Bemidji Daily Pioneer Newspaper, April 3, 1906, Page 1

The B emi VOLUME 3. NUMBER 292 ~ BEMIDJI, AD VALOREM TAX IS VALID Law Passed By -Michigan Legislature / In 1901 Is Held to Be ‘ \ _ Constitutional. | FEDERAL SUPREME COURT DECISION | Washington, April 3.—The supreme _ by Justice Bréwsr. g eourt of the United States has de-| There were twenty-seven of these elded the Michigan railroad tax cases, | cases, all involving the validity of act Avolving the taxes of all the railipads | 173 of the Michigan legislature of 1901, @ that state for several vears past, | passed under authority given by an against the railroads. The opinion was | amendment to the,state constitution - Douglas Shoes for men, $3 . to $5.00 Scharood Shoes for men, i - $2.75 to $5.00 Cruising Shoes for men, $3 to $6 50 oETRorT. \t am Pingree Shoes for women’s wear, $3 to $5 Selz Shoes for women's wear, $1.50 to $2.50 Ladies’ Outing Boots, $5.50 to $6.50 Little Giant Shoes for Child- ren, $1.25 to $2.50 American Shoes for Boy's & Youths, $2.50 and $2.25 Rubber boots:---Men’s Wo- men’s Boy’s, Youths, Misses,” Children’s H (’Leary & Bowser adopted in 1900. " ThIs ldw cfanged the method of taxing railroad and kindred corporations from the old system of exacting the payment of a certain per cent of their gross earnings to an ad valorem system, providing for the fix- ing of the tax value of the railroads on the average value at which other prop- erty in the state is assessed. The taxes levied against the various rail- roads of the state for 1902, the first year after the new law went into ef- fect, aggregated $744,898, as against $263,446, the —amount which would have been called for under the old system. Decision’ Involves $2,000,000. The railroad companies tendered the latter sum and resisted the payment of the difference, amounting to $481,- 451. Each year since the companies have refused.to pay the differences, so that the suits involved an dccumula- tion of about $2,000,000 in taxes, as well as the establishment of a tax sys- tem for the state permanently fixing their annual payments at about thrée times as much as they have been in the past. The railway companies con- tended that in arriving at a cenclu- sion as to the valuation of their prop- erty the state board of assessors un- dervalued other property in the state and thus discriminated against the. railroads. Hence they claimed that the action was in contravention of the fourteenth amendment to the national Constitution, The circuit court dis- missed the bill of the railroad com- panies, thus sustaining the action of I the state tax authorities and uphold- ing the law under which it was taken, and its decision was affirmed. | CENSOR WITHHOLDS DETAILS, IAIIegad Plot to Assassinate Spanish Royal Family. Madrid, April 3, via the frontier— The Spanish authorities have un- earthed an anarchist plol at Lebrija, twenty-nine miles from Seville, thie notorious center of the “Black Hands,” to assassinate the royal family during the stay of King Alfonso, Dowager Queen Maria Christina and the sister of the king, the Infanta Maria Teresa, at Seville during holy week. The. censorship prevents the send- ing of details regarding the conspiracy. INFANT HIT BY STRAY BULLET. Instantly Killed While Mother’'s Arms, Chisholm, Minn., April 3.—The nine- months-old infant of Mr. and Mrs. Frank Bovet was shot dead as its mother held it in her arms in the kitchen of the Bovet home at the Glenn mining location. A stray bullet, fired by boys who were indulging in target practice half a mile away, en- tered a window and penertated the child’s skull, scattering its brains over the dress of the mother and killing it instantly. WORKMEN BOYCOTT ELECTIONS. Babe in s Balloting at St. Petersburg Almost a Complete Farce. St. Petersburg, April 3.—The elec- tions of workmen within the limits of St. Petersburg proper were held Sun- day, preceding the elections to the municipal convention here, which in turn will elect six members to the lower house of parliament. The bal- loting of the workmen, however, was almost a complete farce, as were the elections a fortnight ago in the bigger factories outside the city. Out of sixty- seven establishments the workmen of twenty-nine boycotted the elections and of the remainder only the minor- ity voted and of those elected about one-half were Constitutional Demo- crats and the other half Conserva- tives, or members of the “Black Hun- dred,” as they are now popularly termed. One man elected is now in prison and another declined to accept election for fear that it would subject Lim to persecution. MINERS FAILED TO RESPOND. Anthracite Operators Were in Readi- ness to Continue Work. Philadelphia, April 3.