Omaha Daily Bee Newspaper, December 18, 1902, Page 6

| — 6 THE ©OMAHA DALY BEE E. ROSEWATER, EDITOR. 1 PUBLISHED EVERY MURNING. " TERMS OF SUBSCRIPTION. Dally Bee (without Sunoay), One Year..$4.00 Dall » Bee and Sunday, Une Year 6 ted 200 " 200 ay Be 8 1o Twentieth Century Farmer, On Ll DELIVERED BY CARKRIER, Dafly Bee (without Sunday), per copy.... 3¢ Daily Bee (without SBunas per week....12 Daily Bee (inciuding Sunday), per week..lic Bunday Hec, per copy.. bocsrins B Evening Bee (without Sunday), per week 6 Evening Bee (ncluding Bunday), per week ... . N vesenonidle Complaints of frregularities in delivery should be addressed to City Circulation De- | partment. OFFICES. Omaha—~The Bee Bullding. | South Omaha—City. Hall Bullding, Twen- ty-fifth and M Street: Councll Bluffs—10 Pear] Street. Chicago—1640 Unity Bullding. New Yor 328 Park Row Bullding. Washing' 1 Fourteenth Street. ORRESPONDENCE. Communications relating to news and edi- | torial matter should be addressed: Omaha | Bee, Editorial Department. BUSINESS LETTERS. Business letters and remittances !h.ouldw be addressed: The Bee Publishing Com- pany, Omaha. R ITTANCES Remit by draft, express or pos ayable to The Bee Publishing Company, Zn ly 2-cent stamps utcerwu in paymeut of malil accounts. Personal checks, except on Omaha or eastern exchange, not accepted. THE BEE PUBLISHING COMPANY. STATEMENT OF CIRCULATION. Btate of Nebraska, Douglas County George B, Tzschuck, secretary of The Publishing Company, being duly sworn, says that the actual number of full and complete coples of The Lally, Morning, Evening and Sunday Bee printed during the month of November, 1902, was as follot 16. 2K,436 ErERES vovcnannwem Lese unsold and return Net total sales Net average sales. GEORGE B. TZSCHUCK. Bubscribed in my presence and sworn x()o th day ot November, A. before me this 0th day, ot November, A Bcal) Notary Publl Several building projects for Omaha are in the air. Omaha is bound to keep on growing. e——— A settlement of the Union Pacific strike would be a fine peace offering for the holldays. ade may be, it certainly ought not to be employed against trust legislation in either branch of congress. If the other Omaha dailies had the big circulations they claim, why should they charge advertising patrons smaller rates than are commanded by advertising space in The Bee? Here Is a stickler. The perfection of taxation is wholly fmaginary, but we can make progress in that direction. Omaha’s progress in ! the movement for tax reform in the past two years hes been worth achiev- ing. Mr. Harriman recently Seciared that he had heard nothing about the Union Pacific lockout. He is hearing plenty about it now, but he appears to be aficted with an impediment to his hear- ing apparatus If Colonel Bryan has gone to Mexico to volunteer advice against the adoption of the gold standard, it is safe to say that he has not taken with him copies of his old speeches in'which he predicted the results of the rejection of the silver standard in the United States. It is safe to say that England and Ger- many would today be paying lttle at- tention to the diplomatic representa- tions of the United States if we had not provided ourselves with a substantial navy. After all it is might as much as right that counts In international dis- cussions. The United States internal revenue commissioner has drawn the line at soda water, seltzer and orange peels. Lemon- ade with a stick in it or claret and strawberries mixed with soda, or ginger beer topped off with Irish whisky, can- mot be dispensed at the soda water counter without a retall dealer's liguor tax. The completed statistics of silver pro- duction show that last year was the record-breaking year In the world's mines, the total reaching 179,000,000 fine ounces. It s glso the first year in just a half century that the United States took second place as a silver-producing country, Mexico leading by 2,250,000 ounces. The local franchised corporations have concluded to submit with good grace to assessment for taxation at figures some- where approximating the true market value of their property and franchises. The railroads would do well to sound the temper of the people and recede from their untenable position that their valuable city terminals shall be taxed only as prairie mileage. The World-Herald says it made no return for city taxation, but left its valuation to the assessor, who fixed it at $10,000, although the assessment in the county last spring was $43,500. The assessor must have got an idea some- where that the property was rapidly depreciating in value. But still the W.