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WEDNESDAY
THE sW 0 CAUL
"AN INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPER—THE NEWS
PAPER OF AUTHORITY ,, .
City in Desperate
Need of Better
Streetcar Service
1 ■ -■ .■ ■' ■ -! request of the directors of the Panama-
Pacific international exposition. These amendments will make it possible for
the San Francisco supervisors to provide adequate transportation to the expo
sition site and to the outlying districts which can not be fully developed
without transportation.
Three constitutional changes are proposed by Senator Boynton. One
provides that electors of freeholder charter cities may amend their organic
law and have the amendments become effective without approval by the
state legislature; the second removes the charter inhibition which now pre
vents municipal charters from being amended more than once in two years;
the third gives the supervisors of a city greater freedom in the granting of
franchises for the use of public streets by public service corporations.
When the voters at the last charter amendment election defeated amend
ment No. 34 by a vote of 35.796 against 33,413 in favor of the measure it
-seemed that the city had lost opportunity to submit a franchise amendment
to the charter for two years. It is imperative that additional street railroad
transportation be given San Francisco by 1915. We can not wait until Novem
ber. 1914. to amend the charter relative to franchises, and it is a matter of fact
that private corporations will not build new roads or extend existing lines
under the present law. Whether or not capital is justified in assuming that
position is not now material; the city's need for transportation to the expo
sition site and to the outlying districts is great and obvious. Argument and
debate will not meet it. The law must be changed before the transportation
need can be supplied, and the only way to effect that change appears to be by
amendment of fTie constitution.
Amendment No. 34 was unfortunately presented. It came to the super
visors for a place on the ballot at the last moment, and there was no time
tor its intelligent consideration by the board, by the people or by the cor
porations. The best expert judgment in America pronounced it an ade
quate measure, but the voters were incredulous.
If the Boynton amendments are approved by the legislature, as they
probably will be. and are submitted to the voters at a special election during
the summer or early fall, the way will be clear for the people San Fran
cisco—and that means all the people, the mayor and supervisors, the citizens
and the corporations—to get together and prepare an ordinance that will be
comprehensible, clear, practical, logical, honest, acceptable to the voters
and beneficial and remunerative to the city.
Realizing keenly the situation in which San Francisco is placed and the
need of a charter amendment which will facilitate transportation in this city,
The Call will work for a franchise ordinance which will protect the rights of
the people to their streets and yet make it feasible for public utilities to
operate thereon. The Call favors the construction by the city of a streetcar
line to the exposition grounds, either via the Stockton street tunnel or in
Van Ness avenue, this extension to be part of the municipal system; but it
knows that the city can not handle all the traffic that will be created by the
exposition, and it knows that the city can not afford to extend its lines into
undeveloped sections of the city.
The needs of San Francisco for better transportation are acute and
pressing, wherefore we urge the adoption of the Boynton amendments by the
legislature, their approval by the state and the co-operation of the people of
San Francisco in the adoption of a franchise ordinance which will end the
transportation stagnation that has too long been San Francisco's bane
and blight.
Income Tax, Approved
At Last, an Advanced
Step in Finance
ever source derived, without apportionment, among the several states, and
without regard to any census or enumeration."
That is the income tax amendment to the constitution, finally approved
by 38 states, two more than the necessary three-fourths required for ratifica
tion. It was first submitted to the states" by congress in July, 1909. Pre
viously, in 1895, the United States supreme court had declared unconstitutional
an income tax law adopted by congress, the decision coming upon one of
those delicately poised votes which rouse the people to question the infal
libility of the supreme court.
Now it will be the task of the democratic administration, which in its
platform approved the income tax, to adopt a method of assessing the tax.
The income tax will supersede the corporation tax, which has the inherent
defect that it is a tax on earnings, not on gross income, a tax to be evaded by
shrewd bookkeeping.
The income tax legislation will probably place the burden on incomes of
from $4,000 or $5,000 upward. That is a liberal margin. The actual threshold
of comfort is a difficult line to draw, but it lies well within the zone of the
$5,000 income. Such an income admits of luxuries, an automobile if the family
is not too large, a high standard of living. It is a fair line of demarcation
bttween affluence and comfort.
The citizen of the United States pays no direct tax to his central govern
ment, however much he pays to the state; but he must meet an indirect tax
on his tobacco, beer and similar articles of comfort or quasi-necessity, and
always he must bear his share of the tariff imposts. The income tax has this
merit: as it is a direct tax, it can be levied only on those who can bear its
burden. A man earning a wage of $100 a month, on which he must support
his family, pays proportionately as much of the indirect tax as the man with
the salary of SI,OOO a month. But under the income tax the man working on
the smaller wage would be exempt, while the man with the salary would
pay, say, 1 per cent of his annual income, or $120. He is better able to pay
that—though he may not think so —than his neighbor is to pay the sum
exacted of him in indirect taxes by the insidious method of a few cents here
and there.
