North Carolina Newspapers

News From the National Capitol Briefly Noted in Passing for the Reader. IIIHII nuts is I Transportation oi' the mails by railway, steamship linos and various «tar routes cost .the government, during the fiscal yfar, ended June 30, 19C9, $83,493,762. These are the figures given in the annual report of Joseph Stewart, {Second Assistant Postmaster (ietier al, which was made public last Mon day. The number of railroad routes* employed by the department was 3,310, aggregating 217.115 miles. The total expense of the railway aerviee for the year was $45,054.48. For tl.e fiscal yearAsf 1911 it is esti mated that the expenditures for railroad transportation will he $lO,- 520,000. The result of the Veadjipitmcnt of pay for railroad transportation, ef fective) July 1, 1909, for the ensuing four years, based upon the weighing of the mails, shows a decrease of $494,360.31, or 5.08 per eent; and f'or railway postottice ear pay a de crease of $3,195.97, or 0.29 per cent. it has developed that electric street railway companion in some cities demand extortionate rates for carrying the mails. Concerning this situation, Mr. Stewart says: "In view of the demands made by electric cur companies for lusher rates for service in the large cities it is found desirable, in some cases, lo substitute motor-wagon service for the electric car service. It is shown by the report that "on June 30, 1909. there were 108 full railway postollice lines, manned by 1,651 crews of 8,063 clerks (includ ing 75 acting clerks; of these-there 801 l Weevil Causes Short Crop. The col ton crop of the your I!)'!!) will be the smallest since ac cording to the statement ol' W. I'. Hunter, of Dallas. Texas, expert of the department, of agriculture. ji "It in due," he said, addressing the House committee on agriculture, "to the v.ervil in Louisiana, portions of Arkansas and Mississippi and the extreme dry weather in Texas, where eensational londitioiis inter fered with propagation of the para sites." The boll weevil, he decarled. un doubtedly would cause remarkable redistribution of production of cot ton, first in large areas. What were large centers of production former ly were going to tell down and there would be the redistribution of small plantations. He declared the soil and other conditions in certain parts of almost every plantation in the South will permit the planter ito ••ontiniio to raise cotton profitably despite the lioll weevil. Improvements For Augusta, Ga. A quarter million dollar improve ment for the Savannah Hiver, at Augusta, tlie cost to be evenly di vided between the Federal (Jovem ment anil the Oeorgia city, Ims been recommended to Congress bv the war department. Where Augusta rests on' the Savannah's hanks, the river's slope changes from a steep to a gradual incline, which subjects that section to sudden, severe tmd de structive freshets, with constant ero sion estimated to have carried away half a million cubic feet of material from the river bank along the city front since last August. New Bank For Jacksonville. The Fourth National Hank of Jacksonville, Fla., capital $400,000, lias been authorized io begin busi ness by the comptroller of the cur rency. largest Financial Transaction Wtyt is said to he the largest financial transaction in the world's history occurred here., J t consisted in giving of receipts for $1,260,124,- 946 by Lee MeClung, treasurer of the United States to Charles H. Treat, who retired from that office October 31st. The receipt is ac knowledgement of money and securi ties in the oftice November Ist. "Wants Savannah Harbor Improved. Representative Edwards, of Geor gia, has introduced a bill appropriat ing $1,545,000 to be paid in four an nual installments fori the improve ment of the harbor of Savannah, Ga., along the lines of previous sur vey and report. The Standard Oil Trial. The Stndard Oil'Co.'s ease involv ing an effort on the part of the gov ernment to have the company dis solved as a trust, under the Sherman anti-trust law, will be heard March Ist. Taft Invited to Open Show. A delegation of prominent Tennes seeans have invited President Taft to open and attend the Appalach ian Exposition to be held in Knox ville next September. The Presi dent penalised to open the exposition bj telegraph and to attend if pos sible. The fair is designed to exploit tk natural resources of the Appala chian region. W MM NMIS were 130 full railway postoftico lines ' having apartjnent car service manned by 905 crew* of 1,307 clerks. There wecr also 1,374 apartment railway