Newspaper Page Text
Farmers’ Union is Working
. . .
With Might and Main,
APPEALING TO CONGRESS
System is Backed Up by Pestmaster
General Meyer, Who Talks Most
Encouraglingly of the Plan.
Will Benefit Merchants.
A Washington special says: The
Farmers’ Union all over the country
have taken up actively the work of g
pushing the parcels post system advo
cated by the postmaster general in his
last annual report,
It appears that while the sentiment
among the farmers in favor of this ex
tension of the postal service is very
strong, the country merchants are ap
prehensive lest the adoption of the par
cels post system should seriously and
harmfully affect their business. Several
bills are now pending in congress pro
viding for the introduction of a limit
ed parcels post service to meet the
merchants’ objections. This proposed
service will be confined to the rural
‘Toutes radiating from one distributing
center. The proposed regulations fix
the limit of weight for packages, which
may be sent by mail at 11 pounds, in
stead of 4 at at present.
The present pavcels post rate is 16
~cents a pound in our country, where
as in twenty-nine foreign countries it
is 12 cents a pound; the limit of
weight in twenty-four of these coun
tries being 11 pounds.
At present the rate of transportation
by mail for a package of merchandise
weighing 4 pounds is 54 cents. If the
deparfment’s plan is put into effect a
_package of merchandise weighing not
‘more than 11 pounds can be trans
ported for 12 cents a pound to any
point at home or abroad. The pro
posed new rate will apply as follows:
W OHNee o oan D b Tieent
“Over 1 ounce and not exceed
ing 4 ounces .. .. .. .. .. 2 cents
Over 3 ourrces and not exceed-
L BR dounces .. .. .. .. .. 3 cents
‘Over 4 ounces and not exceed
ing 5 ounces ~ .. .. .. .. 4 cents
“Over 5 ounces and not exceed
-5 NBE Gounces . v .o o« bconts
+ ‘Over 6 ounces and not exceed
=inE 8 ounces i, ~.0 S cents
Over 8 ounces and not exceed
~ ing 12 ounces .. .. .. .. .. 9 cents
Over 12 ounces and not ex
© ceeding 1 pound v.. . .12-cents-!
For a local parcels post on rural
route the department proposes ths fol
- lowing rate:
come pomnd . L s s Foeents
Each additional pound, up to
limit of 11 pounds .. .. .. 2 cents
Z2oouncegorless ~ ..., .. .. 1l cent
Over 2 and up to 4 ounces .. 2 cents
. Over 4 and up to 8 ounces .. 3 cents
‘Over 8 and up to 12 ounces .. 4 conts
‘Over 12 ounces and up to 1
MORBN oy Lo B cents
- It will be readily seen that under
this plan local merchants will be able
to hold and increase their trade on the
- rural routes. It will give to the
farmers and patrons of these routes an
increased service from the R. F: .
over what they now enjoy.
It is the belief of Postmaster Gen
eral Meyer that the plans recom
-mended by the postoffice department
will benefit the country merchants in
stead of injuring their trade.
MANY THOUSANDS DESTITUTE.
Appeal for Suffering People in Phila
delphia’s Mill Distrid:.
- An appeal for aid for destitute peo
ple in the Kensington mill district of
Philadelphia, one of the greatest in
dusteial centers in the world, was
made at a meeting Monday of the
“Ceatral Labor Union. The union
claimed that from 33000 to 50,000
men, women and children in the dis
trict are in need of relief,
WET OR DRY ELECTION
To Test Prohibition Question in Jack
sonville Subject of Petition.
The prohibitionists Wednesday pre
sented to the Duval county commis
slonere at Jacksonville, Fla., a petition
calling for a wet or dry election.
The prohibition leaders claim the pe
tition containg the nameg of 2,500 reg
istered voters, while, under the law,
only 2,250 names are required. The
list was referred to a committee to
check off the names. This committee
was given until February 15 to make
ite report,
JAILER BROWN INDICTED
For‘ Aiding Two- Prisoners in Escape
from the Atlanta Jail,
Former Night Jailer Jim Brown of
the tower and John Groves and J. C.
