The Choteau Montanan (Choteau, Mont.) 1913-1925, February 01, 1924, Image 2

i —Russian trade unionists welcoming to ¿Moscow Bulgarian refugees who had lied from the “ white terror'' ot Tsankov. 2— Secretary Work and Commissioner of Indian Affairs Burke receiving a delegation of Osage Indiana from Oklahoma, who want the government to manage their money. Si—Madison Square Garden New York, In which the Democratic national convention will be held. NEWS REVIEW OF CURRENTEVENTS New York Captures Demo­ cratic Convention, Which Will Open on June 24. By EDWARD W. PICKARD N EW YORK lias captured the Demo­ cratic national convention of 1924. The big meet will be held In Madison Square Garden, opening June 24, and the hotel keepers and amusement pur­ veyors are preparing to care for several hundred thousand visitors who are ex­ pected at that time. When the national committee met in Washington on Tuesday, bids for the convention were made by New York, San Francisco, Chicago and St. Louis. The first named topped all other offers with a guarantee of $205,000 cash and the expenses of the convention hall. San Fruncisco offered almost as much, but was beaten by consideration of the long distance the great majority of delegates would have to travel If the meeting were held on the Pacific coast. Chicago having withdrawn, the final ballot stood: New York, 57; San Fran­ cisco, 40; St. Louis, 6. Politicians were especially concerned .with the political effect of this choice. The McAdoo managers, it was said, were somewhat dismayed, fearing the local Influences would injure their can­ didate’s cause. It was held that A1 Smith, certainly, and Underwood, prob­ ably, would profit by the selection. The drys In the party ranks are not at ail pleased, for the wet sentiment has its headquarters In New York and vicinity and the metropolis always appears to be more than moist. The Wall Street bugaboo also jumps up. It is not con­ ceivable that William Jennings Bryan Is pleased with the selection of New York. The national committee adopted a resolution recommending to the states that half of the delegates at large shall be women. It was also decided that national committeemen attending the convention shall pay their own travel­ ing and hotel expenses. Having dis­ posed of its business, the committee went in a body to pay its respects to former President Wilson, and presented to him a resolution of appreciation of his achievements and ideals and of hope for his speedy recovery of health. P RESIDENT COOLIDGE’S precon- ventlon managers now profess to Bee his nomination on the first ballot. Admittedly his chances will be greatly enhanced if congress passes a tax re­ vision bill not vastly different from that proposed by Secretary Mellon and yet satisfactory to the people at large. House Leader Longworth is working hard to bring this about, and there is a fair chance that he will succeed in so far as the house is concerned. But the Democrats see in the slim Repub­ lican majority and the insurgency in the G. O. P. ranks n chance to get the support of the Republican radicals for their own tax measure and thus to capture the credit. The main point of controversy is still the maximum sur­ tax rate. The house insurgents last week won the first test of strength in the fight to liberalize the rules. By a vote of 208 to 177 the house adopted an amend­ ment repealing the rule which the Democrats put into effect more than ten years ago and which prohibited the offering of amendments on the floor to tariff and revenue bills unless they were germane to the particular section to which they were offered. Modifica­ tion of the discharge rule so that legis­ lation cannot so easily be smothered In committee followed, and the Demo­ cratic leaders announced they would now press tariff bills with a view to reducing duties on everyday articles of food and clothing. They believe they can muster enough votes to dis­ charge the ways and means committee from consideration of bills of this char­ acter, which do not agree with the Re­ publican program. In the senate thej think they may be able to pass such measures with the aid of the insurgent Republicans. T WO new plans for financing a sol­ diers’ bonus were presented to the senate last week. Senator. Curtis oi Kansas, Republican whip, proposed to retain in modified form the existing admission taxes and use the proceeds to pay the bonus. The annual yield from the admission taxes is about $70,- 