VOL "XV.
COLUMBUS, TOLK COUNTY, C., THURSDAY, APRIL 21, 1910.
NO. 49.
, ........ . . V V . ! . ' ' " f! - t . V . . ....... . 1 i - . - " 1 I '
$754,114 COLLECTED; I
OIJLY 5191,637 LEFT
Robert B. Armstrong Accused in
insurance. Report
DENIES CHARGES AT CHICAGO
Private Secretary to Leslie M. Shave
and Former Assistant Secretary
of Treasury Was Head of Consol.
. idatcd Casualty Company.', s 4
Charleston, W. VaV That the ac;
live managers of the. Consolidated
Casualty Company before its reor
ganization here collected $757,114 In
one year and nine months, of which
only $191,637 .remains, that they
made false returns to the Insurance
Department of this State, are some
of the charges contained In the re
port made to the State Insurance De
partment by John P. Roche, of New
York City, consulting actuary.
The actuary found that the entire
management of the company was in
the hands of Robert B. Armstrong,
president: C. H. Burras; vice-president,
and A. S. Mitchell, secretary
and. treasurer, as officers, and Arm
strong, Burras, Mitchell and D. Fol
ansbee as the executive committee.
The company was chartered in West
Virginia about two years ago. The
administrative offices have been in
Chicago.
Armstrongs was private secretary
to Secretary Leslie M. Shaw, and af
terward became an Assistant Secre
tary of the Treasury.
Three weeks ago, upon complaint
of State Auditor John S. Darst, the
directors turned the company over to.
Darst lor adjustment. The stock
holders, reorganized by electing C. C.;
McChord, of Louisville, Ky presi
dent, and J. Walter Scherr, Deputy
Insurance Commissioner of West Vir
ginia, general manage.
The actuary's report says that the
condition or tne company s books was
such that a correct audit is almost
impossible. Among the irregularities
charged is the cancellation of stock
issued, collection of partial payments
for which nothing was issued' issuing
of stock which' was not paicTf or, list
ing as a $50,000 asset Chicago real
estate that cost the company. $11,500;
The actuary says that President Arm
strong drew a salary of $1000 a
month. "On June 30, 1909," the re
port says, "it was discovered that he
(Armstrong) had overdrawn his sal
ary $2 3 12." Subsequently this "over
draft of salary was charged to mis
cellaneous expenses."
The report charges that in Decem
ber, 1909, H. W. Huttig,,of Musca
tine, Iowa, loaned the company a
note for $3,000, and this note the
company showed as an asset in its
statement to the Insurance Depart
ment and the officers took oath to
that effect.
Chicago, IlLs-tReplyIng to charges
vi mismanagement ana - xaismcation
of accounts made against Robert S.
Armstrong, former president of the
John F. Roche, a New York City ac
tuary, at Charleston, , W. Va., Arn
strong issued a statement, saying in
part:
"The report of Mr. Roche reflects
the hostility which the company has
encountered from Its Inception. For
practically two years there had been
apparently an organized effort to as
sassinate the company.. These . guer
rilla methods of the competitors of
the company were encountered on
every side, and enromously increased
the expense of organization.
"That the management made false
entries- iffrthe books of the; company
is alsountraa,andj likewise. ss; the
statement thai - false returns 'were
made to the Insurance Department of
West Virginia." : ;
DEMAND BILBO SHALL QUIT.
Mississippi' Senators Want Colleague
to Resign Others Leave Chamber.
Jackson, ' Miss. In open session
the State Senate by an overwhelming
vote demanded the resignation of
Senator Theodore G. Bilbo. President
Pro Tem. Hebron then resigned, and
was followed from the Chamber, by
several other Senators, v: also sup
porters of ex-Governor Vardaman.,
By a vote of twenty-eight to fifteen
the Senate had failed to adopt a reso
lution to expel Senator Bilbo, who
recently charged that- he accepted
from L. Ci Dulaney a bribe of $645
in exchT.M for his promise to change
v vote irom t oiuier Governor James
Vardaman to Leroy Percy " for
untied States Senator.