Willlams, the two trusties, were in
dioted by the grand jury at Atlanta on
the charge of aiding John Harper and
John Barton to escape, one true bill
being returned against the three.
TEDDY TURNED DOWN,
Exceeded Autherdty in Appointing Ros
siter Temporary Head of Govern
ment Printing Ofiice.
A \\." ashington special says: William
S. Rossiter, appointed by President
Roosevelt as acting public printer in
place of Public Printer Stillings, who
is under suspension pending an inves
tigation of the affairs of his office, went
to the treasury department Friday to
have his bond approved. The depart
ment refused to consider the matter,
on the ground that the president had
exceeded his authority in appeinting
Mr. Rossiter; that the assistant pub
lic printer, Captain H. T. Brian, suc
ceeds to the wvacancy. Under this
informal ruling Mr. Rossiter later in
the day stepped aside and his place
wag taken by Captain Brian, who will
administer the government printing of
fice as public printer for the time
being. Mr. Rossiter, however, dces not
relinquish the work of inquiry laid out
for him by the president. His position
in the government printing office be
comes that of the president’s personal
representative and he is proceeding
with the investigation upon which he
is to base his report to the president
of conditions existing there and of the
best methods of putting the big plant
on a business basis.
Chairman Landis of the joint con
gressional committee, which is inves
tigating alleged irregularities in the
government printing office, has given
out the following statement:
“The printing investigation commit
tee has been for some months engag
ed in the investigation of information
which will afford a complete analysis
of the problem of public printing, for
the departments and for congress for
the last three years. The commission
started this inquiry on November 13
by a letter addressed to the various
executive departments. The replies to
this inquiry will cover all of the gov
ernment publications and will divide
the printing into two classes—publi
cations and miscellaneous. An inquiry
was also addressed to the government
printing office calling for still further
information. None of these reports
are as yet completed and after they
have been submitted it is likely that
several weeks will be occupied in com
piling and analyzing their data. While
a comparison of cost is not the pri
mary object of this inquiry, it is one
of the important objects and it is the
purpose of the commission to make
the investigation as thorough as pos
sible.” . ! v
The act under which the treasury
‘department decided not to accept Mr.
Rossiter’s bond was that of January 12,
1895, which provides that in case of
death, resignation, absence or illness
of the public printer, the chief clerk of
the government printing office should
perferm the duties of public printer
until a successor was appointed or such
absence or illness shall cease. It afto
provides that the president in his dis
cretion authorize and direct any other
officer of the government whose ap
pointment is vested in the president by
and with the advice and consent of the
senate to temporarily perform the du
ties of the vacant office. Under the
ruling of the treasury officials, Mr.
Rossiter can have no other standing
than that of personal representative of
the president without specific authority
in matters pertaining to the manage
ment of the office.
PENNYPACKER INVOLVED?
Name of Pennsylvania Ex-Governor is
Mentioned in Graft Case.
The names of former Governor Pen
nypacker and former Attorney General
Hampton L. Carson were brought into
the capitol prosecutions at Harrisburg,
Pa., by the testimony of Stanford B.
Lewis, assistant of Architect Joseph M.
Huston, at the trial for alleged conspir
acy of Contractor J. H. Sanderson,
former Auditor General Snuyder, for
mer State Treasurer Mathues and for
mer Public Buildings Super;lmtendent
Shumaker.
WAVES THE OLIVE BRANCH.
Van Cleave Wants Organized Labor
and Capital to Cease Fighting.
“Let us cease 'fighting, Let organ
ized labor and capital go forward in
peace, now that the supreme court of
the United States has determined the
rights of each. It would be too bad
17 the employeis are forced to drastic
measures to protect thelr property
from eriminal practices.”
