RAILROAD BILL
UP lU SENATE
Senators Object to Changes Made by
House—Houston Bill Soon Go
to President.
• -
WASHINGTON, Feb. 20—The Sen
ate is considering the Chamberlain
Alaska railroad bill today, as it was
abandoned by the House and the
changes made in the lower branch of
the congress are objectionable to
many of the senators, especially the
provision to cut the amount fiom
$40,000,000 to $35,000,000, and also the
provision of the House bill appropri
ating the money direct from the
treasury in place of selling bonds, as
provided in the Chamberlain bill
adopted by the Senate
Congressman Houston, chairman of
the House Committee on Territor
ies, stated today that the procedure
left for the bill was merely routine
and that it would be but a short time
until the bill would be sent to the
president for his approval.
The bill is expected to pass the
conference committee this week, or
early next week.
WE TROUBLE
WESTERN RIEL
Company is Charged With Having
Withheld $300,000 in Corporation
Taxes Due the Government.
SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 20 —The
agents of the Department of Justice
today seized all the books of the West
ern Fuel company, claiming that the
officials have ben avoiding the pay
ment of the corporation tax and that
they have defrauded the government
out of $300,000 in the past five years.
The special accountants placed on
the books during the trial of the com
pany officials charged with having
defrauded the government by under
weighing coal imports, discovered the
fraud and reported to the department,
resulting in the order today to seize
all books.
" Attorneys for the company are in
dignant and claim that the informa
tion secured during the present trial
TLannot be used against the company
in any other trial.
TEACHER GAVE
BOYS CIGARS
On the Promise They Would Not Use
i
Cigarettes and the Police Ar
rest Him For It.
BELLINGHAM, Feb. 20.—Because
William Cummings, a county school
teacher, gave basket ball players ci
gars, provided they would not use
cigarettes, he was arrested today and
haled into court.
The officers admit that the boys
all quit smoking the cigarettes, but
say that it is against the law for
any one to give them tobacco in any
iorm and that the teacher has violated
the law, no matter what his inten
sions for good were.
The parents are about equally di
vided regarding the right of the teach
er to prevent cigarette smoking by
substituting cigars, but many of them
did not know the boys smoked at all.
Jeff Devinney, the mining engineer
left for S'noup bay this morning.
WOULD DEFEAT ]
LEASING DILL'
I
Senators Smith and Smoot Would
Have It Sent to Public Lands
Committee.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 20.—Senators
Smith, of Arizona, and Smoot, of Utah,
today made an effort to have the Alas
ka coal lands bill providing for the
leasing of the lands, transferred from
thee Committee on Mines and Min
ing, to the Committee on Public
Lands, where, they claim, it right
fully belongs. Both senators are
members of the latter committee.
A lively debate followed and Sen
ator Chamberlain protested against
the change, claiming that the two
senators, who were members of the
public lands committee, were opposed
10 the bill and wanted it referred to
their committee for the purpose of
smothering it.
"Prompt action is necessary imme
diately,” said the Oregon senator, ~to
knock down the last barrier to the
development of Alaska and this bill
will not get prompt action if referred
to the Public Lands Committee.”
BUREAU OF SOILS
EXPLORE OCEAN
Hunting for Fertilizer on Floor of
the Ocean—Fish is Good for
the Soil.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 20—1The ocean
depths are the latest regions to he
explored by the Bureau of Soils of
the Department of Agriculture in its
continent wide invoice of the nation’s
assets in fertilizer materials.
Just now it is engaged in a hunt
for nitrogenous products, which with
phosphorus and potassium form the
triumvirate of desirable fertilizers,
and it is estimated that literally bil
lions of fish might be caught and con
verted into the r'chest fertilizing ma
terial wilhout appreciably decreasing
the supply.
Even the American Indians knew
something of the value of fish as fer
tilizers and were wont to put one or
two in each hill of corn at the time
of planting. The first factory for
cooking fish by st am for fertilizing
purposes was erected near Ports
mouth in 1841 and from that time
until 1884 the industry grew.
