VOL. XLVI.-NO. 14,39.
PORTLAND, OREGON, . SATURDAY, DECEMBER
190G.
PRICE FIVE CENTS.
15,
FATHER IN TEABS;
BOY 15 UNMOVED
Oramatic Scene ait the
Thompson Trial.
HEART PLEA OF BROKEN MAN
Career of Scion of Family Af
flicted With Insanity.
FEW DRY EYES IN ROOM
Will H. Thompson, Father of the
Slaer. of Judge Emory, Lays
15n re the Skeletons in His
Family History.
TACOMA, Wash., Dec. 14. (Special.)
For three hours and forty minutes
Will II. Thompson stood before the 12
men today who are to try lils son,
Chester Thompson, for his life, and de
tailed from the boy's birth to the pres
ent time his strange and eccentric ca
reer in a narrative which for pathos
has never been equaled In the criminal
courts. It was a great, earnest heart
pica of a crushed and broken father,
and at its conclusion, when the aged
attorney, with choking voice and tear
stained face, and head and shoulders
bowed with the weight of his great
griff, felt his way to bis seat, there
were few dry eyes or clear throats in
the courtroom.
"Whatever your verdict, gentlemen,
almost sobbed the parent, 'I havo lost
my boy, I have lost my boy.
Women cried audibly behind their
handkerchiefs, and strong men, attor
neys used to scenes of grief In court
rooms, furtively dashed a hand across
their eyes and swallowed lumps in their
throats. Maurice Thompson, with tears
streaming down his face, made his way
to the back of his father's chair and
put both arras over the drooped shoul
ders. Oscar Thompson, showing equal
emotion, remained by the side of the
accused and struggled for composure.
Slayer Shows No Emotion.
Chester Thompson was in all that
throng tho least moved. Never ' once
did ho look toward his parent, and not
even when his father was describing
the last movements of tho paralyzed
mother and repeated hor injunction,
"Take care of our Chester," did his ex
pression change.
The opening statement of J. F. Miller,
Assistant Prosecuting Attorney for King
County, was very brief, lie recited the
facts of the killing and declared that
murder was born in Thompson's heart
when Judge Emory refused to permit
Chester to again call upon Miss Whittle
sey. When Mr. Miller closed, Will H.
Thopmson arose and addressed the jury,
saying in part:
"Insanity has been in our family for
many generations. Chester's great-great-grandmothcr
was insane, with lucid in
tervals, from the time her first child was
born until her death. Two of his aunts
ere insane all their lives, Joel Lee, an
uncle, upon his mother's side, was insane
all his later life. Joel Lee's sister was
Insane from the time she was a girl. Ella
' West was married at the age of 20 and
shortly afterward became insane, and is
now in an insane sanitarium at Colorado
Springs.
Uncle's Mind Affected.
"My brother Tom was afflicted through
his life, lie died at the age of'4D, and
never was able to learn to read and
write.
"My brother Maurice, a man of splen
did intellect and a literary toiler all his
life, was for two years a sufferer from
insanity, but recovered- and did his best
work afterward. He was of that high-
strung nervous temperament which has
been both a blessing and a scourge In
our family.
"Chester was born at a time when
financial: calamity bad overtaken me.
The mother was in great distress. Wheth
er this affected Chester I do not know.
But the hoy was born healthy."
Mr. Thompson made no argument what
ever, but simply recited tho strange do
ings of the boy from his babyhood, whfn
he was a forward, interesting chilA to
bis later days when he was so shy and
diffident, melancholy and indifferent that
not one member of his family could get
out of him moro than a mere yes and no
and when the consuming desire of his life
was to sit at a distance and look at
Charlotte Whittlesey.
Tomorrow the iirst witness for the
state will be called.
GREATEST OF LINGUISTS
Dcntli of Jeremiah Curtin, Learned
in Seventy Languages.