—Reports re- ceived from the anthracite coal fields state that the order of the miners’ scale committee directing that mining be suspended until an agreement could be reached with the operators is being obeyed almost to the man. In all three - districts preparations were made by the operators for a resump- tion of work. Whistles were blown at the regular hour and everything was in readiness for the men to go to work, but there was no response by the min- ers and the day took on a holiday aspect. Firemen, engineers and pump- men, who are not affected by the sus- pension order, reported as usual. That a great many miners believe that a strike is imminent and that there will be a bitter struggle be- tween the workmen and their employ- ers was evidenced by the'departure of scores of miners from the Schuylkill region. A majority of these men are foreigners, who will go to their homes in Europe and there await the out- come of the pending strife. Hopeful of an Agreement. In the Lackawanna district there is a feeling among the more conserva- tive miners that an agreement will be reached at the New York conference, but others are less hopeful and are prepared for a long siege. The only colliery in the Luzerne- Wyoming district which attempted to work, as far as has been reported, was i the Hazclton shaft of the Lehigh Val- ley company. Coal which had been loosened last week was run through | the breaker for about an hour, after { which the men withdrew from the i shaft and returned to their homes, | At many of the collieries in this dis- | trict the mules were taken from the mines, ‘thus indicating that no effort y Would be immediately made to resume MINNESO! ORDINANCE ! ILLEGAL. Provides Panalty 8trei Chicago, April udge Mack, in the circuit eourt of -- county, hand- ed down a decisioh’declaring an or- dinance passed by flie city of Chicago last October provi g for a penalty against the streel r companies for the overcrowding ~cars null and void. The ordinanc® provides that for each case of overcrowding in the cars 2 fine of from $25'to $100 could be levied against the'company owning the car. Five hundred suits had al- ready. been broughtfby the city against the. street car corporations and 2,000 more are pending. “Judge Mack, in addition to declaring the ordinance void, issued an-injunétion restraining the city from‘prosectting the suits. GROWS WORSE. vercrowding of SITUATION Alabama and Tombighee Rivers Out of Their Banks. Mobile, Ala.,, April 3.—The situation = the Alabama and Tombigbee river lowlands, due to the overflow in these two rivers, grows worse every day. Steamboats have been compelied to discontinue service, as landings for 150 miles above Mobile are under wa- fer. No fuel is 10 be had in the inun- dated district. Cattleare starving and farmers are fast exhausting their sup- plies. ; Dixie, Ala, more: than 100 miles above Mobile, is now:under water sev- eral feet deep. The watel is still ris- lng DOWIE I]USTEII FROM ZION S DEPOSITION AS HEAD OF CHURCH FOLLOWED TRANSFER RTY. The open revolt ér Dowie which as been followed he public prop- Of Zion o Alex n whose dismis d by Dowie ‘in « Chicago, April against John Alex: took place Sunday § by the transfer of erty of the Church ander Granger, the # sal has heen direc telegram from Mexig A warrant deed were filed during ti county circuit coi 1L, by W. G. Volivags of Zion, who yas aj some munths ago,' lands <tandl‘ng “Inthe name of Dowi and his wife are made over o G ger for the benefit of Zion City and the followers of Dowie. - Voliva hold: from Dowie a power of attorney anc by virtue of it he has-turned 6yer. t: Granger everything portable in Zion City, even to the bed of Dowie. Al the effects of “Shiloh House,” the Dowie residence, the horses and car- riages, the machinery in the mills aand everything in the name of Dowie out- side of the personal belongings of the residents of the town has been taken away from the control of the deposed “first apostle.” Later in the day Granger made a re- conveyancé of all the property to Vo- liva, thus giving to him all ths author- ity and power formerly held by Dowie. Most of the officials of the church were present at the meeting Sunday when Dowie was deposed and many of them denounced Dowie as having de ceived the people and wasted thei money in extravagance. The meet ing, however, refused to hold that he had knowingly erred and John G Speicher, the .former overseer and once second in command, who was re cently deposed peremptorily, declared Dowie to be insane. Mrs. Dowie, in her address, also upheld that declara- tion, ay in the Lake at Waukega REASONABLY SATISFACTORY. Senator Elkins Discusses Proposed Amendment to Rate Bill. Washington, April 3. — President Roosevelt and Senator Elkins of West Virginia, chairman of the interstate commerce committee, had a confer- ence during the day -regarding the limited rate review amendment which was agreed upon last Saturday at a conference in the White