She Ifoilm Satlt? fnia^rtnr
: - VALDEZ, ALASKA, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 1915. NO. 45.
- VOL. 13. _ ___
SENATE COHHTET
FAVORS INCREASE
Passes Amendment Making Appropri
«: P
ation for Alaska Road Fund
$200,000 Instead of $125,000.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 24,-The Sen
ate Appropriations committee last
evening passed the Jones amendment
making the appropriation for Alaska
roads and trails $200,000 instead o£
$125,000, as passed by the House.
Both Senator Jones of Washington
and Delegate Wickersham of Alas
ka appeared before the committee
and urged the adoption of the in
creased appropriation.
Many Alaskans in the capital fear
that the increase in the Alaska Road
Commission’s funds will not be fa
vored by the House even should it
pass the Senate. It is believed that
before the measure was submitted
to the1 House an understanding had
been reached that $125,000 would be
about the limit which It would be
safe to ask at present when the Com
mittee on Appropriations were en
deavoring to prune items from na
- tional expenditures.
MAYOR HARRISON
SNOWED UNDER
Robert Sweitzer Defeats Him for Re
nomination By Seventy-five
Thousand Votes.
.CHICAGO, Feb. 24.—Mayor Carter
Harrison was defeated at the Demo
cratic primaries yesterday for re
nomination by Robert Sweitzer, by
seventy-five thousand votes. Carter
Harrison has been mayor of Chicago
for. five terms. Robert Sweitzer has
held the position of clerk of Cook
county for a number of years.
Recent exposures in connection with
the police force under Mayor Harri
son had an important bearing on the
primaries. A scandal has also been
rampant in connection with the pur
V chase of school sites and city garb
age contracts It was asserted by
the Sweitzer adherents that Mayor
Harrison favored the purchase of
plots of ground for school sites
which were owned by his personal
friends and that the prices paid were
exorbitant.
Harrison was the choice of the
Woman’s League but they failed to
go to the polls to his support.
DELAWARE WILL
VOTE ON SUFFRAGE
DOVER, Del., Feb. 24.—The state
senate yesterday passed the resolu
tion submitting the womhn suffrage
question to the voters of the state
at the next election. There was little
opposition and the members of the
upper house quietly acted on the
measure before the adherents were
aware that it was to come up. The
senators wished to avoid the rush of
women which had attended the dis
1 cussion of the resolution in the low
er house.
BIG lilF
* EAST ST. LOUIS
EAST ST. LOUIS, 111., Feb. 24.—
One of the finest blocks in the heart
.of East S*.. Louis was destroyed by
fire last Saturday night. The dam
age is estimated at $500,000, partly
covered by insurance. The origin of
the fire is a mystery.
PETROGRAD REPORTS RIG BATTLE DEVELOPING
PETROGRAD, Feb. 24—Advices
from Rusisan Poland state that a
tremendous battle is developing in
East Prussia centering around
Przasnyz. The Russian army are re
ported to have been strongly rein
forced while the Germans have been
unable to bring up reinforcements ow
ing to the condition of the roads.
The Russians are reported to have
taken the offensive and will attempt
to crush Gen. Hindenburg's East
Prussian army before reinforcements
can be brought from before Warsaw
'and Lotzen.
Fighting Along Vistula.
Heavy fighting continues along the
left bank of the Vistula river near
the East Prussian border. Both arm
ies are strongly entrenched and are
struggling to break the deadlock.
Austrians Driven Back.
The Russian war office asserts that
the advance of the Austrian army
before which the Russians retreated
from the province of Bukowina has
been checked near Kolomea, Galicia,
and the Austrians forced to retreat
to Cernowitz. It is also reported
that the attempt of the Ausrians to
rally their forces in Galicia and along
the Carpathians has collapsed.
Allies On Offensive In Argonne and
Alsace.