000,000, and Senator Curtis estimates that this would come within $7,000,000 of meeting the annual cost of the bonus. Senator Copeland of New York, Democrat, introduced a bill providing for a straight cash bonus to ex-service men at the rate of $1.25 a day for each day of service, with a $625 maximum payment. The total cost of the bonus under this plan is estimated at about $1,500,000,000, and Senator Copeland would have the Treasury department issue bonds to this amount. S ENATOR CARAW A Y of Arkansas violently denounced Albert B. Fall, former secretary of the Interior, Wednesday before the senate commit­ tee that is investigating Fall’s leases of naval oil reservations to private per­ sons, and Attorney General Daugherty came in for some of the sting. Said the Arkansas senator: “If the people in charge of the Amer­ ican navy are to be believed when they say our very national existence de­ pends upon the navy as the first line of defense; when they tell us we would be lost without the navy, and then sell every drop of reserve fuel for the navy, I ask how much more Infamous it is to have sold every gallon of reserve oil than it was for Benedict Arnold to try to sell only a rocky fortress on the Hudson river? “I know there is something wrong with the source of Mr. Fall’s money, and I know that every reading man and woman in America will know that Al­ bert B. Fall, the secretary of the in­ terior, sold every gallon of the Amer­ ican reserve fuel to oil speculators, one of whom boasted he would make $100,- 000,000 out of his share of the loot. “Of course, I rather imagine If it were not for my distinguished friend, the present attorney general, all these men would be indicted. But I am con­ scious as long as he sits at the helm at the Department of Justice they may sell the White House and be absolutely immune from any prosecution in the federal courts.” G OVERNOR PINCHOT of Pennsyl­ vania also did some denouncing, at the annual convention of the Anti- Snloon league. He said the national scandal of the failure to enforce pro­ hibition was the worst In our history, and he voiced wlmt he called a “gen­ eral demand\ for a congressional in­ vestigation of the prohibition enforce­ ment unit of the government. S HENANDOAH, our giant dirigible which is to be used in the coming arctic expedition of the navy, was giv­ en an exciting test Wednesday night. Moored to her mast at Lakeliurst to see how much wind she could stand, the big ship was torn loose by a 72- mile gale and driven northward. Capt. Anton Heinen and his crew of 21 speed­ ily got the dirigible under control and after flying as far as New York harbor they turned her nose south again. Seven and a half hours after she broke loose the Shenandoah was once more safe in her hangar, little injured save for the torn nose covering. Her crew was unharmed and unafraid through­ out the wild ride, and Captain Heinen, who has had wide experience with air­ craft, says she is without doubt the strongest constructed ship of her type ever built. G ENERAL DAWES, in formally ac­ cepting the chairmanship of the committee of experts to investigate Germany’s capacity to pay, delivered a characteristic speech in which he bluntly denounced the politicians and “nationalistic demagogues” who in­ crease disorder for their personal profit, and asserted the first thing to he done to avert the most colossal bankruptcy the world has ever seen is to stabilize currency and help Ger­ many to recover Its economic produc­ tivity. The committee has begun gathering the views of financial au­ thorities, and has Invited ' Herr Sehaeht, president of the reichsbank, to tell what help had been offered in his recent visits to London, Zurich and Amsterdam. It is asserted that Dawes means to steer the investigation to­ ward methods of raising an immediate loan for Germany, probably not over $250,000,000, to stabilize the mark. Decline of the fran* to a record low point moved the French government to a determination to effect great economies, including the abandonment of big public works for a time and the cutting of the government pay roll, and to Increase taxation 20 per cent. Exchange rates reacted to this, the franc recovering sharply. ~- K ING GEORGE formally opened the British parliament- Tuesday, and the Tory government In the speech from the throne made a last desper­ ate effort to rally the Liberals to its support and keep the Laborites out oi power. The speech wns