Since then, however, it has suffer
ed something of a decline and the
Bureau of Soils hopes to inaugurate
a revival of this industry to avert
threatened depletion of the soil.
No region or section has -been over
looked by this bureau in its hunt for
the three elements named, for their
presence is deemed of more value to
the nation at large than all the gold
veins of California or the unminted
silver of Nevada.
The deserts of the great southwest
have been scoured for potassium salts,
the kelp groves of the Pacific coast
as far north as Alaska have been ex
perimented with to the same end,
the great peat beds in Florida are
now being examined, and phosphate
fields have been discovered in South
Carolina, Tennessee, Kentucky, Ar
kansas, Utah and Tdaho.
None of these, however, give more
promise of development than do the
innumerable fish that may be secured
by the boatload in the Atlantic every
summer.
Acting under the direction of Mil
ton Whitney, chief of the Bureau of
Soils, J. W. Turrentine has just com
pleted an investigation of the possi
bilities of fish fertilizers, the most
common fish used for this purpose
being the menhaden, variously known
as the "porgy,” “hard head,” “bug
and Other colloquial names. It is
seldoM used for food.
(Continued on page 4).
HUERTA PRESIDENT
FOR ONE YEAR
Foreign Diplomats Call and Congratu
late Him Upon the Anniversary
of His Taking Office.
MEXICO, Feb. 20.—Provisional
President Huerta today celebrated the
first anniversary of his taking the
office of president of Mexico follow
ing the death of President Madero.
All the members of the diplomatic
corps here called upon the president
and extended good wishes. The Eng
lish, German and Spanish ambassa
dors were especially cordial in their
greetings of the president and ex
pressed the hope that peace would
soon be established in the republic
by Huerta.
But little excitement !s noted here;
the cafes are crowded with men and
women and the theaters and bull
lights draw big crowds. The city
seems care free.
It is expected that the federal
troops will be strongly reinforced at
Torreno, when the rebels under Gen.
Villa make the attack and that Pres
ident Huerta is holding back now in
order to draw the rebel army south
and hopes to administer a severe de
feat to them. It is known here that
the rebels are having great trouble
securing enough arms and ammuni
tion and commissary supplies from
Juarez to maintain the army and that
the expense of the constitutional army
is becoming a burden to Gen. Car
ranza, who is hard pressed to secure
he necessary funds. The flat money
ssued by the rebels in carload lots
,s almost worthless, as the merch
ants refuse to buy goods in the en
ded States and pay gold and then
retail to the Mexicans for fiat money
worthless to replenish their stocks.
DEWEY ENRAGES
TRE GERMANS
Publication of His Autobiography
Starts Trouble Among Naval Offi
cials of Fatherland.
BERLIN, Feb. 20.—The people of
Germany, especially the high naval
and diplomatic officers, are greatly
enraged at the section of the auto
biography of Admiral Dewey, of the
American navy, who, in telling of the
battle of Manila, says that he was
compelled to fire a shot across the
bow of the German warship Siege in
order to force the commander of the
German fleet to observe neutrality.
The incident happened when Ad
miral Dewey entered the bay of Ma
nila in May, 1898, and, after sinking
all the Spanish vesels, forced the
surrender of the city. The German
officer endeavored to interfere with
the operation of the American ships
and was promptly called and a mes
sage was sent to Washington for more
ships in order that the American na
vy would be able to hold its own with
the German Asiatic fleet. The de
termined stand of the American offi
cers forced the Germans to back down
and Dewey was not interfered with
afterwards.
Glass Inclosures for Sightseers.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 20.—The
chief industry in Washington—auto
sightseeing—has undergone a revolu
tion. After today the sightseers, rath
er less numerous in winter than in
summer, will be able to gaze at the
gigantic piles of granite and marble
which house the government offices,
peer at the homes of the wealthy, and
inspect the numerous monuments
without freezing to death. An enter
prising rubberneck wagon company
today announced that It has devised
a plan for heating the Inside of the
big busses by steam from the engines.