postofllce lines manned by 3,994 crews of 5,163 clerks (including 69 acting clerks); 21 electric ear lines with 19 crews of 21 clerks; 55 steam boat lines with 92 crews of 92 clerks (including 24 acting clerks); making , a total of 1,757 lineu of all kinds, manned by 14,646 clerks. In addition j there were 48 officials, 129 chief clerks, 755 transfer clerks employed in handling the mails at important junction points, and 406 clerks de tailed to clerical duty in the various offices of the service. The total num ber of officers and employes was therefore 10,044, an increase during the year of 749. "There were 35 railroad accidents during the year in which postal clerks were either killed or i'.jured or in which mail matter was lost or damaged. Thirteen clerks, 1 substi tute, and 1 mail weigher were killed, 93 seriously injured and 403 slightly injured. The number of fatal acci dents is larger ami the number of others is smaller this year than last." Recommendations are made that railway postal employes he given thirty days' annual leave and sixty days sick leave; that railway postal clerks he retired by the government when physically incapacitated; and that a railway postal clerk injured in the line of duty be granted leave, not exceeding Iwelvo additional months with pay at 50 per cent of his regular salary. To Wsr Against Trusts A'intllion members by March 1 to wage battle against the unrelentless trusts c«nlrolling the necessaries' of life, is the hope of Leaders of the movement for the organization of a national anti-trust leagiy\ For final iietic.n regarding the organization of the league invitations have been sent to oyery Senator and Represen tative in Washington besides all prominent citizens to attend .iv meet ing hero.- President Tail will he in vited to he present and lend his moral support to the undertaking. It is the plan of the leaders to ob tain the cooperation of. Congress men in building up a national organ ization. The Senators' from each State will he -asked to suggest a man and woman as the directors of the league from his State and every rep resentative will be invited to name trustworthy iuen and women from his district to act .-,s district repre sentatives of the movement. For financial support the league will rely upon a membership fee of 25 cents, 10 of which will go to the national organization and I.T to the State branch of the league. A working capital of $2f>0,0()() for the expenses of the fight against the trusts, it is expected, will he raised by March. To War on Red Spidor. For several years an insect known as the red spider has been doing con siderable damage to cotton in South Carolina; especially in the sections around Batesburg and Leesville. The insect is very destructive and where it has taken linn hold the crop is usually almost a total failure. Farm ers around Ratesburg have bad this matter under consideration with Representative Lever during the past year, with the result that through his efforts the department of agri culture hns become interested in the situation and has formulated defi nite plans for boginuing work at Batesburg on Fberuary 1. Whiskey Board Named The three cabinet officers to whom President Taft, by his decision in the case of the way in which whiskey shall be labelled, have appointed as the special board Solicitor MeGabe, of the*"Aj«#fultural Department; So licitor Farle, of the Department of Commerce and Labor, and Internal Commissioner Cabell, representing the Treasury Department. $615,000 For Cape Fear. Senator Overman and Representa tive Goodwin have introduced in Congress a bill, providing for s(ils,- 000 for improvement of the upper Capo river. It is urged tfiat two locks and dams of sufficient size to afford a channel eight feet deep Legare Sworn In. Though he was re-elected, to the Sixty-first Congress in November, 1908, Representative Legare of South Carolina presented himself be fore the Speaker's desk last week to be sworn in, more than One year late. 11l health was the cause of delav. Poatoffice Sub-Agency at Charleston. Charleston has been made a sub agency for the distribution of stamp ed evelopcs, newspaper wrappers and postal cards, according to announce ment made here, Augusta, Ga., has also been made a sub-agency for en velopes and -wrappers. These sub agencies will be conducted under the direction of the Third Assistant Postmaster General and the im mediate supervision of the respec tive postmasters. GOVERNMENT TOOJJOSTL So Stn Adair, of IwtiMii Before the Home. Washington, £). C., Special.