House. Sen- ator Elkins assured the president that, with.the amendment agreed upon, the Hepburn bill would be reasonably sat- isfactory to him. After his conference with the “president Senator Elkins said: “As a shipper I am more deeply in- terested in the rate legislation than I am as a railroad man. I hope to see any amendment that may be added to the measure afford the shippers and localities precisely the same oppor- tunity to appeal for a.court review as it may give the railroads. We are go- ing to enact rate legislation and, in my judgment, it will be good- legislation. It will be fair jnst, in any event.” Minneapolis, April 2—Wheat—May, T61%c; July, 18%@783%c; Sept, T7c. On track—No. 1 hard, 77%c; No. 1 Northern, 76%c; No. 2 Northern,| 6%e. One Colliery in Operation. Scranton, Pa., April 3—Oxford col-- liery, an individual operation, is the only mine working in the Lackawanna region. This mine employs 550 men and boys and- has a daily output of 1,200 tons. It was operated all through the strike of 1902. Operators Will Pay Scale. Pomeroy, O, April 3—There will be no miners’ strike in the Pomeroy 9end district. " . The ‘operators “will pay’ the" price demanded aud . will® sign the scale this week. _ TEN CENTS PER WEEK TEXAS LAW KNOCKED OUT. " 8hipper Cannot Recover for Loss Due to Delayed Cars. ‘Washington, April 3.—In an opin- fon by Justice Brown the supreme court of the United States decided the case of the Houston and Texas Central Railroad company against J. A. Mayes in favor of the company. Mayes ordered seventeen cars in which to ship 625 head of cattle. The cars arrived- twenty-four ‘hours after the time set in the agreement. Mayes sued under’ a Texas law for damages done his cattle by the deldy and also under the state law to recover $25 per car on his contract with the company. { The lower courts upheld the com- plainant. The supreme court, how- ever, holds that the law takes no ac- count of accidents, is too arbitrary, encroacfies on federal control of inter- state commeérce and is therefore un- constitutional. The chief justice and Justices Harlan and McKenna dis- sented. LIABILITIES OF $400,000. Private Bank at Pekin, Iil. Doors. Peoria, Ill, April 3.—The private bank of Tels, Smith & Co. at Pekin, Tazewell county, [ailed to open for business during the day, having as- -signed to U. J. Albertsen as trustee. The liabilities due to depositors and other banks are said to be in excess of $400,000, against which there are as- sets of about $250,000, a portion of which is worthless. The failure is due to the large sum of money advanced to the Smith wagon works and the Smith plow shops at Pekin. ., Closes Its Long Term Prisoner Suicides. Stillwater, Minn,, April 3.—Charles Sanders, a long term man in the pris- on, committed suicide by hanging in his cell. Sanders had torn -a strip from his shirt with which he had made a rope that was placed around his neck and tied to a nail in the wall. Death resulted from slow strangula- tion. NOT WAITING FOR JEROME. Grand Jury Told to Take Up Insur- ance Matters. New York, April 3.—Recorder Goff, at the empanelling of the April grand jury in the court of general sessions, instructed the jury to take up insur- ance matters, although District Attor- ney Jerome has asked for a special grand jury in May for that purpose. Recorder Goff spoke to the jury con- | cerning the work of the March grand jury under Judge O'Sullivan and the conflicts between Judge O’Sullivan and the district attorney in giving his instructions. Recorder Goff, in charging the jury, d that the insurance matters had been called to his attention by Judge O’Sullivan, who presided ' over _the March grand jury. He said it appeared to him that the March grand jury had - been properly instructed by both Judge O’Sullivan and District Attorney Jerome that there was reasonable ground for the belief that there is available evidence showing that crime had been committed in insurance mat- ters. He instrncted the grand jury that it had untrammeled powers to act in the matter as it saw fit. MINISTER ATTACKS SENATOR. Accuses Unnamed Solon of Virtually Committing Polygamy. Kansas City, April 3.—Rev. Alexan- der Lewis, pastor of the First Con- gregational church, preaching on “Di- vorce; Its Evils and Remedies,” said: “A great cry went up because the polvgamist, Roberts, was elected to congress. But protesting should not end with Roberts, for there are other polygamists in congress. “The senator from one of the Middle states, the chairman of one of the most important eommittees, is Just as much a polygamist as Roberts. It is publicly known that simply because he took a fancy to another woman his first wife was.forced to seek a divorce. “It seems to make a vast difference whether. the people who figure in these disgraceful episodes are members of the New York ‘400’ or ihe followers of Brigham Young. D. B. Hill’s Health Restored. New York, April 3—Former Senator David B. Hill, who went to Camden, B. C., early in the winter because his health was very poor, will return from the South in a few days. Friends of Mr. Hill who have seen him recently say that his health has improved great- Iy in the last few months, Provides for Cable to Panama. ‘Washington, April 3.