Supreme Court Called Upon In Last
Effort to Save Indianapolis
Dynamiters.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 20.—The final
effort to save from imprisonment 24
of the labor union officials, convict
ed in the Indianapolis dynamitetrials
and refused new trials by the Unit
ed States Court of Appeals in Chi
cago, was made in arguments for a
writ of certiorari before the United
States Supreme Court today by At
torney E. N. Zoline. Six of the de
fendants were granted new trials by
the decision handed down in Chicago.
Zollne argued today that inasmuch
us all the defendants wer# alleged
to have been linked together in the
same conspiracy to transport dyna
mite, all should have been granted
new trials, instead of only six. Other
points in his argument were:
That the defendants were doubly
punished—once for conspiracy to
transport dynam'te and again for ac
tual transportation of the explosive.
That Ortie McManigal and Edward
Clark, having pleaded guilty to a fel
ony, were incompetent witnesses, and
should have been tried separately.
That the offenses charged were
barred by the statute of limitations
at the time of the indictments, and
that no federal offenses were proven.
The 24 defendants for whom Zeline
is seeking new trials, are at liberty
under bail, the Court of Appeals hav
ing granted a stay of execution, pend
ing final disposition of their cases by
the Supreme Court.
The new steam launch built by Cap -
tain Callighan is almost ready for the
run to Shoup bay.
WOULD PREVENT
MANY SUICIDES
Organization Started In East to Care'
For Those Who Would Take Their
Own Lives.
CLEVELAND, O., Feb. 20.—“I knew
I ought to get my mind oft ntyself,
but somehow I couldn't. Then the
idea of taking my life occurred to me.
At first I tried to put it out of my
mind blit it was no use. 1 read of
your society and thought perhaps you
could help.”
Nerve-racked, ill and determined to
make away with himself, a man 27
years of age made this appeal to Dr.
Franklin E. Cutler, of the newly or
ganised Cleveland Conference for the
Prevention of Self-destruction. It is
this type of men, and others—wor
ried or ill unto death—that Dr. Cut
ler said today the conference was
organized to save. Many prominent
men, including city officials, doctors,
psychologists and scientists are mem
bers of the organization and will
make a study of the causes of sui
cide. Already nearly one hundred
men have applied to the conference
for help.
Unveil Portrait Mrs. Whittlesey.
. SEATTLE, Feb. 20.—The Woman’s
Auxiliary of the Washington Pioneers
Association today unveiled a large
portrait of Mrs. William Whittlesey,
who was a member of the association
and a pioneer. Mrs. Whittlesey was
killed about a year ago in an auto
mobile accident.
Idltarod Miner is Married.
SEATTLE, Feb. 20.—Walter Souel,
who made a fortune in the Iditarod,
was married today to Mt-s.' Grace
James of this city. The two will
take an extended honeymoon trip to
Collfornia and the east and will leave
for the north as soon as navigation
opens.
U. S, PROSPEROUS
- .
Returns From Trip of Selection of
Cities for Regional Banks—Bank
*
ers Praise Currency Bill.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 20.—Secre
taries Houston and McAdoo, the two
members of the cabinet composing
a committee to designate the cities
in which shall be established the reg
ional banks provided by the currency
law, stated today that they were
astounded at the enormous economic
strength of the country and its vast
banking resources.
The committee states that the
country bankers are greatly pleased
with the new law and are praising it,
predicting it wilt end the control of
western banks by the Wall street
bankers.
The committee will make known in
a few days the cities which have se -
cured the plums anii the regions over
which each will have control. It is
expected that only one bank will be
established in the Pacific coast states
and that will be at San Francisco.
RATE IS RIGR
interstate Commerce Commission
Called Upon to Have It Reduced
—Start Hearing
WASHINGTON. Feb. 2').- Excess
baggage rates now operative on tih
railroads in the United States were
characterized as an unjust tax on
commerce at a hearing before the In
terstate Commerce Commission here
today. At present the usual rate is
2-3 per cent of one passenger fare
for every 100 pounds of excess and
the commission was asked to enforce
a graduated rate that should range
from S to 12 1-2 per cent of the pas
senger. The present minimum charge
of 25 cents was not attacked.