— Representative Adair, of Indiana, in an address before the House a few days since, had the following to say concerning the extravagance of the U. S. government. "The President's salary should not have been increased to $75,000 a year," he thought $50,000 was sufficient. Attacking the President's allow ance of $35,000 for vehicles, stables, etc., Mr. Adair argued that this was $30,000 too much, and he also assert ed that one-third of the $9,000 allow ance for care of the White House greenhouse would "furnish the President with all the flowers he can possibly use." Without depriving the President of any of the comforts or luxuries which properly belong to the White House, Mr. Adair said, the appropri ations of the Executive Department, which were $329,420 last year, could be reduced at least $75,000 a year. Mr. Adair declared that appropri ations for all purposes could be re duced at least $100,000,000 a year without impairing any part of the Government service. "Extravagance and waste permeate everywhere through the Federal service," he said. Opposing tlin proposition to pen sion government employes, Mr. Adair said the departments in Washington were crowded with incompetents, and if they had failed to lay aside part of their earnings for a rainy day the failure was due to no lault of the Government. "There is more extravagance in the army and navy than in nny other departments of our Govern ment," said Mr. Adair. "It is enough to bankrupt any government in the world to spend $238,132,009 each year jr the maintenance of its army and navy, and that, too, in time of peace." FOLLOWS TAFT'S PLANS Bill Creating Court of Commerce In troduced in the House Washington, Special.—Representa tive Towusend of Michigan intro duced in the House last Tuesday the bill embodying the recommendations outlined in the special message of President Taft for amendments to the interstate commerce law. It provides, among other things, for u special court composed of live Fed eral circuit judges to have exclusive original jurisdiction over matters growing out of orders of. the Inter state Commerce Commission. This court is to bo composed of five circuit judges who shall, saiive by assignment of the chief justice for a term of five years, but no two of the judges' terms will expire at the same time, and thus under all circumstances four of the judges will have had several years' experience with these technical questions. MORSE MAY SEEK WRIT Confers With Ex-Oov. Smith on Plans Fori Freedom. Atlanta, Ga., Special. Former Gov. Hoke Smith held a long confer ence with Charles W. Morse at the Federal prison, after which it wan announced that tlie ex-governor had been retained to aid the fight which is to be made to restore Morse to freedom. It is thought a writ of habeas corpus may be sued out be fore the Georgia courts. To Cut Loose From Liquor Men. Louisville, Ky., Special.—T. M. Gilmore, president of the National Model License league, announces that the league is in correspondence wih leading men throughout the United States with the purpose of placing the organisation entirely un der the control of persons in no way connected with the liquor trade. Miser Ragman Leaves Fortune. St. liOiiis, Special.—A fortune of SOO,OOO in good securities awaits the heirs of Jeremiar Moynihau. an aged miser ragman, who died here. Berlin Dates Roosevelt. Berlin, By Cable.—According to a statement purporting to emanate from a diplomatic source, Mr. Roose velt will arrive here on April 24 and will remain three days in Germany. Report of Census Bureau. Washington, Special.—Up to Jan. Ist there had been 9,640,285 bales of cotton ginned from the growth of 1909 as compared with 12,405.298 on the crop of 1908. In North Carolina 647,505 as compared with 000,190 for the previous year. Oale Devastates Island. Las Palmas, Canary Islands, By Cable.—A gale devastated the entire island of Gran Canaria, destroying many houses and ruiuing banana and other crops. Carry Fight to President. Washington, Special.