Grand Rapids Herald-Review Newspaper, July 12, 1911, Page 4

|! AGE FOUR GRAND RAPIDS HERALO-REVIEW WEDNESDAY, JULY 12, 1911. Grand Rapids Heralas' Review Published Every Wednesday By E. C. KILEY. TWO DOLLARS A YEAR IN ADVANCE Entered at the Postoffice at Grand Rapids, Minnesota, as Second Class Matter. Official Paper of Itasca County THAT SPECIAL SCHOOL MEETING No matter where you go, or when frou go, you will always find men who seek the furtherance of their own private ends through public af- fairs—and the movement to form an independent school district out of eommon schol district No. I is no ex- ception to this rule. As could be expected, G. Spear and his cohorts are at the head, or rath- er we should say discreetly at the rear, attempting to give an impetus to the movement, perverting facts and giving interpretations to laws, such as has never before been heard of. But, to get down to business, there is such a movement on foot. And the reason for this, it is claimed, is to lower the rate of taxation. And therefore a special meeting has been called for Monday evening to decide whether or not this shall be In the mean time George takes Jake and the rest of the bunch by the hand and = says in sonorous language: “Watch your papa, boys, George will do it,’ He then calls the bunch to gather more closely and says: “Now, boys, listen By changing school district No. 1 into an inde- pendent district we do not change the boundaries one iota, it is neces- sray to present a petition to the board of county commissioners to turn that trick, but, we must foster the opinion that the present board is responsible for the high rate of taxes in the village and that the ehange will do away with this, Of course, the people will forget that they, themselves, fix the school levy at the annual meeting, the board on- an independent district. attentively. common ly presenting an estimate of the cost af running the schools. Now, with an independent district, the six di- rectors have absolute power. They do not submit an estimate at the annual meeting. The common people have nothing to do with it. They simply make their estimate and hand it to the county auditor, who 4a turn is compelled to apportion the tax. Of course, under the present law, a common school district is much more td be desired, as it gives the people a voice at the annual meeting in the affairs of the dis- ‘tyict, but don’t call their attention to this fact. It isn’t the independ- ent district we care about, nor is it the taxes. is to knock out the present board, 30 we can put in men who will work for our interests. Now, if everything goes right, I can get the legal work, and others of you can better your- selves in divers ways. All it will be necessary to do is to promise Co- hasset a representation of two on the board, and they will be with us oa the proposition. But that does mot necessarily mean they will get them. You see, unlike the common achool law, it provides that the elec- tion shall be held at Grand Rapids and 1 guess we can pretty near put in the men we want. The people from Cohasset and the outlying dis- tricts will be compelled to drive here if they wish to vote and I guess We can get enough to the meeting to swing things our way. You see, boys, it. will be a puddin’; they can’t vote for directors at the general elec- tions as they have in the past.” The banch was about to disperse when George cried: “Wait, boys, there is ne more little thing I wish to cau- tion you about. Do not, under any circumstanees mention the cost of running the district under the new regime. Under the new law, which is néw in operation, the three mem- bers of the board cannot receive more than $400 ,each, for their services, while under the law providing for an independent school district we can appoint a clerk at any salary we gee fit, at, say $1,500 per year, and DEFECTIVE PAGE What we want to do| as there will be a nice little berth for one of you. The treasurer of the board can also receive a commission of two per cent an_.all moneys handl- ed, which means the expense of the board will be about treble that of the present board—if our plan goes through. Now let me once more im- press on you the fact that you must make a howl about the high rate of school taxation in order to divert the attention of the people from our real object, whjch is to put in a board that we can handle to suit ourselves.” The meeting then dis- persed and the members wended their way homeward, filled with rev- erential awe at the manner in which cunning George concocis schemes. GROSS IGNORANCE. Ignorance, in anyone, is a pitiable thing, but in a newspaper publisher it is inexcusable when he can easi- ly obtain the facts in the case. There are many so-called newspaper men in this great land of the free who first write an article and after the paper is issued obtain the facts. Editor Haugen, of the Nashwauk Herald is no exception to this rule unless it is that he does not even seek to obtain the facts, for, in his last issue he attempts, in a round- about way, to score Auditor Spang for giving the bulk of the legal work to the Herald-Review. The Nashwauk ed.tor doubtless refers to the Notices of Expiration for Redemption which have been running in the columns of this great family journal the past three weeks and we will now proceed to confi- dentially impart the reason for all this. In the first place Auditor Spang has nothing to do with the placing of these publications. All he does is to prepare the notices. The hold- er of the certificate then has the sheriff attempt to serve notice on the party in whose name the proper- ty is assessed. Failing in this, pub- lication is then made by the tax title holder, not by the auditor. The Herald-Review has for lo, these many years obtained the bulk of this business and it has been re- ceived for the simple reason that the Herald-Review