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About Independence enterprise. (Independence, Or.) 1908-1969 | View Entire Issue (June 28, 1918)
7 SIGHT is Austria I JN IS ( rtlon of f KwP Pro., IfWl AAA ' '7. H ui vuy '"Witki t.-i iliiii. f "18 t,,. ice or t) witijfs i wage id;. 'i to tl i pruU will 1 'I Miii Kirchnt! rrrmier lijwtcl 'nraiu h cm ction o' to pui lliipit,! t mil trii-H;. t thr-. i'M w.: iVal t'rfj ernsifl; T Am lent o.' M; ! Wtli- M i: Inn I mny's piWi wirf urge.' itmt. tion hT pages t te i iLn I- ! I I - II r . . I J THE INDEorNnvu."! ruTtDBDi ' ..v.. a.ii .nrniOB. inucrG.NCIE.NCE. OREGON. . . PAGE i NO QUARTER IN MiiHi s with HUN U-BOATS Jtod British Crews Give Account of Themselves f m sea Warfare. j DEEDS OF HEROISM Ballon Bat- 1 Skippers, IT . Honeleia Odds. Frsauently .Mrt of MrUlnt. by o it I lllwniliiiit- tall ill." ",n 1 ,.,.!. wlx. four ti ml n ,,irn . ... " ....... i i"n i. ! I ...I,... ui ...... nil'! IIHMim- Hint j ir...(i Vl'HWIH ffl'H Wi ll,, r iHiiiis mm -M-tii-a, I - - .... ....,... fUi.t(!y f llu1 mmiinmy winiii , i. .. i.. .it ulili th.-lr dime u-". i -In ifit'lil Olijn ' i j !' 1 wO' l hl- ,,,, priMi.-.llliU l n idMireiy . nilH.,1 tlu cI.imkit Jiiiiu. tt,.iv H.Nicil it ml tli KUii'M '-......i i,, mill Ihi'lr "nh'i'f." jay Imil Jwt iliiii"il itii'l iwre r.ry iriiiisi- t'l n iiiht -" il,r.i- mil's ii way to pun, i . , .1 ,.1'lilllL' Hlllt L'lliilliii: rm i i - lff cmy hit ii (JiTiiiiin Milium- n kIuIiIi-iI. ,a. hli.lU .ir.iiii'il nil rmiml tint s.1,11), liii !i hlili'ifil her hi'lni iiml it! t' liimt ili'H'l HNli'l'ii. flrllitf lit l till" tilll''. Till' Mtl'lllllNtllll'M fffW "ill' very -l"l Will jdlllltcil . .j,,.!!, nil ii'iiml tl hiiliiniwlm", ,i. r-li.iii ill'l iml IUe It a Mt. ! Mi'lilll-lill I'Ut tll II Klllllkc J , iiml I -liimt (livinj in u , niur-tt t- f-xpcrtlui; hiMWit j Uti'ilJ. ! Second U Boat Appear. I Sk Iiml liiii'lly illxuppi'iin'il wiii'ii j M L' hniil, lil'iHIt i!(MI fci't ioixr, I .jnuiuiiliii; (.iini ror nmi nrt or 1 , ins t"Wi'i', liruktj surface. Iw-, III, II ...l.l..l.. ..... 1 . . ... .. .. I. Mill ,,ri , 1(,K .... .... lirKi'l.t curmi when th.. Who llllll lllM'll Oil Hill IlllllK,. fr m,)y Imiiii-n, mv ll.ii trm k of trn-1.i up. pllMU llllIK Ills "lined it imrt," . mil,.,! ,lt, (lmr. l.'rumHt.T m n. nmi "Full iikIith" wiik iliiii; dnwii to tilt- wikIiio ruiiiii, wImtii Itnli, i in. third," tvim on liny l.y lihiiH.if. -j'l(. K,,, HMIM firutimt on hiT I, itI, mm II were, 1114 the tnrprdii piittmnj !ht dy. Thi-n tin; htillH' rmiiii cIuiikimI for ull lilii'inl, iiml down the vulii--plpo into HoIi'k fur ! . ill.. hiHlsiMiit cull fur Hpcfil nmi iiiotf Hpccd. My tliU ilni tit chief engineer and IiIh Hliirf wi re on th,. foiit-plutc, 11111 Hit- hlilp, .iidlinii lly did eleven liimU lit Iht tup pill, lc(,'nn to cut mi (lie water lit 11 int.. uhlch would liuve liMtuiil-tliiil her litillderH, Krtim the wlrelewH the Hos cull wim Kent out and tint gumicr not Imih.v, but the t' linnt wim nut of ruiiKe mid fire whm held linlil the plriite Rot closer, when he was ilrlveii liuck uxalii. Fight Continue! for Three Hours. When the ljht had cuiitlmied for fuiir !iiiiir a hhell from the Hteamer fell iiuiliMilpM on the Kuhiiiarlne'K Ktur- lioii rd nidi), but thin did not prevent lilm from coutluultiK the cniiMceinerit. The (Jeriiian kept trying to creep out m tliu Hteariier'g port Hide, but the mauler checkmated him each time mid continued to keep him df-ml nutcni. When th hum hcKifri to not the Her man tried to maneuver no that the Mteiiiucr'H KunricrH would have to lire ! Inlo the eye of the mm. lint the iniiNter prevented lilm from getting the benefit of nucIi 11 pOHlllon until the Him wan oliHcured by clouds. TheoiiKhout (he eiiKUKement, which hinted Hlx houen, I lie Uenwin munn(,'ed to ncore only une lilt. This slioll broke the Kteunier'B deck Hurface pipe, punched a hole