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MENIIE OF GITY DP M,835 IN YEARI9I2 Council Will Have Extra $450.- 000 to Spend if It Antici pates 1913 Increase. i Tin city's revenue increased just g30u.533.73 in 1912, according to figures compiled today by Graham West, chief rk to the comptroller. On these figures the 1913 city budget OH be based. The total actual reve ,a>< is $2,838,017.53. Approximately one-half of this .mount was anticipated and appropri at'd when the 1912 budget was made ip last January. The remainder was apportioned later in the year. If the finance committee of the new uiministration anticipates an equal in- ■ , 'uase in revenue for‘l9l3—and city of- : in ials generally agree that there will I . an equal increase—the new- council i II have $450,000 more ujoney to spend ■ than was available last January. - i Treasury May Be Strained. Mayor-elect James G. Woodward has i .nnottneed, however, that lie will op pose anticipating any revenue. If he, carries his point, the treasury will be j sorely strained. Comparative figures of the city's j • venue are as follows: 1912. 1911. Paxes $2,053,939.33 $1,809,019,84 1 Licenses.. .. 216.400.28 218,861.12! Water 430,022.96 373,219.39 Police court.. 82,654.96 81,406.45 War-beer li- , i-nscs . . . . 55,000.0 c 54,675.00 Totals .. ..$2,838,017.53 $2,537,181.80 The tax assessors said today'theft-e oould be a large increase in assess ments in 1913, but they would not haz ... a guess. The officials expect a gain ipproximating the $19,000,000 gain of this year. The water department will show an increase in revenue equal to the gain of tins year, $56,803.57. No Other Marked Increases. The other departments show no ap preciable increases. While the 1913 budget will contain appropriations totaling more than $5,- 000.000, the actual money to be ap portioned is the amount stated above. The difference is made up by bond money, the expenditure of which is al ready specified, and placing assess! ments for street and sewer work on both sides of the finance sheet. The total figures ar.e thus greatly increased. Councilman W. G. Humphrey, of the eighth ward, is expected to bo the new chairman of the finance committee, succeeding Aiderman John S. Candler. Hut Councilman Humphrey nor any one . Ise is absolutely sure whom Mayor Woodward will appoint, and Mayor Woodward won’t tell. AUSTELL THORNTON TO BUILD COUNTRY HOME AT ASHEVILLE ASHEVILLE, N. C„ Dec. 31—Aus tell A. Thornton, formerly of Atlanta, i la., who has resided here for the past several months, announces that he will build a modern country home on the farm of 100 acres near here, which he ecently purchased from Governor cleet Locke Craig and Garland A. Thom i-on, of this city. Mt. Thornton owns oiisiderable property in Atlanta, and will spend a portion of his time there, although he will call Asheville his home hereafter. Mr. and .Mrs. Thornton are admirers of good horses, and it is understood that they will maintain large stables in connection with their country home. At the recent Asheville horse show their animals won many valuable cash prizes and premiums. AUTOMOBILE CRASHES INTO WAGON IN FOG The dense' smoke-fog today was the cause of an accident. Dr. Dan Y. Sage, of 431 Washington street, was going north in an automobile on the Wash ington street viaduct in front of New som’s stable. The coast seemed clear, but he heard a rasping noise and felt a jolt, A wagon belonging to W alker Brothers, wholesale grocers at 2 Wash ington street, had blocked 'a narrow *assage and Dr. Sage had taken off one of its wheels. The automobile lost a tire and a fender. WORST BLIZZARD OF 20 YEARS HITS NORTHWEST >WATTLE, Dec 31.