Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 9, Number 297, Decatur, Adams County, 20 December 1911 — Page 1

Volume IX. Number 297.

BOARD REPORTS I The Tariff Commission Advises the Revision of the Tariff Schedules. M r. TAFT APPROVES Recommends Adoption of Report in Special Message to Congress Today. — (United Press Service.) Washington, D. C., Dec. 20—(Special to Daily Democrat) —President Taft today noon sent his message to congress with the report of the tariff board, recommending the acceptance or said report and immediate action on the tariff in conformity therewith. He goes into detail as to the merits therof and reviews the history of the board, explaining also that he vetoed the wool tariff bill last summer because he believed such a report as he now transmits necessary for intelligent action: Washington. D. C., Dec. 2ft —Declaring many of the schedules in the Payne-Aldrich tariff to be “prohibitive” the report of the tariff board on wool was submitted to congress today by President Taft As to the differences in cost of production at home and abroad it sets forth that in nearly every woolen product from the dirty fleece up to the finished worsted cloth, it costs much more to produce wool and woolen goods in American than in any other country on earth. It costs 19 cents to raise a pound of wool in Ohio and in Australia considerable less than four cents. These

differences continue throughout the woolen industry. While American labor is much higher paid than in Europe, the board finds that it is not as efficient as that in European mills. About one dollar of every four paid to the retailer of men’s clothing goes to the manufacturer of the cloth. A suit retailing at $23 is sold at wholesale by the manufacturer for $16.50. It costs him $14.32. Thus in general the manufacturer of cloth and clothing is absolved by the board from the greater part of profit in the high cost of clothing, and it is Attributed to the retailer. The board states, however, that the high duties on wool have not resulted In retail prices as high as might be expected. Competition has kept prices down. This competition was stimulated when the high duties made woolen manufacture very profitable. Then foreign capital came in and built mills. For all woolen entries the board recommends specific duties instead of the present method of assessing ad valorem rates. The ad valorem system makes duties high when nriceg are high, and the consumer most needs relief, although the pr ■ daeer is best able to bear competition. When prices are low and the consumer has need of foreign competition, then under the ad valorem system duties are low and the foreign competition comes in. The board advocates “specific duties” as the best and easiest way to offset the difference in cost of production here and abroad. Because of the difficulty of classifying fabrics, however, the board recommends a combination of specific and ad valorem duty on woolen cloths, a low ad 'aiorem rate on cheap goods, increasing to the highest rate on expensive goods. Exactly the reverse policy was adopted by the framers of the PayneAldrich tariff. Experts for the board studied wool growing in Australia, South America, South Africa, Great Gritaim and other European countries, and in 173 counties in nineteen states in this country • The report reads: "The result of the raw investigation, establishes the fact that it costs more to grow wool in the United States than >n any other country; that the merino wools required in such great volume our mills are the most expensive of all wools produced; that the highest average cost of production of such w ooi the world is in the state of Ohio and continguous territory; that the lowest average cost on similar "00l Is in Australia."

DECATUR DAILY DEMOCRAT

Deducting the proceeds from the ' i sales of lambs and mutton, which us- ; ually balances the expense of the ' flock, the average cost of fine merino ' wool in the United States is 12 cents I per pound. The entire wool crop costs i ■ i nine and one-half cents a pound to ■ produce. In South America, the cost lis between four and five cents. The Australian costs are considerably be- • low the South American. The report says: The present duty of 33 cents per pound on secured wool is prohibitive, preventing effectually the importation (of clean, low-priced foreign wools of I rhe lower grades and would be exi ceedingly useful in the manufacture of | woolen in this country, and if so used ■ might displace in large measure the cheap substitutes now so frequently employed in that industry.” The Payne-Aldrich law bases its raw ; wool duties on the assumption that greasy wool when cleaned shrinks an (average of two-thirds This shrinkage allowance is much too high, the board I finds. The average shrinkage of imported wools is about 48 per cent and of all domestic wools between 55 and 60 per cent. The rates on wool waste, , 1 rags and shoddy are called prohibitive and the report states that the present i tariff practically excludes from importation all lops and yarns except the I most expensive wqrsted yarns. , “The same is true," it says, “of low J I grade wool and cloth for men’s wear. 1 A considerable quality of fine and ex- , pensive fabrics are imported. In the fiscal year 1911 these did not consti'tute three per cent of the total consumption of the United States.” The report then discusses the rela- > tive merits of specific duties levied on I . weight and ad valorem duties. These I t duties are applied in combinations to ( fabrics and the result is that on cheap goods the Payne-Aldrich specific duty j is sometimes in excess of the totall 3 value of raw material on the basis of i cost in production in this country. y “Consequently,” the board says, “the i duty on certain cheap fabrics, if imi ported—which is impossible under the r existing duties commonly as high as 150 per cent ad valorem, and in some f cases even over 200 per cent. Much . of the objection to the present com- ? pensatory du.y as excessive would be n„Hln<r iho ’t V nn TVnnl