through the bout Hwuln'K and carpciiter'H room without fouchlii two men who were there, finally exploding In the Bccond cook's room, which it wrecked. Apurt from thlH the Ktennier Huffered no damage. The hiHt nliell fired by the Hteiimer itppenred to explode in the U-bont's bow, whereiiiion the enemy turned liway and abandoned the action. The nuiHter'H opinion of his crew Is cxpreHNcd In the following words: Specially Praises Engineer's Staff. "They nil behaved Kplendldly and curried out tlielr varloiiH dutleH coolly and wllh it will to Have the Khlp, The cureful and deliberate Hhootlng un doubtedly contributed to our bucwhs fid eHciipe, while the chief engineer and hid Muff, working In Ignorance down below, dctterve npecinl praise for getting thirteen and n eighth knots out of an undocked ship, whose usual speed Ih about eleven knots." CANADIAN LOADING TRENCH MORTAR -Ji u r i'i . 1 ' r. 4,. 1 IT ; Ay ie mrn'ii vwin m longer m-rvlce- j S for Hie wind wns blowing the I f.W f way; so the islciimMiip let nj t hT wnili'l iilltllgolllHt. win) ri-plieil 1 J linger, shrnpnel HprllikllliK tl"' ' j " " ai.' decks. Tor 1-ulf nil hour the "" 1 '" f 1 . o 1 rsj i hr .no. -ifti f.iafinfUfrv "i u n "l J" ' 3 . .'i ti 0 . ;. ,;. ivPBiern Npwpnp'r Vnl'.n.;. . . riaii lit went mi. Then one of the Mown- hflU fell close to the U-lioat, uliioi (lived and vimlshed uiuler the uter Jut-t 11K a patrol boat itppeured 4 tli dwiie mid liMiNed off 11 couple f devBiitHiIng roiiiuK It wus ft " (ffiimmiii e to bent off two pirate I in such n uliort Hpiice of time, isij master and gun's crew received Miineiiiliitioii from my lords of the idmlrulty. Id another case it wax n duel both if gunnery and Beamuiishlp. I'rocecd- kt Mwnll'ifily on lier cotirxe, u Jirlt lib teunislili heanl gunfire In the timet', hut could we notliliiK of the (May. The propeller thrusi lier itnul. Tlie white clllTii of Albion were lift- lull nn the lmri.on when, Just s twl liplit was fulling, 11 U-boat nHcnrcd pulnt nr two on the Hlarboiird how to the northward. Instantly H" luinils were ordered to their stations. Helm was put full over, and the U-boat brought astern, fire being opened on the I'lirmy, while u firebox was light ed. It wns dlllicult to distinguish the enemy it 1,1 rge boat, apparently mounting two guns which inaneu 'wed liiuliward ami forward across tlie steiiinshlp's course In an endeavor to bring liuili her guns Into notion nt tlie same time. t Skinner Cats Fritz In Tangle. ' Rut the l'.iitlsli skipper was n better nnmn tluin the (Jerinan, ami be skil fully tliwnrted tbo enemy's scheme, ami got Fritz In" no end of n tangle. Niw anil ngiilii the U-boat scored n Wt. The steamship's wireless, aerluls '"(' carried away, her mainmast was !"1. the exhaust steatnplpe was per fwnted imil tbo starboard lifeboat ail illnghy damiiged. Hut that did not hother the stonmsblp or her crew. The Intter were grinning at the gun Ders, who were having an exasperat ing time of it. Just imagine n crew of expert gunners with a fine gun, and a tmniing deslro to strafe a subma rl"e, finding that their gun plutform ns collapsed, and that with a "sub" as n tiiiLn.1 tiw.u imvn to fire more or less by guesswork. Bt as the navy men always do, "lew gunners buckled to. The Kun kloil abominably, and the slghter '""l liis eyes blackened tmd his fce ct, but despite this the shooting wns loo close and too hot for the U-boat, leh kept at a respectful distance. Tie bos'ii and "Sparks," the wireless mn, took the risk of the U-boat's fii'e mid repaired the aerials, and the Reamer plugged ahead for harbor. ,!r It was some hours later before the Dil'nte il..,., w l,.,(M.wl l,w tlie indolll- 'tahle pluck of the British sallomien. Crew Below Decks Also Heroes. And just n word here for the "black saad." lioth watches of engineers and stokers were below throughout tlie uctlon, and though a shell came through the