long and dull and contained an extensive program of minor reform, Including various schemes for the relief of the worker and the farmer. Ramsay MacDonald. Labor leader, announced that at the earliest possible nioment he would move as follows: “It is, therefore, our duty to submit to your majesty that your-majesty’s present advisers have not the confi­ dence of the house.” On Thursday H. H. -Asquith, veteran leader of the Liberals, put\’ an end to all the hopes of the Tories by sec­ onding the Labor motion and announc­ ing that when it was called up the following Monday he would vote for it and advise all his friends to do the same. None who had not read his mall for the last week, he said, knew the strong demand for him to become the savior of the country. Becoming the savior of the country meant doing some underhand deal to keep .out of office the party which by all constitu­ tional rules was entitled to it. Mr. MacDonald, In a speech to the commons, denied that the Labor party favored any revolutionary plans, se­ cret or otherwise. M EXICO’S rebellion seems to be moving toward its climax, and there is not reason to believe that the climax will be the defeat of the revo­ lutionists. Just now the activities oi the armies are centered mainly about Tampico, and the United States gov­ ernment has found it necessary to warn the rebels that it will not coun­ tenance a blockade closing that port to American commerce. The cruiser Tacoma was ordered to Vera Cruz, but ran aground 10 miles from Vera Cruz. T OKYO was terrified and consider­ ably damaged by an earthquake that was the severest since the great temblor of last September. About thirty persons were killed and many buildings in the capital, in Yokohama and other places were wrecked, i Next day severe shocks were reported fr.om Sendai, Japan; Bogota, Colombia, and Bombay, India. V ENIZELOS found that after all.it was necessary for -him to become premier of Greece, so he assumed that post and formed a cabinet with Rotis- sos ns'foreign minister. Renewal of British friendship and aid is now in­ dicated and it is predicted Greece will Join the English-Italian-Spanish com­ bination in the Mediterranean to re­ strain French ambitions to dominate Europe. Greece may need English help to keep Saloniki from Serbia. Veni- zelos Is openly favoring the establish­ ment of a republic and probably will be its first president. He, however, deprecates the expulsion of the royal family and has insisted that the or­ ganization of revolutionary army offi­ cers be dissolved before the plebiscite is held. F ARMERS and manufacturers of the Middle West, in convention in Chi­ cago. adopted a series of resolutions for presentation to President t'oolidge and congress. They oppose govern­ ment price fixing; approve of co-op­ erative marketing of farm products; commend the Departments of Agricul­ ture and Commerce for their work in the foreign marketing field; favor a reforestation movement; ask material reduction of all taxes; urge that immi­ grants be limited by quality and economic needs; oppose government ownership or operation of railroads, mines, public utilities, farms or fac­ tories; oppose attempts to deprive the Supreme court of its primary function of determining the validity of congres­ sional action, and want Muscle .Shoals developed primarily for the produc­ tion of fertilizer. MONTANA NOTES TREASURE STATE TALES TERSELY TOLD During the past two or three years coyotes, and. other predatory animals nave Increased so rapidly in Hill Coun­ ty that the farmers there are asking some relief in the form of a govern­ ment trapper. Weasels have become active among farm chicken houses and oobcats are said to be numerous along the timbered creek bottoms. While Marion Kelly was removing a stuck cartridge from a shot gun re­ cently at his home west of Twin Bridges, the shell exploded with such force that Marshall Strautt, of Mis­ soula, who was watching the operation, was seriously injured. At the annual meeting of the Mon­ tana C’onl Operators’ association held In Billings, F. W. C. Whyte, of Ana­ conda, was elected president, H. S. Hopkn, of Roundup, vice president, and Mrs. F. Purcell, of Billings, sec­ retary-treasurer. O. C. Anderson, Se­ attle; Janies Needham, Chicago; R. W. Wilson, Great Falls, and .T. M. Freeman Billings, were elected as members of the executive committee. A machine gun company, consisting of three officers and sixty enlisted men. which