Bemidji Daily Pioneer Newspaper, April 2, 1918, Page 1

v 2 B g BON D PROBLEM WILL BE SOLVED; COUNCILTOCLEAR MOOTED MUDDLE Mar lnterelt and Stntute Pro- vision~ Prove Stumbling locks io Sule of Bonds. _ BRIDGE' LET WITHOUT * Shoved Onto Taxpayers To - Make Obligation Good; To Be Settled Immediately. The council is determined to-clean up the bridge bond matter and it is going: to do.so if it “‘breaks a leg.” The bridge matter has long been a festering sore on the city and if there’s any reasonable way possible, and there is, it is to be-taken care of and not be the nightmare that it is: When the bridge cuntract was let in the fall of 1916 there was abso- lutely no means provided ‘for. pay- ment.. It was-saddled. onto the tax- payers of Bemidji and left for them/ to make good. That's it in a ‘nut- shell: It became. a bone of conten- tion under the circumstances and |-/ was shoved onto the new council last yea‘r‘ Bonds were isgued to pay for the structure and again came up the bugaboo of a state statute to buck the plan for getting- rid of the hang- ing obligation. ~ - The- $25,000 bonds voted, were to be sold at par and accrued interest and-at 5 per cént. 'That’s a statute provision. But when on’ered for sale they encountered the existing money market and the bond compa- “ nies would not buy unless at a dis- count, which the statute plainly. for- bids. S Has Been Solved. However, several .cities of both Minnesota and other states have sold municipal bonds under exactly sim- ilar circumstances at discount, and it is held by the attorneys of the biggest bond companies in the coun- try and also in. Minnesota that such can be done and done without detri- ment. Five per cent municipal bonds does not appeal to the bond buying companies. County bonds and other bonds draw better interest and that is what the invest{ng public desires —money. It is cited that even Lib- erty Bonds are a better investment, the third Liberty Loan to bring 4% per cent, non-taxable and exempted ‘in other ways. And that, briefly is the predicament in which the coun- cil finds itself in these war times with money interest climbing. The bridge bonds have been adver- tised and bidders have come- with the view of purchasing, but without exception have stipulated a digcount running from around $1,375 to be- tween $2,000 and $3,000. But the statute provisions balked. the sale. ... Three More Bids. At the meeting of the council last _night two bids for thé bonds were e “openéd, they having been readver- tised. One was that of the North- western Trust company. of Minneap- olis and the other a Chicago bond- ing house. - A. A. Greenman repre- sented the Minneapolis company at S PAYMENT PROVISION| : 2 The pictures above show sections on the Chemin des Pames front in the Aifine sector which is now, being held by Uncle Sam’s soldier boys. At the left is the entrance of the captured German: fortress of Malmaison, and at the right, French troops clearing a trench captured from the Germans and now being ‘occupied by American troops. Liberty Loa Bond Bill ~ BULLETIN (By United Press) Washington, April 2.—The house promptly repassed the amended Lib- érty Bond-bill. ‘Washington, April 2.—The giant Liberty Bond bill, which ‘the. house passed, has been found to be imper- fect and has been recalled for fur- ther consideration. & The bill legalizes the Third Lib- erty Loan. Before it was returned it was discovered it robbed the states of millions of bank taxes. PNEUMONIA HOVERS L. A. LaBaw, official court re- porter for Judge C. W. Stanton, was taken to St. Anthony’s hospital yes- terday afternoon, being threatened with pneumonia. A A A A A A A A A A A A the meeting. The latter bid was at the stipulated 5 per cent and-accrued interest, with a discount of $1,950. The Chicago house bid the same, with $2,420 discount. R. E. Schumaker, ' during the course of the discussion, offered a bid for the bonds at a discount of $1,500, he representing Wells-Dickey of Minneapolis. 3 Meeting Ad]ourned This put arfother -phase on the| matter and it was decided to adjourn the meeting until Wednesday night (Continued on Page Four) Fourteenth Battallon Band Appears In New Uniforms At the first annual ball of the Home Guard last evening, the Four- teenth battalion band turned out in its new uniforms, they arriving late in the afternoon, just in time for the festivities. The uniforms are even better than ordered, being two grades higheg than the ones for which measure- ments were taken. This happened on account of the manufacturers be- ing out of the cloth designated at the-time and rather than disappoint the guard, filled the order. There were 26 in the order, and are of the latest pattern, the band presenting a splendid