bunkers and filled the stokehold with coal and nshes, they "carried on" with amazing pluck. Here is another fine bit of work. A b'g ship in bnllast, standing out of the water like a cathedral, wns nnv . . . ..1 ..,1(1, fKni Itltr 11...... u ,1 Cii.iailliin on the west front iimuing a irencn munui projectile that will carry death to the Huns not fur away, TO REFIT ARMIES FOR INDUSTRY o.u: i.oHw u. Plan I tal for agriculture after the war. These Druisn uauniei hhcuj hu . of Work for Soldiers After War. GERMANY ALSO PREPARING Colonization on Farms, Carefully Worked Out by an Expert, Liable to Be Upset by Revolt of the Proletariat. London.-The Hellish government Is now at work considering how the grout task of demobilizing the army and he resettlement of the soldiers into civil occupations at the conclusion of 0 war Is to be accomplished. Ihe plan drawn up by the minister of labor receiving careful attention, and it is understood considerable progress has been made. ,M,.,.t Xes Iter attention ami - - -by llerr Utsch in the Dcutseb" Ln virtschaftlklie I'resse colder the t.roposed set. le.mmt on the land of sol .Hers returning from t'1-' wul'- , . 1 err Utsch begins by polntinS out that it Is a disabled or Injured sold I ot or uy ableemploy.nenL.i- - sen no" ' " , to support hlmse einployme . .. ,.u To nrovliiing su-" nt. he V",! sufUclent comton : ' ..,! ciiTincIty 1. nald to the wisi.es '-.- . o.-u the noss Ibihlles so Mtlu' '1,nln n,e. "'U..L wnsto land still ex- Blncevnst tr.i ed no his own be oec' new uucu, At the same o. w,n , (he Interests 01 colony ed, since eve,, i nnd served, kiu ,VPfluh an labor to rural dlslrl lets. . rf the The writer. II - followg. uptoOOM'W"" , nn,,d .i,nm enmlngunoei v ll.vo holdings, he says, should be large enough to enuble the settler to grow sufficient cereals and potatoes for him self and family and to keep one or two cows. As for the Independent artisans in class three, it would be for the Inter ests of every community to do its ut most to attract labor to the land iu its Immediate vicinity. I'niler class four, which would be providing for peasant holdings, the dis trict authorities and the provincial set tlement companies would have it to deal with. These settlers would be those who could command adequate agricultural knowledge, those who be fore the wnr were tenant farmers, farm agents, or belonged to the more efficient class of farm laborers. llerr Utsch believes that during the first period after the war It will be necessary to proceed mainly with the establishment of individual settlements near existing villages, for the settlers will find It easier to make a living and with the osslstonce of the communes, buildings will be cheaper. It will not he necessary to undertake road making and drainage operations on n large scale. This character of settlement, he believes, would induce soldiers to settle near their old homes, where, as they are known, assistance will be more readily given to them. Funds From War Profits. As to the capital that wlll.be neces sary to establish such communal set ..,.,nt the writer suggests that about 10 per cent of all war profits which after the payment of taxes ex ceed 20,000 marks ought to be lent on mortgages on the settlements at the rate of 3 to 3 per cenu innther article dealing with condl tions in Germany after the war, but ou linoa from the nen ot entirely u.i.e.w . 