BRISTOL, Vt., Dec. 1-1. Jeremiah
Curtin, the distinguished linguist and
philologist and well-known as a trans
lator of Russian and Polish novels
died here today of Bright's disease.
aged 66 years. Ho was professor in 70
languages, excelling as a linguist, it is
said, any other man.
After his graduation from Harvard
in 1863 be became secretary of
the United States legation in Russia
and later acting consul there. For
many years' he was actively engaged
' in special work for the Smithsonian In-
iujiutioa yisitias xnaoz countries and.
studying the language and folklore of
the people. As an author he was best
known as the translator from the
Polish of the work of Henry Sicnkic-wiecz.
ONLY GRANITE IN SACKS
Mining Mali Causes Seller's Arrest
for Buncoing Him.
SALT LAKE CITY, Dec. 14. As the
result of a disagreement over a mining
deal for a property in Boise County, Ida
ho, Samuel Newhouse has had Lee
Bunch arrested on a charge of obtaining
$3700 under false pretenses. Newhouse
says he paid Bunch that amount on
representation that an amount of ore
was mixed and sacked on the property,
while in reality the sacks contained
granite.
Bunch says Newhouse made the initial
investment, then sent his expert M. M.
Johnson up to examine the mine aud on
his report decided to invest $50,000 more
In development work and finally repented
of his offer.
Newhouse is a prominent mine owner
operating in all the Western states.
SIX SPECIAL MESSAGES DUE
President Will Discuss Vital Ques
tions With Congress.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 14. Six special
messages are to be sent to Congress
next week by President Roosevelt.
They include one on the naval person
nel bill, which contemplates the nnore
rapid retirement and promotion of the
officers of the Navy: a message trans
mitting Secretary Metcalfs report on
the alleged discrimination against the
Japanese In San Francisco; a special
message on Panama; a message on the
public land question; transmitting Sec
retary Taft's report on Cuba, and a re
ply to the Senate resolution calling for
information regarding the discharge
without honor of the soldiers of the
Twenty-fifth regiment of colored in
fantry.
WILL INCREASE ITS CAPITAL
Northern Pacific Announces Issue of
$03,000,000 New Stock.
NEW TORK, Dec. 14. The expected
financial plan of the Northern Pacltic
Railway Company was niade public late
tonight. It provides for an increase in
the capital stock from $155,000,000 to
$250,000,000. A special meeting of the
stockholders is called for January 7 to
authorize the proposal. A right to sub
scribe to $93,000,000 of the new stock at
par in proportion to the respective hold
ings of the present stock is to be offered
to shareholders of record December 31.
GIVES UP DOWER RIGHT
Kirs. Dowle Assigns All Interest in
Zion City.
MUSKEGON. Mich., Dec. 14. Mrs.
Jane Dowie today formally signed away
her dower interest and any claim she
might liavo on any Zion City property,
receiving in return a deed to the Dowio
Summer home on the shores of Whito
Lake In Northern Muskegon County. Tho
transaction does not affect any property
that John Alexander Dowie may own
outside of Zion City. ' .
Otsler's Mother a Centenarian.
NEW YORK. Dec. 14. A message from
Toronto sajs that Mrs. I-'catherstone Os
ier will celebrate her 100th birthday to-
dav. She is the mother of four distin
guished sons. Judge Osier, of the Ontario
Court of Appeals; E. P. Osier, M. P.; Dr.
William Ottler. reslus professor of medi
cine in the University of Oxford, and the
late B. B. Osier,- who was a prominent
lawyer. Dr. Osier gained public notice
recently by a statement credited to him
that the end of human usefulness comes
at the age of 60 years.
CONTENTS TODAY'S PAPER
Tbe Weather.
YESTFTRDAY'S Maximum temperature, 42
degrees; minimum temperature. .16 deg-r-p-e.
TODAY'S) Fair and continued cool; easterly
winds.
Kaiser in conflict with Clericals and Social
ists.. Page 1.
Archbishop of Paris finds way to retain
churches of France. Page 7-
Mexican government takes control of rail
roads. Page 4.
lattle hope of King Oscar's recovery.
