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About Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922 | View Entire Issue (March 16, 1921)
7 The Omaha Daily4, B v VOL. 50 NO. 233. Cat4 aa 8ma4-Clait Mattar U It. ISO, at OnaMa P. 0. Uaaf Act Marck J. 187ft. OMAHA, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 16, 1921. iy Mall (I yar. latlda 4th Zaaar Dally aa ta4a. 19: Bally Oaly. M: ta4ay. M Oatlatit 4th Zona (I raar). Dally aa Statu. li; Dally Oaly, 112; laaa'ay Oaly. i THREE CENTS . ' . f Defendant Rail Unions Optimistic; View Taken By Harding Tells, Story of Fatal Shot On Stand In ct Hamon Case ut Clara Smith Relates Events Workers on Eastern Lines Will Take Case Before Labor Board if Reductions Are Made. Plans to Boost American Busi Leading Up to Fatal Shoot ing of Oklahoma Politi- ' cian Last November. EE 1 1 ? r 1. I Getting Nowhere , V Te L it I i aims Self-Defense By Th Aaaoclated Praia. Ardmore, Okla.. March IS. Clara Smith Hamon, charged with the mur der of Col, Jake L. Hamon, took the witness stand in her trial here today and told her jtory of the incidents of , the day and night of November 2W when Colonel Hamon was shot. She spoke dramatically in a cool, low pitched voice, hesitating only when she told that Colonel Hamon had cursed her. She answered a few preliminary questions and" then launched into her story of their last tlav together. When she reached the point in her story of the actual shooting she left the witness stand and taking the pis tol with which Hamon was shot in her hand, she illustrated how the shot was fired. Didn't Mean to Slay Him. "I didn't go to do it," she said. The pistol went off when he struck it, or I pulled the trigger or some thing; I know not what." After a few preliminary questions in which shesaid she was 29 years 'old, knew Colonel Hamon was mar ried, and that he had educated her so she might work for him, she was asked to tell the jury how the shoot ing happened. "We had breakfast about 11 o'clock," she said. "After breakfast Mr. Hamon left me. I presume he went to his office, he usually did on Sunday morning. I went back to my room and in the afternoon about 2:30 or 3 o'clock, I don't ,just re member, he came back to the,,, room and w e had a very pleasant coirversa tion. ' He Laid Down to Rest. "He laid down on his bed to .rert. He only stayed a short time, per haps less than an hour, three-quar ters of an hour, I should say. then. he went back to the office, or he told me he was going back; said he had some friends waiting or some politicians, somebody. I don't just remember who. 1 "I was very busy cleaning upmy room, reading newspapers and get ting my clothes ready to go to Cali fornia for my trip, and I decided thai I would like to have a little ride, so I got in my car and went for a ride.' That was about 6 o'clock, and I think I rode about an hour, perhaps a little more than an hour. It was about 7, dark enough for the street lights to be on when 1 came back. When I drove up in front of the ho tel, Mr. Hamon was sitting in iront of the hotel in a chair. Between Mr. , Hamon and the door of the, hotel there was another chair. Started Fight on Porch. He immediately grabbed me as 1 pa&sed and shoved me down in the chair and said he wanted to alk to me and used profane language. "I told him 'please don't curse here, don't make a scene; if you want to curse and be mean to me and abuse me. let's go to the room.' "He continued to curst me and I .. (Turn to Fas Four, Column OneO hl-Wife of Missouri Man is Charged With Killing Stepdaughter Farmington, Mo.. March IS. Mrs. Luther Parsons. IS years old. who was married a week ago. today, was charged with first degree murder in connection with the death of her 6- ycar-old-stepdaughter last riday The little girl was shot in the head with a shotcun and. died, in stantly at the Parsons home at Iron Mountain, near here. ' The girl's 10-year-old brother, ac cording to authorities, asserted he saw his stepmother loading the gun ""following a quarrel with his sister. The child wife is said to have told authorities she was playing with the little girl and did not know the gun was loaded. , ' Fistfight Enlivens Missouri Legislature jefierson City, Mo., March b. A fist fight was staged in the house tc y by RcpnVntstives Straub and Hilk. The fight followed the defeat of a resolution by Representative Vhit ake'r, asking' the senate to amend the county unit bill to provide eith er; for a state referendum or loc-.l option. Straub opposed the resoiu t!on. Several blows were exchanged bu? neither man was hurt seriously. The fight was stopped r.y other members. The fight was ' the second since the session began two months ago Nelson B. Updike Leaves Washington for New York Washington. March 13.