appearance and not only is Dijrector Peterson proud of the boys but ther are proud of themselves. One of the best examples of co- operation in boosting for Bemidji was that of Barney Erickson, propri- etor of the Toggery. He took the measurements for the uniforms and sent in the order, waiving all com- mission on the suits, which amount- ed to several dollars, and the boys are highly appreciative. Tan shoes are now being purchased to complete they were all made to measure and | the cu’tfit. L |in no' way disappointed. HOME GUARD ANNUAL 3 BALL BIG SUCCESS The large number, who anticipated a good time at the first annual ball .of the Home Guard last evening, was Nothing had- been spared to make the dance a success. There was a large at- tendance and the music was of the very best. Lieutenant DePew and Mrs. Arthur Gratton led the grand march, The hall was prettily decor- ated with the national colors ‘and baskets of cut flowers. Card tables were also arranged for those who wished to indulge in this diversion. The ladies of the Red Cross served lemonade. Both the members of the Home Guard and band appeared in uniform. FIFTY-FIFTY RULE HOLDS ON WHEAT St. Paul, April 2.—The fifty-fifty rule of the food administration, re- quiring individual consumers to buy an equal amount of substitutes with every pound of white flour remains unchanged and is now in full force, according to A. D. Wilson, state food administrator. “In fact there mever was a time when the conservation of flour was so vital as now,” Mr. Wilson said. “The work of the state food ad- ministration. .has .been much dis- turbed and the public very much con- fused by erroneous statements con- cerning the fifty-fifty rule and the list of authorized substitutes ever since the rule was first put into ef- fect. “With the grave necessity that ex- ists now for the conmservation of wheat to he very limit, any intima- tion that the fifty-fifty rule had been abandoned could not but do harm. This rule is the only thing which has made it possible to extend our lim- ited supply of wheat flour over the period between crops instead of hav- ing the supply long since exhausted. “The present flour ration must be one and one-half pounds per person per week. Each householder is per- mitted to have on hand at one time no more than thirty days’ supply of wheat flour, or six pounds for each member of the household. “Persons who understand the seri- ousness of the wheat situation and who have any desire to do their part will keep within the limit and even below it.” GREAT GERMAN AVIATOR RETURNS TO FIGHTING London, April 2.—The greatest German aviator, Richthofen, has re- turned to the fighting. YEAR TODAY, WILSON . ASKED CONGRESS TO DECLARE WAR By CARL D. GROAT (United Press Staff Correspondent) Washington, April 2.—America found itself today on the anniversary of President Wilson’s request for war on Germany, a great part of the world struggle, with a remark- ably vast record of achievement. More thousands of men are now in France than army men a year ago dreamed could be putthere; Amerfcan naval vessels, cruising the submar- ine zone, are doing their bit—and a big one—to stamp ‘‘schrecklich- keit” out of the world; a vast army has been trained and is now being seasoned; another is about ready to enter camps; American war wheels are whirring, grinding out ships, guns, shells, rails—a tremendous stream of material to back a grow- ing, enthusiastic army. And, there is abroad in the land a war spirit, deep-seated and fervent, a spirit born of the realization that Germany is now controlled by mili- taristic plunderers, who in their mad- ness are stretching forth their gory hands to crush the weak and the strong and to make the world unfit and unsafe for democracy. Some of America’s mighty task is still in the making. There have been, and still are delays in war work. - Some of our expectations were exploited too boldly, and there are disappointments ahead. ALLIES TAKE PRISONERS Paris, April 2.—(Official)—Be- tween thie Oise and Somme rivers the night was relatively .calm. The French and British progressed some between Somme and Demuin. In the region of Calonne, we, by two coup de mains, took some prisoners. FIRST DRAFT SOLDIERS MAY ALL SEE FRANCE (By United Press) Washington, April 2.