—Senator For- aker has reported from the senate committee on- military affairs a bill providing for a cable from Key West to, Panama, via Guantanamo, as advo- cated by the secretary of war. IN THE SOUTHWEST DISTRICT. Tieup Complete With Exception of ‘a Few Nonunion Mines. Kansas City, April 38.—There is a_ complete shutdown in the bituminous coal fields included in the Southwest- ern Miners’ association in Missouri, Kansas, Eastern Arkansas and the territories. A few mines operated by nonunion men resumed as usual. No scenes of disorder were reported, the men generally remaining quietly at their homes. In almost every district the general belief was expressed both by oper- .ators and miners that an amicable seitlement of their differences would soon be reaehed and that the strike would be of short duration. Neverthe- less, the miners said they would re- main out until a satisfactory scale is signed and there was a general move- ment to store all availahle coal. - mEmmm———— ™ B A ‘vania district. | 18 the son of Murat Halstead.- MEN NO EVIDENCE OF STRIKE. Rverything Quiet at Miners’ Union Headquarters. Indianapolis, " April 3. — Although 600,000 members of the United Mine Workers of America are-on strike there is nothing at the national head- quarters of the union that would indi- cate that anything unsual has hap- pened. All of the officials are out of the city and a corps of clerks and stenographers is in charge of the office. President John Mitchell is in New York to meet the anthracite operators in a final attempt to arrive at an agreement in the anthracite region. Vice President T. L. Lewis is in Ohio directing the strike in that state and Secretary-Treasurer W. B. Wilson is at Clearfield, Pa., attending the joint conference of the Central Pennsyl- Reports are being received from various states, but they are being for- warded to President Mitchell or held awaiting his return. President Mitchell evidently expects quick action on the anthracite scale as he expects 1o return in a week to attend a meeting of the international executive board. The board will take up the matter of levying an assess- ment on the wen whose operators sign contracts and who are thus put to work. The general opinion among the miners’ tically all oi the bituminous miners will be at work within forty-five days and that the anthracite men will be on a long strike. IN LAND FRAUDS. ;| PERJURY Sensational Report Expected From Grand Jury in Oregon. Portland, Ore., April 2—When the United States grand- jury now in ses- sion ere makes its final report sensa- tional indictments in connection with the Pigeon land frauds may be expect ed. goes to siow that frauds of a gigantic nature have been perpetrated in South: ern Oregon and that a score of indict- ments-charging sabornation of perjury and other crimes are likely to be re- turned. Infernal Machine Exploded. Askabad, Turkestan, Aprili 3.—A time . infernal machine was exploded during the day in the vestibule of the governor general's residence, shatter- ing part of the wall and blowing & gun, which was mounted on one side of the entrance, across the street, but injuring no pne. Killed on Stleel at Clevaland Cleveland, March 30.—Captain L. H. Gooddale, a member of the firm of Gooddale & Co. of Buffalo, was foand lying unconscious on Hamilton street at the foot of a stairway and died shortly ;after being removed to a hos- pital. Gooddale’s skull was fractured | The police believe he was assaulted Exceeds Previous kecord. i Cedar Rapids, Ia., March 31.—Cedar river touched 15 feet 6 inches during the day, a foot over the highest pre- vious record. Damage, however, is nominal. The water is slowly reced- ing.. M e The boandary niie between Texar and Mexico, which has been the sub ; Ject of treaty negotiations since 1848 will be considered by the senate com mittee on foreigu relations on Wednes ! day next. The house committee on territories has authorized a favorable report on a bill setting aside for five vears 75 per cent of the customs and internal rev- enues of the Hawaiian islands for pub lic improvements. The house committee on merchant | marine and fisheries has authorized a favorable report on 2 senate bill re lieving motor fishing boats from the rigor of: the recent enactment requir ing a licensed engine iRev. Samuel Murray, a well known :German Baptist minister, died at Wa- bagh, Ind., Sunday, the 100th anniver- sary of his birth. He had been