The Choteau Montanan (Choteau, Mont.) 1913-1925, December 21, 1923, Image 2

1—Christmas seal boosters arriving m w usnmgtou by airplane, z — \W«- <n i-Tesiuent LOen or Germany snapped as she was leaving a government office in Berlin. 3—Scene on the deck of the new United-States bat­ tleship West Virginia ns she was being commissioned with Captain Senn as commander. N E W S REVIEW OF CURRENT EVENTS Coolidge in First Message Favors Tax Reduction, Opposes Sol­ diers' Bonus. fORIES LOSE IN ENGLAND By EDW A R D W. PICKARD O UR national legislative mill re­ opened on Monday when the Six­ ty-eighth congress began its first ses­ sion. Plenty of grist will be poured into Its hoppers, but few if any laws will be ground out for several weeks. So slender is the present Republican majority that the group of progres­ sives was able to block the organiza­ tion of the house until assurance had been given that there would be oppor­ tunity for revision of the rules. Most of the group thereupon voted for the re-election of Spenker Gillett and the Seadlock was ended. This took place on Wednesday, and the next day Presi­ dent Coolidge delivered in person his Qrst message to the two houses. Clearly and concisely, the President declared himself in favor of continu­ ing our present foreign policy and therefore against the ratification of the covenant of the League of Na­ tions. Said he: “The league exists as a foreign agency. We hope it will be helpful. But the United States *ees no reason to limit its own free­ dom and Independence of action by loinlng It. We shall do well to recog­ nize this basic fact In all notional af­ fairs and govern ourselves accord­ ingly.\ Of the closely related question of American membership In the world court he said: ' “ As I wish to see a court established, and as the proposal presents the only practical plan on which many nations have ever agreed, though it may not meet every desire, I therefore commend It to the favor­ able consideration of the sennte, with the proposed reservations clearly in­ dicating our refusal to adhere to the League of Nations.\ Expressing earnest hope that the people of Russia will be restored to their position among the nations of the earth, Mr. Coolidge declared flatly that the soviet government would not be recognized by the United States so long ns it refuses to recognize the sanctity of International relations, but be said he was willing to make large concessions, and that our government would offer no objection to the carry­ ing on of commerce by Americans with the people of Russia. Concerning the war dehts owed us by other nations, be said he did not favor their cancel­ lation. but saw no objection to adjust­ ing them ns was done In the case of Great Britain. Continuation of the policy of re­ trenchment and economy by the gov­ ernment was strongly urged, and so was the abolition of the right to issue tax-exempt securities. The President asked congress to avoid constant re­ vising of the tariff law. promising to exercise his power to change the schedules whenever Investigation showed this to be wise. As had been predicted, the Presi­ dent whole-henrtedly supported Secre­ tary Mellon’s recommendations for the reduction of taxes, saying that “of all services which the congress can ren­ der to the country, I have no hesita­ tion in declaring this one to be para­ mount.” He especially comtnendod a decrease on earned Incomes and further abolition of admission and message taxes. He also expressed op­ position to excess-profits taxes. After hearing tills, congress waited expectantly for the pnrt of the mes­ sage dealing with the care of the vet­ erans of the World war, and was not surprised when Mr. Coolidge closed that section with the words: \I do not favor the granting of a bonus.” However, he declared himself In favor of much of the legislative program which the American Legion will pre­ sent to congress. Taking up the troubles of the wheat fanners, Mr. Coolidge said: “Indirectly, the farmer must be re­ lieved by a reduction of national and jQcal taxation. He must be assisted by the reorganization of the freight- rate structure which could reduce charges on his production. To make this fully effective there ought to he railroad consolidations. Cheaper fer­ tilizers must be provided. . . . “I do not favor the permanent inter­ ference of the government in tills problem. That probably would In­ crease