A copy
of an affidavit saying Deputy District
Attorney L. C. Smith of Shasta
county, California, admitted shame
ful and heartless treatment of Wil
liam Norris, 17, of Terre Haute, Ind.,
to obtain 'a murder confession,
prompted Governor McCray to ap
peal to Governor Stephens for com
mutation of the youth's death sen
tence. The affidavit was made by Record
er H. C. Moodrom of Shasta county,
according to Governor McCray's in
formation.
Norris, under he name of Arthur
Owen Davis, was sentenced to be
hanged at the San Quentin prison
on March 25 on his plea of guilty to
murder. The youth's identity Avas
learned by the prison chaplain, who
informed Indiana relatives, who with
a Terre Haute newspaper reporter,
went to California to investigate
Norris confession. The reporter
sent Governor McCray a copy of the
recorder's affidavits, which quoted
the deputy prosecutor as saying:
"The only thing I regret or hate to
think of, in fact, I admit it reluc
tantlyt is the method I used in obtain
ing the confession from Norris. I
treated him shamefully, in a heart
less, inhuman manner, but I hail to,
for I knew that without a confession
no attorney in the world would be
able tf5 convict him and even with it,
if he had had an attorney, it would
not have been the first degree
murder."
Governor McCray's message to
Governor Stephens urged commuta
tion of Norris' sentence so "sufficient
time for a new hearing" might be
given the youth.
U. S. Seeks 40 Men Here as
Auditors on Income Tax
Uncle Sam wants 40 men in
Omaha for auditors in income tax
units, to go over the returns of
large Omaha business houses Tlie
pay is $1,800 to $3,600 per year. Civil
service examinations to fill the posi
tions will be held March 23. :
"The government had to send ns
men from New York- and Washing
ton because we had no men here
to do the work," said A. B.
Eychancr.
Requirements for the job are a
high school education, at least two
years' experience in double entry
bookkeeping and age of 23 or over.
A trip to Washington for a spe
cial training course, with ,all ex
penses paid, is another iildufcement,
according to Eychancr.
Case Co. Makes 15 Per Cent
Cut in All Farm Implements
The J. I. Case company announced j
yesterday a reduction in prices of
all farm implements which it
handles, averaging 15 per cent. This
is in addition to a 10 per cent reduc
tion made several months ago.
"Costs of production did not war
rant the decrease at this time," said
C. J. Evans, Omaha branch manager,
"but the company took this step to
place necessary farm implements
within the reach' of farmers who
need them.'- '
! Packer Men Hone
For Settlement
Without Strike
Reports Indicate, However,
Workers Ready to Walk
Out if Employers Insist
On Demands.,
sIIope that there will be an ami
cable settlement of the wage contro
versy! between packing house em
ployes and employers is the unani
mous expression of the many work
ers who have visited union head
quarters on the South Side the last
few days.
Activities at headquarters are very
tranquil and in great contrast to the
scenes enacted during the recent con
ference ,pf the Amalgamated Meat
Cutters and Butcher Workmen of
North America. Official ballots are
expected to arrive tomorrow for, the
use of local members ot the union
in voting on the strike question and
'will be distributed immediately after
being received.
Although there is an earnest hope
of peaceful adjustment, expressions
fly thick and fast that the 7,500 em
ployes of the South Side packing
plants are ready to go out on strike
at the call of their leaders if the
referendum vote favors it and if the
action of the packers ordering a cut
in wages and return to a 10-hour day
is upheld. s
All union men employed in South
Side packing plants and other pack
ing plants in Iowa, Nebraska, South
and North Dakota, under the juris
diction of Jacob II. Davis, district
president, have been ordered to re
port for work Monday morning as
usual and to remain at their jobs
until further notice. No trouble is
anticipated Monday and there arc no
signs of disorder.
"I am satisfied the whole matter
will be settled satisfactorily to both
sides," said Mr. Davis, "and I cer
tainly hope the men will not be com
pelled to strike to uphold the prin
ciples of an eight-liour day, for which
we have fought for many years."
Amass meeting has been called
for tomorrow night, which will be
held at union headquarters, Twenty
fifth and M streets, where the men
will be told bv their leaders the ex
act status of affairs.
Managers and officials of local
packing plants positively refused yes
terday to make any statements ex
cept that they were "watchfully wait-ing-
Irish Republican Army
Loses Six Men in Attack
Mobil!, Ireland. March 12. Thirty
men of the Bedfordshire regiment,
while proceeding from Canicck-on-Shanhon
to Ballingmore l-'riday eve
ning, were ambushed and attacked
with rifle fire and bombs. The mili
tary returned the fire with the result
that six of the attackers were killed
and one was mortally wounded. The
six men killed were attired in uni
forms of the Irish republican army.