PARIS, Feb. 24.—The British and
French troops have again taken the
offensive in Alsace and the Argonne
REPORTS RUSSIANS STRONGLY REINFORCED BUT GERMANS ARE
WEAKENED BY BAD CONDITION OF ROADS IN EAST PRUSSIA
—RUSSIA CLAIMS AUSTRIANS DRIVEN BACK—LITTLE FIGHT
ING ON WESTERN LINE EXCEPT AT NIEUPORT, WHERE GER
MANS TRY TO BREAK DEADLOCK—REPORTED MUTINY IN IN
DIA-BELIEVED BRITISH ARMORED CRUISER SUNK.
dis*rict and are pressing hard against
the German positions. French artil
lery is now shelling the German po
sition in the village of Vosges which
the French were forced to evacuate
in the recent German aggressive
movement.
Allies Aggressive Slackens.
LONDON, Feb. 24.—Both sides on
the western battle line are apparent
ly resting on the defensive, the Al
lies having slackened their aggres
sive movement which was apparently
begun for the purpose of forcing Ger
many to send troops to the westward
and relieve the situation in Poland.
The inactivity in ^he west is re
garded as a sign that the Russians
have checked the German advance
in Russian Poland.
Allies Will Wait.
From semi-official sources it is an
nounced that the Allies will be con
tent to hold their present positions
on the western zone and will not re
sume the offensive until the new
British and French armies are put
on the firing line in April or May.
British Army Be Sent To Belgium
It is reported that Lord Kitchener
plans to operate his new army from
the coast through Belgium when it
takes the field next May.
Germans. Repulsed At Nieuport. ’
The attempt of the Germans to
pierce the defenses of the French
near Nieuport and force their way to
the French coast was repulsed with
heavy loss. General French also re
ports slight gains in the vicini‘y of
Ypres.
British Boats Sunk.
LONDON, Feb. 24.—The British
steamer Oakby and the transport
collier Chine were torpedoed by a
German submarine off the coast of
England last night. It Is also fear
ed that the armored cruiser Clan
McNaughton, which was due to reach
Liverpool on February 3, has been a
victim of a submarine or floating
mine. The admiralty has been un
able to secure any news of the cruis
er since February 1.
Government Seizes Grain.
VIENNA, Feb. 24.—The Austrian
government has seized all supplies of
grain and flour in the country and
will establish depots where the flour
be distributed to the citizens. The
supply of wheat is reported to be
ample to maintain the country un
til the new crop is harvested but the
government is desirous of prevent
ing waste.
Shipping To Be Resumed.
LONDON, Feb. 24.—The British
government has announced that sail
ings to the continent would shortly
be resumed as the German subma
rine blockade was no longer regard
ed as serious.
British Transport Sunk.
BERLIN, Feb. 24.—A British trans
port was torpedoed by a German sub
marine off the coast of England last
night. The submarine returned safe
ly to Helgoland. The crew of the
transport were saved.
Indian Mutiny Reported.
MANILA, Feb. 24.—Arrivals here
from Singapore report that a ser
ious mutiny of native troops occur
red at Singapore during the first
(Continued on page 2.)
WILLARD HAS
QUIT TRAINING
JUAREZ, Feb. 24.—Despite the
protests of his trainers Jess Willard
refuses to continue his training for
the championship fight until Jack
Johnson has arrived in Juarez. He
asesrts that Johnson will require a
week’s time to get into shape and
that to keep on training might cause
him to become stale before the fight
was pulled off.
governortT
CONTROL PRESS
Colorado Legislature Hits At News
papers Which 8upport Cause of
the Strikers.
DENVER, Colo., Feb. 24.—The Col
orado state legislature today passed
the bill authorizing the governor of
the state to suspend the publication
of a newspaper at any time for the
publication of articles tending to in
cite the populace to rioting.
The measure owes its existence on
the statutes of the state to the action
of the Miners’ Union in Colorado las’
year The union established a news
paper which inflamed the strikers un
til they marched In a body to the
ofTice of the newspaper which had
espoused the championship of the
mineowners and wrecked the plant.