Page 3.
National.
House raises salaries of Cabinet and "Vice
President, not of Congress. Page 5.
Probable action on coal land question.
Page 1.
President will endorse ship subsidy in spe
cial message. Page 3.
Hoyburn's plan for land courts. Page Ifi.
Movement for drainage of swamp land by
Government. Page 13.
Roosevelt calls conference on Standard Oil
cases. Page 1.
Domestic.
North Dakota and Minnesota without fuel
while blizzard rages. Page 4.
Lionel SlaKK-a wanted by New York po
lice. Page 4.
Mrs. Adams tells of efforts to reconcile
Broun with Mrs. Bradley, page 3.
Steamer wrecked near Duluth and many
lives lot. Page 1.
Sport.
Bicyclists disgusted with management of
race. Page 7.
Pacific Coast. ,
W- H. Thompson, in dramatic speech, tells
of the cases of insanity in his family.
Page 1.
Captain Forest, of the schooner Annie Lar
. sen, is charged with the murder of
Georgu Irish er, a sailor. Page 6.
Wife of ex-Hev. Henry Austin Adams sur
prises recreant spouse and ' secures di
vorce. Page tl.
Throe children hurnrd to death near North
Yakima- Pagt 6.
French restaurant-keeper testifies to pay-
ins "protection money to ADe liucr.
Page 4.
Commercial and Marine.
Hop market active at steady prices.
Pago 17.
Sharp in" Mammoth on local exchange.
Page 17.
All grain markets weak. Page 17.
Stronger tone in New "Sork stock market.
Page 17. . . .
Portland Lumber Company buys steamer
Excelsior. Page 10.
Portland and Vicinity.
Mayor Reod. of Estacada, convicted in Sell
wood election fraud case. Page 10.
Frank Z. Johnson, of Boise, says Mormons
are flocking . into Eastern Oregon.
Page 12.
Lumbermen tc hold National convention at
Chicago to discuss car shortage. Page 12.
Kussell & Blyth behind f.00,00n theater,
to be built on Sixth street. Page 1'-.
Citizens appeal to Council to stop Masting
X yumA tint auarry. Pajco 10. ,
SEEKS SOLUTION
OF COAL PROBLEM
Congress Given, Hard
Nut to Crack.
WOULD LEASING CURE EVILS ?
Western Man Says It Would
Only Buttress Monopoly.
DEFECTS OF PRESENT LAW
Railroads Practically Forced to Su
born Perjury in Order to Get
Coul Action at This ,
Session Likely.
' OREJGONIAN NEWS BUREAU, Wash
ington, Dec. 15. Strenuous efforts will be
made at the present session of Conaress
to secure the repeal or modification of
the coal land law along: the lines recom
mended by President Roosevelt in his
message. That something will be ac
complished sems quite probable, but what
form of law will be substituted for that
under which gigantic frauds have been
perpetrated has not yet been made ap
parent. The influence of the administra
tion will be behind a bill proposing to cut
off further sales of Government coal land,
though' permitting them to be worked by
individuals or companies on a royalty
plan. Because of the importance of this
topic, the exact recommendations of the
President may 'well be repeated. In his
message he said:
It Is not wise that the Nation should alien
ate its remaining coal lands. 1 have tem
porarily withdrawn from settlement all the
lands which the Geological Survey has indi
cated as containing, or in all probability
containing coal. Trie question, however, can
be properly setled only by legislation, which
in my Judgment should provide for the
withdrawal of these lands from sale or from
entry, save in certain especial circumstan
ces. The ownership would then remain- in
the United States, which should not, how
ever, attempt to work them, but permit
them to be worked by private Individuals
under a royalty system, the Government
keeping -eucteeerol as to permit it to see
that no excessive price Is charged con
sumers. It would, of course, be as neces
sary to supervise the . rates charged by the
common carriers to transport the product
as the rates charged by those who mine it;
and the supervision must extend to the con
duct of the common carriers, so that they
shall in no way favor ono-competitor at the
expenses of another. Tho withdrawal of these
coki lands would constitute a policy analo
gous to that which has been followed in
withdrawing forest lands from ordinary set
tlement Tho coal, like tho forests, should
bo reated as the property of the pxibtlc
and Its disposal should be under conditions
which would inure to the bencilt of the pub
lic as a whole.