Such is the olive branch waved be
fore labor hosts by James W, Van
Cleave, president of the National As.
soclation of Manufacturers,
s e
MINORITY FINANCIAL BILL
Introduced in House by Democratic
Leader, John 8. Williams,
What will be known as “the minority
currency bill” was introduced in the
house Friday by Representative John
Sharp Willlams of Mississippi, demo
cratic leader, who drew the measure
as a result of a conference of demo
crats behind closed doors.
STILLINGS LAID OFF
Head of Public Print Shop
Temporarily Suspended,
INVESTIGATION PENDING
President Takes Cognizance of Charges
Made in Connection With Al
leged Mismanagement :
of Office.
President Roosevelt Wednesday tem
porarily suspended as public printer
Charles A. Stillings and appointed Wm.,
S. Rossiter temporarily to fill the du
ties of that office. The action, as ex
plained officially, is to facilitate the in
vestigation now being made of the gov
ernment printing office by congress.
Mr. Rossiter is now chief clerk of
the ceinsus office,
Just as the president’s action in
suspending Stillings was being an
nounced, a committee of labor men of
Washington called-at the white house
and presented to the president reso
lutions adopted by the local Central
Labor Union, on January 20, last,
charging Stillings with violations of
the eight-hour law in the government
printing office. :
Mr. Stillings is from Boston, Mass.,
and was appointed public printer in
1905. He had been general manager
of his father’s printing firm in New
York, and at various times manager of
#he printers’ board of trade of Wagh
ington and of New York. Mr. Rossi
ter also came from Massachusetts, and
had connections in New York and
Washington before assuming office in
the censug bureau in 1890.
Mr. Landis made the:following state
ments, in which Senator Whyte and
Mr, Perkins concurred:
“There was referred by the joint
committee on printing to the subcom
mittee of the printing investigation
commission, authorized to inquire into
the general matter of printing and
binding, composed of Senator Whyts,
Judge Perkins and myself, a proposal
submitted to the joint committee by
the Suffolk Distributing company, of
New York, with the request to report
on the question of any relations which
might exist between the said company
and the Audit System, a corporation
employed in the government printing
office to install a cost, audit and in
ventory system, s
“The committee had been reliably in
formed that the Audit System and its’
auxiliary company, the Audit System
Supply company, not only exerted what
seemed to the committee an undue and
improper influence in the government
printing office, but were also interested
in the purchase of supplies for the gov
ernment printing office.
“The sub-committee, after the exam-
Ination of these witnesses, felt that the
testimony given by them, in connection
with other representationg made to the
members of the committee, justified a
request, that, in fairness to Mr. Stil
lings as well as to the committee and
to the government and to all concerned,
the public printer be temporarily sus
pended pending the result of the inqul
ry mow in hand.” /
BANKER MORSE SKIPS OUT.
Leaves New York on Eve of Court
Proceedings Against Him.
~ Following the institution of an aec
tion in the supreme court at New York
Wednesday against Charles W. Morse,
the banker, by Charles A. Hanna,
United States bank examiner, to re
cover $243,321.25, the balance due on
certain promissory notes given by
Morse to the National Bank of North
America, the receiver was informed
that Morse had probably gone to Eu
rope or departed elsewhere from New
York to be gone for an indefinite pe
riod, -
- e e
MORE WORK OF NIGHT RIDERS,
Well-Armed Mob Visits Farms, Use
Torch, Guns and Lash.
Night riders between thirty/five and
fifty strong, well-armed and mounted,
visited the farms of Hugh C. Lawrence
and Wash Tucker, within three miles
of Adams, Tenn., Friday night, destroy
ed the barng on both farms, together
with 20,000 pounds of tobacco, shot
and wounded Lawrence and his son,
Bradley Lawrence, and whipped a ne
gro in an unmerciful manner,
WANTS SALOONS VOTED OUT.
Recommendation to Mississippi Legis.
lature by Governor Noel,
Governor Noel of Mississippl has
sent a message to both houseg of the
legislature recommending that saloons
be voted out of existence at the earli
est possible moment and an amend
ment for eonstitutional prohibition be
submitted to the people, 2
Set Going Again By Roose
velt Supporters.
