North Carolina Newspapers

.0 IlLo ,m,W CI JJ, JJ 1 1 Year, in Advanca. FOR GOD, FOR COUNTRY AND FOR TRUTH. " vol: XX. PLYMOUTH, N, C. FRIDAY, DECEMBER 10, 1909. NO. 27. S1XTYFIRS T CONGRESS FIRST DAY LARGEY A SOCIAL H'l AFFAIR- ; ' x PRES. TAFT WAITED UPON .Doaths of rve?r3ccntati73 Las:iter of Virginia and DeAracnd, of Mis ecuri, Eencrtcd and Ecuso A& jcuni3 Tlircugh Respect to tie Dead. Washington, Special. The two houses of Congress convened .Mon day for the first regular sssion of the Sixty-first Congress, but the day's proceedings were in great part of a social nature and practical' no bus iness was transacted. Brief as was the Senate's 13-mm-ute sssion, it was enlivened by an unsuccessful effort on the part of Senator Bailey to defeat the passage of the usual resolution that the daily sessions begin at" noon, suggesting that the Senate should convene in stead at 2 o'clock. Sir. Bailey said he would like to see the Senate hold mailt sessions in order that Senators might devote the day to individual business. No objection was offered when a similar resolution was intro duced in the House. A joint committee was named by both houses to wait upon the Presi dent and to inform him that Congress was in session and ready for any bus iness he might wish to lay before it. The President's response constitu ted his annual message, the redaing of which will consume practically all of Tuesday's session of the two houses. , The House session continued forty minutes, during which W. W. Me Credie, the new reprsentative from the seond Washington district, who succeeds the late Francis W. Cush man, was sworn in. The greater part of (he session was taken up by the roll c;dl. Although only 341 members re- film nut- ;i Spuiuieu iu men full membership appeared on the House iloor and there were lew among them that did not have one or more " bills to offer. These included one by Representative Garner of Pennsylvania for an investigation by Congress of the entire customs ser vice particularly in regard to sugar frauds recently brought to light; one bv Represnlative Hitchcock of Ne braska, for the establishment of pos tal savings banks: one by Represen tative Mann of Illinois for Federal regulation of the 4 'white slave trade," and another by Mr. Mann for the free admission of wood pulp, and one by Representative Hamil ton of Michigan to grant Statehood to New Mexico and Arizona. The leaders of the majority and the minority were there and con versed amiably, all of the bitterness engendered by the tariff fight of last summer apparently having been for gotten for the time being at least. Resolutions of respect for the memory of. Senator Johnson of North Dakota, and Representatives DeAr mond and Lassiter who died during the recess, were adopted, and as a further mark of respect the two houses adjourned until 1100:1 Tues day, the Senate at 12:13 and the House at 12:40 p. m. A round of applause greeted the Speaker when he entered the cham ber with his customary red carnation For a moment he stood in his place nervously fingering the gavel. While the applause "was subsiding the gavel descended with a resounding left handed whack. The blind chaplain of the. House, the Rev. Henry N. Calhoun, then of ferde the prayer, in which he im plored the divine blessing upon the members of Congress, especially the Speaker and for the President and his adversers. He prayed for the pro tection of the President and his Cab inet "from all personal violence and I from the machinations of designing men." The chaplain in alluding to the tragic death of the late Repre setnative DeArniond of Missouri, who was burned to death in his home, prayed for consolation for his col leagues, friends and especially the stricken wife und children. For the next ten minutes or more the chamber was auain filled with chatter, while the roll was being call ed. The Speaker announced that as 341 members had responded to their names, a quorum was present and the House was ready for ims;ness. I.iMn-int:itivp'; .Tones of Virginia informed the House of the death of his colleague, Francis R. Lassiter and offered a suitable "rsolution, which was agreed to. A similar resolution, offered f by Representative Clark of Missouri announced the death of David A. DcArmond. It was also agreed to. W. W. McCredie, the new Repre sentative from Washington, elected to succeed tho late Francis W. Cash--man, presented his credentials and was sworn in. The House, as a further mark of respect to the two members who had died during the recess of Congress, at 12:40 p. in. adjourned until Tuesday. Scu'.fcern Congress Meet3. Washington. Special. -"A greater nation will come into being through a greater South." This is the slogan of the Southern Commercial Congress which convened hero Monday for a three-days' session. The congress has announced that it has two ob jects to hasten a clearer self-knowledge throughout the South and to compel the balance of the United States and of the world to set a cor rect valuation upon the South as a region of opportunity. Prize for Phahisis Cure. New Haven, Special. The Yale Alumni Weekly Friday night made formal anouncement that an anony mus alumnus of Yale has offered a prize of $100,000 for the person who first discovers an adequate remedy for tuberculosis. A condition of the award of the prize is that