As one of the congressmen, in discussing the income tax, pointed out,
this impost will have the effect of making the tax payer give closer attention
to national expenditures, for he will feel a keener interest in the finances of
his country when he is directly called upon to contribute his share for the
national upkeep.
Slow as, the income tax was in coming, its adoption by the states is an
important step in social justice and in national finance, for it will add an
income of $100,000,000 to the federal government, and those who contribute
will be those best able to pay.
Postmaster General's
Recommendations Should
Be Put Into Effect
J to the national government of $45,000,000
in the postoffice department is an accomplishment in which President Taft
and his postmaster general may well take pride. The saving would have
been greater had not the politicians in congress availed themselves of their
privilege during the presidential campaign of last summer and fall and flooded
the mails with franked campaign material. Sixty-one million pounds of mail
matter, which, had postage been paid thereon, would have brought $20,000,000
into the coffers of the department, was carried free by the government. Much
of this was political matter. All the parties made Uncle Sam an agent for
their candidates.
The day has passed when congressmen can send cows by mail under the
franking privilege, or a roller top desk and the family dining table; but chests
of letters are sent by congressmen, and political speeches out of the Con
gressional Record, just as an employe of a corporation can charge his busi
ness correspondence to the stamp fund of his company, so a government official
may use his frank for his- official mail, but the distinction between official and
private or political correspondence should be rigidly drawn by the postal
authorities.
Two important recommendations are made by the postmaster general
the extension of the parcel post to include books and papers and other third
class mail matter, and the introduction of a pension system for superannuated
postal employes.
In introducing the parcel post the law simply included fourth class mail
matter in the new order, and as books and papers are graded as third class
matter, they have not been included in the benefits of the system. The limit
San Franciscans must lend all their
influence to the passage by the legis
lature and to the subsequent ratification
by the state of the three constitutional
amendments submitted to the senate on
Monday by Senator Boynton at the
After a lethargic period of 43 years,
the constitution of the United States has
aroused itself and grown to the extent of
one amendment, article XVI, which will
President Taft's administration will go
into history with this distinction—the
annual postal deficit was erased and the
postoffice department, under the direc
tion of Postmaster General Hitchcock,
actually achieved a surplus! The saving
EDITORIAL PAGE OF THE.CALL
of 11 pounds was placed on parcels, which is lower than in other parcel post
countries.
A pension for postal employes would be an improvement on the system.
Employes of the postal service are underpaid. The letter carrier's remunera
tion, grading from $600 for the first year to $1,200 for the sixth year and there
after, is probably the lowest wage scale of any in force in the United States
for work of the sort required of a postman. Not to have these employes of
the United States protected by some sort of pension is gross neglect on the
part of the United States government. By curtailing its franking privileges, |
congress could save enough for the postoffice department to pay a liberal j
pension to the loyal body of men and women who are the working force of
the postoffice department, that branch of the government which is most
closely associated with the people.
Everybody's Forum
LETTERS FROM READERS OF THE CALL
AGAINST VACCINATION
Editor Call: I wish to call the at
tention of the public to tne interest
that is just now being aroused as to
the necessity of vaccination to pre
vent the spread of smallpox.
Now 1 would ask, in the first place, 1
where does the first person in the com
munity get smallpox, when, perhaps,
there "isn't a case of smallpox within
1,000 miles , of his home?
Tt comes like all other diseases, when
the system takes it in from the at
mosphere, when it happens to be
charged with that particular kind of
virus Now, to inject rotten, poison
ous cowpox into the pure blood of a
child, to my mind, is the work of
either an idiot or a knave; it is either
a money making scheme among a cer
tain class, or the making of compul
sory laws for vaccination is the very
climax of ignorance. g BARNUM .
Berkeley, February 3.
TO STOP "WILD CATTING"
Editor Call: I have read with in
terest your editorial concerning the
difficulty confronting the state legis
lature In its endeavors to frame some
law on the so called "blue sky" order
which, while safeguarding legitimate
enterprise*, might be counted as ef
fectual in eradicating the unjustly
famous "wildcat."
It seems to me that the matter or
protecting a more or less ignorant in
vesting public from the wiles of the
dishonest promoter is , not a great ele
mental question, but only seems to be.
Tndeed, the cure is a simple one, and
consists solely of making the flota
tion of doubtful or worthless stock
issues of so little profit to the promoter
that he will discontinue the practice
and go out of business.