the trouble by Increasing pro­ duction. But It seems feasible to pro­ vide government assistance to exports; and authority should be given the War Finance corporation to grant, in its discretion, the most liberal terms of payment for fats and grains exported for the direct benefit of the farm.” Considerable space In the message was given to the coal problem. The President said lie did not favor gov­ ernment ownership or operation of the mines, and continued: “The supply of coal must be constant. In case of its prospective interruption, the Presi­ dent should have authority to appoint a commission empowered to deal with whatever emergency situation might arise, to aid conciliation and volun­ tary arbitration, to adjust any exist­ ing or threatened controversy between the employer and the employee when collective bargaining fails, and by con­ trolling distribution to prevent profi­ teering In this vital necessity.\ P EACE between the \regular\ and \progressive” factions of the Re­ publicans In the house It is supposed will continue for 30 days, during which time the latter will have a chance to bring forward tlieir proposals for the liberalization of the rules. They dem­ onstrated during the deadlock over organization that they hold the bal­ ance of power, though they are few In number, but It Is far from certain that they cun line up enough Democratic votes to change the rules as they de­ sire. The progressives voted, usually 17 strong, for Cooper of Wisconsin for speaker. The Democrats were solid for Finis J. Garrett of Tennessee, who thus becomes the minority lender. The lender of the majority Is Nicholas Longworth of Ohio. S UPPORTERS of President Coolidge for nomination next year were overjoyed last week by the news from South Dakota. In the Republican state proposal convention Mr. Coolidge was given the preference over Senator Hiram Johnson, his only opponent, by a majority of 23,039 out of 77,000 votes cast. Senator Arthur Capper of Kan­ sas was the choice for vice president. The Democratic convention Indorsed McAdoo by a vote of 39,018 against 5,072 for Henry Ford, and chose Judge James W. Girard of New York for sec­ ond plnce on the ticket. The Farmer- Luborltes were strongly In favor of the nomination of Senator La Follette. After the President's message was de­ livered the Hlrnm Johnson crowd felt a little better, for in It, as is told above. Mr. Coolidge declared himself flatly against the soldiers’ bonus, while the South Dakota Republicans adopted a platform containing a strong bonus plank. This question may well develop into the deciding Issue of the nomination campaign. T HE British parliamentary elections were held Thursday, and at tills writing It appears that the Conserv­ ative party with its policy of a pro­ tective tariff has been defeuied. De­ layed returns from country districts may change this, but even then Prime Minister Baldwin would have u slen­ der majority. The reunited Liberal party made considerable gains, and tlie Lnborites, already the second in strength, won many new seals. One notable feature of the election was the defeat of the women. They hud a number of candidates, but only two appear to have won—Lady Astor and Miss Susan Lawrence, a Laborite. Arthur Henderson, one of the most prominent Luborites, lost Ills seat to a Liberal. T T AVIXG signed with the Industrial A- magnates of the Ruhr an agree­ ment for resumption of work and of payments In kind, and being urged by Belgium, the French Inst week began the virtual withdrawal of their forces from the occupied region. To start • with, the occupation will be made \in­ visible,\ which means the troops will be withdrawn from the cities and towns to points outside. In addition, [•ranee Is returning to German control twenty-one railway lines In the Ruhr and two repair shops. The French agree to recommend the most favor­ able action In the cases of railway workers who were expelled and rail employees in the occupied region will be paid the same wages as those in the rest of Germany. Altogether, the developments of the week Indicated that Premier Poincare had adopted a conciliatory policy, and it was hinted that he might soon yield to\ Great Britain and America and consent to a discussion of the reduction of Ger­ many’s debt by the proposed commit­ tee of experts subject to the repara­ tions commission. Chancellor Marx so far Is making good In Berlin, for