Bemidji Daily Pioneer Newspaper, June 2, 1919, Page 1

4 ’ " VOLUME XVIL. NO. 130 1S DESTROYED 1 BYFIRESUNDAY - WITH BIG LOSS Assembliig Plant 'of Short Turn Tractor Company Also . Burns—Loss Over $12,000 FLAMES STARTED FROM. CASTING FORMS, BELIEF y Not Cértain Whether Plant ~Will be: Rebuilt.—Big: Con- - teact Just Arranged - For. Causing a loss of more than $12,- 000 the plants of the Bemidji Iron * Works and.Short Turn Tractor were . completely ‘destroyed - by. fire garly . Sunday morning. Itis belieyed that . the flames -were' caused . by forms :"Which had.heen-used in casting Sat- ' urday afternoon, and,so quickly did the fire spread that the department * 'was unable to save any part of the ;. building. A building near the Iron Works used as a sectiop crew hoard- -ing’house -was' slightly scprched. The fire originated in the foundry ¢ and quickly spread to the blacksmith shop and to the assembling plant of the Short Turn Tractor company. One completed .tractor, four new ,motors and other parts were de- ‘Btroyed, the loss amounting to- §6,- ‘196.80, with but $1,200 insurance. The loss of the Iron Works will total more than $6,000, insurancé amount- ing to $4,000 being carried. One of the moet serious conse- quendces of the fire is the loss of im- portant patterns, both the tractor company and fron works losing de- signs of much value. ‘Both'firms also lost practically all correspondence. The books of. the: Iton’ Works were removed-from “the safe by G. W. ‘ Harnwell, -a stockholder, yesterday, being hnt ly damaged. The .books. of thé Tractor company' were at Moortead, where the office of the company was recently moved and * ‘where headquarters are to be mp.l_n- (ger"of the fron eapolis on busi- ness when the firé occurred and after being notified of his loss yesterday returned on the evening train. He said today that no definite plans as to.the rebuilding of the plant had . been made. Other stockholders are *G. H. Harnwell of Bemidii and A. W. Johnson, formerly of Bemidji but now of Chicago. The plant had ibeen operated by Olson for three years, who previously had conducted a machine shop. . - Secured New Contract. ¢ A new contract had just been com- pleted with the Universal Bag Hold- er gompany of Duluth for the pro- viding of 2,000. castings at a time and which would comprise a large portion of the company’s annual pro- duetion... . - , - John™ Dahl, of the Tractor com- pany, returned to Moorhead this af- terneon, having been in Bemidji over the weéek-end to attend the com- miencement - exercises, his son being a graduate. : TAX ON LUXURI . _SURVIVES DEBATE *Washington, June 2.—Efforts of all republican and democratic lead- ers’ rush' through the house the re- peal of the so called luxury taxes failed: Saturday after a six hour de- bate. Scattering opposition, the strength = of - which = surprised - the' leaders, finally forced adjournment, although. Chairman Joseph W. Fordney of the ways and means committee, in sub- mitting the repeal, expected its pas- sage ‘in_two hours. Admfission by Fordney that the luxury section is -expected to yield $100,000,000 brought out many op- " ponernits’ to -repeal. The bill will be called yp again Monday. Reépresentative Claude Kitchen, Harry E. Hull, I. Hampton Moore, . Nicolea Longworth and William R. Green spoke for the repeal, claiming the tax would be difficult of collec- tion and that it was passed primarily ‘to curtail the manufacture of lux- uties during.the war. Alsg}-tlng ‘that the tax of 10 per cent i8.only on extra high priced goods, opponents led by Representa- . tive Thetus W. S8ims, Tennessee, claimed the government should not lose the revenue at this time and that persons who purchased the ar- ticles above the tax exempt figures . are able to pay the fax. Sims was backed by Simeon D. Fees, Ohio; Gilbert N. Haugen, Iowa, and Robert Y. Thomas, Kentucky. Thomas directed his attack against smoking. jackets, claiming that wear- ing one is “no way to smoke any- way.” . Articles that will be affected by the -repeal if it passes are carpets, rugs, picture