Law Based on Valso Theory.
The President, like every practical
"Western man, knows that I he existing
coal land law is not sensibly framed.
That law was built on the theory that
tho individual could take up and develop
a quarter section of coal land, just as the
homestead law gives the individual a.
llke area of agricultural land. But no
individual can develop a quarter section
or a whole section of coal land. He could
not afford to install the necessary ma
chinery, or if ho could, bis profits on
' ' THRU! . ,
: ill,, w. rMftwf? I84JM U
i mm suuw) n n
quarter section would ijot recompense him
for the outlay. Moreover, no railroad
would think of building a spur onto an
isolated quarter section of land and the
owner of the land could not afford to
assume that expense. So the individual
with a quarter section of coal land in
his possession would have a white, or
rather a black, elephant on his hands.
The mineral wealth might be there in
abundance, fcut he could? not get it out
and could not get it to market.
It is conceded by every one who has
made a study of the situation that the
development of coal deposits is not a
matter for the individual,, nor is it a
matter that can be handled on a small
scale. It requires capital to open and
operate coal mines, and capital will never
enter a new field unless it is sure to
have sufficient range to guarantee a
profit on its investment. Once the ma
terial field i3 opened, the railroad will
build its spur, but not until then. This
being the fact, tho coal, land law must
be amended In a way that will permit
capital to obtain title or obtain legal
right to develop a reasonable area of
coal land, and must not be restricted to
a quarter section or even to a section.
Inducement to Perjury.
The present law', unwise and imprac
tical as it is, has been an inducement to
men to commit fraud and perjury, for by
no other means could large companies de
velop the coal regions of the West. The
railroad companies, for instance, had to
have coal; they could not afford to haul
it from the East, particularly when they
had it along their own lines, yet under
the present law there was no means by
whicli they could legally obtain title to
the coal fields which they sought, honest
ly or dishonestly, to enter. The law
would not permit them to purchase or
even to lease large areas of coal land;
they could not get sufficient coal by
opening up little quarter section tracts,
so to save themselves and to get coal for
the people living tributary to their lines
they were- compelled to buy up coal en
tries made by individuals, and in order
to get an adequate area they -were literal
ly compelled to induce men to commit
perjury in order that they in turn might
have the privilege of working the land
which, was absolutely useless in the pos
session of individuals.
Men who have talked this matter
over with the President are satisfied
that the President takes a reasonable
view of the- coal land situation in the
West, and while he does not excuse
the railroads for inducing individuals
to .commit perjury, he realizes tfie
force of circumstances that induced
them to take this step, and he is not
in hearty sympathy with the "roar"
that has been raised by Secretary
Hitchcock in the past few weeks. The
same view is generally entertained in
Congress. i
Argument for Royalty Plan.
How to cure the evil is a question for
Congress to decide, and some solution
is likely to be forthcoming this Winter.
Some favor a change in; the law in
creasing tho--arfkvof coal land that
may be "burchased by individuals or by
companies or corporations to such size
that they can profitably invest and put
the coal on the market. These men
would increase the price of coal land
so that the- Government would reap a
larger benefit from the sales. This
plan, however, lias not the approval of
the President. He believes that the
titlo to all remaining coal land should
remain in the Government, his idea' be
ing that if the Government holds tho
title, it can prevent tho upbuilding of
a coal monopoly in tho West such as
has been developed ire Pennsylvania. If
title should pass from tho Government,
there would be-no check upon the own
ers of the Western coal fields.