ea btates Senator. The accept-
&nce of th mnnev Ftilhn exnlaine'd -
to obtain evidences of Irregu-lari-
ties in connection with the Senatorial
Election. .. '-',; . .V " w
EAIIS
AMERICAN FARM ADS.,
Quebec . Governmental Journal
Will
No Longer Accept Tliem. -
Quebec, Can. rln the Legislature
Minister of Agriculture Caron an
nounced that advertisements of farms
ja the United States would.not in the
xure be printed In The Agriculture
journal, which is published by. the
bec Goernmen4.,;..v,-i5-r--'
1 he Minister's announcement was
casi0I:eti by the criticism of, Mr
Jatte, a member ot the Opposition,
vno drew attention to an advertise
ment of farms in Vermont in an issue
artv J urnaI an declared that these
Ca r ""raenjta had been largely ; the
c??1 the ereat exodus of French-
Cflti-,. c Bai exouus :oi,-jrrencn-it?1!1"1
t0 United States in the
BIG FLEET TO CIRCLE GLOBE
Taft arid Secretary Meyer- Am
bitious to Excel Rooseveit
Admiral or Vice-Admiral in Command
Congress Must 'Provide Addi.
clonal Personnel 23 Ships.
Washington, DT'C. To close his
administration by sending around the
world the ' greatest battleship, fleet
ever assembled ?under any flag is the
ambition ,pf . President Taft and his
naval secretary Secretary Meyer. -
The program becomes operative
July 1, this year. By 1912 the plans
will have culminated and the fleet
will begin . a trip around the world
which will overshadow that which the
sixteen battleships made at. the close
of Roosevelt's administration.
Protection of the Pacific coast and
of our Far East possessions is provid
ed for in -the program. If Congress
allows the Administration a free hand
and acts upon the recommendations
ot the President and Secretary of War
by 1913 there will be a fleet on the
Pacific larger than the entire Ameri
can fleet at the time of the Spanish
American War.
On July 1, 1912, the fleet will be
made up for the closing year of the
Taft Administration, with twenty-one
battleships, including the Wyoming
and Arkansas, the 20,080-ton dread
naughts just laid down.
The fleet which will assemble in
Hampton Roads for its special trip
will consist of the battleships Wyom
ing, Arkansas, Florida, Utah, Dela
ware,? North Dakota, Michigan, Con
necticut, Louisiana, South Carolina,
Kansas, Vermont, New Hampshire,
Georgia, Nebraskr, New Jersey, Vir
ginia, Ohio-, Minnesota, Mississippi and
Idaho, and the armored cruisers Ten
nesseeY Washington, North Carolina
and, Montana twenty-one battleships
and four armored' cruisers. The commander-in-chief,
it is hoped by Mr.
x'aft and Mr. Meyer, will be a vice-admiral
or a full admiral. ,
This, the most stupendous fleet
scheme ever adopted, will depend, in
a measure for its successful operation
upon the passage of the bill now be
fore Congress for a gradual increase
in the naval personnel ; . '. ';,.
t If Congress .fails to allow the per
sonnel increase, the Secretary of the
Navy plans to shelve all of the older
gunboats' and cruisers in order to pro
vide a sufficient number of men for
the new fleet. This, naval officers
point out, would be crippling the Pa
cific's fleet. -
It . the present program goes
through there will not be a single bat
tleship, cruiser or gunboat in service
which took part in the Spanish-Amer
ican war. t It is planned, however, to
hold the older ships in reserve, so
that with a fleet of twenty-five power
ful vessels plying the Atlantic seas
there will be a second fleet of eleven
battleships fa fleet which will be as
powerful. ,as the . entire . navy . was
twelveyears ago- ,,.-W",.vv " ; :-. ":
- TAFT'S VIEWS HISSED.
Suffragettes , in -Washington, 4 T. C,
.Voice Disapproval of His Speech.
Washington, Bv C. Because sev
eral members of theNational Woman
Suffrage Association hissed while
President .Taft: was telling .them why
he was opposed to rwoman suffrage,
he administered a sharp rebuke to
them. - . "
The President had just, told his
hearers that if the ballot were grant
ed to woman there was danger of it
being exercised by the least desirable
class when a hiss was heard in the
back part, of the auditorium. It
spread to other- parts of -the room
and brought this comment ifrom the
aiscingutsnea speacer:
"My dear ladies, you must show
yourselves equal to self-government
Ley exercising, in listening to opposing
arguments. v that, degree of restraint
without which successful self-govern
ment is impossible' V
GUILTY OF KILLING HUSBAND
Maine Woman Had Been the Man's
Sole Support For Fifteen Years. ,
J Rockland, Me. Guilty of the mur
der of her invalid husband, Fremont
Newbert, who died November 15 from
the effects of Strychnine poisoning,
was the verdict found by the jury iu
the Supreme Court against Mrs. Sadie
F.' Newbert, a- middle-aged Thomas
ton woman, who for fifteen years had
ben her husband's pole support..