An attempt was made to suppress the
miners’ paper without success, as
there was no law on the statutes
which provided for such action. The
publication was forbidden the right to
pass through the mails but the paper
Vas passed along from hand to hand
despite the efforts of the officials to
check its propaganda.
LOCAL BREVITIES.
Charles Wetzler left this morning
for Mineral creek to examine the
Woodson property.
Joe Spenard took Mrs. Craig and
child on a trip to the Valdez glacier
yesterday with his tandem team.
Bob Baney, late of West's min
strels, In buck and wing dancing at
the Orpheum change tonight. Ad
mission 25c.
ANNULS TITLES
TO OIL LANDS
Supreme Court Hands Down Decision
Which Will Bankrupt Cali
fornia Oil Men.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 24.—Among
the important findings handed down
by the Supreme Court Tuesday was
the decision upholding the action of
William H. Taft, wnne president of
the United States, in withdrawing the
oil lands in the states of California,
Colorado and Wyoming from public
entry and refusing to permit the lands
to go to patent. The Supreme Court
holds that the patents of the oil lands
which have already gone to patent
were obtained by fraud and therefore
subject to cancellation.
The decision of the court annuls
title to oil lands valued at more than
$100,000,000 In California and Wy
oming alone. The Union Oil Com
pany, of California, with a capital
ization of $50,000,000, will be par
ticularly hard hit as nearly all its
holdings are Included in the ‘racts
cancelled by the decision. The com
pany has passed into the hands of
British capitalists and it is believed
they will endeavor to purchase the
lands from the government under the
regulation governing the purchase of
mineral lands.
SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 24.—The
ruling of the Supreme Court affects
title to eight hundred and seventy
thousand acres of oil land in the
state of California.
TEXANS CUT BET
ON ELECTIONS
AUSTIN, Tex., Feb. 24.—In future
elections the citizens of this state
will be unable to make election bets
as a means of winning over the sup
port of the voter to their candidate.
The state senate yesterday passed
the bill making it a felony and pro
viding punishment for anyone plac
ing bets on the results of elections.
The law also deprives the voters mak
ing bets of their right to cast bal
lots on the ground that they have a
d'reit monetary interest in casting
their ballot. The governor will sign
I the bill today.
FOUHDA1ION IS
DOING 6000 WORK
Rockefeller Foundation Has Raised
Many Millions To Feed the
Starving Belgians.
NEW YORK, Feb. 24.—Since its es
tablishment in March, 1914, the Rocke
feller Foundation has contributed and
secured pledges to the Belgian and
other European war funds an aggre
gate of $6,500,000.
The agents of the Institute are now
in Belgium and Poland assisting the
National association in the distribu
tion of supplies to the starving citi
zens of the war-stricken countries.
It is asserted by the agents of the
Institute that America must continue
to snoulder the burden of caring for
the destitute of both Belgium and Po
land for many months unless the war
is brought to a speedy close. They
estimate that $3,000,000 monthly must
be raised in America, in cash or food
stuffs, for the Belgians alone.
In the case of the sufferers in Po
land, more especially in Russian Po
land, great difficulty has been found
in getting in supplies to any extent.
It is impossible to get supplies trans
ported over the railroads through
Germany as the entire railroad ser
vice is occupied to its utmost capac
ity in military affairs. The same ac
tivity on the part of the Russian gov
ernment through Poland has prevent
ed supplies being brought to «he des
titute Inhabitants of Poland from in
terior Russia, where there is reported
to be an abundance of grains.
DOG DERBY DACE
NEXT SATURDAY
NOME, Feb. 24.—The Dog Derby
race from Nome to Solomon, which
was to have been run yesterday, has
been postponed until Saturday next
on account of the extreme cold weath
er. The weather Is the coldest of
the season, and as a wind has been
sweeping the course the trails are
sure to be impossible for making fast
time. Should the weather moderate
other teams not entered in the con
test will be sent over the route to
break trail before the race is run off.
Subscribe for the Prospector.