the cure under consideration shall have been in use for at least five years and dur ing that time have proved its .actual and unquestionabed efficiency as a cure for tuberculosis. , 0,000 Armenians Starving. Worcester, Mass., Special. No less than 80,000 persons are starving in Armenia, according to advices receiv ed by Emily C. Wheeler, secretary of the National Armenia and India Re lief Asociation, 'which has its head quarters iu this city. The secretary states that in addition to this number there are 5,000 orphans who need aid, and that unless aid is sent speedily fi'om America a large number of Ar menians will perish. Saved in the Nick of Time. Norfolk, Va., Special. The crew of the lost German steamer Brewster a!l landed Friday from the revnue cutter Onondaga. Nothing but the ships paper weer saved. "One-half an hour later and the brave lifesavers who brought us t" shore would have been unable to reach us. We would have all perished," declarl one of them. "It was not the first time nor the last time that a ship has or will strike on that awful place under Such circumstances," said another in de fense of his captain. Polities in Great Britain. London, Special. The whole of Great Britain is immersed in the po litical campaign which has been in augurated by the refusal of the House of Lords to consent to the budget. The country is divided in to two great camps, composed of those who support the Lords' action and those who contend that the House of Commons must have ab sohitc control of the finances of the nation. There are, of course, many other issues, such as tariff reform versus free trade, but these are be ing pushed into the background by the conflict between the two houses. While the various local organizations are busy selecting candidates and preparing for the contests in their respective districts, the leaders of the great parties are carrying on a gen eral campaign. The radicals, who had long forseen the fate of their finance bill, are not allowing the , grass to grow under their feet. In London Saturday afternoon one of their organizations the National Democratic League, held a demon stration as a protest against the ac tion of the Lords which was one of the most notable ever held in the metropolis. Fully 20,000 persons, mostly of the laboring and artisan classes, -gathered in Trafalgar square and cheered the radical speakers who condemned in unmeasured terms the members of the upper chamber. Snow Ties Up Trains. St. Paul, Minn., Special. Cold and snow are now delaying freight traffic on the Northern Pacific and some parts of the Great Northern railroads more than the strike of switchmen, according to statements issued by the general managers of those roads Sun day night. According to General Manager Slade of the Northern Pa cific, freight is more or less tied up all along the system on account of the snow and especially in northern Min nesota and Norths Dakota. Pasenger trains are from one to four hours 1 late in St. Paul Sunday night. The 20ili annunal coferetice of the Southern K'l-icaf ional Conference will be held at Charlotte, 28th, 29th and 30th of this r-ionth. -O' -js, tl:;.' cci.i-U'cr U-'.' Lottj.:: s:. INSURANCE CO. TROUBLES. George P. Sheldon, the President, is Charged With Overdrawing His Salary, Unloading Doubtful Securi ties on the Company and Using the Company's Assets to Secure His Personal Speculative Accounts. New York, Special. The Phoenix Insurance Company of Brooklyn, is under investigation for ireguk:rUieii which it is believed have impaired its surplus at least $1,000,000 and to have - rsulted in conditions which Superintendent Ilotehkiss of the State insurance department, laid be fore the district attorney Monday for possible criminal action. It is charged that the president has over drawn his salary, that he has unload ed doubtful scurities on the company and that he has used the company's assets as collateral to scure his own personal speculative accounts. In a for-mal statement issued Mon day night Mr. Hotchkis3 admit3 that the present investigation is still un completed. George P. Sheldon, a member of many clubs, and, as chairman of the laws and legal committee of the na tional board of fire underwriters, is one of tht best known insurance men in the country, has been president of the Phoenix since 1887, and it is charged that under hi3 administra tion the annual reports of the com pany made to the.- insurance ifepart ment during at least the last ten years, and probably longer, are false in more than one particular. The insurance department alleges that it finds that questionable securi ties originally sold to the company by Mr. Sheldon have, year after year, passed through "Wash sales" and by this .method have been concealed in the annual report. Speculative accounts- have been maintained by President Sheldon, ac cording to Mr. Ilotehkiss. in at least one brokerage house, and the assets of the Phoenix have been put up as collateral to cover his operations. It is charged also rWt for several years the president's salary account has been overdrawn and now is paid up in full to October 1, 1910. NATIONAL EXPENSES CUT. Grand Total of Estimates For 1911 is $103,370,303 Less Than the Appro priations For the Current Fiscal Year New Work Authorized Only Where Regarded a3 Absolutely Necessary Salisbury Will