he has Induced the socialists to consent to the \enabling net\ which gives him dictatorial powers if he needs them and thus may avoid the necessity of dissolving the legisla­ tive body. The socialists ceased to oppose the net on receiving a promise that any emergency measures should he submitted to an advisory commis­ sion of 21 deputies before being is­ sued. It is reported that Germany has completed negotiations for a foreign loan of $125,000,000 to support the new permanent currency Issue. C IVIL war has broken out again in Mexico. In the states of Vera Cruz, San Luis Potosí, Chihuahua, Mlchoacan, Tamnulipas and Guerrero there Is active rebellion against the government of President Obregon, the leader of the movement being Adolfo de la Huerta, the Co-operatlsta party’s candidate for president. He and his helpers have told Obregon that tfhby are revolting because the government Is violating the sovereignty of tlie states and otherwise offending the In­ stitutions of the republic. Actually, It seems, De la Huerta’s chief complaint is that Obregon Is supporting Calles for election as his successor. F E D E R A L JUDGE WOODROUGB \ of Omaha has decided that prohibi­ tion agents are not civil officers In any strict or constitutional sense and are without lawful authority to serve search warrants. Mrs. Mabel Willebrandt, assistant attorney general In charge of prohibi­ tion and tax cases, reports to Attor­ ney General Daugherty that litigation over violations of federal laws Is on the increase. Under the national pro­ hibition act alone, she says, 49,021 criminal and 4,109 civil cases were be­ gun during the last fiscal year— an In­ crease of 15.8S9 over the previous year. Federal courts were unable to keep abreast of the number of cases brought, although 42,370 criminal cases were disposed of during the year, with 23,052 criminal and 4.0G4 civil cases left pending. Rum smuggling, Mrs. Wlllebrnndt’s report added, is “the most gigantic criminal problem the United States ever faced on the high seas.\ N EWS from Russia Is doubtful these days, but there has just come from Moscow a dispatch that Is of vnst Importance If true. It says that Professor Joffe, Russian scientist, has discovered a method for making wire stronger than steel out of com­ mon rock salt. The discovery result­ ed after experiments in mutability of metals by structural chemistry. By submitting rock salt to high heat pres­ sure before the elementary crystals began to decay he arrested the decay by changing the structural arrange­ ment of the atoms and molecules, this change increasing the durability and ductablllty of the substance 300 times. It Is stated that if the discovery can be applied to metals it will revolution­ ize the world. A t t o r n e y g e n e r a l DAUGH­ ERTY has announced that crim­ inal prosecutions will be begun ns a result of the Investigation, by his de­ partment and the special senate c-mn- mittee, of alleged irregularities In the conduct of the veterans’ bureau under the former director, Colonel Forbes. Presumably the facts brought out will be placed before a federal grand jury. Gen. Frank T. Hines, now director of the bureau, hns sent out a call to the American Legion for aid In finding suitable employment for the rehabili­ tated ex-service men. There are ap­ proximately 71,000 men Jo vocational training, Director Hines declares, and within the next three months about 10,000 of these will complete their courses i N e w s o f M o n ta n a Brief Notes Concerning the Treasure State ::: t z According to reports received the land office at Miles City transacted more business during November than any other land office in the United states. During the month, 21’b new applications for entry were received at tlie office in Miles City. The larger part of these applications were for homestead entry on agricultural land, a few were for minfn gclaims and the remainder covered a varied line of subjects. A deal was consummated recently whereby the First State Bank of Win- nett and the -First National Bank of Winnett are to be merged into one lianking institution, the resources ot which will be greater than any bank in Fergus county, excepting the Lewis- town banks. The consolidated bapk will work under the state charter as the combined business can be handled more advantageously under the state department. Search for the body of Ted Ellis, Great Falls man, who, while