PRESIDENT WILL
VISITJHE El
jSAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 24.—In his
address during the opening ceremon
ies of the Panama-Pacific fair last
Saturday Secretary Lane stated that
President Wilson has planned to vis
it the exposition during the last week
in March or early in April and that
he will visit other Pacific coast cities
before returning east.
HO SHORTAGE IS
POSSIBLE HERE
President of Chicago Board of Trade
Declares America Cannot Be
Drained By Europe.
NEW YORK, Feb. 24.—C. H. Can
by, banker and president of the Chi
cago Board of Trade, offered volun
tary testimony today before the fed
eral commission which is probing the
rise of wheat and flour in America.
The banker declared that the rap
id rise in the prices of foodstuffs,
especially wheat and flour, was due
to the European war but that there
was no threatened shortage of grain
in America. He asserts that the
heavy buying of the European coun
tries which invariably called for
short delivery had necessitated the
American dealers paying higher
prices to secure the wheat to fill
their foreign orders. The European
countries were not consuming the
wheat as fast as they were gather
ing it. but were creating a reserve
supply as a military emergency meas
ure.
When hostilities began England’s
food supply was considered sufficient
only to last her for sixty or nine'y
days. Now it is estimated that she
would experience no shortage if
blockaded for twice that period of
time. Mr. Canby asserted *hat the
farmers of America were the ones
who were getting the real benefit of
the advance in the prices of food
stuffs as the dealers were forced to
secure the goods at any price.
Sunshine or moonlight sleighing
parties to Valdez glacier one dollar
per person round trip. City Expess,
’phone 82. If
MANY PLUMBERS
ARE CONVICTED
Manipulated Price* Suit Themselves
and Eliminated Competition
On Contracts.
DES MOINES, la.. Feb. 24.—Before
the federal court here today thirty
six master plumbers of this city
were convicted of having violated the
Sherman anti-trust law. Many of the
convicted men are prominent in the
business affairs of the city and have
secured counsel to carry their cases
to the highest court.
The evidence submitted by the gov
ernment prosecution showed that the
plumbers had formed an association
which regulated prices for all work
and eliminated competition. When
the members of the association were
requested for bids for contracts they
referred the matter to the officers
of the association who arranged that
the bids should fall to certain firms.
The association was also proven to
have collected a percentage of the ex
cessive charges for the creation of
a fund to be used by the associa
tion in ruining any independent com
petitors.
WHEAT PRICES
TAKE A TUMBLE
Report That Dardanelles Were Forc
ed Again Causes Panic In
Chicago Wheat Pit.
CHICAGO. Feb. 24.—The rumor
that the fleet of the Allies had suc
ceeded in forcing several of the forts
at the Dardanelles and would soon
■clear a passage to the Black Sea
caused Intense excitement in the
wheat pit yesterday.
All reports, even from Vienna and
Constantinople indicate that the
Turks will soon be forced to aban
don further attempts at keeping the
straits closed to the Allies which
will permit of Russian wheat being
thrown on the world’s markets. It
is believed that both England and
France will endeavor to secure their
supplies from Russia where possible
instead of America in order to help
finance their friendly ally. When the
closing bell rang the price of May
wheat had been forced down eight
cents.
DESPONDENT AND
JUMPEDTO DEATH
WASHINGTON, Feb. 24—In ill
health and despondent because she
had separated from her husband
Mrs. W. F. Cockerell, of this city,
jumped from the top of the Wash
ington monument here last night and
was dashed to pieces on the pave
ment. more than live hundred feet be
low. This is the first suicide to oc
cur from the Washington monument
here but a number have taken place
from the New York monument.
armyIdThTs
PASSED SENATE
WASHINGTON, Feb. 24.—The Sen
ate passed the Army Appropriation
bill amounting to $103,000,000 yester
day afternoon. The upper house is
working exclusively on appropriation
measures and Is keeping ahead of its
schedule of having to vote one hun
dred millions each day for the re
mainder of the present session.