The cure consists of finding the
sources of profit in these questionable
enterprises, and then stopping up the
hole by passing laws , which will cover
them. . , ,
The sources of profit to this kind of
promoter are two. One, the more com
mon, lies in the exorbitant high rate
of commissions received by him
through the sale of the stock. This
commission, often arbitrarily fixed by
the promoter himself, usually runs
from HO to 50 per cent of the sale price
of the stock. This profit and practice
can be effectually stopped by a law
limiting and defining the rate of com
mission that may be allowed on sales
of stock in corporations organized or
doing business within the state.
The second source of promoters'
profit is made possible through the
practice of disposing of "promotion"
stock to investors who believed they
were purchasing treasury stock. Thus
a goodly part of the funds furnished
by the "investing public finds its way
directly to the pocket of the promoter.
This practice has been resorted to in
the past by many mining and oil com
pany promoters, and should be ef
fectually stopped by a law requiring
that each certificate of stock be plainly
marked "treasury stock" or "promo
tion stock." This- is now the case In
Nevada.
If, in addition to our present laws
governing the sale and issuance of
stock in corporations doing business
within this state, these two points were
covered, it should no longer be possible
for the Irresponsible promoter to make
a profit from these operations, and the
evil will be promptly met.
Require periodical reports to the
proper state official of all stock issues,
promotion or treasury; the receipts and
disbursements of funds, and with the
further requirement that copies of all
advertising matter be submitted to the
state before being used, should. I think,
accomplish tho desired result without
the requirement of a lengthy and ver
bose act. W. K. LAW'SON.
Stockton, February 3.
STREKT SIGNS
Editor Call: Ijlow often have we
read in our morning papers that some
preparation has been made in order to
put signs at the street corners? Talk
is cheap, it seems, for so far as any
one can see nothing of the kind has
been accomplished yet. livery one of.
PIN MONEY
us Is supposed to walk head erect, and
not down. The best place for signs
are at the corner of the buildings, or
at the lamppost, where It can be plain
ly seen by every one who is looking
for it. It will not be long before the
visitors of this great city will claim
that San Francisco is a city with lots
of streets that have no name. Can
you blame them?
There is no excuse for such care
lessness. If the city Is too poor to
stand such a nominal expense, why
not ask the owners of the corners to
place a visible sign on their buildings
for the comfort of all of- us. No one
could be small enough to refuse to
comply with such a useful and gratify
ing demand. M. MERKEL.
San Francisco, Jan. 28.
THE GAME QUESTION
Editor Call: In the Sacramento news
in this morning's Examiner appear
these statements:
"An indication of the height of the
desire of the sportsmen to get through
their nonsale law at this session was
shown by the amount of money and ef
fort they are expending. Part of their
campaign has been the distribution to
every member of the legislature of a
book called 'Our Vanishing Wild Life,'
which purports to show that nonsale
laws are necessary to save the game.
It is written by William T. Hornaday.
The price of the book is $1.50. To dis
tribute the volume to each one of the
120 members of the legislature it has
cost some one $180."
The following copy of a letter re
ceived from Dr. W. T. Hornaday, di
rector of the New York Zoological so
ciety, may throw some light upon the
matter that seems to puzzle the Exam
iner representative:
"New York Zoological Society.
"Mr. Ernest Schaeffle, California Fish
and Game Commission, San Fran
cisco. Cal.
"Dear Mr. Secretary: I have this mo
ment received your telegram and am
going to dispatch the books tonight.
I must tell you, however, that we have
already sent a copy of the book to each
member of your legislature, not skip
ping a single one, so you will not need
to send any of these copies to any of
the members of either house. The
copies were sent separately, by mail, on
January 16—120 in all. They went as
a contribution to the cause t>f wild life
protection in California from the New
York Zoological society.
"For your further information I may
add that the book will be on»sale in
the book stores of San Francisco at
$1.50 net. -Yours very truly,
"W. T. HORNADAY."
Doctor Hornaday's letter was In re
sponse to a telegraphic order from this
board calling for four copies of the
book.
We would like to quote one para
graph of ominous importance from the
book which has aroused the Examiner's
suspicion:
"California is hell bent on exter
minating a long list of her wild life
species, and it is very doubtful whether
the masses can be reached and aroused
in time to stop it. Name some of the
species? Certainly, with all the pleas
ure In life. The band tailed pigeon,
the white tailed kite, the sharp tailed
grouse, the sage grouse, the mountain
sheep, the prong horned antelope, the
California mule deer, and ducks and
geese too numerous to mention."