will form a part of the Third -Battalion of the Montana Na­ tional Guard has been mustered in at Lewistown. A company of similar strength to be known as Company D, first batallion, will be mustered in at Poison during February. The Annconda Copper Mining com­ pany has concluded an agreement with the Davis-Daly Copper company, with which it had been in litgiation, where­ by the\Anaconda company will acquire the Davis-Daly properties for $3,000,- 000, it is announced. Fire, originating from an oil stove in the bnsement, destroyed the Trail Cafe at Columbus. ’ The damage is estimated at $2,500. The oil stove was being used to prevent water pipes from freezing. Alfred L. Wall, who shot and killed himself January 13 in a Denver hotel,, was a member of n family of mixed blood Indians, residing near Browning. Ore Runs $33,000 a Ton Free milling gold-silver ore which Inis assayed us high ns $33,000 a ton, taken from the McKay group of claims in the Ophir region, is said by W. M. Fredericks of Helena, secretary of the Continental Mining company, to be some of the richest gold ore found in years. The Continental is developing the claims which are in the locality where the largest gold nugget ever found in Montana was discovered. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ * ★ ★ ★ OVER THE GREAT DIVIDE ★ * * * * * - ★ A Concise Recount of Montana ★ ★ Pioneers Who Have Come ★ ★ to the End of the Trail ★ ★ ★ FARNUM — Joseph Eastman Far- nunri, 70 years of age, a resident of Miles City since 1883, one of the best known old timers of the east part of rhe state, died at his home in Miles City. WEYDERT—Mrs. Mary Weydert, aged 87 years, who located on a farm west of Lewistown in 1SG4, before that town was founded, died at the home of her daughter, Mrs. George J. Welder- man. in Lewistown. Deceased was the last surviving member of the party with which she came west. STEERS—-Sirs. Sarah Jane Steers wife of C. C. Steers, and one of the best known pioneers in the Yellow stone valley, died of cancer at Park City. Accompanying her husband Mrs Steers rode overland to Billings from Missouri in 1884, the party driving 3GC head of horses all the way across the plains. ELLIS—Harvey B. Ellis, one of the best known early day stockmen of the northern part of the state, who located first in the Yellowstone valley in 1883 and then moved northward, died at a hospital in Great Falls of pneumonia. FARNUM—J. E. Farnum, who for many years during the early days wns town celrk of Milos City, died at his home there after a short illness of pneumonia. ANDERSON — Charles Anderson, who came to Glendive with the first railroad construction crew to enter the state, and afterward founded the town of Ilodge. where he was postmaster, died at his home at Hodge. GRAETER—A. E. Graeter, aged 89 yenrs. wiio came *o Montana in 1862 and mined at Bannnek, later going to Alder Gulch and other points in the state, hut returning to Bannnek, and from thence to Dillon where his later life interests have been located, died at his home in the latter place. KAVANAGH — Patrick Kavanagh, who, inspired by accounts of the Treasure State sent him by two broth­ ers already located in Shields Valley, came to Montana in 1SS5, locating on the Shields river nnd inter moving to the upper Musselshell, died at his home in Lennep. BRYAN—Col. T. J. Bryan, a pioneer of the east end of the state, died at his home in Lemon Grove, California. He left the state several years ago. - PETERSON— S. Peterson, for more than 40 years a resident of Dillon, where he located at the age of 21 years, died at his home in that place. Project Farmers Air Troubles-io Government Men Representatives From Montana. Dis­ tricts Urge Several Remedies Upon Reclamation Investigators Facts pertaining to the reclamation projects In Montana were laid before the government fact-finding commis­ sion in Salt Lake recently by farmers from the Huntley, .Sun River and Milk River reclamation districts. While considerable umbrage was manifest at -the opening of the session there is every evidence that the government commission and the project farmers will arrive at some definite program that will greatly aid the districts under question. J. Homer Hancock, secretary of the Huntley-Irrigation district, stated that ehe project was $423,000 in arrears be­ cause the annual levy for operation and maintenance had been too low and a deficit had accumulated. Another reason for the deficit was that a