—Tht worst biiz zard in twenty years is paralyzing rail road traffic on the Northern Trans continental lines. In some places eleven feel of snow has fallen and a high wind is piling drift- twice that high. It. probabh will take several days to clear the tracks of the < hicagn, Milwaukee and Puget Sound. Mean while all schedules are disarranged. KILLS MOTHER-IN-LAW: SLEEPS PEACEFULLY KENDALLVILLE. IND . Dec 31. -Ed ward Hart shot and killed Sarah Mc- Bride. is mother-in-law. and fatally wounded his wife. Reana, at their home in LaGrange. Hart slept peacefully hi the home where the tragedy was enacted and was arrested after a posse searched six hours for him. MOVING DAY IN VIDALIA. VIDALIA. GA.. Dec. 31. This is mov ing day in this place, full' seventy-five families having moved In and out m town today. Most of the movers, however, are fanners moving to their new locations foi the coming season Several of the met - chants have also secured new quarters for coming year. Oldest Sigma Nu Defends Secret Societies in Colleges "FRAT’’ MEN HAVE GREAT DAY I //// s s' ) J UR c i>V j- VK I > \ - //// I * Jk/r \ s'''s' ' > /• \ ■ - * ' & wb Or / MW B ® R. Low Reynolds Atlanta, on riji’lit, and A. C. Riley, Jr., Atlanta, delegates to the Sigma Nu ?onvention exchanging “official” greetings. cnraom GETGOmSITE Secretary of State Makes Deci sion in the Bitter Contro versy in Murray. Phil Cook, secretary of state, today decided the famous Murray county seat controversy in favor of Chatsworth. In ruling in favor of Chatsworth and against Spring Place, the secretary threw out entirely the 427 votes cast in favor of Eton, on the ground that Eton was not included in the ordinary’s cal) for a county seat removal election, and that all votes east for it. therefore, were merely no votes at all. in the original call for this election, it was stipulated that the contest should be between Spring Place, the present county seat, and Chatsworth, a new town on the Louisville and Nash ville railroad, which traverses the coun ty. Afterward, however, Eton was In jected into the fight, and the vote given Eton, if counted, wquld have deprived Chatsworth of the required two-thirds of the vote cast. The vote was divided as follows: Chatsworth 862. Eton 427. and Spring Place 155- Secretary Cook holds that only 1.017 of these votes are legal and. in that view, Chatsworth received 862 against Spring Place’s 155—0 r a clear two-thirds and over in favor of Chats worth. This case lias attracted no end of attention throughout north Georgia, and feeling in Murray and W hitfield coun ties has run very high because of it. It was appealed to Secretary Cook some two months ago. all three sides to the controversy being represented by able counsel at the hearing. The case may be appealed to the leg islature. but the impression is that Sec retary Cook’s ruling means that Chats worth will be the county seat eventual ly. if not immediately. Since the case was appealed, a large number of those who voted for Eton have assured the secretary of state that, as between Chatsworth and Spring Place, they much prefer Chatsworth. POLICEMAN WHO CLUBBED PRISONER TO FACE TRIAL DALTON, GA., Dec. 31. Waiving preliminary' hearing. Policeman Walter Smith was bound over to the grand jury on the charge of assault and bat tery. J. S. Grider contends that the po liceman unnecessarily clubbed him in arresting him The policeman made the SIOO bond required. NEW ARMY AEROPLANES TO BE ALL-NEW PATTERN WASHINGTON. Dec 31 -Specifications now being made up by the signal corps of the I nited States army will bring into use by the army in 1013 a type of aeroplane entirely different from those at present in commission . All that will he purr-based in the future must have a streamlike or torpedo-shaped body, with a wind shield for the aviator ami passenger, and be equipped with the latest radio-telegraph apparatus. ' THE ATLANTA GEORGIAN AND NEWa TUESDAY. DECEMBER 31. 1912 Theater Party and Ball to Feature Closing Days of the National Convention. John Alexander Howard, of Tallahas see, Fla., the oldest Sigma Nu in at tendance at the fraternity’s convention In Atlanta, is a firm believer in the fra ternity as it exists In the American college. He deplores the anti-frater nity fights instigated by disgruntled in dividuals and declares that if the true meaning of the fraternity were under stood by all there would be little cause for friction. "The fraternity is a. great institution in its Influence on the average Ameri can undergraduate.” declared Mr. How ard today. "It fills a need in the life of the college student which never could be filled in any other way. Boys naturally seek others of their klnd v and ft is inevitable that this tendency should find expression in the student organizations which we know as fra ternities. Wherever man is thrust he casts about for congenial spirits. He will