removed by putting the duty on v,ooi| on the scoured (or cleaned) basis instead of on the greasy pound. The duty in that case would be adjusted to the actual wool." But prices in this country have been increased by the full amount of these prohibitive duties, the board finds. The board said that goods assessed at from 150 to 200 per cent and thereby prohibitive were sold in this country at a price only 60 to 80 per cent higher than similar goods abroad. This is the result of domestic competition, it says: “At the present time,” says the report, “the industry in general is on a competitive basis." In reference to the higher cost of production of woolen cloths and yarns in this country, one clement is the 45 : per cent ad valorem duty paid on ma-1 chinery, most of which is imported, says the report. American manufac-, turers pay 70 per cent more for the ’ machinery than do the English' Turning wool into tops costs eight. per cent more in American than in England and the cost of producing) yarn here is about twice the cost in j England. The figures of the board show 1 that it costs from CO to 170 per cent more to turn yarn into cloth here than in England. The same difference Is shown in comparison with the figures for Fiance. But the difference is not so wide in a comparison with the German cost. “In the ready-made clothing industry the cloth is the largest single element and is equal to one-third of the net wholesale selling price," said the report. “In considering the impor-1 tame of cloth cost to the wearer of ; clothing, it U necessary to bear in mind the margin between wholesale and retail price. The retail price is usually 50 per cent or more above the • net wholesale price. On this basis about 25 per cent of the price paid by ! the retailer goes to the manufacturer of cloth. The cost of material, labor ■md all other expense undergone in I i converting material into finished garments is 80 Per cent of the net wholesale selling price of the finished product. Out of the remaining 20 per cent the manufacturer must pay his selling expense." DECORATION COMMITTEE. The committee on decoration for the strict convention are requested to i Xt at the office of the county surveylor this even,ng c j 2 Chr’m.

TO BID ON WORK Haugk & Ormburg May be Among Those Who Try for Bailing Sugar Plant. LET DECEMBER 30TH Sixteen Firms Are Planning to Bid on Job —The Work Must be Hurried. Messrs. E. X. Ehinger and .Julius Haugk arrived home Tuesday evening from Detroit, where they went with Mr. Ormburg ot Memphis to figure on the contract for the sugar factory buildings here. The contract will be sub-let by the Larrowe Construction company one week from Saturday, December 30th, and it is probably that Haugk & Ormburg will be one of the bidders. So far sixteen firms have signified their intentions of bidding for the big job. Several of the prosI pective bidders have been here to go i over the ground and it is likely that ''others will come within the next few days. The blue prints of the various buildings are now being prepared and will be sent out tomorrow, it is expected. The contract is a large one and among the bidders for the job are a number of the best, known builders of the country. The Larrowe com-' pany will be back of whoever gets the j bid and will reserve the right to take ' up the work and complete it should I the contractor not show the proper; speed. They will also build and in ■ stall the machinery. u LECTURE AT MONROE THURSDAY. George P. Bible, the noted humor- 1 ist and entertainer, will visit Monroe for the second time Thursday night, December 21st, when he will give his lecture, “Fads and Extremes.” One of the most unique men of the platform, his address is funny throughout, but filled with serious advice. For

years head of the state normal school of Pennsylvania, he is an educator oi reputation. Time and again he is recalled to repeat his lectures. He is an apostle of sunshine and good cheer The date is December 21st. CLOSE XMAS AND NEW YEAR'S. We, the undersigned, agree to close our respective places of business on both Christmas and New Years for the entire day: Myers-Dailey Co. Holthouse. Schulte & Co. Vance, Hite & Macklin. Teeple, Brandyberry & Peterson. WILL BUILD ROAD I I 'C. C. Ernst as Superintendi ent Recommends Construction of Road. I* — I WELLS-ALLEN LINE I Petition Had Been Defeated Twice But New Pike Will Now be Built. Surveyor C. C. Ernst and Depiity Orval Harruff have returned from Wells county, where they spent two days going ever the George Springer macadam road, a new proposed pike, on the Wells-Allen county line. Twice before the road has been petitioned for, but both times defeated. When thii petition was filed, objections were made that either the Wells county or the Allen county surveyor be named superintendent, and Mr. Ernst was named on account of his years of experience. Mr. Ernst, with the two viewers, one from each county, today went over the road and decided that it was a public necessity and the report will be unanimously in favor of the building thereof. The new road wlll be six miles long, macadamized for ty feet wide, with ten Inches oi stoie b the center, eight inches at [he > » a" 11 with three Inches ° f screenings, following the style of roads built in this county. The viewers will report January 10th.