HIS MESSAGE THE CAUSE
More Conservative Political Prophets
Confidently Predict That President
- Will Absolutely Control the
: Chicago Convention.
A Washington special says: The
Roosvelt third term talk has been re
vived with an abruptness and vigor
that is disconcerting to the ‘“reaction
“aries.” The president’s recent mes
sage to congress and the spontaneous
and not always discriminating praise
accorded that mess'nge by democrats
has brought this about.
The president’s convincing proof
‘that there is still a great deal of fight
left in him started the talk. lis most
ardent supporters are pointing to the
message as evidence that he cares
more for the success of the program
he has outlh'led than for any personal
victory. He is believed to be frankly
“and sincerely in favor of Mr. Taft,
whom he depends upon to continue the
“fight for the establishment of the
Roosevelt policies. But, if the coun
try refuses to have Mr, Taft, and if
the reactionary element threatens to
control the party, the president will
take charge of the situation personally,
and the result will be inevitable.
The more conservative political
prophets predict that the president's
control of the next national convention
of his party will be abgolute. His in
fluence will govern in the selection of
a candidate, they say, and the princi
ples and policies outlined in his recent
message will be converted into plat
form declarations.
- If the power of the president is so
complete and his influence is controll
ing in the convention, there will, of
~course, be no occasion for him to throw
hirsself into the breach; but, should the
delegates get away from Mr. Taft, the
)presldent’s friends will stampede the
convention for Roosevelt.
!‘ The present outlock is for Taft on
the first bamfit or Roosevelt on the
second. There has been a great deal
- of comment of late upon this line, and
‘the impression is growing that if the
~country refuses the man whom the
Wem favors, the only alternative
‘will be the president himself. In the
Washington Times of recent issue ap
peared on the editorial page, a predic
tion is made with the confidence and
lack of reserve that ordinarily marks
the publication of a straight itenr of
news.
Immediately under the editorial page
heading, set in conspicuous type and
in double column appears the follow
ing:
“An analysis of the political situa
tion today, and a careful estimate of
the personal and running strength of
the various candidates in the presi
dential race, point emphatically to the
conclusion that Mr. Roosevelt will be
nominated in gpite of himself. And hig
renomination will mean his re-election
by a majority of matchles dimen:
sions.”
Saturday Representative Clayten of
i Alabama, who introduced early in De
cember a resolution in the house de
’chrlng against a third term for any
- president, announced that he*proposed
to make a fight to have the committee
- report his resolution and to have it
pass the house. The resolution has
lain for several weeks in the commit
tee on the election of president and
viee president, and it was thought no
further attention would be paid to it,
but recent agitatton has evidently
made Representative Clayton deter
mined to put the matter through, In
discussing the matter, he said:
“On the day the president announe
ed his adherence to his election night
promise not to be a candidate nor to
accept another nomination, I intro
duced in the house a second resolution
congratulating him upon his loyalty te
the precedent get by Washington and
Jefferson, and commending him for his
‘wisdem and patriotism,
- “I have not been able to get a hear-
Ing on either resolution before the
committee on election of president
and vice president, of which Mr. Gaines
of West Virginia is chairman., 1 was
assured by him that he would call the
committee together In a few days and
‘would have full hearings on this and ‘
other election measurés now pending
in the committee.” {
ißt ctissiocn s s
KIRBY FOUND NOT GUILTY, |
‘ P |
Was Tried on Charge of Killing Jamus ‘
D. Money, Jr, (
The jury at Gre:nwood, Miss., before
whom Dr, J. W, Kirby was on trial
for two days, charged with the killing
“f James D. Money, Jr., returned a |
verdiot adjudging Dr. Kirby ‘“not |
gullty.” The killing was the resultl
of a family feud.