has a reputation for correctness and painstaking care that is well known to the legal fra- ternity of the northern portion of the state. Consequently, when notices are to be published, lawyers advise their clients that the notices appear in the Herald-Review, as they well know a second publication will not have to be made on account of some typographical error. THE USE OF THE INITIATIVE. Governor Woodrow Wilson, in his peculiarly apt fashion, spoke in one of his recent addresses of the initia- tive, the referendum and the recall “the gun behind the door.” His point was, of course, that the people want these things not so much that they may use them free-| ly, so freely that they might be- come playthings, but that they will be handy for use in case of need. If their representatives in the lawmak- ing bodies take up legislation that the people need and want, there will be little occasion for using the initja- tive. -If the representatives enact only good legislation, there will be no occasion for resorting to the re- ferendum. And if officials are faithful servants, there will be no need of exerting the power of recall. The people never need the initiativs the referendum and the recall 80 much as when they haven’t them. When they have them it is safe to predict that lawmakers and public of- ficials will be on their good behavior pretty much all the time. That’s the way it has worked in Switzerland, where these tools of real democracy have been available for many years. The British minis- ter to Switzerland has lately made a report to his government on the use of the initiative, and he says that while it exists in theory it is almost never put in practice there. He explains it thus: “At first sight it might seem that the powers of the general and formu- lated initiatives are so great as- to turn the grand councils of the can- tons into mere drafting and registra- tion committees, but in point of fact this is by no means the case. For although the initiative is a great power in the hands of the people, yet it has been very rarely used in the cantons; and, in fact, the grand cours cil is the place where nearly ll bills originate. This also applies to the initiative for federal purposes, for if there is a real desire among the people for a total or partial re- vision of the Constitution it is sure to find many friends in the two chambers of the confederation, and they can bring the measure to the fore without resorting to the initia- tive.” Lawmaking bodies, national and state, have denied legislation needed and demanded by the people of this country because there was no power of initiative, and it was so easy to evade or diffuse the blame for refus- ing it. They have passed laws giv- ing special privileges to a few at the bitter cost of the many because there was no popular referendum to bring these measures before the bar of public opinion for final trial. Their members and other public officials have betrayed the people because there was no power of recall. Giving the people the privileges of the initiative, the referendum and recall would serve the purpose even if the people rarely used them. The fact they were available and could be used would make lawmakers and public officials very well behaved and very faithful indeed. Speaking of the British’ minister's report, the Springfield Republican says: “It is probable that in any country or state where the initiative had been for a long time a part of the legislative machinery the same result would be brought about. The mere fact that a legislativg measure could be initiated directly by indi- viduals outside the legislative cham- ber would make the members of that body so responsive to public opinion that no private citizen would need to initiate measures in favor of which there was any. considerable popular sentiment. And then, .- too, with the novelty of the initiative worn of, very few private individuals would care to bother with work to which an efficient and representa- tive body of lawmakers was suppos- ed to devote itself. The Swiss have had the initiative since 1845, and, while they would not part with it, they are too sensible to make it do much work.” In point of fact, by acting as ‘‘the gun behind the door,” even though the people never use it the initia- tive is working in Switzerland every year; and so, after the novelty is worn off, it will work in this country. —Duluth Herald. VISITS 'FRISCO’S CHINATOWN SLUMS (Continued from page 1.) him. Before him in a little box lay some “raw” opium. In his long claw- like fifigers he grasped a flat headed opium pipe. As we stood about him he picked out a bit of opium upon a stick and hastily but carefully “cook- ed” it over a nearby lamp. It splut- tered and bubbled like a sulphur match, until placed within the shal- low bowl of his pipe. Sing eagerly lighted the pipe over the same lamp that had served to cook his opium. With sinking cheeks and distending nostrils he drew a long drought of the opium fumes into his lungs. We passed silently out again thru the same passage by which we had entered. We passed along the street until we came to a Chinese furniture store. Inside this we saw much beautiful and costly furniture. all hand carved we were told. Much of it was made of teak wood and was’ polished until it shone like ebony. The decorations upon the different articles of furniture were most artis- tic. The legs and arms of the tables and desks were carved to represent fishes and the heads of birds, ele- phants and lions. \No place have I seen so magnificent a display of hand carving. From this store we went on and down a narrow flight of stairs into a plainly furnished but well lighted room. We seated ourselves upon benches about the room. Before us stood a rack upon which hung a three string banjo, a very clumsy looking guitar, a fiddle with two strings having the string of the bow between