Decatur, Ind.. Wednesday Evening, December 20, 1911

A GRAND PRIZE. Decatur School Working for Mr.CrumHowell Vacuum Cleaner. Decatur is working for the $5,000 vacuum cleaning plant to be given as a prize by the McCruni-Howell company to the school in the town selling the largest number of Red Cross seals per capita. The plant will be completely installed free of charge, and will be a valuable acquisition to any school. One plant of this type is given to each of fourteen states and this state is anxious to be “one.” The Mc-Crum-llowell Company’s state representative is H. H. Harsha, 46 Monument Place, Indianapolis, and the no tice of the offer for this state comes from this representative, who would be much pleased to see Indiana get one of the prizes. Help the chances of the Decatur school by buying Red Cross seals. REGULAR^SESSION Clover Leaf Objects to Placing Watchman at 11th and 13th Streets. OFFICIALS WERE HERE Engineer Furnished New Route for Merriman Sewer—Allow Bills. I i Nothing of great importance confronted the city council Tuesday evening and with all members on hand, but a short session was necessary lor ' the completion of their outlined work, i The principal work of the evening pertained to the action taken by the council at their last meeting, when they ordered the Toledo, St. Louis & Western railroad to place a watchman at the Eleventh and Thirteenth street crossings, and for which they filed notice with the company. In response

live v>illl 111 C cvuipuu;. v ~ to this action the company sent two of their officials here Tuesday and spent some time investigating the matter and making inquiries as to the request. One of them gave a lengthy talk upon the condition as they found it, at both crossings, and that since, they complied with the request of the council but a short time back, to place gongs at these places, they believed it an unnecessary burden imposed upon the company, and the protection now in use will provide safety for the pedestrians and other vehicles which pass that way. Hea sked that they rescind the action so far taken, which, being later discussed, was left in the hands of the street and sewer com-' mittee to report at the next regular meeting. The report of the city engi- ' neer, who was asked to make a new I route or map and secure specifications for the Merriman sewer was read, ac-■ eepted and placed on record. It is to be turned over to the street and sew-, er committee, and to be brought up at the next meeting. j The question of the new street lights ( I which has been under consideration , for some weeks, was taken up and a 'motion made, by Councilman Hale, that the city clerk be authorized to ad-j ! vertise for bids, that on the second regular meeting, January 16, 1912, at 7 p. m., at the council chambers, they would receive bids for fifty new lamps. Several have been in use for some ‘ : weeks, one at the corner of Monroe and Second streets, and another on Madison and Second, both giving excellent service, and these will be greatly considered at the time of selection. The city board of health asked that a new' birth and death record be purchased for use of the board and the same, upon motion was ordered to be obtained by the purchasing committee. Tom Teeple, watchman for the Eric railroad company on Winchester street, with the consent of the company, asked that he be allowed to change his hours from 8 a. m. to 8 p. m., now in practice to from 7 a. m. to 7 p. m., thus giving better protection to the many school children who pass at an early hour in the morning and when more trains pass over the road than from seven to eight in the eyening, allowing him more time of leisure, which was satisfactory to the council, who will notify the superintendent of watchmen at Delphos, O , of the change. On order, No. 3214, which had been made payable twice as the result of two bills filed for the CONTINUED ON PAGE THREE