The penauy in this beam lor mur
der is life- imprisonment. The State
a inotH in Thnmastnn with.
- m itr. u.i.n..1. v.,
o .r,ntPTirtAllhftthe tjoiaon was
defense contended that5 the poison was
self-administered, while the State held
that the alleged -friendships of the
woman with another man furnished a
motive for the killing."' : : sV
$50(O YOR SAYING "YES.
It, Decided Miss Peterson to Marrj
Rich Man on His Deathbed,
Chicago, III. Lawyer Seth F.
CrewB was allowed $5000 by Judge
Pinckney X for - saying i!res ? .when.
Sarah Peterson asked him if It' would
be legal for her to -marry, rich John
R. Smith on his deathbed.
Smith . died almost Immediately
afterward, leaving her ,330,000.
Crews sued for $35,000. t
. Mrs. Smith's defense was raat sn
didn't marry ' Smith for his money,'
but JuJse Pinckney Intimated strons-r
. j ly that be held a contrary view,
SIX FIREMEN LOSE LIVES
: III tIEV! HAVE!! JAIL BLAZE
Three Others Are Saved by Dar
hig Work of TheiKComraes.
TROOPS GUARD THE PRISONERS
All Are Returned to Tlieir Cells at
v Night in Undamaged Part of the
Building Many r Firemen Were
Fearfully Burned.
( New :. Haven, Conn. Trapped by
metal doors' and barred windows, six
firemen" who-werevflghting flames in a
workshop were " caught by a hack
draft and burned to death duringihe
partial destruction of the New Haven
County Jail. Three of their comrades
were saved through the nerpism of
other firemen outside. The bodies of
the six men were found late alter the
ruins cooled. Many other 'firemen
were fearfully burned, but remained
The dead are: CaptainxC. ii. Chai
man, of Truck No. 1 : Lieutenant
William r. Doherty. of Truck1 No. 1:
Ladderman John Buckley, of Truck
No. 1; Hoseraan James T. Cullen,
James Mortell and Thomas J. Mc
Grath, or Engine Company No. 4.
The seriously hurt: Lad dermen A. E.
Wilcox andv Thomas J. Vaugh. of
Truck No. 1, and Hosemim John ,E.
Hussey. ; Cantata Charles H. 0'Neill,
of Engine Cotapany No. 4, ahd Cor
nelius Shugrue, laddernan of Truck
No. 1..
Six "men from Truck No. 1. were
fighting their way . through the cell
room of the jail Into the' workshop
when an explosion of a gasoline tank
caused a back draft and slammed
behind 'them the Iron doors Separat
ing the two buildings. Thre of the
men were hemmed in a corner and
burned to death; while the other
three made their way to a barred
window, to which they clung, with
streams of water playing oh them
from the outside. Soon aftet" reach
ing the window the roof fell in, and
ladders wereput up from thejoutside
and ; down the Inside and the men
taken out. The other dead firemen
were caught byvthe. same back draft
as they werejworking at the other end"
of the bnildrag and carried down by
the roof when it fell in! 1
Shugrue.- who was found lying at
the foot of the walLol the workshop.
told.how'Doherty;: Cullen: and Mortell
met their death? When they found
themselves hemmed in by the closing
of the door they made for the cellar
in search of air. ; The flames already
licking their clothing, they reached
the cellar, and searched for a place
to get out. but there was nonel "It's
up to the roof, boys,'saId one) of the
men,, and the four crawled jup the
stairs again. By this time the build
ing was a mass of flames. Shugrue
was the first to reach the roof, and.