hunting ducks, was drowned In Bynum reser­ voir, in Teton county, hns been aban­ doned until spring. More than three inches of ice has formed, and further efforts to locate, the body at this time are considered tinfeasible. Ellis was drowned November 25, and although most of the reservoir was dragged, no trace of his body was found. Twy carloads of sodatol, a govern­ ment war explosive which is being dis­ tributed for stumping purposes, were ordered the first of November by farm- era in western Sanders county through the director of extension. This will cost approximately $S.75 to $9 laid down, which includes the cost of cart- riding and freight from Barksdale. Wisconsin. Orders have already been received totaling approximately 45,000 pounds. A reception was given, at the First Methodist church In Missoula, recently, In honor of the eighty-fifth birthday anniversary of Mrs. W. H. II. Dickin­ son, who came to Missoula 55 years ago and who was Missoula’s first school teacher. Mrs. Dickinson, then Emma Slack, came to western Mon­ tana from Maryland in the spring of 1S69. The herd of elk in the Highwood mountains, near Great Falls, which at the time it was started in 1917 num­ bered 17 head, has now Increased to over 50 head, and is In splendid con­ dition, according to A. Webolt, assist­ ant supervisor of the Jefferson na­ tional forest. Miss Elizabeth Hollenbeck has left Missoula for Constantinople, Turkey, to take charge of a nurses’ training school in an American hospital on the Bosphorus. Miss Hollenbeck spent several months in Missoula after com­ pleting two years’ work In Asia Minor and Greece. Frank R. Mearlian, son of Mr. and Mrs. Frank Mearlian of Grandview, has been appointed to cadetship at, the United States Military academy at West Point, on the recommendation of Senator Thomas J. Walsh. » Five trucks and 12 automobiles wer* burned when fire destroyed the J. T. Armitage garage In Wisdom. The loss Is estimated at $50,000, with Insurance of only $5,000. ★ ★ * M O N T A N A P IO N E E R S ON ★ ★ T H E L A S T LONG T R A I L - ★ k k k k k k k k k k k k k ★ - b k * ★ * ★ ★ SULLIVAN—D. J. Sullivan, former probation officer for Silver Bow, and a resident of Butte for thirty-five years died at the age of 54 years in Los Angeles. BIRRAN— Dan P. Birran, G5 year» of age, who owned the first blacksmith shop in Anaconda, died at Baker, Ore gon. FERGUSON—Peter Ferguson, an old time cowman, who came to Great Falls 38 years ago and was widely known among the early day stock growers, was killed in an accident at Belen, N. M. L A FLUER—Z. B. D. LaFleur, 74 years of age, for more than thirty-five years a resident of the state capital, died at the home of Ills son, R. C. G. LaFleur in Martinez, California. Christmas At Hand fi HSjEtVT /S hopped ★ ★ * ★ ★ ★ * ■ k ★ ★ * ★ ★ ★ * k k k k k k k k k k k k k k k k k * k Danner Asks New Trial ★ -------- k Five affidavits in support of ★ a motion for a new trial for ★ Seth O. Danner, convicted mur- ★ derer of Mrs. Florence Sprouse, ★ now awaiting the death penalty ★ in the' county jail, have been ★ filed In the district court at k Bozeman by Justin M. Smith, ★ attorney for Danner. ★ ★ i t k k k k k k k k k k k k k k k - k 'k Historic Army Post Strikes Colors To March of Progress W a r Department Will Surrender Fort Keough to Montana Farmerd for An Experiment Station Fort Keough, near Miles City, es­ tablished In the late seventies by Gen­ eral Nelson A. Miles, and over which the colors have vnliently waved day and night since its establishment, has hauled down the flag In surrender to the march of progress. Turning forts Into agricultural experiment statitons Is a modern way of beating swords Into ploughshares, and the extensive grounds of the army post will be sur­ rendered by the War Department to tlie Department of Agriculture for that purpose. On the sixty thousand acres of land the government and state ex­ tension workers will entry out experi­ ments in agriculture that will be of greatest benefit to Montana farmers and to tlie farmers and stock growers of the entire Northwest. The old military cantonment, which was established in the late seventies by General Nelson A. Miles, and had been in constant use since that time, as an outpost, and later as a cavalry remount station, was abandoned by the government last July, and at that time formal notice was given that the land would be turned over to