frames, trunks, valises, trayelinig - bags, purses, lighting fix- "t -umbréllas, fans, smoking jack- ots, ‘bathrobes, waistcoats, hats, caps, shoes,--neckwear shirts, underwear, pajamss, ‘nightgowns, kimonos, shirts and waists: s FIRE-BUGS BELIEVED AT WORK IN THIS VICINITY Indicatiops are that fire bugs are again busy in this vicinity. Satur: day the farm home of Mr. and Mre. Earl McMahan burned to the ground. The- house was'a. cottage 24 by 24 and had been vacant for over a week. ‘The farm is located on the Jefferson highway, where the So00 crosses the road ahout. three-quarters of -a mile from Wilton. The house was insured for only $600. The barm on the James Given. fai a short ways from the McMahan farm, caught on fire at about the same.time, but the fire was seen by a Wilton man who put it . out. *“ Yesterday- the barn was again set on firé and burned to the ground. It was a building 30 by 30 and was not insured. HEAVY RAINFALL OF SUNDAY _BRINGS GREAT GOOD TO CROPS Farmers of this district are re- joicing ‘over the rains of Saturday and Sunday, .the fall oeing- the heaviest of the season. A. J. Naylor, manager of the Minnesota Electric |Light and -Power company, who, 'is local observer for the state wea bureau, annonnced foday that' thé| ~ rainfall totaled one and four one- hundredths ‘inches.- e “'TOUR PARTY TO VISIT BEMIDJI TOMORROW 126 Bup.ineu Men of Minne- apolis on “Get Acquainted” " Trip.—Band, Coming. One hundred and twenty-five busi- ness men of Minneapolis will visit Bemidji for one hour tomorrow after- noon, arriving here -at 2:50 from -Cass Lake on their special train of thirteen cars. The trade tour, un- der the Minneapolis Civic and Com- merce association, will include 61 towns and a short entertainment will be given in each place visited. E & Community singing which has aroused suech general interest throughout the country because of its use in the training camps and among the men in the service gen- erally, will form the interesting part of the program here, A professional community sing leader .will be ‘with- the Minneapolis men. Music will be furnished by the Fourth Infantry -band, -the: :qragk--mmita¥ e ot ‘Minneapolis, and by a bagpipe. Ex- perienced speakers also will play a part in the entertainment and it is expected . that .some local man will address the visitors. 'W. I. Nolan, speaker of the house of representa- ‘tives, and mentioned for governor, expects to join the tour en route and make as many of the stops as his time will permit. The tour has been taken hold of enthusiastically by business men of Minneapolis. The visitors are especially anxious to meet the children of the various: towns visited as thefe will be many things +4n- the program to,interest them. Reports which reach Minne- apolis from the cities along the route of the tour disclose that many of these communities where THe stops are long enough to permit ft,. have programs of their own with which to serenade the visitors. Many com- munities are planning on the trip as_ the opportunity for a general vic- tory and civic cebebration. Frank S. Gold, chairman of the -Minneapolis Civic & Commerce association, Trade Extension Committee, and L. F, Bol- ser, chairman of the Tour Committee, will he in general charge of the vis- itors program. Bemidji businéss men are planning to meet the viBtors at .the Great Northern depot when they arrive, and then the Mill City boosters will visit the various stores of the city. Five minutes before the train leaves the locomotive will blow one long blast and two minutes before depart- ure a series of short blasts will be blown. i N o=y DAUGHTER DIED SUNDAY. , May. Irene, the eleven year old daughter of Mr. and Mrs. H. J. Pop- penberg, of Bemidji avenue; died]| yesterday, following complications resulting from influenza. The body will be taken to Brainerd tomorrow morning for interment. - CARTER CUTTER WEDS MISS JENNIE GRATTON Miss Jennie Gratton, daughter ‘of Mr. and Mrs. J. G. Gratton and Car- ter Cutter, son of ‘Mr. and Mrs. 8. C. Cutter, both of this city, were mar- ried