. holding his head, in his coat, reached
down-to; Lieutenant'. Doherty to pull
him up to the roof. He got hold of
the Lieutenant's wrist, but the others,
eThausedvby their efforts to reach
the upper-stories, were unable to
help, and Shugriie held on as long as
he could and then letgot Bohertr
dropping Into the flames. The two
others he could not see. Shugrue
crawled to the edge-of the rob f jmd
jumped, landing at the foot bf the
building, where he was found two
hours later. r V j
Vaugh, who was f caught In the
building, was J rescued by -1 James
Cronogue, i who crawled into, ' the
building, put his, helmet over Vaugh's
face and pulled him out.:
The fire was discovered by a pris
oner, and tbe 175 men in the-workshop
were! sent to "their cells. When,
it was seen -that' there was danger of
the fire spreading to the main (build
ing the 246' male and forty-two fe
male Inmates were taken to the po
lice stations and the Foot Guard Ar
mory. Under authority of Governor
Weeks, three companies of the Sec
ond Regiment, Connecticut National
Guard, took "charge of the jail grounds
and patrolled the surrounding streets.
The prisoners,-? under military es
cort, were returned to the jail J The
buildings destroyed were two three-
story brick workshops and several
adjoining sheds and, two, dwelling
houses in Hudson street, i .
FREES COLONEL COOPER.
GovernCr Patterson Asserts Belief Ho
; ' ; is Not Guilty. -
Wshvllle Tenn. While the Su
preme Court ot Tennessee4' was con
firming the1 conviction of Colonel Dun
can B. Cooper ;for the slaying' on-No-!
vember 9, 190, in a Nashville street
of former United States Senator E.
W. Carmack, - Governor. Patterson
wrote a full pardon for the defendant,
declaring' that in hia bellet "Colonel
Cooper was not guilty. ;Th$ Supreme
Court remanded for retrial th e case of
Robin Cooper;1 convicted jot the: same
crime as his father. Vi - ' ?UV v
. The situation was tens?, because ot
allegations by friendsof Carmack, that
politics entered Into the case. It Is
probable that Robin Cooper will nev
;er be-reified; Both Coopers had been
sentenced to twenty yearsV imprison
ment.; ' ' ... - -.
New Yort Central Yields.- j
' - Tho New York Central Railroad
surprised its trainmen and conductors,
.ho had talked of striking; '.by offer
jnjr to submit the differences to arbi-
.- tration and naming two ex-chlcfa cf
V .the men's own' organization as aihl1
."trators. -
EDITOR KILLS THE MAYOR
Result of Three Years' Feud in
Morehouse, Mo. "
V r-..-A-
Four Bullets Fired in Rapid 'succes
sion at Dr. Hart in Front .
of a Store.
x Morehouse, jwo. Claude . B. Hay,
editor of the Hustler, alocal news
paper, shot: and killed in the main
highway Dr. l W. Hart, the Mayor
of Morehouse. The tragedy marks
an epoch in a feud that has lasted
thfee years ahd has -involved all -of
the public men in -this part of Mis
souri in ope phase or another of the
hitter controversy, i - v! .if:, . ,
V Hay and Hart.botti come from old
and prominentfamilieis'of this State,
and each, has -beh influential in town
and county politics. The trouble
began in 1907 when Hay made : an
editorial. a,ttacf on Dr. Hart . at the
time' the latter was la candidate : for
a local office. (The physician-met the
editor--the. next day in the street and
Quarreled; and f ought. A pistol was
drawn, it was said, but friends rushed
In, and the antagonists - were separ
ated before harm resulted to either.
From that tim the two men did not
speak to each Mother, no matter what
occasion r brought them together. :
After, the torn election recently, "at
which the Aldermen iseere chosen, and
after Dr. Harfs friends in the Citi
zens' party were .elected, a Socialist,
a member of the opposing faction,
wrote an article severely condemning
Hart's activity iln the campaign. The
articles was printed ln Hay's paper.
This caused a renewal of open ex
pression of hatred between the Mayor
and tne editor,", ana tnreats were
made. ' - . .. - - i ; :
Hay was infthe main street when
Mayor Hart cme out of a store.
Without! a worrd the editor drew his
pistol and opened fire - He shot four
times .as fast as he could pull the
trigger of his tveapon. v Three of the
uuuis CMicicUr ui. nans uuuj. xuxs
Mayor staggered into the store ad
joining that from which he had come,
and an instant plater fell dead.