COURT HOUSE NEWS Trial in Which Mrs. Eury Seeks to Recover Replev- I I ined Mare 1 IN PROGRESS TODAY J Mare Mortgaged by Husband, She Alleges, Was Hers—Baker Released. An interesting jury trial began this I morning in the circuit court, in which I Mrs. Susie Eury seeks to replevin a i mare valued at $l5O from Sheriff Durkin and John Sovine. The mare was I mortgaged by her husband, Aaron Eury to secure the payment of a note given to John Sovine. The mortgage was foreclosed the first part of the year, the sheriff taking the horse as per order of sale, Mrs. Eury filing this suit thereafter, claiming the horse as her property and therefore not subject | to her husband’s mortgage. It is said I that Eury left nis wife last spring and is now living in Ohio, and sho and her three children are living with her mother. Peterson & Moran appear for the plaintiff and D. E. Smith and Milton Miller for Sovine. The case will probably be finished this afternoon. The following jurors are hearing the case, all being members of the regular panel except John Buffenbarger, who ! was chosen to fill the place of Jeff Crum, who was excused by reason of being a neighbor of one of the parties in the case: George Brown, Sol Sheets, Fred Thieme, Wilson Durbin, Ed Gallmeyer, Wesley Stults, James Hurst, Slone Meyers, Samuel Fogle, Ambrose Durbin, Anton Krumanacher, John Buffenbarger. The current report of M. A. Ripley, guardian of Esta M. Tague et al., was allowed. Robert S. Campbell et al. vs. George and Sarah Tricker, contribution, and (

to set aside fraudulent conveyance; j separate answer by each defendant: rule to reply to second paragraph. — George Baker, arrested last Satur-. day on a forgery charge, was released from jail today noon, his bond of five , hundred dollars having been furnished ■ by his father, Jacob Baker. Heller, Sutton & Heller filed a newquiet title suit entitled John Rohrer vs. John Miller et al. Mary Fanchon Yoder et al. vs. Alva B. Rice et al., partition; appearance CONTINITED CTN page TWO. INCIPIENT BLAZE A Combination of Boy, Matches and Fire Caused i the Excitement. JOHN BARGER HOME I ‘~ . J j Department Made Gallant Run But Neighbors Had Blaze Extinguished. The home of John Barger, corner of Nuttman avenue and Ninth street, was the scene of considerable excitement this morning about 9:30 when an incipient blaze was discovered in the kitchen. It seems that one of the children had gotten hold of some matches and was playing with them. He continued lighting them and soon caught some loose wall paper on fire, which was hanging nearby. This being in close proximity to the gasoline stove, made things dangerous and the alarm was sent in by the frightened women. The department responded gallantly, but upon arrival found that men of the neighborhood had extinguished the fire. The place was damaged probably a dollar or two. It’s just another example of the danger of matches when in the inexperienced hands of children and more care should be taken to keep the matches away from children who are not old enough to understand the frightful effects that may be caused by so little a thing as a match.

BRICK ABOUT LAID. Frank Aurand and force of masons I are finishing up the brick work of the new city hall and in a few days the building will be turned over to the carpenters for finishing. He has succeeded, despite the very bad w'eather, in doing a very neat job of work and one that will long be cherished by the citizens. Already the beauty of the design is noticeable and upon completion will make probably the most beautiful building in the city. Mr. Aurand is a young man, who has risen rapidly and from a start a few years ago as i a mason’s helper, has risen to be a I contractor of considerable influence. EIGHT STUDENTS : (Adams County Well Represented at the State University. ALL DOING NICELY i I Reflect Much Credit on This Community—College is One of Rest. — Many Decatur young people have! been attending the state university ai Bloomington the past fall. This reflects well upon them and the community from which they come, for Indiana university ranks high among the universities of the United States. Her alumni are highly successful in life, | and a credit to their alma mater and I their country. Many of her professors ( are of world-wide repute. The Adams county people who are j now students of Indiana university I are Miss Lucile Gillig, Free Frisinger, I Merle Fulk, Robert and Frank Mann, Glen Warner, Fred Myers and Clem 1 Steigmeyer. Miss Gillig is an accomplished and j popular young lady of this city. She ( was graduated from the Decatur high ' ( school in 1908, and until she entered ;