—The Ameri-| ean Federation of through a committee headed by Samuel Gom pers, James O'Connell and other union leaders have carried its fight against the United States St'eel Cor poration to President Taft. The committee presented to the Presi dent a formal paper in which they set forth fourteeu different charges of illegality against the steel cor poration. | NEWS BREVITIES Condensed from Wide Fields, Domestic and foreign. AS THEY ARE HAPPENING DAILY Suited to the Wants of Busy Readers Seeking a Knowledge of What is Going on. At Ocla, Fla., fire completely de stroyed the Crystal Cold Storage and Canning company's plant. Loss SIOO,OOO. There was no Virginia pilot aboard the battleship Georgia when it grounded near Norfolk, and it is said an investigation will follow. The widow of former President Barrios, of Guatemala, once oosscsh ed of millions, applied for admission to a New Orleans almshouse. At Nashville, Tenn., P. B. Jones, president and general manager of the Southwestern Co., publishers, shot and killed his 5-year-old sou, Jerry, and then committed suicide The Cotton States baseball league is to be revived and in the course of the next few days a meeting will be held for the purjwse of perfect ing an organization. J. C. Burnett, a Louisiana farmer, has been made agricultural expert to the King of Siam. Standard Gil interests are said to have closed a deal for the entire natural gas output of West Virginia, the sum involved being $200,000,- 000. A fire at Bramwell, W. Va., burn ed 25 buildings and caused a loss of SIOO,OOO. Jefferson Taylor, of Aakhill, Va., shot his bride of three days, mistak ing her for a burglar. Karl Hau, the George Washington University professor, who murder ed his mother-in-lar.' in Germany ami got a life sent once, made a fu tile attempt to escape from prison. Three men were killed and two others, injured, one. seriously, when the automobile, in which they were riding, collided with a street car at Atlanta, Oa. The automobile was wrecked ind the street car badly damaged. Rev.-'l.)r. Samuel Smith, pastor First Presbyterian church, Columbia, S. C„ dropped dead of appoplexy. Atlanta, Ga., is to be the head quarters of art ice and coal corpora tion that has just been chartered un der the Virginia laws. The new corporation has acquired absolute control of the plants of six local companies, and will shortly erect two more plants in cities near Atlan ta. The cities interested are Atlan ta, Chattanooga, Macon,' Home, Augusta, Athens and Secretary Ballinger of the Interior Department, Washington, has sus pended from oITU:e Superintendent John I). Benedict of the Five Oivi lized Tribes of Oklahoma and three Supervisors as the result of an in vestigation which has disclosed "a disgraceful condition" affecting the material and moral welfare of the schools. French papers are questioning "the motives or the United States in the proposal of Secretary Knox for the neutralization of the Manchurian railway. A landslide two miles long and half a mile wide carrying an Italian village of 1,000 inhabitants down to destruction. Diplomats, officials and hundreds of others attended Cardinal Gibbons' annual reception in Washington. Speaker Cannon is promised a more decisive defeat bv the Insur gents if he attempts with Senate aid to overturn the resolution of the House to elect its members of the Ballinger committee. Republican leaders fear the effect of the Ballinger-Pinehot controversy on their party. Secret Service men are at work in New York trying to get on the trail of persons who "strip" gold and silver coins. The percentage of idleness is re ported to be decreasing in New York State. The H. C. Friek Coke Company announces that the wage scale of 1907 will be restored. At San Francisco, the trial of Pat rick Calhoun, charged with bribery, has been defended until Jan. 31. Maj. Gen. Newton "Martin Curtis, who commanded the van of the as saulting column which captured Fort Fisher on January 15, 1805, and lost an eye in the battle,' dropped deal in New York. Five hundred justices of the peace and constables throughout the state of New Jersey are about to make a concerted move for higher wages. Three young Harvard explorers have just left New York -on a two year expedition to the interior of South America, where they will col lect ethnological data and specimens for the Harvard museum. Two officers of the Russian Army have purchased two dirgible balloons to go to the South Pole. John and Daniel Utsler," brothers, i 83 and 80 years, respectively, were burned to death in a fire which de stroyed their little one-room log cabin located in Indiana county, New Florence, Pa. Tammany retains control of the NetaajTork Board of Aldermen, but MajV* Gaynor is not affording en couragement. Cases of cancer are said to have been cored at Manila with a vaccine virus prepared from the cancer of the patients. POSTAL REVENUES GROW l First Assistant Postmasrter Qen.ral Dssls in Facts sad Figures. Washington, Special.