FISH AND GAME COMMISSION.
Ernest Schaeffie, Secretary.
Kan Francisco, February 3.
Disgraceful Deadlocks
The deadlocks, or incipient deadlock",
in several state legislatures suggest
the desirability of having the amend
ment to the federal constitution pro
viding: for the popular election of
United States senators ratified without
delay. This should *c the last year
in American history distinguished for
deadlocks over party lights for sena
torial office. It can be made the last
year by putting the amendment through
with dispatch. The deadlocks are
wholly disgraceful, and when they pre
vent a state from being represented
for any period whatever they consti
tute a form of disloyalty to the gov
ernment of the constitution. —Spring-,
field Republican.
They're Saying
Publicity for other people's affairs is
the proper thing, but publicity for your
own affairs —well, that's something
else.—Philadelphia Press.
After you've read his description of
it. the most difficult thing is to under
stand why the owner of the house
wishes to sell it.—Philadelphia Public
Ledger.
The prospect of having Mr. Bryan In
the cabinet makes one large We-
Should-Worry club of the eastern
editors.—Chicago Record-Herald.
The difference between a taxirobber
and a taximeter is that the taximeter
doesnt use a gun.—New York Evening
Sun.
Just when an editor settles back in
his chair with the comfortable idea
that his , readers regard him as the
fountainhead of all useful knowledge,
some prominent and influential sub
scriber drops in and asks him to tell
offhand how the date of Easter Sun
day is determined.—Ohio State Journal.
An lowa visitor sends , back a roast
of California. He'll feel different wb,en
recovered from nostalgia.
There are more than 70,000 former
residents of lowa now living in Los
Angeles county. It is possible to gath
er half that number at a picnic on short
notice.
They are not sending any roasts of
California to the old home. —Los An
geles Tribune.
It isn't much trouble at all to guess
Who the delegates are at the peace
con-gress.
Though not in "Who's Who," they all
find a niche
In the latest edition of "Vltch'e Vitch."
—New York Sun.
Wβ hope that in revising the tariff
they will leave on the free list our old
friends apatite, coir, cudbear, dlvi-divi,
fossils, gambler, jalap, leeches, manna,
munjeet pulu, salep, spunk, witherite
and zaffer.—Pathfinder. ,
A million dollars in gold weighs 3,685
pounds and a fraction avoirdupois.
However, let us not worry about the
fraction. —Nashville Democrat.
Professional jealousy Iβ a hideous
thing. A house painter haa Just
slashed four pictures in London's na
tional gallery.—New York Evening
Sun.
Perhaps Hy Costoflivlng can be per
suaded to arbitrate the alimentary ca
nal tolls.—New York Evening Sun.
No rose without a thorn. The par
cel post has brought down the ex
press rates on prunes.—Pittsburg Dis
patch.
Some idea of the vast wealth of Mr.
J. P. Morgan may be gathered from
the fact that he employes nine lawyers
and yet never grows poor.—Kansas
City Journal.
Peking has issued an edict requiring
all the women in the republic to dis
card their pajamas and wear European
gowns. No wonder the Chinamen are
trying to borrow $125,000,000.—Wash
ington Post.
Chicago is boosting Willis L. Moore,
the weather bureau man, for a place
in the cabinet. Moore is the greatest
living authority on wind, and naturally
Chicago thinks he is a great states
man.—Houston Post.
Bandits are holding up the police in
Chicago. Maybe it is easier to do that
than to bother collecting it from the
people in dribs.—St. Paul Pioneer
Press.
"New York will have nothing to wear
if the clothing strike continues," as
serts the Philadelphia Record. Sad,
when the cold weather is just coming
on. But may not this be a pretext
for increasing the undressing of full
dreßS?—Plttsrburg Dispatch.
How much more powerful the presi
dent of the United States is than the
king of England. Not all the king's
horses and all the king's men could
have prevented the coronation week in
Ix»ndon. But Mr. Wilson knocked out
the inaugural ball with a letter.—
City Times.
Mrs. Eliza Pearce of Ewing, 111., has
just celebrated her 102 d birthday.
Five generations, including twenty
eight grand children, eight great
grandchildren and six- great great
grandchildren, were present.
Oyster Bay papers please copy'—
Chicago Inter Ocean.
HYPOCRITES
Mayor Lurin of Schenectady was dis
cussing a certain smug type of unde
sirables.
"The motto of these chaps," he said,
"seems to be
" 'It isn't what a man thinks. It
isn't even what he says and does. It's
what he gets caught in.' "
HOTEL NEWS
William Barton, owner of the largest cattle
ranch in New Zoalaml. arrived here yeeteritay,
after a month's trip through the middle and
weetern states, where he was engaged in study
ing the cattle business from various angles. He
bought a herd of dairy cows in Wisconsin, for
which he said he paid almost fabulous prices.