the university last fail was employed , at the First National bank. She is I taking an active part in the literaryi | and social affairs of the college and; succeeding in all her work. Free Frisinger entered the univer-1 sity at the beginning of the winter ! i term last January. He is a member ; lof the Sigma Chi fraternity. He played on the freshman base ball team last spring and will, no doubt, be a member of the varsity next spring. Merle Fulk is a graduate of the Dan- j [ ville normal college. Mr. Fulk taught | I school in Kirkland township last win ter. He entered Indiana university last fall and intends ultimately to , study medicine. He is taking an a< - [ tive part in the Y. M. C. A. work at [Bloomington. Mr. Fulk is an enorgel- | ic and determined young man and is j sure to succeed at whatever he un. I dertakos. i Robert Mann is a senior and will [ receive his A. B. degree next spring. I He is secretary of the university Y. M. ' G. A. and is quite active in this line [of work. Mr. Mann is well known to i Adams county people, for he has been I a successful teacher here for several , years. Frank Mann was graduated from j the College of Liberal Arts of Indil ana university last spring and is now i a student at the Indiana Medical ' school at. Indianapolis. He has been decidedly successful throughout his ' college career and his efforts have been rewarded by a fellowship; he is assistant professor in physiology at the Indiana Medical college. ; Glen Warner was teacher in the [ eighth grade in this city last year. He ■ has taught in this city for several' ■ years and has been very successful ■ ■ He was also a student of the Marlon ■ Normal college for some time Mr Warner’s work at Indiana is in accord with all that he has undertaken, ex- .' cccdingly excellent. ' Fred Myers is a graduate of the De ; ! catur high school, a member of the [class of 1910. He is a sophomore at i the university and is making a splendid succeed, receiving excellent grades in all his work. Clem Steigmeyer was graduated ■ from the local high school with the [class of 1911. Mr. Steigmeyer made ■ a brilliant success of his high school work and is doing equally s well in i college. > ii, -r>, ■ — > Edith Miller and nephew, Arthur > Miller, will spend Christmas at HuntI ington with their sister and aunt, Mrs Lizzie Nix.

Price, Two Cents

FAVORS MUSSELS Professor Blatchley Says Will Add Variety to Inland Menus. FOOD ECONOMY Professor Would do Weil Not to Mention it to a Local Family. Indianapolis, Ind- Dec. 20—One ( hint for the solution of the present I high cost of living might be obtained i from a study of the food supply of the j prehistoric peoples who inhabited In- ■ diana during the stone age, | This was the conclusion of W. S Blatchley, former state geologist, who 1 described to the Indiana academy his discoveries in a shell mound on the farm ol T. Ghormley, in Marion county. An explanation of this shell mound showed that it had been made by the people of the stone age, and that one of their food supplies was (the ordinary fresh water mollusc, which is now common in the Indiana streams. “All of these Indiana refuse heaps are composed mainly of the shells of unio, and show that a mollusc once formed an important element in the food supply of an ancient people,” he said. “The larger number of unios in ■ our streams have in recent years been ■ removed to furnish ornaments, not j food, for the civilized white man. It i might be well for him to cultivate a i taste for these fresh water clams and j so add another variety of food to his I menu, thereby reducing, in slight de- | gree, the high cost of living of which (he now complains so much. However, ( I would not advise him to try any of 1 these molluscs —if there be any—in I the west fork of White river, between Indianapolis and Martinsville.”

Among these shells or mussels were found fragments of the horns of the , elk and deer, which had been split for the marrow. Small pieces of charI coal and beds of ashes were found. | “One very small fragment of coarse I pottery of a reddish hue was found and one or two imperfect flint arrow heads,” he said. "The most interesting artificial objects taken were a number of bone awls, and thicker i pieces of bone, sharpened down to I serve as prys in opening the shells.” Mr. Blatchley showed a number of these awls to the scientists, and it was noted that eyes had been pierced in some of the awls, which were probably used as needles. Mr. Blatchley i said there were a number of such ! shell heaps in counties near the Ohio river. Tried Locally. The cooking of “fresh water clams” or mussels has been tried locally but with poor success except to perpetuate a joke that seems to have no end. , A well known man of the county, who ~ had a fondness for clams, thought that j the river “mussels" would make excellent eating. Accordingly one vacation day, he and hie young daughters proceeded to the St. Mary's river where they gathered bag after lag of the “mussels,” and taking them home, asked the wife and mother to cook them. [ She was very skeptical and proceeded to cook on the side, several dishes in case the “great dish” did not prove to be what the lord and master expected. Soup was made of the mussels and while the broth “was not so bad," the “clams” were tough and leathery beyond chewing, and eating them was “not to be thought of." Just let Professor Blatchley mentipn “clams” to this family, unless he wants to back up his statements with a lesson on the preparing of them for the table. - —— LADELLE3 LEAVE FOR WEST. ■ Fred LaDelle and family left Tuesday for St. Paul, Minn., where they will open their season's engagement at the fine new theater there, playing I Thursday, Friday and Saturday, before going to Fargo, N. D„ where they will ■ play next week. They had expected I'not. to leave until Thursday of this i I week, going directly to Fargo, N. D„ but word came sooner, directing them to go to St. Paul. Their tour will be a grand one, taking them to the prin- ■ j cipal cities along the coast before their I return. They leave with engagements of twelve weeks ahead of them.