(Special Telegram.) Nelson B. Updike, pub- ing his respects to the members of the Nebraska delegation who are in( Washington, nciuaing a visn who Senator Norris, and a long confer ence with Attorney Daughjjrty, left tonight for New "Vork. ' Washington Coal Miners Refuse Wage Reductions Seattle, March 15. More than 2,300 coal miners, approximately half of the number employed in the state, will leave the mines after the night shift at midnight as a result of their having refused to accept wage re ductions aggregating 23 per cent, the sectary of the miner's union an CI P r ' '41 ,?ovl j,3ijki S& Oz-v . I CUra Smith Hamon, pretty affinity of Jake L. Hamon, wealthy oil man and politician, on trial for hit murder latt November, took the wit net stand in her own behalf at Ardjnore, Old., yesterday. She recounted the effect leading up to the, firingoTTth fatal shot and expressed re grets at its fatal termination.' .Earlier in thei3ay she fainted in the court room when the prosecuting attorney referred, disparagingly, to her aged mother as "the old woman." Five Cremated In Pullman Car dnD.&RG.Ry. Two Dead Identified; Cause Y Of Flames Undetermined;' Brakenjan Reported Missing. t P,ueblo, .Colo., March 15. Five persons were burned to death when a"" rear Pullman car on the Denver & Rio Grande railroad caught fire at about 2 this morning between Pueblo and Walsenburg The origin of the fire is undetermined. Two of the dead were identified as F. S. Steclman, traveling passenger agent of the Missouri Pacific rail road, and A. B. Jack of La,Jara, Colo., stock dealer. ; ' Seven Persons Sleeping. Seven persons were aslecb. in the Pullman when it caught lire. Two of them escaped by jumping from the windows and were slightly injured. the train was traveling about 25 miles an hour, according to informa tion received here. The , Pullman, the Corona, was the last car on the train and was completely destroyed. The bodies were dragged out of the mass of fire and wreckage when the tram came to a stop. The car ahead of the Corona was partially burned. Brakeman Missing. The train was bound from Denver to Alamosa, ' Colo. The fire was discovered by the engine crew of- a northbound Denver & Rio Grande train, which signalled the other to stop. - Conductor Tud Nixon of Alamosa was severely burned on his face and hands while attempting to' uncouple the burning sleeper. Under regulations the brakeman should have been riding on the last sleeper, but could not be found this morning, the assistant superintendent said. The dead are: Francis S. ' Speelman. traveling freight agent- Missouri Pacific rail road. N Mrs. Winnie B. Comstock, wife of M. J. Comstock, Creede. Colo. A. B. Jack, Manassa, Colo. . T. H. Downcjy traveling man of St. Joseph, Mo., and M. Berr)-, rep resenting "Hamilton-Brown Shoe company. St. Louis. James Miller, Florence, Colo., trav eling representative of Pueblo Auto mobile company.' -0. M. Hood of TrinWjad. Colo., traveling postoffice inspector, was the only one to escape. He jumped through . a window of the blazing ar. ' Two Are Killed in Outbreak At Cross Haven Near C6rk;?f -nini: ''dared him "one of the Cork, March 15. Several British officers, who were wearing civilian clothing, were held up by unknown persons at Cross Haven last night. In the fighting" Thomas Hennessy and Michael ' Murray ycre killed. John Moyasta, a farmer of West Clare, was shot and killed when he jj t. pened his door in response to a knock. Several other murderous at- cks were reported here during the night. Nine Stores Identify Four T OUths Held as Highwaymen Chicago, March 15. limploycs at nine of the 32 chain' stores robbed recently have identified the four young men held by the police, it was announced today when "the arest of Mrs. Marie Dooley, whom the police call the "robber queen," was made known. ' , ' . "My husband is straight and knows nothing about the gang," Mrs. Dooley said. "I'm going to stick with the boys," Luther A. Drake, Merchants Bank' President, Dies 'In Banking Profession Solely For Half Century Was a Director of Federal Re serve Bank of This Citv. V-.- ' Luther A. Dralce president of the Merchants, National bank, of this city, died at his home at 8:05 last night, after a short illness. Mr. Drake was 71 years old. . For the oast halt centurv to the fyear he was engaged solely in the banking profession, principally con nected with the Merchants National bank of this city'. Of late years, he was a director of the Federal Reserve bank of this city and a member of the executive council of the American Bankers as sociation. V In .social affairs, he was a charter member and a director of; the Oma ha club, a charter member of the Country club and was identified with Chamber of Commerce activities. Born in Detroit. " Mr. Drake was born in Detroit, Mich., May 18, 1850, of humble par ents. J , . v At 12 years of age he went out in to the world for himself, working at odd jobs about Detroit to aid in the support of the family. He came to Omaha in 1868 and became a telegraph operator for the Western Union. Two years later, hig ambitions for success in life materialized in tha organization ot the State Bank of Nebraska. Former Governor Saun ders was president, Ben Wood, cashier, and Mr. Drake, teller. VThis position opened the way to Mr. Drake's success in banking cir-J cles, - - In 1882 when the State Bank of Nebraska became the Merchants Na tional bank, Mr. Drake was promot ed to assistant cashier. He worked his way to cashier's position, thence to president of the bank. In his bachelor daVs, Mr. Drake lived with Enoch Crowaer, later gen eral pfovost marshal at Washing ton, Dr. W. O. Bridges and former Judge Herbert J. Davis, now de ceased, in luxuriantly furnished and servant attended home on Twenty-fifth avenue and Dodge street. Mr. Drake was married. January 25. 