them and a Chinese piano. This instrument looked something like a harp. It was made of wood with the strings stretched acrose# and was played by striking two small sticks upon the strings. An aged Chinaman sat before it and gravely played a fairly good imitation of “A Hot Time in the Old Town Tonight.” The notes were shrill but had a pleasing sound to them. Later he played for us on the other instru- ments. The music was squeaky but held ones attention by its oddity. After leaving this “Temple of Mu- sic’ we went to a Chinese “Joss House” or church. We turned in from the street into a vacant room, which had its wall covered with Chinese letters. We passed thru this room and out the back into a littke court surrounded by a high wall. In the midst of this court stood a many spired three stored temple. Upon the wall directly_in front of the main entrance was painted a great round red sun to which each Chinaman must bow before entering. We entered and ascended three flights of creaky staris arriving in a bare room above. Thru that we pass- ed directly into the temple proper and stood in the awesome presence of many Chinese gods. These de- formed low browed squat images glar- ed balefully at us as we entered. in front of three cf the most powerful gods a peculiarly tho not foully smelling incerse burned freely. Up- on either side of these three stood the spears and batle axes of the forefathers of Chinatown. The whole room was most beautifully decorated with hand carved) vines and the im- ages of various animals and fish. Im- mediately in front of a side door stood a huge bronze dragon which was the perfect symbol of fury. Its back was arched like an angry cat's and huge formidable looking spikes arose along its backbone like a picket fence. Its tail was curled about the pedestal upon which it sat. Its claws were fastened like huge nails upon the pedestal side. Its head with gleaming eyes and protruding teeth was raised in what appeared to all the most kingly manner of all drag- ondom. Behind jt we were told was the room in which all Chinamen were cremated. This process to- gether with a cue and fitting mourn- ing was certajn of securing a safe passing to the other world. This Chinese church was the best thing I saw in Chinatown. For magnifi- cence of architecture; for lavish or- namentation, and for oddity of struc- ture, a Chinese Joss house is un- equalled . Very respectfully yours, Stafford King. FIVE NEW LAWS IN EFEECT JULY 1 (Continued from page one.) east looking into the workings of similar departments in other states, but are expected to return today and while it may be a few weeks before the department is in full working order, jt will be only a short time before a start is made. The new oleomargarine law makes stringent regulations Oleomar_raire colored in any shade of yellow can- not be sold under any cricumstances and the uncolored product can be sold only in packages stating in large type what the product is. When served in restaurants or other board- ing places it must be stated either on the menu or on placards on the , walls that oleomargarine is served. The law requiring the marking of rubber tires and casings is intended to make the sale of stolen and infer- ior tires more difficult. It is under- s.cod automobile supply manufactur- ers and dealers generally are _pre- paring to comply with the law, as they were instrumental in securing its passage. The law prohibiting the marriage of first cousins simply amends the present law, specifying who may mar- ry. Persons of nearer kin than sec- ond cousins cannot marry in Minne- sota after this date. Some acts of minor importance al- so goes into effect tomorrow, among them the act creating the job of day watchman at the capitol for Peter Sederlander. Sederlandey was injured at the new capitol about four years ago and incapacitated for work. WANTED—room in exchange for ] Mm f a Ln ; i esa Di v4 Ni il care uu SHOE We've just received our new “ Queen Quality” styles for Spring and they're beauties. We did not believe such footwear fossible at the price. The makers have outdone themselves. Smart, snappy styles with plenty of comfort and service—just what you have been looking for. You'll buy here eventually, Why not to-day ? The PIONEER STORE JHN BECKFELT, Prop. CONVERSATION ON THE LAWN To begin with A LAWN RAKE, Gal- vanized, Mietal: .. . 2. 6s. Continued with A LAWN MOWER $3.25 to $12.50 Trimmed with GRASS SHEARS...» . Sprinkled with RUBBER HOSE, with Nozzle 25c 50 feet $5.50 ‘i e . . . ‘Completed with A LAWN SWING $7.00 W. J. & H. D. POWERS Have You Tried A hauncy-Russ or a Gem Trio yet? — If You Haven’t You Have Missed A Great Deal. Get the Habit--Follow the Crowd tne Chauncy-Russ Parlor Opposite Ghe Gem Theatre Creators of Good Things Smoke the Chauncy-Russ Cigar--5c Best in Town for the price Everybody has their worries about this time of the year and if you are worrying aboutthe weave or-cut of your spring suit, come in and let us lighten you of music lessons. Inquire at th’s of- fice. FOR SALE—Canvas covered cedar canoe, a bargain. Inquire of T. R. Pravitz. 1tf. es Three hundred Rexall remedies one for each ailment, absolutely guaranteed, at the Red Cross Drug store. a FOR SALE—two horses, well bred, and three years old, weight 1,200 and 900 pounds. Write or call on A. L. good for speeding or driving, eight Lallibertie, Cohasset, Minn. your burden. Our line of samples is more complete than ever and our designs are more perfect in sh and looks. No use having that troubled feeling as we are in business. Perhaps your last year’s spring and summer suits need repairing and cleaning, or maybe they only need pressing. No matter what it is, we can fix them up in the proper manner. ‘Satisfaction is our motto.”’ Yours For Satisfaction, Wacthel & Hansen We also handle a fine line of ladies’ tailor made garments and invite inspection.