': Hay walked unmolested, pistol In
hand, to his newspaper office, and
there awaited the arrival of the po
lice. The towi marshal was the first
td get there aid ta him Hay urren-;
dered. - - He-was taken' to the county
.jail In New Madrid.,,! M
Hart's friends took possession, of
the body, to b& buried'Charleston
Mo., his former home; '
KBDNAP'S hIS OWN CHILD.
,New Yorker , $eizes Daughter From
Former Wife in South Carolina.
- .- ,- i - s
Mayesville, . C Israel Benjamin;
of New York,! having failed in his
efforts to get possession of his small
daughter from! his former wife, who
is married" again and living here, kid
naped the child and, left for New
York:City. . . ' ' I -!
Benjamin's Ivlfe,. after? obtaining a;
divorce fnomt' Jiim, married Joseph
Denmark, who has a business , at this
town. During; the absence; of Den
mark in Sumter, Benjamin hired a
buggy and seized the ehild . from the
nurse. '- .. '!-..' -.: ;--''.
Benjamin - once held a position of
some sort with the New" York , City
-Government. f j' -r f .: v-
. ' : -
BOY ,BANKERSM IN PRISON.
Little Mountain Town in Kentucky
Develop Real: Genius.
Covington, Ky. j Three youths,
each Jess than twenty years of age,
were taken to jjthe Federal prison at
Atlanta, to serve one year each for a
fraudulent" bapkins I scheme which,
they conducted- in- thd little mountain
town Of Orr.fKy. A ' f ourthoy was
sentenced to fmr months in jail.
The boys realized about $2300 by
their scheme, which included the es
tablishment ofa mythical "bank," to
establish their credit with wholesale
dealers and v, enable them to obtain
large ', shipments of merchandise.
David. Vrlncer larion land. Richmond
Sparks and " George: White are the
youngsters. A - . ; '
X . ;; l- - -
WHITE Pad BACK $40,000.
Settlement Ipeople's Mutual Life
Case Is Explained.
- i -.(..
Syracuse, -N4 X -Af former officer
of the People's Mutual Life Insurance
Association . ahd Leagne, discussing
the payment of $150,000 to, the so-'
clety and the settlement of all litiga
tion, said:- - -. -. s . i v ,(':
"The trustee, of the society; with
one exception paid back the money re
ceived for fits fransf er. Lieutenant
Governor Horace Whlte who received
$20,000 as a idebt due from John
Tevis, contributed about $ 40,0 0 0 and
the directors qf the First National
Bank as individuals gave a like sum
BARONESS lie ROQTJES DEAD.
';.'--.;v-r ' -i i- - - "
- ' . j . .. . . i - - - ...
BIrs. .Majbticks Mother Expires In
- ;;:-vv" Paris in Great Poverty. :f y
- Parish Franck Baroness De Ro
ques, mother of Mrs." Maybrick, who
spent many; years in a British prison
under, a life sentence,' died In. Paris
in the utmost poverty and whs buried
at the expense pf non-relatives. ;
; Consul General Mason endeavored
to communicator with Mrs. Maybrick,
supposing her.tjo be in America but
did not receive ahy resrjonre. .;.
A ; certain :-dfgree ; of j secrecy" has
been maintained regarding the death
of the Baroness.- Few Americans 1
Paris knew of her presence: here.
TAR HEEL CHRONICLES
XTews ! Notes Gathered From AS
' Parts of the Old North State. .
Election Royal Arcanum- Officers;
The f annual convention of - Royal
Arcanum at 'Rockingham - elected the
following officers :
Grand Regent F. W. Hancock,
Oxford; Grand Vive Regent--C. 0.
Johnson, Raleigh; Grand Orator
Dr. - S. T Mendelshon, .Wilmington ;
Brand: Treasure E. v " Ij. I Harris,
Raleigh; Grand Guide Noah Bur
foot,' Elizabeth City ; Grand Chaplain
Thos. J. J ohnson, Salisbury ; Grand
Warden S. M; Hampton, Leaksville;
3rand Sentry John Machin, Ashe
eille; Grand Trustees A. J. Evans,
Statesville; J. M. Norwood, Raleigh;
1 W. Slocumb, Goldsboro; Com
mittee on Laws H. E. Bonitz ; C.
k. Johnson, Thos. P. Johnson; Com
mittee on Propaganda F. W. Han
sock, H. E. Bonitz, J. Howell Way;
Committee oh Finance J. iTred Tesh,
E. J. Stewart, H. B. Craven
The1 stupendous sum of $131,614,
350.37 has been paid out in benefits,
rhe Membership is now - 245,784.