Senator Hansbrough, of- North Da
kota, chairman of the Senate committee
on public lands, has already introduced
a bill along the lines laid down in the
President's message, directing that title
to coal land shall remain in the Gov-
(Concluded on Page 3.)
STANDARD
CASE
HANGS
0 THREAD
Hiatus of One Day May
Kill Indictments.
FEDERAL LAWYERS IN COUNSEL
Did Rate Law Repeal Elkins
Law on Passage?
IF SO, TRUST IS IMMUNE
Roosevelt Summons All Legal forces
to Prepare Keply to Octopus'
Claim of Pardon for All
Past Offenses.
STANDARD'S CLAIM JOB FOK
CrVENJESS. The Hepburn rate law, as passed,
took effect Immediately, that is on
June 29, 1006. It repeals the Elkins
anti-rebate law and substitutes new
provisions against rebating.
A Joint resolution was passed on
June 30 providing that the Hepburn
law should take effect 60 days after
passage, that Is, August 28.
The Standard Oil Company was
indicted under the Elkins law on
August 27, one day before the Hep
burn law replaced the Elkins law.
The Standard attorneys maintain
that the Elkins law was repealed
immediately upon the approval of
the Hepburn law oil June 2-0 and
was not revived until the President
signed the Joint resolution of June
30. but that its revival could not
affect offenses committed prior to
June 29.
The Government maintains that
the Hepburn law and the Joint reso
lution were one legislative act and
that therefore tlja Elkins law was
not repealed until August 28 and
was continuously in force until then.
If the court decides for the Stand
ard, all the Indictments at Chicago,
Jamestown, N. . '., St. Louis and,,
elsewhere will be void. If the Gov
ernment wins, .the prosecution will
go on.
CHICAGO, Dec. 11 (Special.) Every
available force at the command of the
Government is to be brought to bear to
defeat John I. Miller's doctrine of rate
law pardon for Standard Oil, and a con
ference under the eyes of President Roose
velt and Attorney-General Moody will bo
held in Washington Monday to patch Up
legal fences.
District Attorney Edwin W. Sims and
James , H. Wilker., special counsel
for the Government In the Standard cases,
were directed by telegraph from Wash
ington today to go to the National capital
to attend the conference and to talk over
personally the details of the situation,
which admittedly has created consterna
tion in administration circles. Telegrams
flew back and forth between Chicago and
Washington all day relating to different
phases of the question.
The message which Mr. Sims sent to the
Attorney-General when Judge Landis
made it clear that his decision depended
on tho actual moment the rate law be- -came
effective did not succeed In getting
any information from Washington which
could be presented as evidence to the
court. On. the contrary, tho call for .
conferencft between the Government's
legal representatives was issued from
headquarters. It is the expectation that
in the conference will sit the entire force
of United States District Attorneys, -special
counsel and the array of special in- j
vestigatora who have been on the trail
of Standard Oil ever since the President
gave the order which laid the foundation
for the many indictments which have
been returned against the oil company in j
a half dozen United States Courts.
May fail Like Beef Trust Cases. '
Intimation comes from Washington
that there Is grave' fear that the position
which Judge Landis appears to be taking,
so far as the Miller, contention goes,
presages an end to the Government's on
slaught on rebating. It seems not to be
concealed in the higher circles that there
is fear the oil prosecutions will fail al
most as spectacularly as did tho beef
cases, when the Immunity bath plea of
Mr. Miller relieved the individual pack
ers of further danger of attack.
Another taw to Rely On.
Mr. Sims. Mr. Wilkerson and Assistant
District Attorney Hanchett, who handled
the arguments on the Government's part
before Judge Landis. do not share in the
temerity which is expressed at Washing
ton. Mr. Sims is positive in his faith
that, even if the plea of Mr. Miller is
held good that the rate law was effective
for a single day on June 29, section 31 of
the revised statutes makes the case of
the Government absolutely good and pro
tects the Government's indictments
wherever they have been returned.
The rate bill prowded that it should
become effective "from and after its pass
age," and finally was passed when the
Senate accepted the conference agreement
June 23. This the records show.