in the ministry for sevenly years: Official.returns from every county in Arkansas show that Governor Jeffer- son Davis. defeated Senator Lerry by about ~10,000 majority’ for United States senator in last week’s primary election. President Roosevelt has appomled Rudolph Forster to be first assistant | secretary to the president in place of ! B. F. Barnes, appointed postmaster at | ‘Washington. Mr. Forster was second assistant secretary. The president has decided to appoint ! i ‘Albert Halstead as American consul at Birmingham, Eng., to. succeed hls. brother, Marshall Halstead, resigned. ° Mr. Halstead is a well known Wash- ington: newapaper corréspondent and ~C board members is that prac: |- It is stated that the testimony |- [THOUSANDS OF AFFECTED The Pittsburg Coal Company Officials Sign Wage Scale Demanded by Miners. SCALE WILL BE IN FORCE TWO YEARS' Pittsburg, April 2.—The miners’ scale of wages of 1903 was signed dur- ing the afiernocn by the Pittsburg Coal company officials. The agree- ment goes into effect at once and at- fects 27,000 men. The scale will remain-in force two years:and provides for an increase of 5.55 per cent. An announcement was made at the same time that the scale has been .gigned by the following independent concerns: Dilworth, Crescent, Maxine, Ells- worth, People’s, Wampun Run, Bulger, Fayette, Steen and Vesta, the latter being a subsidiary company of the Jones & Laughlin Steel company. STATE TO OPERATE MINE. Missouri Institutions Will Be Supplied With Coal. Jefferson City, -Mo., April 3.—Gov- ernor Folk, through Warden Matt Hall of the state penitentiary here, has leased a mine near Waverly, from ! which coal will be mined during the present strike in sufficient quantities to supply the fifteen state institutions with fuel. The miners at Waverly are paid more than the regular scale and do not want to strike. If they should be forced to go out Warden Hall said that there would be no difficulty in operating the. mine if the state is forced to resort to that extremity. DESIRE "TO SIGN SCALE, Many lllinois Operators Anxious to .~ Continue Work. Springfield, DL, April 3—President Perry of the United Mine Workers of “THInoiS made the following statement: “1 have been busy all morning an- swering telephone calls from operators all over the stale who are willing to sign the scale .of 1903, as demanded by the miners.” - Among the signers, he sald are owners of twenty-five or-thirty of the smaller mines in the Danville district and the Williamson county operators, who heretofore were strongest in op- position to any increase. NOT A MINER AT WORK. Forty ‘Thousand Coal Diggers on *~ "Strike in Ohio. Columbus, O:,” April 3—Chairman J. H. Winder of the Ohio operators has announced that he received word from all over the Ohio districts that not a miner of the 40,000 employed is at work except the pumpmen and engi- neers, who were not ordered out. It is said that some of the operators want to sign the Scale and that a num- ber of the men want to go to work. Holiday in Pittsburg District. Pittsburg, April 3.—It being the an- niversary of the granting of the eight- hour workday almost every mine in the Pittsburg district was closed. It is expected, however, that within a day or two the miners employed by the Pittsburg Coal company and by several other local operators will re turn to work and that’ all the miners in district No. 5 will be running before the close of the week. Complete Suspension of Work. ‘Wilkesbarre, Pa., April 3.—There 1 Was a total suspension of mining in the | Wyoming region. 'The engineers, fire- men and pump runners are at work as usuzl and in a few cases employes are at work making repairs that are imperative, At nearly all the collieries steam was up and whistles were blown as usual, but the miners were not on hana. Costly Fire in Indiana. Marion, Ind., April 3.—Fire almost destroyed the National Sweeper works | here during the day. The loss will amount to about $100,000. About 200 ''men were employed in the factory. BRIEF BITS OF NEWS. Daniel Confort Burdict is dead at Beloit, Wis., aged 102 years. J. W. C. Steen, former Norwegian premier, is dead at Vossevangen, Nor- way, of heart disease. During the last three months of 1905 there were 165,540 allen arrivals at the port of New York. The eighteenth annual convéntion of the National Association of Rallway Commissioners is in sesslon at’” Wuh» ington. One hundred and twelve new Amer- ;ican teachers will begin work in the Philippine public schools Wwhen_the next session-opens on June 10. Two hundred women from all parts of ‘the country attended the first ses- sion of the fitteenth annual convention of the National Council ot Women at Toledo, O /It is reported on the Berlin boeru | that the German governmient is inter- ©posing to. prevent ] ;nm participating asslan Toah: | ¥