Get $50,000 For Public Building. Washington, Special. That there has been a careful scrunity of the estimates of appropriations for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1911, is shown by the figures submitted to the House of Representatives Monday by Secretary of the Treasury MacVeagh, The grand total of estimates for 1911 is $732,323,075, which is $103,370,303 less than the appropriations for the current fiscale year, and $123,0(30,493 under the estimates submitted a year ago for 1910. A general cut has been made Avherever possible, the new work authorized only where regarded as absolutely necessary. Large reductions in the estimates as compared with the appropriations for the current year are: In the Treasury Department a decrease of $12,000,000 for public works, in the War Department about $0,000,000 in the military establishment, made up of decreases in the estimates for reg ular supplies, construction works for the army, mounted equipment, trans portation, ordinance and manufacture of arms, and $2,500,000 for public works, exclusive of the Panama can al: in the Navv Department 26, 000.000, due partly to the fact that Secretary Meyer has not asked for any money for new ships and that only $4,000,000 is required for armor and armament as airainst an appro priation of $12,452,000 for-this year; in the Postofficc Department a reduc tion of $5,000,000 in the estimated de ficiency in t lie postal rovnues, and in the Department of Commerce and Labor a deerase from $10,000,000 to $2,000,000 on account of the thir teenth census. Gale Over British Isbs. London, By Cable. In a terrific gale that raged over the British Isles, the steamer Thistlemor went to her doom off Appledere, in Baimstable Bay. It is believed that her cntii-e crew of thirty men perished. Four bodies fromyhe steamer already have been washen ashore. The Thistlemor was in command of Captain Yeo and wa3 bound from Liverpool for an American port. Canal Work Suspended. Baltimore, Special. Mr. Frank A. Furst, of the Furst-Clark Dredging Company, which has the contract for the ('ape Cod Canal, said Saturday that all work on the water end of this undertaking will be suspended until spring. This decision was reached after the fearful experience of the dredge Geenral McKenzie. which was caught in a gale blowing 72 miles an hour and which narrowly escaped to tal loss. As the dredge is valued at more than $200,000. Mr. Furst said he was unwilling to take any further risks on this bleak coast during the winter storms. KNOX PLAN APPROVED. Board of Examiners Will Pas3 Upon the Pitness of All Applicants For Position of Secretary and the Rec ords of Emciency Will Be Preserv ed. Washington, Special. To improve the personnel and efficiency of the diplomatic srvice and to encourage and commercial foreign relations of for promotion to the rank or minis ters, President Taft has approved a plan suggested by Secretary of State Knox, and published it as an Execu tive order. The new prospect provides for a board of examiners to pass upon all applicants for appointments as sec retaries and prescribes the standard plan to the President, points out the remarkable growth of the political and commerncial foreign relations of the United States and the increasing difficulty of the problems to be dealt with. Records of efficiency of all the un der secretaries will be preserved in the State Department and appintment from outside the srvice to secretary ship will be made only to the class of third secretary of embassy; or, in case of higher vacancies, of second scretary of legation, or of secretary of legation at posts which' have as signed to them only one secretary. Vacancies in secret aryships of the higher class will in the future be filled by promotion from the 'ower grades, and efficiency and ability demonstrat ed in the service will be the tests of i advancement. All the secretaryships in the future will be graded according to the im portance or difficulty or other aspects of the work done at each mission, and these classifications will be made known to the srvice so that every man may know just where he stands. The examining board will deter mine the fitness of candidates desig nated by the President for examina tion. The examinations will be held at Washington and will be both oral and written. A physical examination will be supplemental. Candidates must be between tke ages of 21 and 50 years. The de partment will aim to apportion rep resentation fairly among the States and Teritories. COTTON MEN WRONGED. Commissioner, of Corporations De nounces the Practice of Dealing in Futures. Washington, Special. Both the producers of cotton and the dealers in that commodity are the victims of the system of trading in vogue on the cotton exchange of the country. This is tho bivrden of parts 4 and 5 of the report of Commissioner of Corporations Herbert Knox Smith on the conduct of such exchanges. The practice of dealing in futures, as it is caried on at present, is condemned, carried on at present, is condemned, the existence of the exchange. "The brief discussion of general speculation in this report," says Mr. Smith, "recognizes the possibilities for good inherent in a great central market like a cotton exchange, and the need that this good be developed and evils eliminated by regulations in line with