0 D. StoHing, considers the extent In which revolutionary Ideas permeate the mv nnd what may be the ueruiuu ...i. The writer says: The fuel of revolt Is being heaped up to await the torch that will set it aflame. Competent observers foretell that revolution win inevuuuij .u.,u.. .... ,,ninaion of the war, drugged nnd brutalized proletariat is waking from its trance. With organl Lt on and leadership the torpid Ger man people will at Inst turn against he A Use gods it has been worshipping and dash them to cue Ki TvHMded Calf Lives. ... moi wis. A two-headed calt bn on the 'farm of Matt Leet, who lives a short distance from wis ur, llve .... -.., twh heads have per mouths, two eyes and 'wo hose but there are only two ears, one on the outer side of each head, STATE NEWSt TTVT T1-TI'I . Work m the Prlneville railroad is progreHslng rapidly, tho rails havim? been laid within two miles of O'Neil station, 10 miles from Prlneville. Tho Klamath county council of de fense, a branch of the state council, has opened an office in Klamath Falls, where ull information relative to the defense of the Nation will be received. ltov. Robert E. Browning, former rector of Emmanuel. Episcopal church In Marshfiebl, has written to local friends advising them ot his arrival in Europe. lUsv, Mr. Browning enlisted for service with the British army and is a chaplain. Charles Spearman, indicted for sec ond degree murder for killing his father-in-law, William ItOBeberry, at Haines last April, was found guilty of manslaughter by a Jury in the Circuit Court at Baker. Clemency was rec ommended in the verdict. The death of Wayne C. Jackson, of Salem, in action on the western front June 6, was announced in a telegram from the war department. He was a son of Mr. and Mrs. John Jackson, and a first-class private. Another son, Artie J. Jackson, also is in the service. R, E. Scott, secretary of Hood River Federal Farm Loan associations, says that appraisals are now in pro cess of completion that will bring the total loans of the valley up to $200, 000. Hood Itiver orchardists have al ready been granted more than $100, 000 in loans. Plans and estimates are being pre pared by City Engineer R. T. Cava- naugh for the installation of large electric pumps and salt water mains to supply more adequate fire protec tion to the sawmills, shipyard and other industries along the waterfront In North Bend. Ninetv-three men in the service with a population of between 1800 and 2000 is the record of the southern part of Umatilla county, according to a list of enlisted men by the Patriotic Service league. The league is working on a roster of all of the men from this county in the service in any branch. Seafaring men coming up the coast from the Curry county district tell of good sea lion hunting this summer, and declare the kill should be up to the average ot other years. Two reefs along the southern Oregon coast are being searched for the lions, one off Rogue river, the other at Iort Orford. Charles Owens is making up his first carload shipment of chrome ore from his mining property on Sucker Creek, in the Illinois river district, says a Grants Pass dispatch. The ore, which runs 40 per cent, is being hauled by auto truck from the property to the Waters Creek terminus of the Cali fornia & Oregon coast railroad. Floaters who travel up and down the coast are regularly picked up at Grants Pass, questioned and searched by the nntifi authorities. Tuesday a German giving his name as John Weidheimer was picked up and Is now in the Jo sephine county jail as an alien enemy. Weidheimer had no registration papers. Ronton countv threshermen met in Corvallis several days ago to discuss the problems of securing help, operat ing rook waeons and to fix uniform threshing prices for the county. George Bruce of the Averill Machinery com pany of Portland was present and gave an interesting talk on co-operation among threshermen. Mr. aruce is we., irnnwn in the Willamette valley, hav ing himself operated a threshing out fit in the vicinity of Salem for 20 years. Louis Williams, Thomas Randall and U. S. Fillio, interested in the nsning inrliiHtrv near Seattle, were in Eugene this week on their way to Florence for tbo mimose of making an investiga tion of the fishing industry near the mnnth of the Siuslaw river. They contemplate engaging in sea fishing off the Oregon coast. rvmntv Food