Richmond Palladium (Daily), Volume 44, Number 73, 4 February 1919 — Page 1

VOL. XUV..NO. 73- jMf.xWi.

RICHMOND, IND., TUESDAY EVENING," FEB4, 1919. SINGLE COPY 3 CENTS

ATTEMPT TO KILL STATE TAX MEASURE UNSUCCESSFUL Minority Report Submitted by Sambor Against Admini- , . stration Bill Oppose . Sal- : ary Raise. 23 BILLS INTRODUCED

(By Associated Press) INDIANAPOLIS, Feb. 4 Unsuccessful effort to kill the administra tion tax measure, failure of passage of iw miug suu manning dui, ana Introduction of 23 new measures featured the business session of the lower house of the Indiana legislature this morning. This afternoon the house had four bills up for passage, one of them being the McKlnley bill to require protection of workers from noxious gases by use of gas masks. The fight to kill the taxation measure was precipitated by Representative Sambor, of East Chicago, a member of the committee on judiciary A submitting a minority report which Representative Laughlin of Oden, after Chairman Klmmel, of Lafayette had reported the bill, recommending passage. When the motion as put to submit the minority report for the majority report the speaker ruled those opposed to the proposed legislation bad failed to substitute their recommendations. Representative Sambor contended that the committee had not given proper consideration of the bill. Attacked Salary Raise Representative Laughlin attacked the bill because of the provision which remained giving the state board of tax commissioners authority to tax buildings and loan associations, banks, trust companies and Dublic utilities. A J 41 a 1 . i . . . because he alleges by raising salary all the way down the line, Including the "fixing of each of the tax commissioned salary at $6000 annually, double the present salary, it will add peiweea ffvv.vuu ana sbuu.uuu aaaitlonal expenditures upon the tax payers annually; third on the ground that the state board would have authority to compel property owners who failed to make complete returns of property lor taxation after being publicly notified to come to Indianapolis and aptinar hfaM thn hnarri inil nnliiln' ,- fourth, because principles of govern,,f7t fcf representation - upon being uUea is -being guaranteed would be violated by the state board-controlling local tax levies and fifth because he alleges control of the- tax levy so that more money would not be raised next year than la raised t' year by taxation would be impossible. Object yre. He summed his objections by stating, "The bill is too ridiculous to be thought of. It does not give the right of appeal from the decisions of the state board, and simply would give a few fellows additional salaries." Representative Kimmel In urtf" adoption of the majority report declared that the subject 1 the . Oigg.c that has been before the people in many years. Floor Leader Mendenhall of the house majority, who introduced the measure, also urged the bill be printed and the issue settled upon the floor by consideration of section by section. The bill, if passed, he said will not give a perfect law. He emphasized the need for constitutional amendment whereby evils that cannot be corrected by law now will be eliminated, lie said that' there are concerns in Indiana, valued at from one to two million dollars which are assessed for taxation at $75,000. PROTESTS ALLIED COLONIES PLAN By Associated Preaa BASEL, Feb. 4. Speaking before the Colonial assembly at Berlin, Math las Erzberger. one of the German armistice commissioners, today protested against Germany being de prived of her colonies, according to a dispatch received here from the German capital. Me is reported to have said: "If we no longer have troops or arms, we hare our rights.. The allies Vt tt va o rron rl 0t WDnnn'a 'fnnptoan JV7 V. T w V S3 AVUSIVV points' as Germany has. Mr. Wilson demands broad and impartial regulations of all colonial questions, but the allies are seeking to impose the will of stronger nations, without taking into account the rights of Germany. "Deprivlg Germany of all her colonies would contain a deadly germ for the league of nations, even before that league is born. We understand it has been proposed to internationalize German colonies under the administration of the league of nations. We ought to categorically repel such a proposition or claim the same treatment for the colonies of all other powers. President Wilson's program gives Germany an invollable right to her colonial territories." American women uwen Relaian mhecaraiinn WWW 4W (By Associated Press) TOKIO, Monday, Feb. 3. The Belgian minister today presented the or- ; dcr of Queen Elizabeth to thirty-seven ' women war workers. Among those n'kn rAitnfv.il tflA fla(rtMrlnn VON , UV . V. V . T V V .MV V. V . V . w thro Jananeca nrlncessPB. including rincess Fushlml, and five American muivo, mini '." ; f Toklo, and Mrs. Mey, of Yokohama ' ind Mrs. Colbran and Mrs. Wellhaven ;f Seoul, Corex