1917.0 Miss Mary Grace Wilt shire of San Bernardino, Cal. No children were born to them. . In his early life Mr. Drake was an ardent lover of outdoor sport. Base ball wa his principal "hobby. In later years he was a leader among local golt enthusiasts. His intimate associates, socakine ucst irienqs mcy ever nau. ' m Mr. Drake's rise in life followed the. general course of most great men who gained their success and earned their education through ' the hard knocks of life. . Besides his widow, two brothers. Flemon Drake of San Francisco, and Charles Drake of Portland, Ore., andi a sister in Detroit, survive U. S. Counsellor at Paris Embassy Given Promotion Washington, March 15. Robert Woods Bliss, of New York, now counsellor ui inc nmcnun qmDassy at Paris, was nominated today bv President Harding to be third as sistant secretary of state. ' Socialists Defeated. Davenport, la.. March 15. In one of tjie most spirited school elections ever held in Davenport the socialists were thoroughly routed yesterday. A year ago the socialists captured nlic city administration 70,000Workers Affected Ily The Aaaochited Prras. ' New York, March 15. Railroad workers in the east have decided to reject all proposals oft wage reduc tions and carry their fight to the railroad labor board, if the cuts are put into effect. Representatives of the workers who have been conferring here, it was learned tonight, take the position that the present wage standard must be maintained and economic condi tions will not permit reduction. The workers' position was official ly made known today when repre sentatives of the unskilled men no tified the New York Central that they refused to consider proposed wage cuts of from 171-2 to 21 per cent J J "as we find that those employes to day are not receiving sunicient in come to maintain their families properly." . 70,000 Reject New Scale. Representatives of the skilled workers of the New York Central, except those in the "Big Four" brotherhood, it was learned, have also decided to reject proposed wage cuts. Altogether approximately 70,000 employes of the Central line? have decided to oppose a reduction. After receiving proposals for wage reductions for unskilled labor rang ing from 7 to 13 1-2 cents per hour, effective April 16, from the Dela ware, Lackawanna and Western rail-, road, labor representatives in con ference here, it was learned, practi cally decided to reject this offer. Union leaders declared that if the New York Central put the decreases into effect April 1, without first get ting permission from the labor board it would be a violation of the transportation act. Railroad off i ficials said that the board would be required immediately to authorize the reductions. ' Conferences March 31. Philadelphia, March 15. Confer ences between regional general man agers of the Pennsylcania railroad system and representatives of its 210,000 employes to consider pro posed wage reduction, will be held at Pittsburgh, March 31.' The com pany announced the contemplated downward revision of salaries "and wages would' become effective April 20. , .' . -The notice of the company in forming the employes of the pro posed cut announced by the direc tors last week, is dated March 17, find will be posted not later than Thursdav. ' James Hart Appointed Receiver for Blair Bank Which Failed James E. Hart of Lincoln, secre tary of the state board of trade and commerce, was appointed receiver for the banking house of A. Castet ter, Blair institution which recently failed, by 'Judge A. C. Wakely of Omaha ycterday afternoon. The ap pointment was made at the sugges tion of Attorney General Clarence A. Davis, who, together with Mr. Hart and Judge Wakely, was in Blair yesterday. Mr. Hart was placed under a $100, 000 bond, took the oath and was qualified It is understood that his appointment meets the approval of all concerned, as he is a technical banker and has been connected with the state banking board for a number of years. Authorities are still seeking FreeJ H. Claridge, president of the bank, who disappeared mysteriously, and for whose arrest a warrant has been ssued. Fundsf the bank are esti mated as between $200,000 and $400, 000 short. Tardy Ones Make Last Houri Rush to Pay Income Taxes Last hour income taxpayers filled the corridors of the internal revenue offices in the federal building to ca pacity yesterday. Sixteen clerks and three cashjers-f were kept constantly busy- accepting returns. Failure to make returns before ihe day was over was violation of the in ternal revenue laws, warned J. "Kit" Carson, chief deputy internal revenue collector. New York Pours Golden Stream Into Coffers Of U. S. Government New York, March 15. New