the in­ terior department, and later in the summer engineers of the geological survey made a complete survey of the reservation for the department of the interior. Since the survey was made the re­ quest has been made by proponents of, the plan for the use of more than 60,- OO’O acres of land on the reservation as an experiment farm, to the secretary of agriculture, who is said to be in­ clined to favor such a project, and this enterprise since then hns won the sup­ port of local forest service officials. k k k k k k k k k k k k k k k k k k k k k k M O N T A N A O IL NOTES ★ ★ * k k k k k k k k k k k k k k k k k k k “5G\ Pet., hns paid its regular month­ ly dividend of 1 per cent. Tills was paid December 1, to stock o f record November 2G. During the Inst half of October and first half'of November the company produced 12,446 barrels, most of which It Is storing until the price of oil gets higher. Its Devil’s Basin well Is drilling at a depth of 2.150 feet. Sherard - Rhoades well, McGinnis structure, 23 miles north of Lewis- town, has a showing of oil at a depth of 1,300 feet. Campbell-Key in-Stewart Carlson No. 1 well, Kevln-Sunburst field, hns come In as a commercial producer at a depth of 1,530 feet. Stapleton Oil company has compet­ ed Its No. 2 well, Kevin-Sunburst field, the oil coming from the Ellis, at 1,G30 feet. Mutual pipeline in October trans­ ported 157,091 barrels of oil from the Cat Creek field to Winnett, of which 29,000 was shipped to the Arro refin­ ery at Lewistown, 33,600 to the Lewis- town Oil & Refining Co., 10,800 bar­ rels to the Standard Oil of Indiana, 6,500 barrels to the Weona refinery at Winnett and 10,500 barrels to the Yale Oil corporation. Income after operat­ ing expenses showed gross profits of close to $20,000 for the pipeline. R A N C H E R 'S W H E A T SACK H E L D TW O JUGS OF MOON A ll’s not wheat that’s sacked, as was shown when two jugs containing moon­ shine hidden In a bag of wheat were found in a Ford driven by Henry Hutchinson In Bozeman when Under- sheriff Orville Jones and Deputy A. M. Howell stopped the uuto. The car and the moon were confiscated and Hutchinson was locked up in the coun­ ty jail. He will be charged with possessing and transporting liquor, contraary to law. Buffalo Kill Presents Problem Not much headway is being made In the slaughtering of buffalo on the gov­ ernment bison and elk range near St. Ignatius. A small crew of cowpunch- ers is endeavoring to run some of the animals into a corral, but is having a hard time of It. Probabilities are that the buffalo will be shot on the range and butchered on the spot. This, how­ ever, involves the danger that the rest of the herd will stampede upon smell­ ing the blood. U. S. Puts Lien on Oil Property C. A. Rasmussen, collector of inter­ nal revenue for the district of Mon­ tana. has filed a tax lien with County Clerk and Recorder John A. Moran, of Toole county, against the KevJn-Sun- burst company. The lien states that $9,900 is still due the government for Income taxes, and the amount of the taxes with a 5 per cent penalty will form a sum of more than $10,000 to be collected, officers said. Firemen Face Hail of Bullets Working in a bail of bullets that flew in all directions from cartridges stored in the building, firemen suc­ ceeded in extinguishing a fire in the garage of James Doner in Butte. Sev­ eral boxes of rifle cartridges were in the place, and when the fire reached them a veritable barrage of lead was thrown out. Although the bullets pierced the walls of the building, no one .was wounded. The blaze started from crossed wires, Fire Chief Martin believes. State Capital N E W S L IS T GIVES C O U N T IES BY JU D IC IA L DISTR IC T S S ELDOM has there been found a ref­ erence sheet to show what judicial district each county of Montana is In, but Secretary of State C. T. Stewart has prepared such a list, which also- designates the counties of the two con­ gressional districts, as follows: First Congressional District Beaverhead, fifth ; Broadwater, four­ teenth; Deer Lodge, third; Flathead, eleventh; Gallatin, ninth; Granite, third; Jefferson, fifth; Lake, fourth; Lewis and Clark, first; Lincoln,, eleventh; Madison, fifth; Mineral, fourth; Missoula, fourth; Powell, third; Ravalli, f o u r t h ; Sunders, fourth; Silver Bow, second. Second Congregational District Big I-Iorn, thirteenth; B l a i n e , eighteenth; Carter, sixteenth ; Carbon, thirteenth; Cascade, eighth; Chouteau, twelfth; Custer, sixteenth; Daniels, twentieth; Dawson, seventh; Fallon, sixteenth; Fergus, tenth; Garfield six­ teenth; Glacier, nineteenth; Golden Valley, fifteenth; Hill.