—The United States and her allies are endeavoring to make the western offensive the last enormous battle of the war. This is accountable for the plan of hastening soldiers abroad. New restrictions on imports will provide more tonnage. It is thought the cantonments will be stripped of men of the first draft call. Mrs. Frank Getchell returned yes- terday noon from McIntosh where she was the guest of her mother, Mrs. B. N, Sorenson, during Easter, SAM S HEADING “T0 BATTLE FRONT; “MEN ARE IN HIGH SPIRITS; MUD DEEP Uhjectwes 0f Germans Is Now Evident By JUNIUS WO0OD (United Press Correspondent) S With the French armies, April 2. —A complete checking of the Ger- man advance renders possible the comprehension of the stupendousness of the enemy’s offensive plan. It was comprised of three simultaneous tl\rvusm along three highways to- ward three centers, railway, indus- trial and political, The German right was toward Ar- ras, along the route through Cam- brai; the center toward Arras along Amlens tlu‘bugh Bapaume, Vern and Yo Roye; the left toward Paris, over the Montdidier—S8t. Just road. The advance on all three routes was checked and the enemy has modified his objectives. The gigantic battle that is raging between Lassigny and Morueil is for the protection of the Amiens railway. The enemy is rebuilding the bridges between Ham and St. Quentin. TWENTY-FIVE GIVEN HEARTY SENDOFF AS THEY LEAVE FOR CAMP Twenty-five young men boarded the train this noon for Duluth, when they will be assigned to train- ing camps. Corporal Foucault ac- companied them as far as Cass Lake on the journey. The squad was in charge of Clay- ton .Johnson and Wilfred Case and the mémbers were all splendid speci- mens of young manhood. The boys were escorted to the de- pot by the Fourteenth, battalion Home Guard band and the Bemidji Home Guard company, There was a large crowd at the depot to bid the boys good bye and the usual scenes were enacted. WOMAN WANDERS AIMLESSLY IN COLD With her five children in the Owatonna school, Mrs. B. Benson of Puposky, a victim of ill health, wan- dered irrationally for about 50 hours in the cold in the vicinity of her home, staying out all of two nights and was discovered last evening by Charles Durand, wanderlng aimlessly near her hom€. Deputy Sheriff Ca- hill had gone to the scene in an en- deavor to locate the missing woman and she was brought to Bemidji last night for examination. Mrs, Benson was taken to the Lake Julia sanatorium a few months ago, she suffering from tuberculosis, leaving her husband and five chil- dren. The husband is a section em- ploye and was unable to care prop- erly for the little folks and they were taken care of by the state. During her stay at the sanator- jum, Mrs. Benson left suddenly and was found and taken home. On her last wanderings she had encircled Mud Lake, walking a distance of nearly twelve miles in the cold and dampness. .4,_ (By - United Press) Rome, April 2.—A neutral report places Germany’'s losses in the pres- ent battle at 525,000, Sammies in Aoction. With the Americians afield, April 2.—All Americans offered to the al- lies are in action. The roads are filled with horses and men. The men are in the highest spirits despite the mud. They are enroute to the battle front. The Germans are jumping on the Toul front, apparently antici- pating trouble. America is Lauded. London, April 2.—Newspapers are lauding America’s new activity in the war, Baker Vigits ‘Italy. Rome, April 2.-—Secretary of War Baker and United States Ambassador - Page are visiting the Italian battle fronts. Teutons are Resting. With the British afield, April 2.— General von Hindenburg is paying the allies the compliment of further hesitation. Activities are local. Hindenbyrg's armies are probably too badly mauled to make further progress until reinforced. A second blow against Arwas is likely. Not @ general battle has been risked since Thursday. In @& short sharp fight the Germans took Poe, forcing the British back a short distance near Demuin. Arras Being Bombed. Paris, April 2.—(Official)—Arras and Stpol are under the heaviest bombardment since Thursday. Sev- eral citizens have been killed. Ar- ras is three miles from the battle line. Stpol is 21 miles northwest of Arras, and three miles beyond the tarthest German advance at that point in 1914. REPORT PARIS AGAIN UNDER BOMBARDMENT (By United Press) Paris, April 2.—The bombardment of Paris began again this morning. The super gun of the Germans is be- ing used as before. RUSSIAN GENERAL EXPECTS TO FORM ARMY OF 4,000,000 (By United Press) Petrograd, April 2.—Genera! Bay- off, commander of- the Moscow dis- trict, declares he expects to form an army of 4,000,000 men to defend the Russian revolution within ‘the next two months. NO BULGARIANS FIGHTING ON WEST FRONT, IS ANNOUNCED (By United Press) Washington, April 2.—No Bul- garians are participating in the fight- ing on the west front, the United Stiates state department officially announced today. SENATOR WOULD BATTLE TURKEY AND BULGARIA BULLETIN (By United Press) Washington, April 2.—Senator King this afternoon ogered a reso- lution to declare war on Turkey and Bulgaria. e e e b S it < 13