find them sooner or later. "Fraternity life, properly lived, brings out manly qualities that otherwise would He dormant or undeveloped. Pride in the various groups of men and the name of the orders stimulates men to do their best in appearance and in action. "Good For Colleges.” •VJnly good to the college can result,- with members anxious to go out and bring in prospects who are of like high character and standing. Thus does the college renew its youth, and the growth is a healthy one.” Yesterday was one of the pleasantest days of the Sigma Nub' young lives. Starting with the opening business ses sion at 11 a. m. and ending with a big banquet at the Piedmont at 8 p. m., the day was brimful of Joy. Especially joyful were the "pre” and "post” trimmings of the banquet, the main affair being most too dry' to wet a single whistle. Water —water was everywhere! "Pete" Daley and the California delegates were the first to make the discovery and the news spread like wild fire. E. Lee Worsham, state entomologist and one of the most congenial spirits tn this section, presided as toastmaster. He spoke of the value of the fraternity bond and introduced several enthusi astic speakers. Preston S. Arkwright, also a Univer sity' of Georgia graduate, spoke on ‘rt'l’e Opportunities of the College Men in the South.” Rev. Albert H. Wilson, of New York city, regent, talked of “Sigma Nu—Her Achievements.” Theater Party Tonight. John W. Bull, of Nashville, took as his subject "Fraternity Ideals in Col lege Life.” Henry Tillman spoke on "Choosing a Fraternity.” Thomas H. Pickles, of Richmond, Ky., took the subject "Brothers All.” Walter James Sears asked “Shall the Fraternity Sys tem Be Abolished?" The officers made reports and there were other speakers. H. E. Hibson, of Philadelphia, chairman of icconunlttee on fraternity houses, spoke on the need of acquiring more homes for the chap ters. and he will make a further report at one of today’s sessions. 'Today and tomorrow there will be business sessions starting at 10 o’clock in mornings and at 2 in the afternoons Tonight the delegates have reserved the parquet ot the Atiauta tixeetet aad ?INDICTED FDR KNftBE SLAYING Veterinary and Undertaker of Indianapolis Held for Killing Woman INDIANAPOLIS, IND., Dec. 31—Dr. W. B. Craig, of the Indiana Veterinary college, and A. M. Ragsdale, prominent Indianapolis undertaker, were indicted for the murder more than a year ago of Dr. Helen Knabe, former state pa thologist, by the Marion county grand jury, which reported today. The indictment of Dr. Craig for the crime itself and of Ragsdale as an ac cessory . closed a historical session of the grand Jury, the secrets of which were carefully guarded, but which probed deep for facts. Undertaker Her Administrator. Surprise was occasioned by the in dictment of Ragsdale, the undertaker who was the administrator and settled up the affairs of the lone physician who was found on the bed in her apart ment in the Delaware flats on the morning of October 23, 1911. with her throat slashed in a manner that In dicated the hand of an expert with sur gical instruments. The police, after exhaustive work on the case? declared it one of suicide, while the coroner insisted that his in vestigations compelled him to decide on murder. A silken kimono is said to figure strongly in the evidence before the grand Jury which returned the new in dictments. Some pillow slips are also involved, being articles that did not fig ure in or were overlooked by former in vestigations. > Blood on Kimono. Part of the evidence before the grand jury is said to be the finding of human blood, by' chemical analysis, in certain of the garments of Dr. Knabe. even after they had been washed. The discovery of the blood spots on the kimono might be taken to indicate that Dr. Knabe wore the kimono at the time of her death, but the witness who found her says it was not on her at the time. Many new witnesses were ex amined by the grand jury which re turne i the Indictments today. FAILED WITH MORE THAN $1,000,000 LIABILITIES ATHENS. GA., Dec. 31.