-H. should have the benefit of its version of how it happened. The Chicago Auditorium, which repre- sents an investment of $1,763,000, paid for the year 1802 $42,361 in State, county and city taxes, or 24 wills on its actual value. With a fair assessment repre- senting actual values, an inyestment of OBSTACLE TO ARBITRATION. It is highly probable that Great Britain, and perhaps Germany also, would agree to submit their claims against Venezuela to arbitration If they were given a satisfactory guaranty that the Veneznelan government would pay the award of the arbitrators. It is re- ported from London that the British Forelgn office has made inqguiry as to whether this country would be willing to guarantee the fulfillment of Venez- uela’s pledges and that a negative re- ply was made. Of course the United States would not assume such A respon- sibility. It would establish a precedent that might compel us in the future to guarantee the pledges of other South American countries which are indebted to Europeans. countries that are not more or less in debt to foreigners and the aggregate of these obligations is very large. If the United States should guarantee the pledges of those countries in regard to their debts it would place itself In a position certain to become most trouble- some, burdensome and dangerous. Therefore such a thing as this country becoming In any degree responsible for the carrying out of the pledges of Venezuela is not to be seriously thought of, yet those who urge that our gov- ernment should propose arbitration and insist upon it ought to understand that if it were to take this course the Eu- ropean governments concerned could rea- sonably demand that it give a guaranty for the fulfillment of the pledges of | Venezuela. They are fully justificd in having no confidence in the Castro gov- ernment. The whole career of the presl- dent of Venezuela, who exerclses the powers of a dictator, has been such as to warrant distrust of him. He has been faithless to nearly every pledge he ever made, particularly to foreigners, and Americans as well as Europeans have suffered from his violation of obll- gations. There can be no confidence in the promises or the agreements of such There are few of those | a person and the European governments will be justified In rejecting arbitration If there is nothing more than the word of the Castro government to rely upon. As the United States will not become in any sense or degree responsible for the pledges of Venezuela, it is perfectly obvious that it cannot reasonably in- sist that the European governments shall submit their claims, understood to be recognized by our government as valid, to arbitration. If there was doubt In regard to the justice of these claims, If there was ground for believing that the European governments are seeking to get from Venezuela what they have no right to, the case would be different. Then the United States might with pro- priety interpose and wurge arbitration. But there is nothing of the kind. The claims are undoubtedly valid and while it is Impossible for the Venezuelan gov- ernment to pay them now, It should have acknowledged them and made sat- isfactory provision for their future set- tlement. Had this honest course been pursued there would be no trouble. The obstacle to arbitration Is want of confi- dence in the Castro government and this Is fully justified by the record of that government. This obstacle the United States cannot undertake to re- move by assuming any responsibility in the matter. S — CHOKING UFF THE PUWER PROJECT. When the ordinance granting the Thomson-Houston company the right to lay a system of electric wire conduits under the streets and alleys of Omaha was pending before the council in con- Junction with an extenslon of the con- tract for street lighting, this valuable grant was voted by the council and ap- proved by the mayor on the assurances that the company would either directly or through capitalists indirectly inter- ested undertake the project of supply- ing this city with cheaper power, to be derived from the construction of reser- voirs and canals in the nelghborhood of the Platte or Elkhorn rivers. While it 1s barely possible that a ma- Jority of the council would have voted the conduit ordinance and new electric lighting contract to the Thomson-Hous- ton company without competition, we feel sure the proposition would have met with vigorous opposition from the business men and taxpayers of Omaha excepting for the Inducement of the power canal, and doubt exceedingly whether it wowld have received the ap- proval of the mayor. The fallure of the electric lighting company to take even the preliminary steps toward redeeming its pledge justifies the suspiclon of bad faith, if not the allegation of sharp prac- tice in engineering the condult ordinance and exteusion of the lighting contract more than a year before the expiration of the old contract. If the'tactics now belng pursued to prevent the submission of a proposi- tion of vital moment to the voters of Omaha are successful Omaha may as well abandon all hope of solving the cheap power problem for years to come. It is not uncommon for the op- ponents of bills introduced Iin the legislature to load them down with killing amendments. This mode of warfare Is now helng pursued under the lead of Councilman