Mote than $1,900,000 has been paid
to families , of deceased members in
this State. !
Drainage ' Suit in Perpetual Motion.
: A jury in superior court at Wil
mington returned a verdict awarding
B. Ff Penny, a well-known mer
2haut,' $5,000 damages . and interest
fdr twelve years as the result of the
plaintiff 's having -1 been ' shot in 1898
while j alighting from a train of the
lefendant company at Leland, Bruns
leick county. The'hot was, intend-5,
id for the f conductor, of jthe" . train
tfhp had trouble with a negro man
ivho hadbeen ejected from the train
nd the allegation w,as that the com
pany fe employes had not exercised
lue diligence toward the protection
5f passengers; 1 The case' has been
twice ;to the Supreme Court, and has
been tried in the lower courts anum
er : x)f ;- ilmes. , , An .appeal is taken
bj. the railroad company to the ' Sn-
Dreme court. ,
. r Cotton Seed for Planting.
Up to, Saturday 125,000 bushels of
jotton seed have been sent from
Raleigh southward, for planting, to
jet an early crop, the business being
iearlyj closed for this season, only
4 few; thousand bushels remaining.
" Sanitary Sunday, " April 24.
The Secretary of the State Board
)f Hesilth, Dr. Ranking is now send
ing out 40,000 copies of what is
known as'thft "Preacher's Bulletin,M
forei sanitary ; Sunday, which is .April
,ijdi3 goes to . every mmister. 4n
the State whose address had been ob
tained.
Mr. Pell Appointed Judge. .
Mr. George P. Bell, who will be
come judge of the eleventh district
May 7, is a lawyer of recognized
ability. s He has recently N issued
!f Pell's Annotated Code of North
Carolina ' ' that is pronounced by
judges i and practitioners at the bar
an exceptionally valuable ; work,
abundantly meriting highest recogni
tion. Lawyers , are free to. say that
this appointment by Governor Kitch
in comes as a meritett manifestation
Of the . obligation both" the legal ; fra
ternity, and rthe State are uhder to
Mr. Pell " for his work. - - . r
Ex-Governor Linney Passes.
Ex-Congressman R. Z. Linney drop
ped dead at Taylorsville Friday Mr.
m mm J V UiAf V- 111 VV tVTIU
from his farm and was apparently
quite well and in good spirits.'' Just
as jae reached the top of the stairway,
ascending to his office, he complained
of sudden illness and sank to the
floor unconscious, dying within ten
minutes without ; regaining consci
ousness! r
They Will Come Back.
The special rates for immigrants
to the West went " off of sale at mid
night Saturday night and it is esti
mated that the Southern railway has
moved from its lines from Salisbury
to Knoxville. and Spartanburg to
Asheville and the Murphy division "at
least 300, men, ' women and children!
who have gone : to chase the golden
illusions ;tf the West. ; :; " :
Banks Get Charters;
Charters 'wert -granted the . Caro
line Savings' bank, at the place .of
do a : commercial and. savings ,busi-
( ness: the Provident Tnd ComraTivHfthce on the floor of the Senate. an d a
being the principal stockholder.
Cotton Mill Changes Hands. '
" - A party , of Roanokers, together
with W.- C. Ruffin and F7 B. Kemp,
of. Mayodan, have purchased the $50,
000 , of bonds against .. the Roanoke
cotton miH company and secured con
trol of the property. W. C. Ruf!m
may be- the" new manager.
"And the first man that sees a cu-i
cumber vine or a lettucs plant stick-4
tag Its head ' up through the! soil
quickly pulls a calling jcard out of his
1 pocket and fastens
Cucumber Claims it securely on the
Staked in Alaska, spot. When a claim
5 " hasbeen staked out
in this fashion everybody resnects it.
Snd the?fortunate man saves the; head
of lettuce or the cucumber; after it
gets ripe to eat at Christmas or on
his birthday." j The members of the
"House Committee on Territories sat
up and took notice when this interest
ing statement; was made to them in
the course of a hearing on the Alas
kan government bill by Henry M.