Two Great Hawaiian Volcanoes Are Active

(By Associated Press) HONOLULU. Feb. 4. Kilauea, one of the largest volcanoes in the world, situated on the eastern slope of Manna Loa, has resumed activity after a period of comparative quiet. The lava column is rising from the crater with unabated force and the fiery liquid mass has overflowed the rim of the pit in three places. , Mauna Loa also is showing signs of activity. Four columns of smoke and gas were observed today rising from the mountain's main crater on the summit. Little damage is expected, however, because of the barren nature of the surrounding country. Only In the event of unprecedented eruption would the lowland plantations be in danger of devastation. Mauna Loa, on the Island of Hilo, has an altitude of about 14,000 feet Kilauea is 4,400 feet high and its crater is nearly three miles . in diameter. LONDON STRIKE SPREADS AMONG RAIL EMPLOYES Society of Engineers Denounces Unofficial StrikeSituation Improves at Glasgow- ' . (By Associated Press) LONDON, Monday, Feb. 3. The Associated Societies of Locomotive engineers notified the London district railway of their intention to call out the members of the societies on its lines Tuesday morning with a view to enforcing the same meal time stipulation that the tube men were demanding. , The secretary said that if the demand was not effective the steam train engineers and firemen of the railways 'in the London area, which also have electric traction, will be called out, and subsequently, if necessary, all the societies 43,000 members throughout the country would be ordered to cease work. , The executive council of the Amalgamated Society of Engineers today considered the situation created by various unofficial strikes in connection with the latest grievances arising out of the Introduction of the demand for a forty-seven hour week. The council issued a statement disapproving of all unofficial strikes and urging the members to resume work immediately and thus' enable responsible trades union executives immediately to enter Into' negotiations with the employers federation, with a view to obtaining redress of any grievance. To Take Firm Urttl. - v The .council declared that , while durjng the war, for a, variety of reasons it was necessary to deal leniently with those responsible for such unofficial action in the Interests of the trades union movement, & firm stand must now be taken. The council said it therefore appealed to all members in the London area to Ignore the decision of recent unofficial meetings in favor of a strike. Profiting by its existence on Monday when the city awoke to find transportation hampered by the strike in the tubes, London started early to work today. By daybreak the streets were well filled with men and women walking from the suburbs, and the buses, when they started at seven o'clock, were crowded. Almost every one carried a tube striker, who was urging the girl conductors to strike, but up to the present these efforts have been without success. Engineer Strikers Return. The situation at Glasgow showed further improvement today. Though none of the strikers at the Fairfield shipbuilding yards resumed work, fully sixty per cent of the strikers at the Cathcart engineering works and a number at the Llnthouse shipyard returned to work. This afternoon the shipwrights at Govan notified the authorities they would resume work tomorrow if protection for them could be provided. It Is understood that the Impression prevails among the authorities that a small minority brought about the strike at Glasgow. McAdoo Made Council for Motion Picture Company CPy Associated Press) LOS ANGELES, Cal, Feb. 4. William G. McAdoo, former secretary of the treasury, was retained today as counsel by a recently organized moving picture company. Mr. McAdoo is spending the-winter near here. THE WEATHER For Indiana by United States Weather Bureau Fair and colder tonight. Wednesday fair. Today's Temperature. . Noon .31 Yesterday. Maximum ...... 51 Minimum 35 For Wayne County by W. E. Moore Fair and colder tonight. Decidedly below freezing. &lr Wednesday. Strong northwest winds diminishing sometime tonight. General Conditions Western storms have advanced rapidly eastward losing energy. It caused showers over the central states and snow around the lakes and much colder in the west. Temperatures range from zero in northern Arizona to 20 below zero on the Canadian border. This cold wave is moving rapidly eastward but will not b'e severe over this section, although temperature will be far below freezing tonight. Another storm is developing over the Pacific coastTemperatures in Alaska are now above zero, having risen 70 to 80 degrees in the last few days.