Hascall, who Is an expert at parllamentary jug- glery. While it 1s eminently proper to safeguard the public interest by reason- able guarantees, it is an insult to popu- lar intelligence to exact cond'tions de- signed to frustrate the entire project and to make its acceptance impossible, and yet this s precisely what Council- man Hascall and his assoclates are try- ing to do undex the pretext that they are protecting the community. The assumption that the grant of this franchise will prevent the projectors of the Columbus capal or the Fremont power scheme from carrying out their enterprises I8 preposterous. Omaha is $1,765,000 would be taxed only 15 mills for state, county and eity purposes in Omaba, or $15,885 less than was Im- posed on the Auditorium bullding of Oblcugo. not & walled city. If any faan or cor- poration can land cheaper power at the city limits of Omaha or South Omaha, the packing houses, the mills and fac- tories of Omaba would soon find & way THE OMAHA DAILY BEE: to utilize it and so would the street raflway and electric lighting companies. The only possible benefit derived from the proposed franchise by its promoter would be the inducement it would afford to capitalists to invest two or three mil- lion dollars in the canal power project. The attempt to block the franchise is not In the interest of Omaha, but mani festly an effort to perpetuate the exist- ing electric lighting and power monopoly with prices based upon the high cost of fuel. FOR TRUST PROSECUTION. The house of representatives has voted 500,000 for use by the Department of Justice in the prosecution of trusts. It is perhaps safe to assume that this ac- tion will be approved by the senate and thus there will be placed In the hands of the attorney general of the United States an ample sum with which to in- stitute and carry on proceedings against the great combinations under the Sher- man anti-trust law. In the course of the debate on the proposition a demo- cratic member ecriticised the attorney general for not having enforced the anti- trust law, but congress rather than that official is to blame, since it falled to proyide him with the means for carry- ing on prosecutions. A proper enforce- ment of the anti-trust law will Involve a very considerable expenditure and it was the duty of congress to have long ago made provision for this. If it shall now do so there is no reason to doubt that the Department of Justice will faithfully perform its duty. Attorney General Knox has shown that he is in hearty accord with President Roosevelt respecting the illegal combinations and with the means to proceed against them provided it can be confidently predicted that he will act with all possible vigor. The action of the house will have gen- eral public approval. —— HOME RULK IN MISSUURL Municipal home rule in relation to elections 1s a live issue in Missourl, where the democratic party is able to malatain its hold only by systematic and flagrant subversion of free and falr elections in the great cities of St. Louls and Kansas Clty. Both are, in fact, republican citles, as has been demon- strated time and again, and, as the re- publican strength in the state was so rapidly growing as to threaten at any time to reduce the democracy to a minority, the so-called Nesbit election law was passed, taking elections in the two great cities out of the hands of thelr own people and leaving them to the tender mercies of the democratic state organization which controlled the state officers. This organization ar- bitrarily dictates the election boards and the law is carefully drawn to afford un- limited latitude for fraud both in the registration and election and in the counting and certification of the votes. ‘While this Missouri law striking down the rights of local constituencies has been in force several years, It has ac- complished its purpose only through scandals and outrages, which at each succeeding clection became more intol- erable. The evidence is Indisputable that at the late election the true result was falsified by the operation of the un- righteous system and thousands upon thousands of votes deliberately manu- factured or suppressed in the returns according as partisan interest dictated. This evidence, so far as it relates to one district in St. Louis, will be placed on record through the contest of the re- publican candidate for congress, but it will not show a more dlsgraceful condi- tion than is sald to prevail in other parts of that city and of Kansas Oity. It is noteworthy that affairs have reached such an extremity that a con- siderable element of the democratic party in the state Is calling for repeal of the infamous Nesbit law and the restoration of the two leading cities to the same control over their own elec- tions as other citles and communities possess. The dominant politicians will resist to the full limit and the fight for local rights resolves itself into a strug- gle for decent government. —— The constitution