Figures were cited at today’s hear
ing to show that the railroads col
lected $7,173,402 last year on excess
baggage and that this was not more
than a normal return on the amount
of labor performed and the capital
invested. Emphasis was given to the
fact that no e«tra trains and but few
extra men are necessary to handle the
baggage, as it is carried in a car at
tached to a passenger train.
In summing up before the commis
sion the attorneys for the complain
ant said that the railroads carry an
express package for about 50 per cent
of what the express company receiv
es for transporting it, but that they
make a much larger profit on excess
baggage for a similar service. For
example the new express rates per 100
pounds from New York to Chicago
is $2.40, of which the railroad gets
approximately $1.20. But for trans
porting 100 pounds of excess baggage
it collects $3.35. Similarly'it gets
$5.55 for carrying 100 pounds of ex
cess baggage from New York to New
Orleans, but if the same weight were
sent by express the railroad would
get but $2.20 and the express com
pany a like amount. ,
Objection was also made to the
present insurance rate for excess bag
gage. At present it is ten cents on
every $100 with a minimum charge
of 25 cents. The commission was
asked to establish a minimum of ten
cents, such as the express companies
now have.
Another complaint is that of the
jewelers’ Protective .Union, which ob
jects to the Order bf'the railroads that
‘'commercial 'baggage,” as differenti
ated from "personal baggage” shall
not contain goods for actual sale, but
only samples or patterns. This will
come up for oral argument shortly.
Watch crystals 25c, Pli.pt A Co. tf
WOULD LYNCH
HOLY ROLLERS
Police Prevent Mob From Carrying
out Their Desires—They
Burn Church.
NEWTON, 111., Feb. 20.—An at
tempt was made last night to lynch
the Holy Rollers who beat the poor
epileptic almost to death, but it was
frustrated by the police, who expect
ed an attempt to lynch them would
be made as the people of this town
are greatly excited and are determ
ined that the fine imposed by the trial
judge shall not be the only punish
ment imposed.
While unable to reach Ellis and his
co-religionists, the mob suddenly be
thought themselves of the church and
before the police were able to place a
guard at the building the structure
was in flames and the crowd prevent
ed the firemen from stringing out
flic hose until the building was on
tirely consumed.
One hundred extra police have beet,
sworn in and will be kept about the
home of the trial judge, the home o*
Rev. Ellis and the flollowers of the
Holy Rollers, to prevent the mob from
i carrying out their desires to string
j them up to the nearest telegraph post
WAN! OUR AID
^ Juneau Commercial Club Urges A'l to
Work for Appropriation for
Exhibit at ’Frisco.
,
j .ICXEAP, Feb. The Juneau
Commercial Club held an enthusirsti
meeting last night and passed stron,
resolutions appealing to congress lo
an appropriation for an exhibit of
Alaska products at the Panama Paeifu
Exposition at San Francisco.
The club also endorsed the action
of Governor Strong in endeavoring to
secure the appropriation and those of
the delegate to congress.
Commercial clubs in all parts of
Alaska are asked to co-operate with
the Juneau club and are urged to send
io Washington, especially to cor
gressmen and to Secretary Lane, of
the Department of the Interior, let
iters requesting the appropriation so
that an exhibition of the mineral and
agricultural wealth of the north may
be made at San Francisco.
RAILROAD LOBBY
Is Charge of Senator Bristow—oays
Roads Are Determined to Be.it
Free Canal Tolls.
WASHINGTON', Feb. 20.—Senator
Bristow today made the charge th.it
the big lobby employed by the rail
road interests of the country, espec
ially the transcontinental roads, ha, e
influenced the president to secure the
repeal of the toll law exempting
American ships from duty.
The senator said that the railroads
for many years prevented the con
struction of the canal, claiming it
would ruin them and now they wish
to put every pos ible charge upon the
steamers entering the coasting trade,
which they claim is the right of the
railroads.
The charges caused a sensation in
the Senate chamber and It is expect
ed that several Democratic senators
will answer the Kansas senator.