THE FIRST

Pin, II li W (IK) v 11 I ill fL ,, rtVjPl

Peace conference in session. Arrow 1 points to President Wilson.; Arrow 2 indicates Premier Clemenceau, president of the council. , This photo, rushed to this country, shows the opening session of the peace conference proper at which representatives of the smaller nations as well as the delegates of the five great powers attended. Previous sessions were of the five great powers alone, during which they mapped out the general plan of the conference. -The picture shows the delegates in session in the -Salon de L'Horlege.

BOLSHEVIKI IN CONTROL OF ALL EASTERN UKRAINE Soviet Government Established at Kharkov Russians Retreat on Pinega Front. (By Associated Press) LONDON, Feb. 4. The Bolshevist forces are now masters of almost the whole of eastern Ukraine, including the important centers of Kharkov, Poltava, Ekaterinoslav and the Konetz mining region, according to a Helslngfors dispatch to the Mail. It is report ed that a soviet government has been J established at Kharkov, the president being M. Rakovsky, one of the signatories to the Brest-Lltovsk treaty with Germany. . . ;-.., r The Russian detachment operating with the Americans on. tbe. P5?KJ tront retreated several . versts yesterday, after, having unsuccesfully at tempted an attack in which it encountered superior numbers of the Bolshevik forces. Artillery and patrol actions continue on all sectors of the front. - An American airplane yesterday bombed Bolshevik positions on the Vaga river. HOPES FOR AGREEMENT PARIS, Feb. 4. The Russian soviet government will take "all measures" to bring about an agreement with the entente, according to a wireless message sent out from Moscow on Sunday. It complains that the Bolshevik authorities had received no "formal invitation" to the Princes islands conference, the only word regarding it being a wireless message "containing press news." The text of the wireless message which was addressed "To Berlin, Paris and Everywhere," reads: "M. Tchitcherin, the people's commissary for foreign affairs, has made it known to the college of the people's commissaries that he had received a wireless message containing press news, according to which the entente at Paris had proposed to the different governments of Russia a conference at the Princes islands. The people's commissary added that no formal invitation to the conference had arrived from the entente. All. measures will be taken to bring about an agreement with the entente." NINE SHIPS LEAVE FRANCE WITH YANKS (By Associated Press) WASHINGTON. Feb. 4. Departure from France of nine ships which will dock at New York, Philadelphia, or Newport News in the next three weeks with approximately 400 officers and 7.200 men from the A. E. F. was announced today by the" war department. s U. 5, War Medal Awarded to Twenty-One Soldiers v (By Associated Press) WASHINGTON, Feb. 4 Award of congressional medals of honor, the highest American military decoration, to two officers and 19 enlisted men of the army In France was announced today by - the war department. Only three of the medals had been awarded previously for service in the great war. No Indiana men were in the list. Alien Soldiers Made . Into V. S. Citizens Instruction was received Monday 'by the county clerk's office as to proceedings to be taken in the case of soldiers naturalized in camp. Francisco Pierro, just returned from the army and very anxious to prove his citizenship, .was sent on his way rejoicing Monday afternoon. ; The county clerk's office makes out forms for all applicants and forwards them to the naturalization office at Washington, where naturalization papers have been held for soldiers until they return from service.

GENERAL SESSION

Baker s Refusal to Give Information Starts Dispute at Pro-German Hearing -"''. (By Associated Press) " J from any department and have him WASHINGTON Feb 4 When the tel1 us from his own memory that he . . . ' . - ,y,iny, knows even if he does not bring pasenate judiciary sub-committee which 1 1 per? agked senator Wolcott. ..jhe has been investigating German and i realizes that we can do that," Senator