economic law." The report is especally condemna tory of the dealings in futures, brand ing this form of speculation as pure gambling and highly injurious to legi timate trade, iu quotations for fu ture" deliveries of cotton, the market is so uncertain and so many elements of change enter into the transaction that all bids are made at a much lower figure than those offered for cotton actually in existence. The effect of these fictitious quota tions, the report1 points out, tends to mislead the cotton planted as to the true value of his crop, honestly grown. In addition it leads brokers to "play" both sides of the market to protect themslves against loss in such trades, with the rsult that the producer is forced to pay in the end, while the farmer loses likewise. - The report, while recognizing that the exchanges in New Orleans and New York are nccessar, does not mince words in eriticisirg tho New York exchange. After declaring that the New Orleans methods of conduct ing the transactions in cotton follow ed natural lines, the report draws at tention to the fact that it has been proven that the abnormal depressions in the future price in New York "were almost wholly due to improper artificial conditions now maintained by the New York cotoa exchange. By maintaining them the New York ex change is responsible for a very real injury to the producer and mer chant." King of Sweedsn Mingles With the People. Stockholm, By Cable.King Gustave on Saturday inaugurated a new de parture for sovereigns. Disguised as a stevedore he spent most of the day carrying sacks of coal from a lighter. In an interview, after it was all over, the King said that this was only the beginning. He intended to mix with all lassse of laborers, so that he might ascertain their opinions and wishes. Already he added, he had ob tained many valuable hints from the men with whom he worked. WASHINGTON NOTES The Civil Service Commission has summoned Public Printer Donnelly to appear before it on December 15 to show cause why he placed & charge of insubordination against John W. Rodgers an employe of the Government Printing Office, who, al though told by his foreman that he could not be spared, took leave with pay which wau due him, he alleges, and absented himself from his work for three days in November to go home and vote. Announcement is made by Secre tary Mitchell Carroll, of the Archae ological Institute of America, that David G. Hogarth, M. A., e-urator of the Ashmolean Museum, University of Oxford, will be the first foreign lecturer under the Charles Eliot Nor ton Memorial Foundation, recently endowed by James Loeb, of New York. Mr Hogarth began his lec ture tour under the society's engage ment at Halifax, N. S., and will ad dress half a dozen societies of the in stitute in Canada before coming to the United States. Afterward he will lecture for the institute at Buffaio, Washington, Baltimore and Philadel phia. The institute's officers are gratified at securing Mr. Hogarth for the first foreign lecturer. lie is an eminent archaeological explorer, geo grapher and author, having explored Asia Minor on four expeditions, ex cavated the site of the Temple of Diana at Ephesus for the British Museum and conducted many other important excavations and explora tions in Egypt, Crete and Asia Minor. President Taft is developing into a twentieth century Ilaroun Al Ras chid. He is acquiring a habit of prowling around the strets and parkt of the eapitol at all hours of the evening. When the conference on the proposed changes to be made in the interstate commerce law ended at 6 o'clock Monday, Secretary Dickin son and Attorney General Wicker sham were coming out of the exe cutive office when they were hailed. "Hold on there a minute," called the President. A moment later" he ap peared, struggling with the refrac tory buttons of his light overcoat. ' ' How about a walk, ' ' he said ' 4 Let 's strike out." Both chorused that a stroll in the dark was exactly the thing they had been pining for. The stroll. took them over the wind swept reaches of the Potomac river bottom. The trio walked briskly back to the White House, Avhere the President waived a farewell and disappeared. Following a lengthy conference at tlrs White House it was announced Monday night that the administra tion will exert its influence towards securing a comprehensive revision of the interstate commerce law by the incoming Congress. A rough draft of the proposed amendments to the law was submitted by Attorney-General Wickersham, ard wdiile this was considered in all its details, no de cision with respect to it was reached. All of the 2,500 national banks in the United States, which now hold board meetings at irregular and in frequent intervals, must have month ly meetings of their boards of direc tors, must appoint examining and dis count committees and all the loans and discounts of each bank must be approved by the directors' board at the monthly meeting, sucii approval to be recorded in permanent form. This was the pronunciamento of Comptroller of the Currency Murphy Monday. ' The court of appeals of the District of Columbia has granted the petition of Samuel Gompers, John Mitchell and Frank Morrison of the Ameri can Federation of Labor in the con tempt case against them for a stay of execution of the mandate of the court sending