The Weather
Forecast.
Sunday fair; not much change in
temperature.
Hourly Temperatures.
5 a. m . .
8 m . .
.? a. m. .
ft a. m . .
m . .
10 . m..
It . m..
..Si ; I p.
..WIS p.
. . s I s p.
..SI I 4 p.
ft p.
.. ft p.
.m r p.
12 noon ,
.U3 I 8 p. m.
Davis Will
Represent
Government
Employers Accpt Offer of
Services of Labor Depart
ment to Avert Threat
ened Strike.
Each Side to Name 2 Men
By Th AMOclnted FrM.
Chicago, March 12. After an all-
day discussion by heads of the
packing industry, a telegram was
sent Secretary of Labor Davis at
Washington accepting his suggestion
that they send two representatives
to confer with him and two repre
sentatives of the employes regarding
the situation in the industry.
The telegram signed by Armour
& Co., said:
"Your message received. Will be
glad to follow your suggestion." '
A statement given out said:
''We assume that the justice and
necessity of Ayagc cuts wi" :ot be
an issue. Nor can there justly be
an issue on the matter of hours."
Secretary Davis' offer of personal
mediation in an effort to avert a
threatened strike also was accepted
by the union leaders, Dennis Lane of
the Amalgamated Meat Cutters and
Butchejr Workmen of North Amer
ica sending a telegram to him. It .
said: '
"It has always been and is, the
policy of our organization to co
operate with all governmental agen
cies. We accept your tender uf
services to work out a solution of
the situation which has been brought
about by the deliberate and arbitrary
violation and repudiation by the five
big packers, of the agreement be-
tween your department, our and
other labor organizations and the.
packers.
Suggest March' 18.
"Ve note that you sprtify no date
for conference and we have informa
tion that the packers contemplate
taking advantage of that fact. Tbis
and the other organizations who are
parties to the agreement between
your department and the packers,
will arrange to select representatives
to attend a conference when you set
a date. We suggest such confer
ence be held in Washington, March
18."
The statement issued by the pack- .
ers does not mention the wartime ar
bitration agreement adopted Febru
ary 26 and says regarding the an
nounced reduction of wages and re
adjustment of working hours, that
"except through such measures as
we have adopted the possibility of in
dustrial difficulties that might close
cur plants would stare you in the
face," It says:
"The nation's insistence on a re
turn to normal and its refusal to ,
pay our war prices in peace times
has caused prices of our products to
drop to what are practically prewar
levels. This has forced the price o
live stock down to a point which
threatens the existence of the live
stock industry. Our own business
has been conducted at a loss for two
years, but our operating expenses re
mained at the wartime peak. Wage
reductions, therefore, are essential,
not only from, the employers stand
point but from the standpoint of live
stock producers, who are having to
bear with us the losses.
Wages Not an Issue. '
"We assume that the justice and
necessity of wage cuts will not be
an issue. Nor can there justly be
an issue on hours. These companies
are not responsible for the fluctua-1
tions in live stock receipts fluctua
tions illustrated by the fact that on
some days there have been less than
1,000 cattle on the Chicago market,
while on other days there are 49,000.
It is obvious that a work day of a
definite number of hours cannot meet
such conditions. There are bound
to be days when employes will work
only a few hours, just ks there will
(Turn to Ie Klgbt. Column ThrM.)
Ira Jones Back From Meet :
0f Recreation Men in N. J,
"Chicago spends $700,000 for re
creation, including community cen
ters," declared Ira Jones, recreation
director of the city park department,
speaking before the Lincoln com
munity center Friday night, "Phila
delphia spends $200,000. These ';
places do not use their school build
ings from 3:30 in the afternoon until
8:30 the next morning. They have
large community buildings and all
the people who entertain are paid
tor their services at these centers."
Mr. Jones is just back from a con
vention of recreation directors at
Atlantic City.
"Omaha has only $20,000, which is
10 cents per capita, and that includes
all recreation," he continued. Mr,
Jones also told the children at the
meeting they must train themselves
to be able to meet their problems as
their parents do, and although they
are defeated in their athletic contest;,
to be game and try again.
Tenants' League Officer to
Be Tried on Ouster Suit .
V.V Whittakcr, secretary of the
Tenants league, will be tried in
municipal court Monday on an
ouster suit, brought by the Drake
Holding company.
. J. Falmcr, vice president of the
company, jays there are now onlv
16 of the original 10o tenant who
are holding out their (rent. Others
are said to have moved away or
settled, " ' , "