Hoyt, Attdrney-General - for Puerto
Rico, who used to be District Attorney
at Nome, Alaska. He wandered off a
little from the subject and discussed
the agricultural possibiltles I of! the
Seward Peninsula, on which Nome is
located. ' Mr. Hoyt admitted that
Alaska 'would never become a great
agricultural community, but he said
lettuce and cucumbers would grow
around the steam exhaust' pipes of
power plants. I He said that as green
vegetables were pretty scarce in that -
section of the
world," these tiny gar-
den spots had
pecome quite popular -s
and tha products of the artificially
warmed and moistened soil -were ,
sought after nearly as much as the
yellow nuggets.
The Interstate Commerce Commis
sion ordered the. lake and rail rates
on flour from Minneapolis, Minn., to
New York City and the Atlantic sea- -f
't .;" board reduced from .23
interstate cents a hundred-pounds
Board Cuts to 21 cents, beginning
Flour Rate. May 10. This decides
the famous case of the
Northwestern ( millers against " the
29 rail and lake 'lines in favor of the
millers. The new schedule of rates Is
ordered to be effective for two years '
from the date it goes into effect. The
complainants were some 40 men, op
erating" more I than 100- flour mills,
with a dally , capacity, of 15,000 bar
relsin.the States of Wisconsin, Min-
nesoia, iNorin .jjaKoia ana pouin ua
kota. Th defendant- carriers were'
all the railroads -and water lines
which carry flour from Minneapolis
and Duluth to! the Atlantic seaboard
territory. The. millers complained
that the rate of 23 cents was unrea
sonable and was a discrimination
against Minneapolis and the North
west in favor of the millers at Buffa
lo, as compared .with the all-rail rate
east from Buffalo, as applied by the
same carriers to the same points of
destination. In its decision, which
was written -by Commissioner Clark,
the commisgion reviews the gradual
absorption of the great lakes trans
nortfttfon Hnea bv ,the railroads: and
.compares the ;dlff rences in rates on -fiour
and wheat - r y -.'.Ly
' . :--.;;
. When Representative Stafford made
an earnest and successful fight for the
passage of a bill granting free trans
mission through the mails to a period
ical printed In raised
Stafford and letters for the benefit of
the Blind, the blind recently there
were few, even! of his
colleagues, who realized the sentimen- ,
tal Interest which the Wisconsin Rep
resentative has in this subject. Mr.
Stafford's biography is one of the
DUUt ICS), U iUD WJUl rs.wuw
ory, and in it, he says nothing of the
fact that his father lost hi3 eyesight '
in an explosion, and that for; wenty
years he devoted hi3 time to "seeing" -for.
his: blind- father Only Mr.- Staf
ford's Intimate friends have known of
this fact, but now that it Is toldmahy
will recall that whenever an opportu- v
nity has been offered to "further the
Interests of the blind and to amelior
ate their misfortune. Mr. Stafford has
taken a leading part and has worked
hard to that end. i i
tt has become the fashion to refer
ith something approaching derision
to Senators and Representatives as
"only objectors." Those who speak
in thia manner are either
.Only an ignorant of the subject or
Objector, else seek to impose n the ,
f intelligence of their, read
ers. , One of the most- exacting and
thankless tasks which ever, falls to a
mamfiai nf tfi a rt a -rn J 1 loirfalgtitra ! -
that of an objector. The greatest ob
jector in recent tlme3 was the late Or-
rille Hitchcock Piatt, of Connecticut,
and his plac9 in the Senate has never
been adequately filled. Senator Kean,
Df New Jersey, performs the thankless
task on many occasions, and Repre
sentatives Mann and Stafford serve in
this capacity in the House. The dut7
of an objector is to. prevent undesir
able i legislation ,'! and the number , of
c - ' - - ' 3 tA.-. .
which Senator Piatt, of Connecticut,
prevented from enactment; is legion,
jpo do the work intelligently and well
requires tho most careful .study of
bills on the calendar, constant attend-
wuiingnis3i. to ; aevote many i weary
hours to a. task which gains no glory
&nd cften . incurs . tbe enmity of one'sv
hconcagnsrWhen a"mistiikels-m'a:de
of a legislator objects to & meritorious
measure because be has not had suffi
cient opportunity to make himself, fa
miliar -with Its pro visions, he gener
ally incurs: the condemnation of the
press. But be rarely receives the
slightest credit for the countless ob
jectionable bills whtih he la response
- ible forkUling;