On June 30, after a conference with the
President, a Joint resolution was passed
providing that the law should not become
effective until 60 days after its passage,
or on August 28. Through an error of the
public printer this resolution was not sent
out with the newly enacted law, and it
was a week later before the mistake was
rectified. .
Mr. Miller in his argument held that the
new law was in effect from June 29 to
June 30. and that it thereby repealed tho
Elkins law and changed the circumstances
under which criminal prosecutions for il
legal rebating could be brought. Tho pass
age of the joint resolution brought back
the Elkins law into temporary life, but,
he contended, could not be retroactive in
re-establishing the crimes which might
have been committed Under the old law
and which were wiped out by the pass
age of the later measure.
Mr. Sims declares that to all purposes
and intent the law and the joint resolu
tion were one legislative enactment and
that the rate law could not and did not.
become effective in any provision until
August 2S. The Chicago indictments'
were returned August 27. and thereby be
came "pending causes," which, by section
10 of tho law, were not to be prejudiced
by the enactment ot the new lcgisiation.
Mr. Sims alto contended that, even wero
the Standard Oil position well taken, sec
tion in of the revised statutes of the
United States was sufficiently broad and
plain to protect tho Government in bring
ing the present prosecutions. This section
provides that the courts in construing
Congressional statutes shall hold that
unless there isa "saving clauso" express
ly exempting from prosecution those who
might be prosecuted under the law re-
pealed by the new act, then pending
causes shall be proceeded with, just as
though tho old law had not been re
pealed. HARVESTER TRUST'S PLAN'S
Morgan Promotes Scheme to Convert
Stock and Change Control.
CHICAGO, Dec. 14. The Post today
says: Unless the plans which are sanc
tioned by J. Pierpont Morgan and agreed
to by the holders of at least JIOO.000,000
out of fn2O.0O0.OO0 of the capital stock of
the International Harvester Company
fall through, February 1, 1907, should see
the complete financial reorganization ot
the great farm implement trust. Tenta
tive contracts which have been signed by
the chief stockholders call for the Inver
sion of fl25, 000.000 of capital stock of one
class into a like amount of new stock
divided into $60,000,000 7 per cent cumula
tive preferred and tCO.WO.OoO common
stock; the retirement of several interests
of active management of the company
and a general, change in the staff of offi
cials. The expectation is that the new securi
ties will be listed on the New York Stock
Exchange, which, if the plans are carried
through, will . give the stockholders a
broad market for their securities and en
able them to retire, if they desire to do so.
LUKE STEAMER IS LOST
MAM.STIQl'K MISSINti WITH 31
MEN' NEAR DILlTll.
Tug Crosby Collides With Her and
Loses Man llnds Her Tow
Disappeared In Storm.
DUT.UTH, Minn., Dec. 14. The wreck
ing steamer Manistique and the steamer
Ireland collided near. here tonight. Tho
Ireland was disabled. The tug George
Crosby, which was assisting the Manis
tique. took the crew off the Ireland and
in doing so one man was lost.
The C'rosbs- came Itito Baytield, reported
the loss of life and returned to look for
the Manistique. but at a late hour to
night reports that she is unable to find
any frace of her.
It is feared that the boat and her crew
of 31 men is lost. There Is a heavy sea
running and the Ireland, which is at
anchor near Apostle Island, is In danger.
Siberian Grain for Relief.
ST. PETERSBURG. Dec. 14. The gov
ernment has purchased 6.000,000 bushels
of grain In Western Siberia, where there
has been a big grain harvest this year, at
comparatively low prices. This grain will
be hauled into the famine-stricken prov
inces with, all possible dispatch.
EXTREMES ALLIED
AGAINST
KAISER
Clericals and Socialists
Oppose Him.
HE APPEALS TO FATHERLAND
Hostile Majority in Next Reich
., stag Larger.
CLERICALS HOLD CONTROL
Defeat on African Budget Dno to
Their Defection and Contest With
Pope May ResuU Constltu-. '
tional Crisis' Near.'