yesterday afternoon at 3 o'clock at the Catholic rectory, Father J. J. T. Philippe officiating. Miss Florence Gratton, a sister of the bride, acted ‘as bridesmaid and the groom was at- tended by Frank Gratton, brother of the bride. The bride was attired ‘in a gown of white organdy and carried pink roses, and the bridesmaid was also dressed in white and carried roses. A six o’clock wedding dinner was served at the home of the bride for the immediate relatives. Mr. and Mrs. Cutter will leave tomorrow for Itasca state park, where they will spend their honeymoon. The groom recently returted from military serv- ice in France, receiving his honor- able discharge several days ago.” Mr. and Mrs. Cutter will- make--their home in Viroqua, Wis., where Mr. Cutter was employed as cashier of a bank before entering the service. He will now go into the cafeterix bust- ness. BEPOPULA: Fhere Tuesday night. CROOKSTON TEAM CANNOT COME FOR BIG INTTIATION eorge Kreats, exalted ruler of the idji ‘Elks lodge, was notified to- day that the Crookston lodge cannot send its team to have charge of the big finitlation meeting to be held 188( While the an- nouncement comes as a disappoint- ‘ment to Bemidjl Blks, the Thursday 4 nifiht aftair will take place as sche- aul ed ‘and the Bemigjl officers will gonduct the initiation and tne beau- Jtiful ‘new club rooms in the Elks Trl iastic Concerning Outlook PEOPLE OF ALL AGES '} URGED TO PARflQl#X’l,'g. B:selull, Kitten Ball, Sw ming and Games - Will be Had.—Committee Meets. emid}i-affords a splendid: tunity for the successful opera '¢xtensive Tecreational activities, cording to V. G. McAninch, of Paul, who arrived in Bemidji day totake charge of play gr g work here .during the months June, July and August, his ocamis having been made possible by a mittee of the Women’s Communi and Civic club, A “It must be understood from’ start,” says McIninch, “that the oreational work we are to have- Bemidji is not confined to children, the program including entertAinment and recreation for all ages and’ boys and girls, and men and women;] The chief need of recreational work is the providing of ‘exercise whi will make strong men and women our boys and girls and the syrround- ing them by an environment which ' c;zrltain to be inspiring and bene! cial.” =y Svorts of All-Kinds. The program for the summer wil} include baseball, kitten ball, which: is so popular in the Twin Clties, voly, ley ball, swimming, tennis and other; sports. A number of leagues are t be formed which will add greatly the interest. 3 This afternoon a meeting of-th recreational committee together wit representatives of the Bemidji Asso: ciation, council, board of .educatio) and park hboard, is being held at which definite plans for.the. work ‘%54 be conducted * i " Bemidji” “wi formed. 3 3 It is'probable that a queitionnaire will be issued that people of the city may designate the activities they. pre- fer in connection with the recrea- tional program. i 2 MclIninch suggests that qchool in the -city be supplied with gwings, slides and sand boxes. He has inspected the school yards . of the city, the play grounds, Diamond Point and says that conditions are ideal for a successful program of re- creation activities. & FORM BEMIDJI LEGION be every POST-TUESDAY NIGHT Returned soldiers, sailors and marines of Bemidji are taking much interest i@ the meeting to be held at the Association Rooms tomorrow evening for the purpose of organiz- ing a local post of the American: Le-| In order to form a post here’ gion. it is necessary for fiftty men who have been honorably discharged from the. military or naval service of the United. Stdtes to become charter members. ) At the meeting tomorrow applica- | tion will be filed, temporary officers to serve until the Bemidji post.has been granted a charter named, and plans devised for the conduct of the organization perfected. It is urged that all returned men attend the meeting tomorrow evening. There will be a special meeting of the Bemidji council this evening, and a number of matters of