of the state of Mis- sourl prohibits any state officer or any member of the legislature from solicit- ing, recelving or accepting railroad passes or free mileage books on penalty of loss of office. A new constitutional amendment s to be introduced at the coming session of the Missourl legis- lature making It obligatory upon all rail- road companies in Missouri to furnish transportation to state officers and legis- lators over their roads within the state during the period for which they are elected. The introducer of such an amendment will, however, run some risk. Back In 1889 a member of the Missouri legislature introduced a con- current resolution to repeal the section of the constitution which prohibits 'egis- lators from accepting railroad passes. It did not go through and the introducer 4id ‘not go back. In Nebraska the In- troducer of an amendment to the con- stitution to prohibit the issuance of rail- road passes would not be In danger of signing his political death warrant, but the chances of passing such an amend- ment by the necessary three-fifths vote would be very, very slim. Evidence before the coal strike com- mission has demonstrated time and again that statements on material points glven out by the operators are tncandid or altogether false. Their pretended sta- tistics of wages are mere jug figures, from which it is imposs arrive at the average Individual earn ings, as from three to five persons are sometimes pald out of checks made out to a single mine worker. operators from the first have decelved the public. The traffic manager of the Lake Shore & Michigan Southern rallroad declared before the Interstate Commerce Com- mission that for a long time the rallroads of this country bave been relatively spending more money than they earned; THURSDAY, DECEMBER 18, 1902. that this was because they were either spending too much on the properties or the earnings were too small. This 1s a revelation. If the rallroads are actually spending more money than they earn, where do the milllons and millions of dividends which they have distributed to stockholders come from? Why should not the stockholders go down into their own pockets for the money expended for improvements and extensions instead of taxing up the cost of improvements to shippers and producers through in- creased freight rates? Chicago has enacted a new tenement house ordinance that should be dupli- cated for Omaha. Among the require- ments of the Chicago tenement house ordinance are that every tenement house shall have a bulkhead, or scuttle, covered with fireproof materials, in the roof. Every tenement house shall have at least two flights of stairs ex- tending from the entrance floor to the top story and one additional stairway for every additional forty rooms. All stairway halls shall be enclosed on all sides with solid masonry. Every main entrance hall shall be at least three feet six Inches wide In the clear: The walls of bay windows must be of brick or other fireproof material. In addition to these precautions all the best modern safety appliances must be provided. There will not be so much doing for some time as there has been lately in the Industry of promoting mergers and the exploitation of inflated securities. For the past year or two it looked as if nothing could stop that industry. But the stock jobbers and promoting specu- lators are now up against a money mar- ket that Is too much for them. The simple truth is that their business has been overdone. The real object of most of the flotations was to get something for a littlesor nothing and the public has had all of their goods that are wanted or that can be taken. Legiti- mate business, however, is fn good con- dition and will care little for the win- ter of the stock jobbers' discontent. Contrary to the general Impression and to the anticipation of experts, money that was withdrawn from the eastern banks for use in crop movement is likely to return earlier and In larger volume than last year. Last week the New York banks gained from the In- terfor $2,700,000, whereas for the same week of 1001 they lost more than that amount. The extraordinary demand for money in New York and the correspond- ing high rate of interest tend to attract thither. every available dollar. r——— There is plenty of law in Pennsyl- vanla, if enforced, to stop the outrage of requiring a little girl of 13 to work at night, twelve hours continuously on her feet, for 65 cents. And if there were no statutory law it would seem that a father earning $1,000 last year and yet permitting -er causing the child to be thus abused might be forced by public sentiment to stop it. If ever a boycott is permissable, it is in such a case as this, ] With over forty anti-trust bills al- ready introduced In the house the sub- committee might be able to pick out some suggestions for a measure to be reported to the full committee. But, as the session lasts only three months and as a month, if the holiday recess be