BERLIN', Dec. 14. (Special.) A con
test between the Kaiser and the Pope,
overshadowing the Russian convulsions,
will result from the dispute between
Emperor William and the Reichstag.
This is the prediction of political
prophets on the outcome of the new
elections.
Forecasters assert that the anti-government
majority in the next Reich
stag will be stronger than in the one
just dissolved. The opposition will ob
struct the Kaiser, step by step, bring
ing on a deadlock not only in the colo
nial bureau, but also In the foreign,
naval, military, and domestic depart
ments. Germany Is plunged into what is uni
versally regarded us tho greatest crisis
in its imperial history by the revolt of
the Reichstag in refusing to pass the
Southwest African military budget.
The Kaiser's fearltos stroke in call
ing upon the Katherland to elect a new
Reichstag' was filled with a proper
sense of patriotism. The step was a
momentous one, as the Emperor has no
assurance that the country will re
spond to his call. If it does not, and
if the voters again hoist the flag of
Catholicism and Socialism above the
Reichstag, the Kaiser will find himself
in the anomalous- position of being un
ablo to continue a constitutional gov
ernment nloiiK the lines on which he
.thinks it should bo conducted.
One-third of Germany's 60,031,000 in
habitants are Catholic. This minority
by standing together in a. solid phii
lanx has for years been able to control
Parliament. In fact, it has been tho
Clerical party to which the Kaiser nas
looked for support of most of his poli
cies. The Kaiser wished to keep SOOO
troop3 In Southwest Africa, but a ma
jority in the Reichstag, by a vote of
17 to 16S, refused to vote more money
than was needed to support a force of
2000 men.
KAISER AND CHANCELLOR TALK
All Germany Prepares for Election
of New KcicIiNtag.
BERLIN, Dec. 14. Emperor William
lunched with Prince von Buelow at tho
Chancellor's palace today, and, presum
ably they discussed the political situa
tion brought about by the dissolution
of Parliament. The Emperor and Chan
cellor have been in complete accord
throughout in the treatment of Colonial
questions and in the desire to relieve
the government from dependence upon
the clerical party.
The imperial government and the Vati
can have got along fairly well since the
beginning of the late Prince von Hohen
lohe's Chancellorship, but the critical
attitude of the Center or Clerical party
of recent years has been annoying to ad
ministrative and court circles. It is not
intended to completely break with the
members of the Center party, but only to
show them that they are not indispens
able. The leaders of all the party groups
and many of their followers have held
caucuses in the committee rooms of the
Reichstag today.
Pay Taxes for Religious TcachWig.
LONDON, Dec. 14. The House of
Lords has reversed the decisTon of the
Appeals Court in the West Riding caso
In regard to the payment of rates for
religious instruction aud holds that the
county councils are bound to pay for
the whole curriculum, religious as well
as secular. The law Lords thus uphold
the original interpretation of the act
of 190:;, under which the "passive re
sisters," headed by Rev. Dr. Clifford,
were fined and Imprisoned. Had the
decision been otherwise the l:vy ot
rates for the payment of religious in
struction would have been illegal and
the Nonconformists would havo gained
one of the many of tho points for
which the president of the Board of
Education, Mr. Birrell, is fighting, with
the education bill, and would thus
have made them more or less "indiffer
ent to the fate of the educational
measure.
King Haakon to Visit Kaiser.
LONDON, Dec. 14. King Haakon.
Queen Maud and Crown Prince Olaf, of
Norway, left London this morning for
Germany. They will spend a couple ot
days with Emperor William, at Berlin,
before- returning to Chrlstiania. King
Edward, the Prince and Princess of
Wales, Dr. Nansen, the Norwegian Min
isters and others gathered at the statitm
to bid farewell to the royal travelers.
Death Still Hovers Over Shah.
LONDON. Dec. 14. A private telegram
from Teheran announces that the Shah's
condition continues critical.