import- ltxlneo are to come up for considera- on. Jad 18 [Temple will be opened. A number fof features are being planned and the meeting will be one of tue most en- Joyable ever held by the Antler in Bamidji. INCREASED BUSINESS GIVES EXPRESS OFFICE NEW MAN _ As a result of the heavy business being done by the Bemidji express ‘office it has been necessary to add another man to the force, announces Thomas Lloyd, manager, and Leslie Nuss who was connected with the of- fice until he entered military service, ‘has returned to work ag a driver. He succeeds Byron Russell Who becomes -clerk, and Ray S8pencer has been ed to cashier. Two express ‘wagons are In operation, Kenneth ‘Mayers being the other driver. JGH RECORD IS SET ~BY MINNESOTA'S NEW - TAX RATE FOR 1920 'State University and Moose Lake Fire Sufferers Appro- priations Are Included. The new tax rate for state pur- poses will be the highest in Minne- sote annals. Record breaking appro- priations by the last legislature necessitate a tax levy of 6.48 mills on Minnesota property of $1,750,- 000,000 estimated value. The cur- rent tax rate is only 3.5 mills for state purposes. ., 8tate Auditor J. A. O. Preus has certified the new state rate for 1919 taxes tobe collected in 1920. It is computed to yleld nearly $18,500,- 1000 toward appropriations of more ‘Jthan $32,000,000 for the biennium voted by the 1919 legislature. Exact appropriation totals are $3,141,642 available immediately and $16,361,- 068 for the flscal year ending June 30, 1920,-both -covered by the new ale; and 313,841,422 Ior the Tollow- ing® fiscal year, the tax rate for which will be announced when mis- cellaneous revenue can be more ac- curately estimated. Ttems making up the.new tax rate ol | tor state purposes, as listed by M. J. Desmond, chief of accounts in the state auditor's oftice, are as fol- lows: Purpose— Mills. Revenue fund for appropriations 3.6 "Reltef for old soldiers and wid- ows .' State road and bridge fund..... 1. National guard armory buildings .03 University of Minnesota. build- .1 Total Bl e o € 6.48 Appropriations for the University of- Minnesota duilding program and ‘the relief of Moose Lake fire suffers, it will be noted, are among import- “tt' items increasing the state tax rate. GRAND SON WAS AID. In Sunday’s Minneapolis Journal appears a picture of Judge Ell Tor- rance, grand marshal of the Minne- apolis Memorfal day parade and former commander of the G. A. R., together with his grandson, Major Torrance Fiske, who served with the American forces in the world war. Major Fiske acted as his grapd- father’s aid during the parade. Judge Torrance is the father -of Graham M. Torrance, of Bemidji, Beltrami county attorney. FORTY-FIVE CENTS PER MONTH PRICE SHE MUST PAY WHEN PEACE - TREAIY PKESENTED St. Germain, France, June 2.—The Peace Treaty was handed to Austrian delegates today, the meeting being slightly delayed by the late arrival of President Wilson. Premier Clemenceau in his instructions to the Austrian delegates in- formed them that no oral discussion will be permitted and that all written observations must be submitted within fifteen days. The treaty includes the following provigions: | y Austria must accept the covenant of the League of Nations and the labor charter. She must also renounce all her extra European rights. Demobilize all her naval and aerial forces. Recognize the complete independence.of Hungary. Accept economic conditions and freedom of transit similar to those in the German treaty and give guarantees of execution of the treaty corresponding to those in the German pact. ustrian Nations guilty of violating international laws of war are to be tried by the Alhes. ! Sections dealing with war prisoners and graves are iden- tical with the German treaty. f ! " Boundaries of Bohemia and Moravia are to form a boun- dary between Austria and Czecho-Slovakia with minor recti- fications, Allies later to fix southern boundary (refering to Jugo-Slavia), eastern boundary leaves Marburg and Radkers- bury to Jugo-Slavia. Western and northwestern frontiers fac- ing Bavaria and Switzerland are unchanged. Austria must recognize the independence of Jugo-Slavakia and Jugo-Slavia). Austria is recognized as an Independent republic under the name “Republic of Austria.” Austria must recognize the frontiers of Bulgaria, Greece, Hungary, Poland, Roumania. Czecho-Slovakia and Jugo-Slavia as at present or ultimately determined. ‘ : THERE WILL BE NO W. ) Washington, June 2.