large sum had been spent in drainage. He recommended as a relief program that A 40-year payment period be estab­ lished. The deficit be removed by the gov­ ernment. All money from penalties to revert to that project and not to the general service. Profits from sale of townsites to go to the project and not to the general fund. Adjustment of taxes, whereby the settler pays only what he actually owns and has paid for. Mr. Hancock cited some improve­ ments on the prospect which he termed “Improperly chosen and constructed.” J. L. Truscott, president of the Lower ¿Milk River Water Users’'asso­ ciation, discussed the statement which had been filed by delegates from the project last week. He told briefly the bad financial condition of the farmers in the district, and stated tlmt “ many have walked off and thé wild growth has again taken what bade fair to be fertile farm land.” Later lie added that under the pres­ ent conditions, “ the government can’t give the land away.” He staled that the project was never completed and tlmt there was consider­ able faulty construction there. He recommended that the settlers be given 40 yenrs to pay for the water nnd tlmt all instances where the re­ clamation service made engineering mistakes should be checked and the costs of the mistakes taken from the cost to the settlers. Samuel Ness, chairman of the water users’ association of the Greenfield division of the Sun River project, criti­ cized a letter which D. W. Davis, re­ clamation commissioner, wrote to Hu­ bert Work, secretary of the interior, concerning a petition which the water users had sent Mr. Davis, as mislead­ ing. He said 185 settlers lmd sent a petition to Commissioner Davis' and in referring this letter to Secretary Work, Mr. Davis had commented upon the lack of system in handling crops dud gave tills ns one reason for the failure of the project. Mr. Ness insited that the settlers had attempted to meet conditions by every way known to them, and lmd been generally unsuc­ cessful. EARLY DAY DIVORCE DECREE IS REVOKED A divorce granted in the territorial court of Silver Bow county, Montana, March 3, 1885, to Bennett Benson from Mollie Benson of Minneapolis, has been sot aside. Records show that service was had at the time “by publication” in a Butte newspaper. But Mrs. Ben­ son, her affidavit related, was living in Minneapolis and did not know she had been divorced until she recently applied for a pension from the United States government. Then It was found that her husband died at the soldier's home at Sawtelie, Calif., in 1917 nnd that among his ef­ fects wns found the divorce papers of 1885. Benson did not uiarry again. Neither did Mrs. Benson. The court holds that Mrs. Benson could have been served personally with the di­ vorce papers in 1885. Hence the decree is set aside and Mrs. Benson can now press her claim for a pension. -■ POOR BUSINESS FOR THESE GOOD FOR THE REST OF US Few people have been dying In the state this winter. This is the report of undertakers and of sales­ men who sell to undertakers. The number of deaths has not even been up to the average for sum­ mer time, when usually the death rate is a mere fraction of that in the winter. Even though the fall was warm and open and some folks complained that everyone would be sick, the general health has been good, and now that win­ ter has really come there has been no change in the health situation. 140 Producing Oil Wells There are 140 producing wells in the Kevln-Sunburst field, with a total of 266 drilled. The tabulation of wells follows: Producing oil wells in the Kcvin- Sunburst field __________________ 140 Producing gas wells ______________ 15 Weil producing water in commer­ cial amount ____________________ 1 Dry holes—on structure _______ : ----- CO Dry holes—off structure ___________ 15 Drilling wells __________ « ___________ 22 Rigs o p ----------------------------------- 13 T o t a l ____________________ ^ — 266 [j 'S t a t e C a p ital^ ! I M E W S ' I M CASCADE COUNTY LEADS IN REAL ESTATE VALUE C ASCADE county leads in the. assess­ ment total of real estate and im­ provements, according to figures com­ piled by the state board of equaliza- :ion. Cascade pays taxes on $70,344,- 972 worth of property. Silver Bow; county is second with $54,286,300 ; Fergus third with $51,931,487 ; Yellow­ stone fourth with $51,662,607, and' Lewis and Clark fifth with $34,457,450» Beaverhead is the Treasure state’s premier livestock county, judged from: the total value placed on domestic ani­ mals, poultry -and the like by the-as­ sessor. Beaverhead has $3,312,291 as a total livestock assessment; Fergus county is second with $2,395,9S5 ; Blaine is third with $2,132,211 ; Big- Horn fourth with $2,035,154. In the amount of personal property» which is virtually everything not classi­ fied as real estate, livestock or net proceeds, and includes money in banks, evidences of debt, certificates of credit, jewelry, automobiles and car­ riages and vehicles, Silver Bow county leads witli a total assessment of $4'.).