counted, has virtually gone, mot much | more time can be occupled with getting ready for the mere preliminaries to action. — Frightened by His Shadow. Chicago Tribune, Mr. James J. Hill of the G and several other rallways apparently sces something in the country’s present pros- perity that interferes with one or two of his pet projects. t Northera Stra Saturday Evening Po In 400 years, says Lord Kelvin, the earth’s coal will be exhausted. From the way things are going now the earth’s pa- tience will be exhausted about 399 years earlier than thai Hinting at a Good Thing. Baltimore American. That this is not an imaginative age is brilliantly proved by the suggestion of the London press that the United States should as a result of the Monroe doctrine, guarantee the debts of the western hemis- phere. Boosting Expectations. Washington Post. Some of the gentlemen who were elected to congress last month have been telling their constitutents of some wonderful re- forms they exepect to accomplish. But then there would not be much in politics i it were not for expectations of this sort. Justification for the Strike, Indfanapolis Journal. The testimony brought out before the anthracite coal commission more than con- firms all previous statements regarding the hard lot &nd cruel treatment of miners and their families and will go far toward justi- tying the strike. 0d4ds Against Venezuela. Chicago Chrontcle, And now comes bold Italy, still wearing the Abyesinian black eye, to aid Germany and Alblon in thrashing the undersized Venezuelan republic. Since the Transvaal business International bullles are very careful in tackling even the most insig- nificant foe unless they can form & com- bination in the ratio of about 100 to 1 against him. Light Turned On Dark Places, Cleveland Legder. If the anthracite coal operators cared anything for public opinion they would never have permitted the strike to reach the arbitration stage. Some of the testi- mony now being given by witnesses before the commission is caleulated to prove that | | there was a very small element of humanity | in the dealings of the operators with their Plainly the | employes. Success and Fallure, Brooklyn Eagle. George Fred Williams of Massachusetts fs trying to stretch himself to the size of Thomas B. Reed's mentality, He classes the ex-speaker's career a fallure “‘becau: he sald what he thought.”" Well, Willlams bas “said what he thought" and the peo- ple of Massachusetts have also “‘sald what they thought'—about Willlams. Their ver- dict was discouraging to Willlams, ROUND ABOUT NEW YORK. es on the Current of Life in the Metropolis. Participants in the conference of the National Civie Federation in New York City last week maintalned a degree of dignity befitting the subjects under dis- cussion. Every speaker was very much in earnest and few ventured any observa- tions of a humorous nature. One of the exceptions noted by the Evening Post was a story told by Samuel Mathes of Cleve- land. Mr. Mathes has business interests in common with L. C. Hanna, brother of Senator Hanna, the federation’s chairman Three years ago there was a strike of ore and Mr. Hanna undertook to persuade the men to return to work. “We got along all right—chlefly by com- promise—with all except the engineers,” sald he. “In that case a merchant of the town was mutually agreed on as arbitrator and it was arranged that both sides should | argue before him the question of an in- crease in wages. Mr. Hanna represented employers, while an engineer, Pat Ryan spoke for his fellows. Mr. Hanna made a long, elaborate argument before | the arbitrator, covering all the points he | expected his opponent to raise What was | his surprise, as he finished, to find that all Pat had to say was: ‘Mister Ref'ree, th' raise! Mr. Hanna was telling of this a few hours later and had just expressed him- self as certain that the decision would be in our favor when the telephone bell rang. The roteree was al the other end and he informed us that he had reached a decision in favor of the men's demand for more wages!"” “Ten years ago,” writes the correspond- ent of the Philadelphia Ledger, “‘there wae not a single bank in New York that had a capital of more than $3,000,000. The theory that prevailed then was that it was a dis- advantage to a bank to have a capital of | more than a million or two. Several in- stitutions, Indeed, reduced the amount of their capital. But there has been a radical change in ten years. In that time the total capitalization of members of the clearing house has increased about $45,000,000, which is all represented by the increased ca- pacity of four institutions, namely, the Natfonal City bank, the Bank of Commerce, First National bank and the new Western National Bank of the United States. The total capital of these four Institutions is $55,000,000. But even this does not ade- quately represent thefr financial power. byes wants th' Their alllances with great insurance and | new facllity