—The sched ule in the Carr, Boyd & Co.'s failure at Maysville lias been filed here with the United States deputy clerk and shows that the firm and individuals failed with more than $1,000,000 liabilities and but half that amount of assets. The figures—liabilities, $1,039,204.86, and as sets, $543,420.86. will see “The Spring Maid” with their young women friends. The closing event will be the big fra ternity dance given tomorrow night at the Capital City club. Three hundred Sigma Nus and one Representative of each fraternity at Ten. will i>, present, not to mention an army of society beilee. „ DYNAMITLIIS OFF! FOR U. 5. PRISON I Special Train Takes Convicted Labor Men From Indianapo lis to Leavenworth. Kan. I INDIANAPOLIS, IND.. Dec. 31. | Thirty-three union labor leaders con | victed of complicity in the McNamara i dynamite plots are now on their way to ■ the Federal prison at I'ort Leaven worth, Kans., where they will serve their terms. The "dynamite special” carrying the prisoners left Indianapolis at 11:35 a. m. over the Pennsylvania railroad. The train was made up of two coaches, one carrying sixteen prisoners and the other seventeen, and a diner and a baggage car. The prisoners seemed in a cheerfu’ frame of mind and they spoke cheering words to one another. ■ Attorneys for the nu n filed a writ of error and a writ of supersedeas today, but both matters were put over until Thursday by Judge Anderson. Guard For Each Man. Each of the prisoners was accompa nied by a guard on the way from the Marion county jail to the train. How ever, the trip was made without inci dent. In tile party on the "dynamite spe cial” were some of the best known la bor men in the country. Among them i were Frank M. Ryan, president of the International Association of Bridge and Structural Iron Workers: Herbert S. Hockin, formerly secretary of that body; John T. Butler, vice president of the organization, and Olaf Tveitmoe, secretary of the California Building Trades council. Some called it the “dynamite special,” others the “Leavenworth limited,” and ■still others the “arsenal train.” The wives of the dynamiters stood in the dusk of the train sheds clasping their hands tightly until the last whis tle shrilled its good-bye. Then they turned back—alone. Tearful Scene at Station. Deputy- United States Marshal Ed Schmidt said he feared no trouble. There is a guard for each man, who never leaves the prisoner. They sit in double seats, the prisoner in front, the guard facing him. Never for a moment _ will this vigil relax until the somber gate at Leavenworth swallows its new est consignment of lives. It was a tearful scene—that parting at the station. Hundreds of spectators crowded to the gates to watch. Both | the convicted men and their wives bore up bravely, however, and many dashed I away the tears and tried to smile. Some I of the smiles were wan and some of the faces were pale with grief. The women were attractively dressed and some of c them in extremely fashionable mode. The convicted conspirators, many of them at least, looked like prosperous business rnen off on a trade Journey. The manacled wrists told a different story. GIRL COUGHS UP NEEDLE IMBEDDED IN GOOSE r t ST. LOUIS. Dec. 31.—Mins Margaret :l Bux, a telephone operator of Belleville, B was dining on goose at her home last _ night when she felt a pain in her throat. , She coughed so violently that her mother. Mrs. William Jenks, sent a hurry call for a doctor. Before the physician arrived, e however, Mias Bux had succeeded In - taking fiom her throat the cause of irrl f I tation, a large needle. II How the needle came to be in the goose, n Mrs Jenks, who cooked the fowl, can not understand. The needle must have been in the bird's thigh while it was living, she believes. 1 LEAP YEAR FALLS SHORT n ON MARRIAGE LICENSES • e DALTON, GA., Dec. 31.—Leap year r has proved a severe disappointment to Cupid In Whitfield county, for the sale of marriage licenses shows fewer is sued during the past twelve months u than for any pther similar period In , seven years. Just 176 marriage licenses were issued here, as compared to 186 in ’ 1911, 199 in 1910, 187 in 1909,- 189 in 1908, and 209 in 1907. ' WOMAN KILLED IN FUN; GLASS PIERCES NECK o —— . LOS ANGELES, Dec. 31 Falling on the _ ragged edges of a glass door broken in a playful bout with a guest over a box of cigarettes, Mrs. Ortance Koetsch, a wid ow, was almost instantly killed in her d home in West Sixteenth street, when one n of the long slivers of glass pierced her ri neck. So unusual and dramatic was her sudden death that several of her women n guests became hysterical and fainted. n FIND GRAIN SPECULATOR : DEAD IN ROOM FROM GAS o ( HIc'AGO, Dec. 31. —Charles Thrope, a grain speculator, was found asphyx iated in a rooming house at 661 Dear born avenue. His death is believed to have been accidental. ; TWO SURVEYORS DIE WHEN MINE EXPLODES t VINCENNES. IND.. Dec. 31.