brewer's propaganda met today for what was expected to be its final open session a heated discussion was started by an announcement by Chairman Overman that Secretary Baker had refused to give the committee in - formation concerning an investigation by the war department of alleged proGerman sentiment of F. J. H, von Engelken, former' president of the federal farm loan bank at Columbia, S. c. V:; Senator Overman said.V Secretary Baker, in declining to furnish the information had written him. that the department conducted an inquiry and believed the charges had not been su stained; 4t-woB disclosed that mm chairmen made the request after Governor Manning of South Carolina and Former Senator Benet had asked that the charges be investigated by the committee. ' ' ,: ' ; Senator Wolcott, of Delaware, criticizes the secretary's action, saying while the committee had obtained all of the information from the military intelligence that would be vital to the present . inquiry he would protest against setting a precedent for future committee action and insisted' that they make a test case of the von Engelken matter and see whether Secretary Baker's position could be sustained. ., -; . Senator Nelson of Minnesota declared he wanted the public to know that the secretary of war was putting a "veto on us and hindering this investigation." "Does the secretary .of war take the position that we can not call any one DIES TWO HOURS BEFORE HIS TRIAL Withln two hours of his appearance in circuit court to face charges which probably would have resulted in a long prison sentence, Bart Bell, of near Cambridge City, died suddenly in the county jail at 7:30 o'clock Tuesday morning. Bell had shaved and washed in preparation for the trial, and had gone back to his cell carrying a tfn of water. An attache heard him breathing heavily and called the sheriff, but Bell was dead. Verdict of death by heart-trouble probably will be returned by Dr. S. Edgar Bond, coroner. He suspected suicide, because of the sudden death just before trial, he said after ex amining me Doay. Dut mere was no evidence to prove that Bell had any lut-aus ui mums uimseii. i wen naa Deen trouDied Dy heart aisease all his life, according to members of the family, and had told jail attaches that he was subject to heart atacks and that he might be found dead in bed some morning. I Bell had a criminal record of ten years in the state penitentiary on a charge of burglary. Witnesses for the trial were waiting for a car at Cambridge City when informed by the sheriff's office that there would be no trial. The Jury, however, appeared, as did Bell's relatives.-'"' . Woman to Be Candidate for Mayor of Chicago (By Associated Press CHICAGO, Feb. 4. Mrs. Leonora Z. Meder, lawyer, clubwoman and former city commissioner of public welfare, today announced - her candidacy for mayor. In making the declaration of her intentions, Mrs. Meder said: , "There is no reason why a woman cannot govern the second largest city in the United States.: Can you name one of the candidates who has thrown his hat into the ring who is better qualified . than I?" Mrs Meder said she should run as a non-partisan.

OF THE WORLD PEACE

Overman said . "We could call the secretary4 himself before any committee of congress," continued Senator Wolcott. After extended and vigorous criti cisms by several senators of alleged 1 lawless propaganda, the senate today adopted a resolution extending the powers of the senate committee investigating propaganda 4o inquire into other activities which it was charged sought the overthrow of the government. RICHMOND FLORIST GETS GOLD f'EDAL Joe Hill, carnation grower and wholesale florist of this city, was awarded the gold medal in the nationLai exhibition of carnations held in con nection with the national convention of florists ' in Cleveland, Ohio, last week. Mr. Hill's carnations were considered the best in the exhibition contributed to by carnation growers from all parts of the country. E. G. Hill, Joe Hill and Fred Lemon, Richnond greenhouse men, attended the convention in Cleveland. Following the Cleveland convention, forty of the most prominent rose growers of the country came to Richmond and were hero until laBt exening visiting local greenhouses. Their particular mission here was to view the world-famous roses of E. G. Hill, and a greater part of their time was spent at the Hill greenhouses on Easthaven Avenue. Great interest was shown in Mr. Hill's new roses. Including the Rose Premier and others. Representatives of the rose growing world from Portland, Maine, to Denver, Col., spent th9 week end in the city for that purposeAmong them were: Allen Kurst, H. 'Arnold and William ' Nicholson, of Boston, Mass.; Henry, Stroud t, of Portland,' Maine;" Charles Totty, and others, of New York City; Robert Kess, of Houston, Tex.; John Kartje, and a number of other rose growers, of Indianapolis; The Pohlman Brothers, famous florists of Chicago; and twelve other delegates from that city; and Allen Harvey and others from Philadelphia. The guests were entertained at the Country Club while in the city. Socialists Reproach Each Other for War Actions (By ' Associated Press) BERXE, Switzerland, Feb. 4. A violent rhetorical duel between the French and German ' socialists with many recriprocal reproaches and acCUSations marked the second sitting last night of tne international labor and socialist conference. The French Kide of the debate was in the hands of, Pierre Rcnaudel, Albert Thomas and M. Mistral, ' " , Otto Wels, the former military commander of Berlin, defended the German position and said that the German socialists already had settled the question of responsibility for the war in having taken all power from the princes and kings. V Wels accused Great Britain of having killed 700,000 German women, old men and children by the ."hunger blockade." He said that the exclusion of the German socialists would impede the reconstruction of the Internationale.. Kurt Eisner, the Bavarian premier, was the first, speaker on the program for todays . ' Reach Part Agreement , Over War Contracts WASHINGTON, Feb, 4. In a partial agreement reached today by senate and house conferees on the legislation of validation and settlement of informal war contracts aggregating about $2,750,000,000 the senate managers yielded and struck from the, bill the plan for an appellate commission to pass upon awards of government officials. . ' , . '