York, financial center of the nation, today poured a golden stream-into gov ernment coffers with first payment on federal income taxes. "Big Bill" Edawrds, collector ot internal revenue and his staff, a.d mitted they were wearied of accept ing money. But they were not too weary to hazard a prediction that when the final penny was counted, it would be found that more people had paid income taxes here this year than ever before. Several persons who sent in pay ments of 2 cents, spent 12 cents each to send them in registered envelopes. Several unemployed married women reported individual vicome- due tq playing theponics and "bridge par ties!" One 'man confined in prison, sent in a request for a 30-day time extension, explaining he was "tem porarily detained." Several waiters reported" tips approaching $1,000, , Take Strike Vote Packer Workmen' n Omaha Plants Result of Ballot in U. S. and Canada to Be Announced From Chicago Friday. Strike vote was being taken yester day at the various local unions throughout the country of the Amal gamated Meat Cutters and Butcher Workmen, following a conference of the, international executive committee in Omaha last week because of the 12 1-2 per cent reduction announced by the packers which went into ef fect yesterday. Ballots for ;he strike vote arrived in Omaha from the Chicago head quarters Monday. They were being gathered yester day as the' workers go to or come from the packing plants where they are still at work. Ballots may also be cast at union headquarters, Twenty-fifth and M streets. Results of the balloting must-be sent to the international headquarters in Chicago not later than midnight tonight. Result Known Friday. The total result of the" balloting in the United States and Canada will be announced from the Chicago head quarters Friday. Non-union packing house workers in Omaha Monday night flocked into the union liadquarters at Twenty fifth and M streets to take out mem berships. Workers already members were paying an international assessment of $2 made at the conference of the international executive ' committee here last week. Officials of the local union declined to discuss this assessment, but it is taken to indicate the amassing of a general strike fund for emergency in the event of a walkout. x Payment of this assessment by the 200,000 workers affected would build up a fund of $400,000 it was pointed out. Officers May Call Strike. N International officers have been given authority by the international executjv committee to call a strike when they see fit, provided there is a showing on the face of the returns from today's balloting" that a major ity of the 200,000 workers affected is in favor of -a walkout. ' No indications of a sporadic strike in Omaha was evident either yester-J day or today. J he men seemed in clined to obey the instructions of their executive committee to stay on the job and work steadily without in terruption until the general order for a walkout might be issued. . A mass meeting of the Omaha packing house workers in their liall at Twenty-fifth and M streets las. night was addressed by Patrick E. Gorman, international vice president ff the union whoi presided at theJ executive conterence here last week, and Alex Nielubowski, Second dis trict president of Chicago. Many Spaniards Marked For Death by Anarchists Madrid, March 15. Police offi cers, who searched Pedro Mateo, the young anarchist, who yesterday con fessed that he was one of the assas sins of Premier Dato, found a list of the names of prominent Spaniards and the believe the persons had been marked for death by the an archists. Mateo blamed his landlady for be traying him, and said to the police: "You had better pay her the money she has earned in denouncing me, for possibly she will not live long to enjoy it." Man LeapsxOff Bridge. New York, March 15. A man ap parently 50 years old today jumped off the Brooklyn bridge and was killed on striking the water many feet below. His body was recovered. F I f T : W 0i Omaha Airplane Scouts Rouds for Outlaws in Auto; Bandits Speeding Toward This City in Big Car With Yellow Wheels After Rob bery & ReaMo. Aided by an airplane, Omaha po lice are watching the" highways lead ing to Omaha from Missouri for a quartet of bank ndits who robbed the Farmers State bank at Rea, Mo., yesterday;; afternopHj after knock ing the cashier unconscioop, and fled in an automobile fbr OmSiia. Chief of Police Eberstein received word from Rea to be onhe lookout for the robbers. Kea is 100 miles south and east ot Omaha. At 1:45 yesterday afternoon, ac cording to meager report received by the chief, four men entered the bank, ordered the cashier to throw up his hands, and when he failed to com ply with their orders with expected alacrity, struck him over the head, scooped all available cash into a bag, leaped into their car and fled. The 'loot will total between $500 and $000, according to Chief Eber-s-tein's information. The bank robbers arc speeding to ward Omaha in a Cadillac automo bile equipped with bright yellow wooden wheels. Slight description of the men ts given in the report made to Chief Eberstein. 