STATE ANSWERS ROAD: -
Georgia Railroad Comm'lssion, in Rg_.-
ply to Suit, Alleges That is Cen
tral is Grossiy Mismanaged.
Formal answer to the suit brought
against the Georgia state and rail
road commission some months ago by
the Central of Georgia railroad becausa
of the reduction the passenger fares
in Georgia, was flled in the United
States court at Atlanta Tuesday after
noon and in addition to denying most
of the allegations made by the rail
road company and giving figureg and
statistics upholding the state’s conten
tion, charges of mismanagement and
extravagance are brought against the
road’s officials.
Like the original bill ifiled by the
Central of Georgia, the state’s answer
fs a long document and each para
graph of the complaint is answered.
The railroad commission -denies that
the reduced rate is injurious to the
business of the road and insists that
it will be beneficial in that it will
stimulate business.
The answer denies the road will sus
tain any loss and denies, too, that the
road is entitled to any more than 5§
per cent on its investment and insists
that there should be no return on fran
chise values, as these do not represent
any capital put into the enterprise.
Then the answer goes on to allege
that the alffairs of the company are
not economically managed and declares
that the management is extravagant,
large and extravagant salaries being
pald to the general officers and high
employees.
It is declared that since June, 1905,
the salary of the president has been
increased from $15,000 to $20,000; the
second vice president from SIO,OOO
to $12,000; the office of general super
intendent created with a salary of
$6,000; another job of superintendent
of motive power created with a sal
ary of $4,800; freight trafic manager
created at $6,000; general freight
ageint increased from $4,200 to $4,500;
general passenger agent from $3,600
to $3,900; assistant general passenger
agent from $2,700 to $3,000; cashier
from $2,000 to $2,400; in fact, it is
declared that since July 1, 1905, the
general officers’ pay roll has increased
$21,000 a year, -
It is also declared in the answer that
the general counsel draws SIO,OOO a
year in that office and $5,000 as divis
fon counsel; that A. R. Lawton of the
law firm, acting as general counsel,
gets N,500 as a director of the Atlan
tic Compress company, an entirely sep
arate corporation, and it ls alleged
that this is a misapplication of the
company’s funds. A, R, Lawton of the
general counsel firm is also down in
the answer as drawing SIO,OOO a year
for acting as vice president, although
he is mentioned as the senior member
of the law firm acting as general coun
sel.
Other allefged exiravagances are
nientioned, among them the moving of
the company’s office in Macon to a
building owned by S. R. Jacques, one
of the directors, at a high rental. All
of these salaries and expensss given
are declared to be excessive and un
reasonably high,
It s deciared that if th® company
wag economically managed, b per cent
could be paid on its entire capitaliza
tion.
LIBERATED BY “TBUGTIEB."
Sensational Feature of Escape of Pris
} oners from Atlanta Jail,
After a long and searching investl
’gatlon into the mysterious jail doliv
ery at Atlanta of John Harper and Geo,
:Barton, Sheriff Nelms declared It to
be his opinfon that the prigsoners had
effected their escape through the ald
of two trusties, Joe Willlams and John
Groves, who had been allowed com
parative freedom inside the jall. He
stated further that he would ask the
grand jury of Fulton county to indict
Williams and Groveg on the charge ot}
alding and abettivg the escape of
criminals, 1
PROHIS BEFORE COMMITTEE, l
Delegation Urges Barring of Whiskey
Shipments Into Dry States,
Representatives of the prohibition
party, the Anti-Saloon League of Amer
fca, the Woman's Christian Temper
ance Unlon and church organizations
appeared Thurgday before the house
committee on the judiclary to urge a
favorable report on one or more of U‘m
bills to protect “dry” districts from
receipt of interstate ag well as Intras
state shipments pf liquors,
FILIPINOS WELL PAID,
Salaries of Island Representatives in
Congress Are Fixed,
A joint resolution wag adopted by
the house of representatives Friday,
giving to each of the two resident
Philippine commissioners in congress
the same salary of $7,500 enjoyed by
members and senators, with an addi
tional $2,000 each in lieu of mileago,
Among the Republicans Over
Taft and Roosevelt,
STRENUOUS CONVENTION
Contested Delegations from State WIiL
Go to Chicago—Two Conventions
Under Way at the Same Time !