CONFERENCE

CHANGE IN TAX METHODS NEEDED DECLARES SIMMS Taxation of Incomes to be Part of Future Program, Declares Tax Commissioner Fred A. Simms of Indianapolis, exsecretary of state, and now a member of the Board of Tax Commissioners, was the speaker at the Rotary club meeting Tueseday noon at the Arlington. Mr. Simms explained the tax bill that went before the house today. It has become an economic necessity to find a new method of taxation, the speaker said, ' in order to abandon the old method of simply raising the tax rate.. Stabllitv is coin to be one of th lmpoftan1fsturei" the matter of taxation," said Mr. Simms - " , i u ionla revenues. must come from the extension of taxation power ana nut from a raise in taxation." "Taxation of incomes will be one of the things that will be a part of the future program of taxation. The state will reach out and involve incomes in its method of taxation. We are about to enter an era when the destructive idea of increasing the tax rate must be abolished. Other methods must be adopted." Bill Means Long Step. "The new bill that is now. before the house," said Mr. Simms, "is a codification of the present tax law plus suggestions that' have been made which are decided changes. The serious amendment takes from the law the control of the tax rate: If the bill passes as it is there is every reason to believe that a very long step has been taken in the matter of taxation in Indiana which is in a desperate condition. The suggestions that have been made are the best that could be made. Under the provisions a great deal of relief will be received." Extend Power of . Board. In speaking of the organization, one of the changes in the bill Mr. Simms said that the power of the tax board is extended to the extent that it could remove an assessing officer in a locality, providing there were charges of dereliction of duty or dishonesty. but there must be direct charges and a five day hearing. No board could use its power drastically in this matter. This was put in the bill because it is a power that would overcome local influences. 4 "If the bill is to be enforced," said Mr. Simms, "there must be a sufficient authority to do so. However, the board does not now possess the power to appoint a successor." "The revaluation change is not new," said Mr . Simms. "It simply extends the power given in the present bill. This change has been made as a result of extensive examining in other states. This has been copied from other states with a view to removing difficulties that other states have . experlencec. , This provision gives 1he power to state boards to revalue In a county and raise and lower between counties." "The control of the tax rate is the most important change. In Indiana serious difficulties have been experi enced -in this matter, particularly so in some parts. The'present method has been a depresser on commercial values of property. The average tax rate in the state is appalling. There has been this year $115,000,000 added to the tax duplicate. Every year-since 1912 there has been an increase in 87 cities out of 98. In 1915, 1916 and 1917 ten per cent was added to the valuation of property and yet taxation rates went up ten per cent. Under the new bill no taxing unit can raise more money in a year than in the preceedlng year. Revenue can be secured by petition. It all depends upon the sentiment of the taxing public in a community.. If the community wishes to borrow money Instead' of raising the rates by the council or the trustees and their boards the public is- given notice and there is a hearing in the community when everyone has an opportunity to express his opinion. It Is turning the light of publicity upon tbe amount of revenue to be raised and the purpose for which It Is being raised. It is putting borrowing to a referendum vote."