1 , Chief Eberstein at once chartered an airplane from W. R.. Holcomb to take off at once and soar through the air in an effort to locate on which highway the bandit car is trav eling toward Omaha. - The aviator will communicate with Chief Eberstein as soon as he locates the car. - Measure to Regulate Co-Operative Bodies Advanced in House Lincoln, March 15. (Special.) No member of a co-operative con cern can own more than 4 per cent of the capital stock and any co-ojjer-ative concern organized under the co-operative laws of Nebraska must, have at least 25 mefnbers, under a re written law passed on third reading in the, lower house today. Tli law also provides' that dividends on in vestments cannot exceed 10 per cent. Other bills passed on third reading follow: r H. R. No. 393 Provides that war. veterans, when they reach the age of 35, are eligible as commandants of soldiers' homes. - H. R. No. 175 Fixes basis for valuing bond and other securities held as investments by insurance companies and fraternal societies. H. R. No. 490 Provides that no money shall be expeuded from state and federal aid road fund for building of roadway until advertisements are made. II. R. Net. 196 Provies for special elections in road district, precinct or township to settle proposition of placing a tax not exceeding 5 mills for road improvements when 10 "per cent of freeholders petition for it. H. R. No. 311 Provides when va cancy occurs in any public office in county all records and supplies shall remain intact until appointment or election of a proper successor. Million Dollars Loaned To Milk Products Exporter . Washington, March 14. Approval of a loan of $1,000,000 to an Ameri can exporter was announced today by the War Finance corporation. The transaction will provide funds for the movement of milk products to Enrope largely from the eastern and middle western states. It was the second loan as proved since revival of the corporation. Germany Called Upon to Carry Out -Articles of Pact Defeated Country Must Pay 20 Billion Gold Marks Be fore May 1 Payment in Commodities. - Paris, March 15. Germany was called iipon yesterday by the allied reparations commission to carry out Article 235 of the Versailles treaty, which, stipulates Germany must paji before May 1, 1921, the equivalent of twenty billion gold marks. 1 he trea ty provides that Ihis paytneat may be made in gold, commodities, ships, securities or other valuables and that out of this "sum the expenses of the armies, of occupation are first to be fmeC ' The commission also took steps to carry out Article 233 of the treaty which provides that Germany must be notified before .May 1, next, the total -amount, of War damage im posed upon her by the treaty. Scoff at Her Protest. "It Germany persists in refusing to make payment, ays the Petit Parisien in discussing the action, of the commission, "she will force us to impose upon her the integral ex ecution of the treaty. That was the significance of yesterday's meeting. In discussing the protest made to the league of nations byTIermany against the penalties-being enforced by the allies on Germany because of her refusal to carry out her repara' tion obligations, the Petit Parisien says, "Germany is not qualified to demand arbitration trom the league as she is not a member ot tt. ' Fail on All Provisions. (Negotiations between France and Germany concerning the transfer futids collected for the purpose of paying disability and old age msur ancrto residents of Alsace and Lor raine have failed, and France, it is hJclared, is ' prepared" to ask that Article 1 77 or the Versailles treaty bt enforced. ' This article provides that the Ger man government shall undertake to nav over to tho French Government a proportion of all ' reserves accumu lated by The empir or by public or private bodies dependent upon it for tne purpose ot disability na oia age insurance. Britain Purchases Cable Line to America London. March 15. Purchase of a direct cable to the United States was announced by H. Pike Pease, assistant postmaster general in the House of Commons, during an ex planation of postoffice estimates in the pending budget bill. He said the British government had acquired the cable fqr 750,000, including 100, 000 worth of cable stock ami three cable stations at Ballinaskelligs Ire land; Harbor Grace, New F'oundland, Rye Beach, N. H., and Halifax. The cable that has been bought is intended as preserve for the existing imperial cable Sind has been leased for a short time to the Western Un ion company" for, 57,000 per year. Mr. Tease remarked that a new cable would have cost.. 1.000,000. Ike Weather Forecast Wednesdayvfair; not much change in temperatule. Hourly Temperature. S at. m. t 1 . m i fl a. m 4 t p. m 4 1 a. m. .'. 41' p. m V . m. 4t 4 p. m Mt 9 a. na. 4t S p. an 4 1 a. m. .41 p, m 49 II a. an 43 1 p. m 44 It KM .4(V; D p. m. '. 