Administrator Wells renorts that more than SU tons 01 Washington county wneat iiuui been turned back by dealers and pri vate owners at the administration's request. Many instances are reported where families witn less xnan a k. of flour in the house have turned it in. State Denitentiary officials have been informed that Terrel Pope, a trusty ,hn osenripd from the Oregon prison last January, is under arrest at Des Mnines. Ta.. and that he win De prose cuted there on several burglary charges. He is also said to have com mitted robbery in Nebraska. Rnro-or T.arson. a young man who failed to register on June 5 of last year for mitliary service, was arresieu by Sheriff Burns, of Clatsop county, Fridav morning. This case has been r,to tn th Federal district attor nev and the defendant will beheld awaiting instructions irom umi. vn rwtao-o Grove district taxpayers stronelv favor the retention of the manual training and domestic science nd art departments in the scnoois, The vote at the annual school meeting was 178 for their retention and 52 for their olimination. H. J. hninn was re-elected director and Worth Harvey was re-elected clerk. Evidence in a suit for $40,000 filed no-ninst. tho O.-W. R. & N. will be fa iVon ot. I .ft Grande. Mrs. Grace F, Fuller is the complainant, suing for damages as a consequence of the fatal injury to Francis Fuller near North Fork, Or., last year. GERMANY BLAMES RUSSIA Cause of War Laid at Door of ex-Czar France and England Criticised. AUSTRIANS Amsterdam. Germany's war alms were briefly set forth, peace ideas out lined, the idea that she desired to secure world domination through the war disclaimed and the responsibility for the conflict primarily placed upon Russia by Dr. Richard von Kuehlmann, the German foreign secretary, in a speech to the relchstag In Berlin Tues day. While declaring that what was de sired for, the German people and their allies was "a free, strong, independent existence," within the boundaries drawn by them, "by history," the for eign secretary said Germany would have to decline to tnake any prior con cessions by stating her position as to Belgium in a way which would bind her without similarly binding Ger many's enemies. After declaring that the revelations that had been made showed Russia as the power which planned and desired the war, with France abetting her, and England's attitude strengthening the Russian desire for conflict, Dr. von Kuehlmann again declared that Germany had not entertained any be lief that this war could lead even to the domination of Europe and much less that of the world. - With reference to the peace ques tion, Dr. von Kuehlmann quoted from former Premier Asquith's speech of Mav 16. in which he said that the British government would not turn a deaf ear to a peace proposal u u was not couched in ambiguous terms. "We likewise can make the same declaration." added the foreign sec retary, "knowing it to be also our nnllev. "Once the moment arrives when, 1 care not to prophesy that the nations which are at present locked in battle will exchange peace views, one of the nroiiminarv conditions must be certain degrees of mutual confidence in each other's honesty and cnivairy. ROUTED AUSTRIANS CONTINUE RETREAT Italians Press on East Bank of Piave River Flood Waters Rise Again Which Aids Fleeing Foe. Ill WILD DISORDER Big Defeat Suffered All Along Piave River Front. Confronted with a serious shortage duo to manv of its employes ontorino- militarv service, the Gorst v ino. Anttmobile company, operat ,-no- n iitnev service between North Bend and Marshfield, is contemplating employing young women drivers 10 re place the men. The Italians have cleared the re maining Austrian rearguards from the west, hank of the Jfiave river ami me in possession of the entire river front frnm the Montello Diateau 10 me sea. At last accounts their forces which crossed the stream in