—There will bd no. walk out of wire workers throughgut the country as a result of the telephone strike at Atlanta, Georgia, S. J. Koonenkamp, president of the Cemmaercial.-Telegraphers; announced todsy’ on'His return from ‘Montreal. . WOULD PROVIDE REFERENDUM Washington, June 2.—Senator Hiram Johnson today flung a challenge at the league of nations advocating to amend the covenant by providing a peoples referendum on all future wars. Hed plans to introduce a resolution to amend the covenant to this end. " DECIDES TO FAVOR GOVERNMENT Washington, June 2.—Cases involving the rights of Direc- tor Hines and Postmaster General Burlegon to- interstate rail and telephone rates were degided lneg 7 ”uzovem- ment by the United States supreme court t| lg# : n CUPID UNITES HEARTS OF 48 DURING MAY CAMPAIGN BOYS AND GIRLS WORKING IN SCHOOL GARDENS MEET Harry Olin, agriculturist in the Bemidji echool and leader of bhoys and Girls club work in the county, requests that all boys and girls in- terested in gardeii work report at the various sehools Wednesday. Mr. Olin has designated the following hours for the meeting: Lincoln school, 8 a. m.; East Bemidji school, 10:30 a. m.; School Farm, 1 p. m. The pupils are requested to take the rest of their seeds which is to be planted. MEETING HELD TODAY. William Lennon, of Kelliher, chairman of the Beltrami county 'board of commissioners, was in Be. midji today to attend a meeting of the county board of education, the other members being J. O. McGhee, county superintendent of schools, and Earl Geil, county treasurer. _CAPTURED GERMAN U-BOAT AGROUND AT HASTINGS The German submarine U-118; which broke away while being towed, is here seen lying broadsie on the Hast- lngs tuflon@_’ beach, England, within enly & feéw hundred yards of the houses Hping the waterfront. The craft is about 290 2o 80 e T8 Cupid was exceptionally busy in Beltrami county during May, the marriage license records of Fred Rhoda, clerk of court, show. M always a popular month in the mat rimonial realm, scored 24 weddings in Beltrami county, while last year but nine were recorded for the month, the war's end being respon- sible for a large number of the mar- riages as many of the victims of Cupid’s arrows were returned sol- diers. Baturday was a busy day for Miss Lucy LaFontisee, deputy clerk of court, for she issued five permits to marry. June, always considered the favorite month for marriages, started well this morning, for two :ii:enus were issued early in the Y- i MOOSE LODGE MOVES INTO NANGLE BLOCK QUARTERS Removal of the Moose lodge to its new quarters in the Nangle block has been completed. The lodge now oc- cupies the room used by the Bemidji Association, which will continue to make its home in the Nangle block untfl its new quarters in the City hall are ready for occupancy, about October 1. The Moose hall will be used by the following lodges: U. T. C., Sons of Herman, Brother- hood of Locomotive Firemen and Enginemen, M. B. A., Woodmen and Knights of Columbus. AUTO TO LITTLE FALLS. Many Bemidji members of the Knights of Columbus lodge are plan- ning to auto to Little Falls Sunday to attend a large initiation meeting to be held there. The Bemidji lodge initiated 41 at fts Memorial . day meéeting, it being one of the most suc- cessful and enjoyable sessions ever held by the local council. FARMERS BANK HAS MOVED. The Farmers State bank has moved from its old quarters in the Fifth ward and is occupying the building at 208 Third street formerly occu- pled by Bemidji hotel. This build- ing will be occupied until the bank jerects its new structurs next year at ‘the corner of Fourth street and Bel- trami avenue.