43 Shipper Bulletin. Protect elilpmenlit during- the next Hi to houra from temiteraturea follow: North and weat. 29 riexreea; coat, 30 lc reeK. feihlpmtnta south can b made wfcljv ness Principal Topic of Discussion at Cabinet Meeting. Conditions Improv i n g By ARTHUR SEARS-HENNINGS. Chicago Tribune-Omaha D Iaaml Wire, Washington, D. C, March " 15. How to boost American business at home and abroad was the principal subject of discussion at the meeting of President J larding with his cabi net today. ' , The president took an optimistic view of the present period of busi ness depression, reporting to his of ficial advisers the substance of the talks he has had in the last few days with the- licads of great industries, like James A. Farrell of the United States Steel Corporation. The information which has come to the president in this way is that the low tide of business, depression has been passed and that conditi6ns are beginning to improve in those in dustries, particularly which were the first to be hit by the buying slump , and fall in prices. Mr. Harding directed the cabinet discussion to the consideration of definite policies for fostering the ex pansion of domestic and foreign commerce, which he sums up as the promotion of national prosperity, on! of the highest functions oPgovern ment. Urges More Co-Operation. The president indicated that he fa vors the abolition of fettering restric tions imposed on the industrial and agricultural departments; and a greater degree of co-operation be tween the government and the busi ness activities of the country. While he drew no comparisons, he left no doubt that he intends to effect a change from the professional attitude of the Wilson administration in seek ing to apply impractical theories to the solution of problems of trade and production. " , In the field of foreign commerce, the president cited the fact that thii -lack of government co-operation and outright restrictions, had served to ' place American business at a disad vantage in competing with foreigners whose governments are extremely paternalistic in the promotion of for eign trade. Such foreign paternalism takes the form of government sub sidies of ship lines and the extension of banking and marketing facilities to exporters. . ' - Aid to Exporters. : While not advocating direct Sub sides to American ship lines, the president was of the opinion that American ships would be relieved of the payment of Panama canal tolls and that the government should fur nish the same aid to exporters en joyed by their foreign competitors. Secretary of Commerce Hoover expressed the ppinion that one of the first steps taken should be the adop tion of the Webb-Pomerene act, which permits computation of expor ters so as to enable them to; operate distributing agencies abroad. He also described his plan for advisory committees- of the principal indus-. tries of the country which will co operate with 'the government in de veloping the production and mar keting of the sort of goods required by foreign customers. He is to formulate this plan at a meeting .with a committee of the Chamber of Commerce of the United States next Saturday. While on the subject of business, the president said he was convinced that the territories and insular pos sessions had suffered from neglect in some important respects. He cited the situation in Alaska, which has declined in population, owing to economic conditions and inadequate transportation. He asked Secretary ' of Interior Fall to proceed to Alas ka as sobn as possible to survey tha situation and report recommenda-. tions. " ' Discuss War Supplies. Secretary of Labor Davis brought up the question of disposition of war workers houses at Quincy, 111., and this led to a discussion of the , whole problem of disposition of sur plus war supplies and settling war, contracts. Secretary of War Weeks told how he is required to devote a large amount of his time to wind ing 'up the accounts of the late war, time which he feels should be given to the management of the army and consideration of future military needs of the nation. As a result of these representa tions, the president is seriously qon- sidering, a recommendation to con gress for the creation of a liquida tion commjttre to settle war con tracts and sell surplus property. He is convinced that a single agency could realize more salvage than the stattered agencies of the various de partments. Another suggestion was that the federal power commission be made an independent body. It is now com posed of the secretaryics of war, agri culture and interior, who cannot give the time to it requisite for the proper consideration i water powes devel opment. ' . -.. . Cuba Provinces Voting For-ftiew Chief Executive Havana, Mrcli 15. Partial elec tions are being held today in five provintcs of "thej Cuban republic for the purpose of deciding who shall be president of Cuba for the next four jears. Six provinces were involved in the irregularities discovered in the. November elections, but the voters of Oriente province will not go to the polls until March 26, as a number of appeals from that province are still pending before the supreme court. District military commanders haua been ordered to insure strictest im partiality during the voting.' I-