—As a busi ness institution the Postoffiee De partment, next to the United States Treasury, is the greatest in the government. According to figures submitted by Chsrles P. Gradfleld, First Assistant Postmaster General, for the fiscal yea rended June 30, 1909, made public in his annual re port, the gross revenue of the pos tal service reached the enormous total of $203,582,383, an increase of $12,083,720, or 6.31 per cent, over the preceding year. Thecr were 7.202 presidential postoflices on July 1, 1909. Of this number 398 were first class, an increase of 14; 1,707 weer second class, an increase of 112; and 5,097 weer third elass, an in crease of 230. The total increase in the number of presidential offices was 350. There were 1,444 post offices established during the year and 2.004 were discontinued, leaving a total of 60,144 postoftifies in oper ation on June 30, 1909. During the year 1,626 postmasters weer appoint ed at presidential offices. At fourth elxss offices 9,161 postmasters weer appointed. The report recommends an amend metn to the law whereby fourtb rlasß offices may be advanced when the receipts of the office qualfy it; wages of the clerical and earner force should be increased in first and second class offices. Nearly half the offices of presidential class are housed in leased quarters. • ••••••••• •• • Petitions For Morse Pardon. • • Portland, Me., Special.—Peti- * • tions addressed to Prseident * • Taft asking for the absolute * • pardon of Charles W. Morse are * 'in circulation here. The peti- • • tions set forth that he did no • • intentional wrong, that he has * • repaid his debts; that his jury • • was largely influenced by popu- * • lar clamor and that, even though ' • guilty, Morse has paid the pen- * • alty by his imprisonment while * • awaiting the outcome of the * • case. DENIES CHARGE OF MADRIZ. Zclaya Dsfcads Self in Case of (Jroc3 and Cannon. Mexico City, Special.—As justifi cation of his refusal to pardon Cau on and Groce aftd in support of a ilenial which he made hist Saturday jf irregularity. Jose Santos Zelaya exhibited for the first time telegrams which he claimed to have from the American victims of Nica ragua's martial law. Zlaya uttered his denial in reply to charges made by President Mad riz of Nicaragua, tiiat the executions of (jroce and Cannon were illegal and that the I'nited States govern ment was justified in its resentment over this action. Agree on Arbitration Chicago, Special.—Members .of the jwitchment's union representing the western nail roads "nave agreed with the general managers' association to submit their requests for advanced wages ami change in hours to arbi tration under the Krdman law. The switchmen asked for arbitration. Five Burn to Death in Honse Burnside, Ky., Special.—Mrs. Martha Corder, her daughter, Mrs. James Kidd, and three small chil dren were burned to death in a fire which destroyed Kidd's house at Plavens, Wayne county. Two Yeggmen Are Killed. Tallahassee, Fla., Special.—ln a «truggle with two safe blowers, Paul Sauls, 17 years old, son of J. M. Sauls, the night watchman at the postoffice building, shot and killed them both in the basement of the building. The boy was only slightly wounded. The two cracksmen were White. Students Have Hookworm. New Orleans, Special.—Consterna tion prevails among the 100 or mors Itudents of Tulane College following the examination of every student for hookworm. It is announced that more than a third of the juior elsss were found to be infected with the parasite. Practically all the stu dents said to be thus afflicted are ap parently robust specimens of man hood. , Plot on Zelaya's Life. Mexico City, Special.—Jose Santos Zelava has been warned by officials here that the police authorities are lin receipt of secret information that I two Salvadoreans and an American are in Mexico City and are only awaiting a favorable opportunity te take his life. Heavy Cost of OanaL New York, Special.—"l believe it will cost $500,000,000 to complete the Panama Canal and that will amount to $5.00 a bead for every man, wo man and child in the United States,", said Mr. Langley, of Kentucky, re l turning from the Isthmns. * Lad Ooog ha and Cure Himself of Ap pendicitis in Nick of Tine. Pittsburg. Special.—Surgeons at Kittanning, Pa., had placed Norman Baniett, the little son of George Bamett, on the operating table to ant out his appendix, but just as the knife was ready the lad waa seised with a fit of coughing which him. He emitted a needle, which la believed to have caused his illness. NORTH STATE CULLINGSI REPORT OF CHARITY BOARD. State Institutes Heed Additional Buildings. Raleigh, Special.