afforded by the department to trust companies, and with capitalists of im- mense wealth and international connections, give them a standing higher even than their capital, large as it is, represents.” Explorers journeylng southeast from Chatham square along James street, relates the Times, come upon the wholesale ba nana quarter, the greater part of three blocks of that thoroughtare below Madison street. James street is narrow apd lined with somewhat forbidding brick tenements, many of them originally the dwellings of | single families. Sometimes the ground of these houses are occupied by the ba- nana dealors, mostly Italians, with perhaps | a few Greeks. But for the banana shops the street would be dreary enough, but the display of bright yellow fruit in front of each shop, and in one block nearly every Louse has such a shop, gives the region a gay aspect, especlally when the sun hap- pens to be shining brightly into the tun- nel-like thoroughfare. You may catch sight of the gay display almost as soon as you leave Chatham square. It is sufficiently foreign in suggestion. Every proprietor hangs a few bupches of | no other sign than these displays of mer- | chandise, though one at the corner of Madi- | “All Kind of Bananas.” As the little shops | ) have only the one kind of goods the bunches | ewinging about the doorway are an effect- | ual advertisement. | It 1s a tradition In Wall street that a| | broker never voluntarily retires from the ! | street, but must wait for death or mis- fortune to compel his retirement, but | Broker Henry B. Vaughan, who is credited | | with having amassed $6,000,000 in the last ! six years, is the exception that proves the rule. Despite the fact that he has put away $1,000,000 for each year that he has | spent as a member of the Stock exchange —he bought a seat in 189§—he has retired. | He sold his seat for $80,000 and expects to | spend the proceeds this winter in a pleas- | ure trip to Europe. Mr. Vaughan, who is| 60 years old, according to his own admis- | sion, does not look within ten years of that age, PERSONAL NOTES. \ Gibbs Mansfield, son of the mctor, will | present a Christmas tree to the Free School | for Crippled Children in New York. It is said that Adlal Dean, 85 years of age, | who died lately in Boone county, Ky., was | the last surviving veteran of the Mexican war. M. Coquelin, in addition to being a good actor, 1s also a good shot. When last in Germany M. Coquelin was complimented by the kaiser on his marksmanship. A Pittsburg man who tried to play a joke on & friend by pretending to be a highway- | ‘man was killed. If he had been the real | thing he would have escaped without & scratch, most likely. Dr. Tulllo Verdl, at one time a cele- brated physiclan in Washington, has just dled at Milan, Italy. During President Grant's administration he was commis- sioned by him to study the hygienic laws of Europe. W. J. Balley, the bachelor governor of Kansas, has received 1,000 proposals of marriage from women in the United States and Canada. Lieutenant governor Hanna, also a bachelor, has recefved more than 500, J. B. Hutchindon, for five years general manager of the Pennsylvania railroad, has | been compelled to resign—used up with the | growth of the Interests under his charge. He has been for nearly forty years with | the company and the directors will make a | new place for him, that of assistant to the | second vice president. He is to go out of | his present office January 1 and will be! | gtven four months' vacation before resum- | | ing work. | General John B. Gordon, commander of | the United Confederate Veterans, has issued a circular letfer calling the attention of the | | members to the restrictions in the constitu- | tion of the fcderation prohibiting in the ! camps any political or religious action or the Indorsement of any candidate for po- ! ltical office. He reminds them that the| objects and purposes of the organization | are, strictly and solely, social, literary, historical and benevolent. Keir Hardle, the British member of Par- liament, adheres for the most part to the| small cap—a cross between the cap known as Scotch and the kind of tight-fitting cap a workman wears when he' is starting for work in the bleak early morning. It was | this cap which led to a little incid Kelr Hardie on (he opening day of Parliament came down to the library to consult some | books. “Are you working here, mate?" | queried a friendly policeman at the palace yard gate. “Yes.” “On the roof?’