pursuit of the retrontine Austrians were still harass ing them, inflicting heavy casualties and forcing the enemy to continue his disorderly retreat. iTato has turned somewhat its hal- anre In favor of the Austrians, for the Piave river again has risen and some of the pontoon bridges the Italians had thrown across the stream nave oeeu carried away, making impossible a quick pursuit and the crushing of the Austrians, which General Diaz had ted nnon. The Austrians are de clared to be rushing in reserves from til GB-Sfc. The Austrian war office admits a reverse along the Piave, but announces that the retrograde movement nas been carried out in accordance with niana and without loss of material. It is added that the Austrians have taken more than 50,000 prisoners irom the Italians since June 15 and that the aggregate losses of the Italians in the fighting, at the lowest estimate, is 150,000 men. Holding the upper hand along the borders of the Venetian plain, the Italians have taken the offensive against the enemy in the mountain roctnn and are attacking on various sectors. Notable gains of ground have been made, and in addition to heavy casualties inflicted on the enemy a large number of Austrians nave Deen made prisoner and 16 machine guns have been captured, according to Rome. The Austrian war office, how ever, asserts that all auacas in mis region have Been repuiseu. Austrians Tired of War, Strike. London. A strike, which, starting in Vienna, is said to be becoming gen eral in Austria, registers the revolt of the people against war. Ana me iu. tnr that, has tenaea 10 mane wi un popular, the food shortage, shows no tomioTinv to improve. Strikers in the various factories at Vienna on Saturday formulated a de mand that the Austrian government show itself for a general peace auu invite the governments of enemy coun tries to enter into peace negouauouo, says a dispatch from The Hague to the Times. Representatives of the workers submitted the plan to Baron Burian, the Austro-Hunganan roreign minister. Carmen to Receive Rise. Washincton. D. C The labor war board will increase wages of street railroad employes if it finds increases necessary without regard to the finan cial condition of the companies oper ating lines. Joint Chairmen Taft and Walsh so announced Tuesday at the conclusion of a preliminary hearing of emnloves and employers. At me same time the chairmen indicated their pur pose to recommend increases for com panies and asked that attorneys for tho enmDanies and for the. employes bring in for consideration a report on whether the federal authorities could order such increases. FLEEING TALY PRESSES MOVE First Stage of Austrian Offensive on 100-Mile Line Ends in Total Fail ureEnemy Loss 180,000. Rome. On the Piave river front from the Montello to the Adriatic, the defeated Austro-Hungarlans are re crossing the river in disorder, says the Italian official statement issued Sunday. The enemy is being closely pursued by the Italian troops. Italian Army Headquarters in North ern Italy. From Montello to the sea the enemy has been defeated and forced by the Italians to recross the Piave river in disorder. The first nhase of the Austrian of fensive has ended in failure in de feat The culmination of what was intended to be the crushing of Italy between the jaws of the Austrian pincers is the rout of the invaders. With their backs to the swollen Piave the Austrians for several days past had been trying to ward off the vicious counter-attacks of the Ital ians and save the situation. Now thev are endeavoring and still under great pressure, to ford the stream and reach safety on the eastern DanK. From the Montello plateau to me Adriatic sea the enemy is in retreat. Already his losses are estimated at 180,000 men and the chances of his escape without additional heavy casu alties and men made prisoner seem remote. Large numbers of the pontoon bridges that the Austrians tnrew across the Piave have been swept away by the now torrential stream, and on all the sectors of the 33-mile front where they gained edges of the Venetian plateau they are being sore ly harassed by the fire of the Italian .... 