—The annual re j>ort to the North Carolina Board of Charities has been submitted by the secretary, Miss Daisy Den son. The report is very full and shows that there were at the end of the year 1,142 inmates at the Western Hos pital for Insane at Morganton; 683 at the Central Hospial at Raleigh, and 680 in the Eastern hospital at Goldsboro, there being also fifty in the criminal insane department in penitentiary here. There are in the school for "deaf mutes at Morganton 239; in the State school for the white blind at Raleigh 172 and in the school for negro deaf mutes and blind at Raleigh 182; in the Sol diers' Home 161 inmates; in the Masonic Orphanage at Oxford 324 and in the orphanage at the same place, for negroes, 150; in the Stone wall Jackson Training School for Boys, at Concord, 48. The report shows that for the various charitable institutions for the past two years the appropriations total $1,100,000. The Board of Charities recommends a building, to cost $50,000, at the Western Hospital for the Insane, for the treatment of acute and re cent cases, and a separate ward for tuberculosis male patients there; provision for a specialist to examine new pupils at the school for deaf mutes at Morganton; better sleeping quarters at the State penitentiary farm, on the Roanoke river, together with the protection and sewerage} State supervision of county convict camps; larger farms at county homes for the poor and better equip ment for such homes; the employ ment of an inspector to visit all county penal and charitable institu tions; co-operation with the State Board of Health and the superinten dent ?or the State School for the Blind in the prevention of blindness from infantile opthaimia; a separate camp for tuberculous prisoners frofti the penitentiary, convict camps and jails. \ —— Bladen Bond Issue Loses. Fayetteville, Special Telegraph ie reports from Elizabeth town, Blad en county, state that the election held there Tuesday on the question of a $40,000" bond issue providing for the building of railroad from St. Pauls to Eiizabethtown resulted in the defeat for the bond issue by 24 votes, the total registered vote in the three townships being -10!) and the vote cast for bonds 181. The majori ties by townships are as follows: Eiizabethtown 60 for bonds; Bethel 108 against; Hollow 81 against. Wa3 Largely Attended. Southern Pines, Special.—Jan. Ist was a gala day tor the colored race at Southern Pineß, N. C. The race of Moore and Lee counties united in an old-fashioned l'ree dinner and cele bration to ex-slaves and orphans of the counties above mentioned, under the supervision of Prof. James M. Henderson, principal of the Indus trial Union Hall, a training school for the colored people. It was largely attended. Change in Oonrt Dates. Washington, Special. Senator Overman and Representative Webb introduced iu Congress a bill pro viding for a change in the dates of holding Fedearl court in Greensboro and Charlotte. The Greensboro terms will be in June and December and those in Charlotte in April and October. Falls Into An Open Fireplace and is Burned to Crisp. Salisbury, Special.—Mrs. William J. Plummer, widow, aged 85 years, on East Fisher street, was burned to death while alone in her room by falling into an open fireplace. Smallpox Closes Schools. Winston-Salem, Special.—Many of the public schools throughout the Piedmont section have been closed on account of an epidemic of smallpox in Stokes county. The disease has spread into eight of the nine town ships. The State Board of Health has notified the authorities of Stokes that proper precaution must be tak en at once to stamp out the disease through vaccination and quarantine. Asks A. C. L. to Charlotte. Charlotte, Special. Tuesday an enthusiastic mass-meeting assembled here, besides representatives from Wadesboro and Monroe, and adopted resolutions petitioning the Atlantic Coast line to come to Charlotte by whatever way it sees fit. Girls Horribly Burned. Elizabeth City, Special.—At Man teo an overturned lamp in the home of the , Misses Lessie and Bessie Wescott ignited the clothing of both, ana fatally burned the former. The house was barned to the ground. To EntetrfOn Mill Magnates. Charlotte, Special.—President Lew is W. Parker has annonced the com mittee of cotton mill men to enter* tain the 14th annual convention of the American Cotton Manufacturer#' Association, which it is announced will meet here May 17 and 18. Grand Ledge Masons. Raleigh, Special.—The 123 rd an nual session of the Grand Lodge ot Masons of North Carolina, met hera Over 600 delegates were present.