cof.if.issio;i

OF a m ' . V inP WIIL Utlilllt GREEK CLAIM U. S., Britain France and Italy to Have Two Representatives Each on Cchmittee v : ; ' WANT GREEK ISLANDS (By Associated Press) PARIS .Feb. 4. The supreme council at its meeting today agreed that questions in the statement of premier Venizelos concerning Greek territorial interests in the peace settlement should be referred to a commission of experts whose duty it would be to make recommendations for a just settlement. The commission will be composed of two representatives each from the United States, the British empire, France and Italy. URGES RIGHT TO CYPRUS PARIS, Monday, Feb. 3. Premier Venizelos of Greece, who is asking the peace conference for all the Greek islands in the Mediterranean, said to The Associated Press today that he felt sure England would not refuse to give Cyprus to Greece. The British government, he said, offered the island to former King Constantino in order to induce Greece to enter the war. "How could England refuse Cyprus to us, who entered the war willingly, without asking anything but trusting entirely to the justice of the allies?" the premier asked, adding that he also had hopes that Italy will give to Greece the Dodecanesus Islands, of which, he said: "They have for all Greeks an immense moral importance, while they represent nothing for Italy but a source of expense. It Is true that Italy-has a right to keep those islands, as Turkey did not fulfill the conditions of the peace concluded with Italy after the war in Tripoli, and this right has been recognized and confirmed by the treaty of London, written in 1915. The Interest of Italy, however, In maintaining friendly relations with Greece, Is immensely superior to whatever those few little Islands may representl - 1 J ; , y Concentrates on League. , President Wilson .-, has - several apI POinUnejiUIor toto. Inclsitng s call from Representatives of the Bible so ciety ana visits irom some itepuoncan congressmen who nave arrived In Paris. He Is determined, however, that nothing shall be permitted to obstruct the progress of the commission of which he is chairman and which now is engaged in perfecting the scheme for the creation of a society of nations. He is therefore concentrating his attention on that work. While more than two weeks before his return to Washington it is still possible for the peace congress to ratify the plan and thus put it In the way to be registered in treaty form within the time limit. This would make a record for international conferences, but the Paris gathering already has done that In several Instances. There Is a growing feeling here that the treaty of peace should be speedily perfected, now that the principle of the society of nations and many of the details of Its construction have been agreed upon. Arthur J. Balfour, the British foreign secretary. Is engaged upon a proposition to fix the territorial boundaries of the defeated nations at once, and promptly conclude peace with the enemy as so constituted. The program would then be to go on with the settlement of the other questions remaining to be solved under the rules of the society of nations. - Relation Between Nations With such an agreement on general Principles as has been reached. It Is J held in some quarters that there may be no need to treat specifically such subjects as the freedom of the seas, the use of submarines in warfare, the creation of buffer states, or even the delimitation of national .boundaries with reference to their defensive possibilities. The idea Is , that there would be no necessity to consider the question .of defense against a neighbor whose good behavior was assured. Some questions, however, do require immediate concern, it seems generally agreed. These are subjects such as the assessment of the damages caused by the war, the responsibility for the war, the regulation of the use of International waterways and railways, the difficulties presented by the present state of chaos in the treaty relations between the nations as one result of the war. and treatment of the labor question by international accord. Some of these problems would require a long time to settle, notably kb2.d.etl1imi?inS f tbe a,?LUal 2a.mage inflicted by the enemy, although It has been suggested that adjustment of this question might be facilitated by the adoption of an estimate of the gross sum, based on tbe preliminary examinations which already have been made by army officers. 4 One way of solving these problems, which may be adopted, would be through the creation of various commissions to work after the final adjustment of the peace conference, with full powers to enforce the execution of their decrees. Berlin Smtrtacans Seized J BuUdings in Kctzzz&zrg fBr AsocTaT vressi COPENHAGEN. Teb. A. A majority of the government buildings In Koenlgsberg. east Prussia, have been seized by Spartacans from Berlin, The governor of east Prussia has declared a state of selge In the .Thorn district and instituted court martlala.

EXPERTS