- 947,365. Cascade is second with $25,- 512,457, Lewis and Clark third with $17,137,366, Yellowstone fourth with. $12,177/554, and Missoula fifth with» $12,055,323. STATE'S LIVESTOCK INCREASED BY SIX MILLION DOLLARS T HERE were 1,084,220 cattle in Mon­ tana in 1922 with a total value o f $34,125,068. In 1923 there were 1,114,- 086 with a total value of $30,839,852. The total number of sheep in the- state was 1,867,094 in 1922 and 1,798,- 827 in 1923. The value increased from $10,280,053 to $12,052,383 because of a higher assessment rating. The automobile apparently is con­ tinuing to make headway against tlie horse, for the number found by the as­ sessors decreased from 507,783 in 1922 to 497,243 in 1923. Tlie first four counties in each of the classifications and the number o f animals in each county follows: Cattle—Beaverhead first, 81,413 ; Big Horn, second, 60,001 ; Fergus, third» 52.016; Mndison, fourth, 36,992. Sheep—Beaverhead, first, 156,3461 Meagher, second, 128,689; Madison» third, 115,457; Blaine, fourth, 103,458. Horses—Valley, first, 27,794; Fer­ gus, second, 25,994; Phillips, third, 19,- 223 ; McCone, fourth, 17,950. Mineral county disclosed only 14 sheep to the assessor, only 718 cattle and 559 horses, ranking last of the 5ft counties in this regard. Silver Bow also ranks close to the- end from a livestock point, having only 1,926- horses, 7,270 sheep and 6,072 cattle. ’ RANGES AND STOCK IN RECORD BREAKING CONDITION - M uxv TANA livestock wns in the best condition in yenrs January 1, and the supply of feed in the state is considered adequate for the needs for the balance of the winter, according to- the monthly report issued by the Mon­ tana co-operative crop and livestock reporting service. The report is based on reports of stockmen in every county in tlie state. Up to the last few days of December» stock was able to utilize winter ranges to the fullest extent, and practically no feeding wns necessary to rang» stock. Grass hns generally been suffi­ cient, with short spots noted where hoppers were destructive last summer, nnd some complaints that grass in tlie southeast and south central counties was not ns nutritious as usual due to heavy fall rains. Feeding has not yet become heavy, as snow js not generally deep enough to make grazing impos­ sible on the winter ranges. Range con­ dition is 98, compared to 97 for last month, nnd to a year ngo. The condition of cattle is 107 per cent of normal, an increase of four points during December, and compares to 97 a year ngo. Due t^ the mild De­ cember weather and to plenty of feed, cattle continued In fine shape, and the usual winter shrinkage had scarcely begun by January 1. FIVE HIGHWAYS TO BE BUILT THIS YEAR F OLLOWING a hearing at which va­ rious interests appeared for sev­ eral proposed highways the state high­ way committee, the district forester of District No. 1 of the forest service, and the district engineer of district No. 1 of tlie federal bureau of public roads, will recommend to the bureau of roads chief and tlie forestry head that the following highways be constructed : Belton-Java, Flathead county, to cost $100.000. Yellowstone canyon, Park county, to cost $70,000. Monarcli-Riceville, Cascade county» to cost $75,000. West Gallatin, Gallatin county, to cost $60,000. Tarklo Flats section of the Yellow­ stone trail, Mineral county, to cost $60,000. CHIEF ENFORCEMENT OFFICER MAY MOVE EAST, REPORT E UGENE Van Wert, chief Montana enforcement officer, is at present niWasliington, D. C., and may not re­ turn to Montana, it has been reported. It is understood that Mr. Van Wert ho • received a proposition with the federai forces, which if accepted by him would take him to eastern points, New York City being the main objective in an added drive upon the bootleggers o f that place. Mr. Van Wert wa's in thè federal service before coming to M on­ tana.