—A gas e explosion in a mine at Bicknell killed s Frank Stewart, county surveyor-elect, q and fatally injured A. J. Frey. The q men were surveying the mine. Both of e Stewart's hands were bur ned off. _ TWO BILLIONS U.S. EXPORTS , FOR PAST ELEVEN MONTHS WASHINGTON, Dec. 31 The value of the total imports Into the I nited States k for eleven months, ending with November, 1912. aggregate according to a bulletin issued by the bureau of for t eign and domestic commerce and labor The value of exports from this country to v all parts of the world for the -ame period amounted to U,X43,»>l7?>S»». EXPERT SANDS ON HOW TO MAKE CITY STREET DEPARTMENTEFFECTIWE By Herbert R. Sands El’tificni administration of the office of chief of construction demands that it he tilled by a high-grade business executive se lected solely on merit. It would be better were he to have a technical engineering training also, but this is not essential. When men such as this position needs can be persuaded to serve the people in such an office the position must usually come to them by appointment without the strife, and often taint, of politi cal contest. The head of the department ehargd with building and maintaining the city’s streets should he bound by no cam paign obligations and have no political fences to tend. And yet this is an elective office in Atlanta. Such work can not be mixed with politics without just such a result as Atlanta has experienced, ft is logically to be expect ed. The chief of construction should be appointive and the best man available in Atlanta or anywhere else in the I'nited States should be eligible for appointment. Bolstering Up an Illogical Structure The two main functions of the depart menl comprise the con struction and repair of streets, and toe construction and repair of sewers and operation of sewage disposal plants. A recent or dinance intended as a basis for reorganization of I In- department provided for an assistant chief of construetiou. an engineer iu charge of streets and another in charge of sewers. The latter two positions are necessary, but assuming the head of the depart ment to be efficient it does not seem that as a matter of organi zation an assistant chief of construction is necessary. Such inter nal reorganization can at best but bolster up an illogical siruo ture. As indicated above changes are basic. The men at the head of the bureau of street.-, and the bu reau of sewers should be men of experience and recognized standing in strevt and sewer construction respectively. If they are also graduate engineers so much the better, but the prime requisite should be experience. They might be designated re spectively as superintendent of streets and supermlendeui of sew ers. (’Fhe present position of superintendent of streets should be abolished.) Salaries should be provided for these positions ade quate to attract competent men. and they should be eontiuued in office under civil service regulations. The forme)- would have supervision of al) street work, both new work and repairing and including sidewalks and curbs. I’he latter would have supervision of all construction and repair of sewers. Cither construction and repair work such as sewage disposal plants, crematory, etc., might be assigned to either of these two bureaus, according to the judgment of the chief of construction, or retained under his per sonal direction. Should Be Strictly Accountable • The superintendents of streets and sewers should be held strictly accountable for results, and they ought, therefore, to be allowed to nominate their subordinates, appointments being made by the head of the department after a test of qualifications. Pending establishment of a civil service commission such testa might be conducted under temporary civil service regulations. The city, through this department, is following a policy