- eighteenth ~ Judith Basin, tenth; Liberty, eigh­ teenth; McCone, seventh; Meagher, fourteenth; Musselshell, fifteenth , Park, sixth; Phillips, seventeenth; Pondera, nineteenth; Powder River, sixteenth; Prairie, sixteenth; Rich­ land, seventh; Roosevelt, twentieth; Rosebud, fifteenth; Sheridan, twenti­ eth ; Stillwater, sixth; Sweet Grass, sixth; Teton, nineteenth; Toole, nine­ teenth; Treasure, fifteenth; Valley,, seventeenth; Wheatland, fourteenth; Wibaux, seventh; Yellowstone, thir­ teenth. <. B U T T E D IS T R IC T MINES MADE M O N EY F OUR of the larger mining compan­ ies of the Butte district reported net proceeds for the last fiscal year o f $4,523,092.74, according to the books: of the state board of equalization. The previous year many of the mining com­ panies operated at a loss and only one or two reported any net proceeds at all. The Anaconda company this year, It reported, earned a total of $3,2I9,418.7T from its mines In'the Butte district o f which $2,757,434.21 was derived from ores from the mines on the Butte hill, $217,034.5S wns from the Emma and $244,949.98 was from the Nettie. Net proceeds of the Butte-Superior were returned ns $540,022.96. The Elm Orlu show net proceedings of $526,622.29 and the Davis-Dnly had net revenue of $42,065.59 from the Colo­ rado property and $194,423.13 from its- 1-Ilbernia claim or n total of $237,028.72. Figures as reported by the various companies wore not in every case ac­ cepted by the state board, the net proceeds, which are taxable, being raised In most instances slightly, the- board disagreeing with the mining companies over deductions allowable, principally taxes. The figures of the mining companies are net after taxes. TO STOP SALE OF ILLE G A L B U T T E R T HAT George H. Webster, chief o f the dairy division of the Montana department of agriculture, will enforce the state dairy law and regulations is tnken from a statement he has issued. Complaint has been that some cream­ eries have been putting butter on the markets that do not comply with the regulations as to correct weights and moisture content. In such cases he said there not only will be prosecu­ tions in the courts, but creamery li­ censes will be revoked. Commissioner Webster says that since the first of October of the pres­ ent year, several reports have come to his office from Great Falls that but­ ter was being sold on the market- In that city that was both short In weight and too high In moisture content. Two- letters were received from one cream­ ery In thnt city asking what they could do to he relieved of the unfair com­ petition which they had to meet la consequence of this short »weight and Illegal moisture content. One other creamery In that, city sent a formal complaint to Congressman Scott Leavitt and asked him to invoke the aid of the United States bureau of chemistry In making an investigation and if possible getting action taken by the federal government to curtaiL the activities of those creameries who- were putting out this illegal butter. U T IL IT IE S PAY LARGE T A X TO S T A T E I NTER-COUNTY prqpertles of pub­ lic utilities operating In Montana pay taxes on assessed valuations of more than a quarter of a billion dol­ lars, according to figures supplied by the state board of equalization. The exact amount is given as $257,500,823. This Is In addition to taxes collected by the various counties on assessments which are levied direct by the various county assessors on property owned by the utilities but which is not as­ sessable on valuations made by the state board. The total of taxes levied by the state board, approximately a half mil­ lion dollars, does not Include all o f the taxes pnid by corporations by any means, for many corporations do hot operate in more than one county' and many pay taxes on property which does not class as Inter-county. Neither does it Include the taxes collected as license tnxes on net proceeds, nor the taxes paid on n percentage basis by­ coal mining, oil producing and refining companies, street car lines which are assessed locally, solvent credits and holdings of the larger as well as small­ er corporations or the direct county and city levies. /