them to jail. The man date is stayed indefinitely, pending appeal to the United States supreme court. The personel of Uncle Sam's establishment is increasing by leaps and bounds, the grand total of all Federal employees at present being approximately 370,065. as against 300,1-11 in 1907, an increase in the two years of about (54.000 persons, or about 20 per cent. These and other interesting facts are brought out in the official register, or Government's "blue book." for 1909, which short ly will be issued- Announcement of the engage ment of Miss Alice Bleaeh, social sec retary to Mrs. Taft, and Lieut. Richard Wainwright, Jr., of tho navy, has opened up competition among social secretaries here and other young women not already es tablished as such, for succession to Miss Bleach's position. Mrs. Taft is a seasoned hostess, and the long ser vice of Mr. Taft in various positions here has given Mrs. Taft probably a wider acquaintance among mem bers of the social colony and a greater knowledge of the official so cial code than any other President's wife. THE ZELAYA SCHEME Two Emmissaries Sent to Washington. HE WOULD OVERREACH KNOX Hopes to Catch Congressmen Enough to Neutralize the Ultimatum. Washington, Special. President Zelaya has not only refused to take official cognizance of Secretary Knox's note which was practically an ultimatum, but is declared to have dispatched special agents to Wash ington to endeavor to have the State Department's ultimatum set aside first by appeals to that department and secondly by direct appeals to members of Congress. The State De partment i3 entirely aware of the presence and identity of these emis saries. These special agents are be ing watched in a general way. It was repoited Friday that any at tempt Zelaya might make to escape from the country would receive the direct and vigorous attention of the American warships now lying off the coasts of Nicaragua. Secretary Knox's note intimated in tile plainest language that the State Department looks upon Zelaya as the man respon sible for the torture and death of the two Americans, Groce and Cannon. The plan to deflect the United States government's program with reference to Nicaragua came-to light Friday night when Senor Fernando Sanchez and D: V. M. Roman arriv ed here. Neither Senor Sanchez nor Dr. Roman would talk. They gavo thier address as New York. During the afteroon and early evening more than a score of tele grams were dispatched from Senor Sanchez's rooms. Almost an equally large iinmber were 'recived. This telegraphic activity, the Central Am ericans insist, is aimed at members of Congress, with a view of winning over enough of them to render the administration's present program in operative in the event it is presented by Congress. Dr. Salvator Castrillo, the diplom atic agent of the provisional govern ment of Nicaragua and represntative of the revolutionists here, Friday made formal request to Secretary Knox that he be received on equal terms with the agents of the Zelaya government. It is generally believed that Dr.' Castrillo 's request will be granted. While making all prpearations for action, this government has resumed the calm that precded the issue of Secretary Knox's note. There were no developments in the State Depart ment Friday. A New Orleans special says that the bodies of Leroy Cannon knd Leonard Groce, the two Americans executed by order of President Zel aya of Nicaragua, Avere burned, de clared pasengers arriving here Friday from Nicaraguan ports on the steam er Dictator. It was reported that incineration was resorted to to con ceal tthe means of identification. Afterwards, it was said, Zelaya found it was impossible to conceal the fact that the Americans had been killed and was forced to make a report to this effect to the State Department at Washington. Hard to Secure a Jury. Union City, Teun., Special. "The court is up against a wal and does not know which way to turn to se cure a jury," remarked trial Judge J. E. Jones at the close of Friday's sesion of the trial of Garret Johnson and Arthur Cloar, alleged leaders of tho Reelfoot night riders charged with the murder of Capt. Quentin Rankin. Two jurors were secured, but as one secured earlier in the trial was excused on account of illness, the panel still lacks one man. Over 1,500 veniremen have been examined since the present trial started. Judge Jones ordered another panel brought into court, Monday afternoon. Zelaya's Troops Desert. Bluefialds, Nicaragua, Special Col. Guadaiyouse, an officer of the Nica raguan government army, has desert ed President Zelajri and with 100 men poined the rebel force of General Estrada at Rama. Guadamouse states that Zelaya's troops in the vicinity of Rama number 1,400 of whom 200 are sick. They are existing on pilot bread and native cheese which is dol ed out scantily. Syrian Declared a White Man. Atlanta, Special. Bv the decision of Judge W. T. Newman of the Unit ed States district court Friday, Cos ta George Najour, a Syrian by birth, is declared a white man and eligible to the privilege of citizenship in the United States. A strong fight has been made by the immigration bureau against the granting of naturalization papers to Najour on the ground that he is a mongolian. It. is probable the case will be taken to the United States court of avft-als. ' "