in One Hall, h
Florida repub‘llcans held their cone
vention in St. Augustine Thursddy te
select delegates to the mational cone
vention, and it is said that the strene
uous and exciting scenes enacted are
merely a forecast of similar scenes in
other southern states, caused by the
effort belng made by the anti-Roose
velt republicans for control in the na
tional convention. The gathering was
really two conventions held at the same
time in the same hall. The progress
of these being frequently interrupted
by sensational knock-down and drag
out fights.
The officeholders’ faction was called:
to order by’ the chairman of the state
committee, and they proclaimed them
selves as the regulars, but they did not
succeed in carrying out their prear
ranged program. The Taft sentiment
was-too strong for the leaders to hold
in check and strong resolutions were
adopted emphatically indorsing Wil
liam H, Taft for the presidency.
On the other side of the hall the
contesting convention chose delegat;s
absolutely untrammeled by any instrue
tions. ’
" The officeholders’ convention adopted
resolutions approving of the po]lcies’ of
the Rocsevelt administration and 'thea
conservative manner in which he has
carried them out, and instructed the
delegates elected to the mnational con
vention to support the president’s polis
cles and the candidate who is in Syms
pathy with and who will carry out
those policies, and then proceeded to
name William H. Taft as such candi
date. A :
The anti-Taft convention adopted
resolutions condemning iln‘ strong terms
the attempts to influence and control,
by use of federal patronage, through
governmental officeholders, the selec
tion of delegates to tho national con
‘vention in the interest of any presie
dential candidate, g :
The congressipnal district convene
tlons of the first and second districts
of Florida were held by each faction
immediately after "’:gioumm«em of the
state convention, and each of these
conventions elected two delegates to
the national convention and adopted
the same resolutions as the stats con
ventiong of their respectlve factions
had already adopted.
GRAFT IN PUBLIC PRINTERY.
“Gold Brick” Audit System Ordered
Ejected by Roosevelt, .4
Concurring in the recommendation
of Acting Public Printer Rosgiter, the
prezsldent Thursday cancelled the con
tract of the government with the Audit
System, and ordered its ejection from
the government printing office, :
The Audit System is the corporate
name of the cost ascertaining method
Installed more than a year ago by Pub
lic Printer Stillings. Under its Opoers
ation the government has paid about
§120,000 for the simple privilege of
calculating the cost of printing,
BANDIT BUNCOES BRITONS.
Releases Mac Lean for SIOO,OOO and.
Immunity from Arrest.
Caid Sir Harry Mac Lean, commander
of the suitan’s body guard, has arrived
at Tangier, Morocco ,under an escort
from the bandit, Raisull, who has held
him under bondage for the past seven
months; in return for hig release Great
Britain will pay SIOO,OOO to Raisull
and guarantee him protection and ime~
munity from arrest.
AR S R IR A 8
REMEMBERED THE BABIES,
Aged Woman Left Money to Boys
Whom She Nursed.
Bridget Staunton, who died in New
York December 20th, last, after spend
ing the greater part of her seventy
years in the employ of the family of the
late Rear Admiral Baneroft ‘Gherardi
loft her entire estate vallied at SB,OOO,
to be divided between the two sons
of Admiral Gherardl, both of whom
she nur ~1 when they were children,
MUST HAVE MALE ESCORT. :
Woman Sued Hotel People and Jury
Decided Against Her,
That hotel men of New York have
the right to refuse food and entertain
ment to women after ¢ o'clock at night
unaccompanied by a man, was the ver
dict of a jury In & test case brought
by Mrs. Harriet Blateh, a well known
suffragist, against the Hoffman House
corporation,
When troubles start they come like
o string of beads