1 11 guns and rules ana Dy mo mauimo gun fire and bombs of the allied avi ators who have done such notable exe cution since the attempted drive was started. Monster preparations had been made by the Austrians for what was to be the death blow to King victor Em manuel's men. Thousands upon thousands of men. many of them brought from the Rus sian and Roumanian fronts, and guns and stores in tremendous quantities had been parceled among the various commanders for the drive over a bat tle arc of virtually 100 miles, running from the Asiago plateau to the Piave and then to the sea. Aldine the Italians in the mountains were British and French armies. Ter ritory taken in the mountains was al most as quickly regained and uie en emy held in check. Along the Flave, especially on uie Montello plateau, the gateway to the Venetian plains from the northeast, and at several points farther south, where the Austrians succeeded in crossing the river, the Italians every where imposed such strength against the enemy that he was unable to en large his gains and then, with re doubled efforts, forced him to com mence the retrograde movement which has developed into disordered flight. Texas Now Arid Waste. Austin, Texas. Texas became, a "hnno drv" state at midnight Tuesday when approximately 750 saloons closed a ' statewide prohibition act. Eighteen hundred saloons had previ ously been closed by legislative act ro-BRtahlishine a 10-mile "dry" zone around military camps and shipbuild ins plants. Under the 10-mile law, whieh became effective last April 15 the sale of intoxicants ceased in the principal cities. Board to Fix Streetcar Fares. Washington, D. C The national war labor board announced Sunday that after the hearings beginning Mon day it will adopt a definite policy on the question of the ability of street railway companies to pay wage in creases to employes without increas ing fares. The board will also deter mine a minimum wage rate based on the increased cost of living. "It is the intention of the board that it will adopt a definite policy on the question of ability to pay on the basis of facts and arguments presented at their hearing, which will be-an open one.'-' s Says the announcement: "The for mulation of such a policy, whatever it happens to be, will be a matter of ereat importance to the cities of the country generally, but especially to those cities where wage controversies exist between the street railway cor porations and their operatives. Coun sel representing these companies, as well as counsel for the respective mu nicipalities and the employes' organi zations will be heard upon the point." Farm Aid Plan Defeated. Washington, D. C The senate agri cultural committee has rejected an amendment to the $11,000,000 emer gency agricultural appropriation bill, proposed by Senator Curtis, of Kan sas, authorizing tne government tu ad vance money to farmers for the pur pose of securing seed. The amendment was urgea oy mem bers of the Kansas Agricultural Soci ety, who said that unless action of this kind was taken wheat production in that and neighboring states next, year might be curtailed, owing to crop shortage the past two seasons. Motor Mail Service Pays. Washington, D. C Motor mail serv ice, showing a surplus of $200,000 for the first six months of its operation, warrants immediate legislation for road construction that will extend the service throughout the United States, James I. Blakslee, assistant postmas ter general Monday told the house postoffice committee considering a resolution authorizing the postoffice department to build highways as a part of a national system.