—which was undergoing repairs ai the time. “No, on the floor," handlers in ome of the lake towns and he | been fairly well re-established, and pos- | other words, | brought in, and there was no real gain. floor apartments and sometimes the cellars | ripening bananas outside his shop close to | o'} o ‘gourtiay the sidewalk, and most of the shops have | gio ot which has come to light during the | been strengthened by large gains in the | tory. SPENDING TO MAKE MORE. What Statisties Show in Regard to Our Postal Revenues. Chicago Inter Ocean. The truth of the maxim that in order to make money the trader must spend money in developing his business is well | Mustrated by Postmaster General Payne's annual report. Since the department has begun to spend money freely in develop- ing its business In new directions fits revenues hAve increased with accelerating speed, until now the postal service is nearer eelf-sustaining than it has beem since the last reduction in rates. In the fiscal year 1808 prosperity bhad | tal receipts proved the fact by rising about $12,000,000 over those of 1895. But no new line of business had been developed, and the postal deficiency, over $11,000,000 in 1895, was still over $10,500,000 in 1898. In while businesa was Incre about as much to do it as it Ing, it cos But an experiment toward developing & mew line of postal business had begun— that of rural free delivery. On this $40,- THE OLD RELIABLE Absolutely Pure THERE IS NO SUBSTITUTE 000 had been spent in 1§97 and $50,000 in 1808, The mnew product was evidently meeting a demand. In 1899, though the success of the experiment was still deemed uncertaln, congress was induced to spend $150,000 on 1t, and in 1900 to increase this to $450,000. In 1899 postal receipts in- creased $4,000,000, as compared with 1888, while the deficiency declined $2,300,000. In | 1900 receipts rose $7,240,000 higher, but the deficiency fell only $1,000,000. Then, in 1901, congress took hold of rural free delivery in real earnest, allow- | ing $1,750,000 for that branch that year and nearly $4,000,000 in 1902. The effect was positive and immediate. In 1901 re~ celpts rose nearly $10,000,000 above those of 1900, while the deficlency fell $3,300,000. And in 1902 receipts gained more than $10,000,000, while the deficiency sank an- | other $1,000,000. In fact, since rural free delivery was seriously undertaken the postal deficiency has declined practically in inverse ratlo to the expenditure on that branch of the business. Statistics at hand do not give the pro- portion of increased ‘revenue derived from | the rural free delivery routes. Nor is it really necessary to have such figures. It [1s evident that the largely profitable mew | | business of the department—the busines which returns considerably more than the cost of doing it—comes from the rural free | delivery branch. This is the only strictly | the public for several years, and the more widely it is offered the more rapidly do the revenues of the department increase. About 1,000,000 square miles of the na- tional territory are considered by the de- partment’s experts to be able to give profit- able support to a rural free delivery service. Only about one-third of this territory is now covered. In the light of the facts rapid and vigorous extension of the rural free delivery service, without, of course, neg- lecting other improvements, is evidently the policy that will bring the largest re- turns for a liberal expenditure. Rural free | delivery is plainly the fleld wherein con- gress can just now spend money for the postal service, and §o0 wipe out the de- ficlency altogether and make the service self-sustaining. \ PROSPERITY HERE TO STAY. Evidences of the Country's Ability to Avert a Financial Cr Louisville Courfer-Journal. the Atchison, showed a gross increase of $620,000 for the month, and & vry large net increase, yot the new corn crop has barely begun to move. When this important cereal s marketed fn all the forms in which it oes Into consumption, expert opinion s that the rallroads will have such traffic as never before. The rallroads cannot have trelght unless general business is active. The legitimate business situation has not had & backset anywhere, while Europe has been walting with bated breath for a ren- etition of the hard times of 1898. These hard times seem still far off. for we have weathered apparently what fs the worst part of a serious monetary famine, with- out a distressing accumulation of business fallures, as must have been the case were not conditions intrinsically sound. ——— WHITTLED TO A POINT. Chicago News: Giles—There is a fortune in grain speculation, Miles—How do you know? Glles—Because T put one there. Detrolt Free Pre: Yo osophical student, I hear?" es, 1 belleve he 1s. T can't underst: what he's talking about.” sty son 18 & phil- Indianapolls News “Your b\,r,llrlzed last night?" el office was “Did they blow open the safe?" No. They weie too smart for that. They went right after the coal bin.” Philadelphia Ledger: Guest—I not! football In_the front hall b Tenant—Yes. The janitor put it there. He :a!ld‘ when we wanted to kick we could use Philadelphia Press: “Yes, he has an fn- curable heart trouble. He's fallen in love.” Qb that's net incurable.” ot ordinarily, but I'm afraid h is against him. Fe's over 60." kb New York Times: ‘‘Here is a letter from a lawyer." sald his wife, “who says that your uncle has dled and left you $10,000, “For these and other kindred blessings," murmured the dominle, “let us be devoutiy thankful.” ‘Washington Star: “Intrinsic value should never figure In considering & Christmaa "It never does with me,” answered Miss Cayenne. ‘“What touches me is the thought that gnybody has been willing to brave a crowd of hoilday shoppers for my sake.’ Atlanta Constitution: “I can't git min’ right 6n what sort er flah hit Wiz qat swallowed Jonah,” said the lay member. “You don't have ter,” replied ' Brother The testimony of the London Statist that large American Joans have been pald off in Paris, substantially reducing our intersa- is only part of the evidence strength of the United past six weeks of a stringent money mar- ket. What is still more notable is that son street has upon its awning this legend, |y’ poavy liquidation which has been ®o- ing on in stocks has caused no serious fail- ures anywhere—a proof that the specula- tion was not as rampant as had been rep- resented. All the stocks sold have found buyers at good prices, showing that some- body has had the money for investment at the declines. There bas been no panic. though a powerful “bear’” party has been operating and very heavy declines were predicted at the beginning. Of late the rallies have been more violent than the declines, and the low points at the market are on each decline a little above the pre- vious ones, so that if the worst s not over there 18 little likelthood of any great fall. Leaving Wall street, which is entitled to notice purely as the indication of financlal opinion, we find every branch of trade con- tinuing to flourish. Our agricultural inter- ests, on which our prosperity is based. have corn and oats, hay and potato crops. The wheat crop fs turning out larger than the preliminary report gave reason to bellev and it is the largest yleld, with but three, and possibly only two, exceptions in hi The cotton crop, at first thought to be serlously cut short, has been favored ex- ceptionally by the season, and mow there is little expert questioning of a vield of at least 11,000,000 bales. Best of all. these farm products are in great demand at hichly remunerative prices, thus guaranteeing the prosperity of trade for the next year, if no longer. For a while the croakers have been claim- ing that railroad earnings were shrinking. There was some decline in the net earn- ings of August and September, due to the anthracite strike, which seriously affected a number of Important lines. but late figures on September show the upward march was ouly slightly checked. October earnings did better. The typical corn-carrylng road, | Dickey. “Des shet yo' 'min’ up, en th: God hit aidn't swaller your» o ¢% thank A Mean Man. T o 8. E. Kiser in Record-Herald, Oh, the meanest man not the man Who snatches a lady's purse; A man like that is a mean, mean man, But there {s a man who's worse; He has last year's gifts all plled away— e doll, the drum and the engine, too— And he'll get them out on Christmas day And pretending he's Santa, strew Them around on the floor to be used once more, As if they all were new. CANDOR, H. C. Brunner. “I know what you're going to say,” she sald, Am:a;l'-m stood up looking uncommonly You are golng to speak of the hectic fall, And say you're eorry the summer's dead. And no ‘other summer was liko it, you now, And can’I tmagine what made it so7 Now, aren't you, honestly?’ *‘Yes,” I said. “I know what you're golng to say,” she are going to ask 1f T forget day in June when the woods were wet, And Kuu carried me'"—here she dropped her ead— “You ‘That LOver the creek; you are golng to sa; Do I remember that Borrid day: . Now.u;dren'v. you, honestly?” " “Yes, “I know what you're going to say," she “¥ou are golng to say that since that me You have rather tended to run te And®her clear glance fell; and her shask grew red— “And have 1 noticed you i your tone was Why, everybody has seen it here! Now, fd"“l you, honestly?’ “Yes" T ) knnlvdv what wou're golng to say,” I sald; “You're going to say you've been much annoyed, An:lol‘m short of tact—you will say de- And Im clumsy and awkward, and eall me e And 1 bear abuse like a dear old lamb And you'll have me, anyway, just as I am. Now aren't you, honestly? - “Yes,” she How About a Robe? If you are undecided about what the male portion of your house, or 8o to Lounging Robes and to us. the assortment of these useful and you would like Santa Claus to give me other house, turn your thoughts Our gathering 18 worth consideration, for ornamental garments is large and varied and you can reach them so economically that to be without one is nothing short of neglect. From $5.00 up to $40.00 covers a between that you want we can show Smoking Jackets, too, If you like. wide range, and at about any price you the best for that money. A glance at our windows will furnish plenty of ide: No Clothing Fi ts Like Ours. Commencing Thursday we are open evenings until Christmas, Prouning- King -5 R. 8. WILCOX, Manager. i &