of changing many street grades. Before approving plans for fur ther changes of this character it would be wise to await the de velopment of the plans of the newly created Atlanta i-ity planning commission. No grades should be changed hereafter without the approval of that commission, because only in that way can all public projects co-ordinate in the development and beautification of the city. The old adage a “stitch in lime" is particularly apt when applied to street pavements. A rut or hole in a pavement, if re paired when it first appears, lakes but little time, and may be done ala minimum cost; if such holes are allowed to remain, however, vehicles continually drop into them, ami not only en large the hole each day, but rebounding, strike the pavement beyond with such impact as to start a second depression, and thus a series of depressions result which become wry expensive Io repair. Good economy, therefore, demands that a sufiichmt appropriation be made available each year lo repair breaks in pavement at once they appear. COSMOPOLITAN LIFE TO BE REORGANIZED FOR BUSINESS FEB. 1 Reorganization of the Cosmopolitan Life Insurance Company will be effected as soon ns the necessary details, including u decrease of ’ the $1,000,000 capital stock, and an addition of a substantial sum to the surplus, are arranged. Heretofore known officially as the "Cos mopolitan Lite Insurance Company,” the rehabilitated cotwern will be called "The Cosmopolitan Life Insurance Compan with an addition of the article as the. only change of title. The stop toward a change of organiza tion was made as a result of the litiga tion Into which the affairs of the com pany have been plunged. Every indica tion as regards the volume and extent of business done Is flattering, the stockhold ers announced at a meeting held yester day With $2,500,000 Insurance written before the receivership Sult was filed last fall, with business in sight to swell the volume to $4,000,000, and with a new lease on life which the reorganization will give, the company will prosper, the stockhold ers believe The newly organized con cern will be ready for business Febru ary 1. The decision to reorganize, with other details connected with the proposition, was made at Monday’s meeting of tha stockholders. HUNDREDS OF CATTLE BURN IN PRAIRIE FIRE CENTER. N. D.. Dec. 31. —Prairie fires are unusual in North Dakota at this season, but one burned a strip from one to three miles in width from Hanger, this county, to the Missouri river. There was a heavy wind and the flames jumped over all the ordinary "fire breaks." Thousands of tons of hay were burn ed and several hundred head of cattle perished. The ranch of Thomas Hall, leceuth elected secretary o' state, was in the pstb of tha file, and lie lost heavily. ’ QUAKER OATS CO. IS PROBED BY U. S. IN SEARCH FOR TRUST CHICAGO. Dec. 31.—A Federal grand jury Investigation of the Quaker Oats Company, regarding certain transac ! lions which the government believe* were violations of the Sherman anti trust law. is under way here today. The purchase of the Great Western ■ Cereal Company about a year ago by tile oats conipahy is the point under examination. It is the belief of the district attorney ’hat the transaction virtually made the Quaker Oats Com pany a cereal trust. i SAILOR IN U. S. NAVY NOW WORTH $250,000 WEST HAMPTON. N. Y._ Dee. 31. Knight Wheeler. son of the late Frcd eiick M. Wheeler, and worth about 1250.000. has foi the last five year* been an enlisted man in the United States navy. His duties have been so well performed that his friends are ex pecting tun day to hear of his winning a commission as ensign. He Is visiting his mother and sisters at the magnifi cent Wiieeler estate. He rose through the various grades until now he is chief i machinist on the Albatross. BONITA MAKES HIT WITH BIG COMEDY • DURING THIS WEEK i I The Bonita, 32 Peachtree street, 1 . scored another big success on Mon day when tlte initial performance of "Tin Demented Wife" was presented to standing room only, and the lobby I packed to rite sidewalk. This it truly om- of the best comedies seen in Atlanta this season. On Thursday the bill will change to a ’ rattling coon comedy entitled "Raxor 1 Jim." Beautiful new motion pictures as usual. (Advt.) 5