Concerning the high price of meat, he said:
"Cattle and beeves are now at the pinnacle of
high prices, rhie to the fact that the great ranges
throughout the middle west states have been to
a large extent cut into small tracts and herds of
cattle no longer roam at will. The small farmer
finds that he can make more profit on dairy
farming, and be does not raise cattle or beef to
any extent. Foodstuffs are also high, and that Is
a big factor in raising cattle. Again, the corpo
rations and big packing companies have gtrt the
cattle business under their thumbs , , and they can
charge the wholesaler and retailer about what they
please. Meat will be expensive in America until
the duty is taken off South American beeves."
Mr. Barton is a guest at the Palace.
* * #
T. L. Waldron of Waldron & Co., Ltd., «n«!
representative of the Gould lines In Honolulu, ar
rived yesterday in San Francisco. He is a guest
at the Palace.
He told of bow he won a bat and considerable
money betting on the face between the steamers
Mongolia and Wilbelmina, which latter left
"Honolulu 43 minutes later than the former.
"I bet a friend the Wilbelmina would catch
her sister ship before we reached San Francisco."
he said, end, pointing to a fine hat, he added,
"and she did. Each morning we made pools on
the relative positions the ships would be in at
night. One man won nearly $200. Altogether, I
believe that about $1,000 changed hands on the
voyage."
Father Philip Traynor of the Blessed Sacra
ment church of Chicago arrived in San Francisco
yesterday, en route for a trip around the world
as one of the chaplains of the steamer Cleveland.
He Is a guest at the Palace.
"I volunteered my services because I believed
It my duty, and also for the reason that ray
health required a sea voyage," said Father Tray
nor. "I will hold services on hoerd each day.
except when the weather Is too inclement. I
have no desire to interfere with any enjoyment
the passengers may desire, but I think a little
religion will not be amiss."
William Barton, owner of one of the largest
cattle ranches near Wellington, N. Z., arrived in
San Francisco Monday and registered at the
Palace. Mr. Barton came to the United States
to buy dairy cattle for his ranch.
Speaking of the high prices asked for meats in
this country, Mr. Barton said: "The high price
of cattle and meat throughout the United States
Is caused by the fact that the great cattle
ranches throughout the middle west have been
cut up into small farms, and cattle can not be
raised at a profit unless high prices are charged
for meat*. The small farmers prefer to conduct
a dairy business, as there is more money in it
fnr them. The population of the country is in
creasing annually, making an increased demand
for fresh meats."
* # #
George L. Beaver of Winnipeg, a large land
owner of British Columbia, is a guest at the St.
Francis. He said:
"I believe that Canada should have a navy for
her protection. Just the same as any other coun
try has. It should be built and maintained at
tUe expense of the Canadian government, and
would, of course, be at the call of the mother
country. I-believe that in the near future she
will boast of at least four warships."
A. I*. Loomls and Mrs. Loom!* of Los Angeles
returned yesterday from a trip to Honolulu.
They are staying at the Palace.
"■The Hawaiian islands are a great place, to
make money if a man is willing to take a
ohancc." said Mr. I.oomis. "From what I could
gather, about everybody who is anybody in that
country Is planning to attend the 1915 exposition
in San Francisco. They seem to feel that thin
city Is as mu.cn their own as Honolulu is, and
they are interested in its welfare."
F. C. White, president of the White Lumber
company at Fort Bragg, and Mr*. White are
guests at the. Stewart. They will remain here
for a short vacation.
A. W. Campbell, chairman of the board of
public works of Honolulu, arrived in San FYan
cisco yesterday for a short business trip. He is a
guest at the Stewart. Archie Young, part owner
of the Alexander Young hotel of Honolulu, and
H. R. Freitag. a cattle rancher of Dayton, Ncv.,
were among other arrirals at the Stewart yes
terday.
Frank O'Conner of Nome, the Alaskan agent
for the Pacific Coast Steamship company, is a
guest at the Manx. O'Conner said he was more
than glad to have a few days of warm sunshine
and to be able to "navigate" without being bun
dled up in furs.
C. D. Anderson and Mrs. Anderson of San
Diego and W. T. O'Brien and daughter of Port
land were among other arrivals at the Manx yes
terday.
Miss E. A. Bellnger of Montnaguy, Can., is a
guest at the Manx.
K. F. Baldwin and wife, a San Francisco
couple, are guests at the Fairmont.
L. S. ITedsos of Chattanooga, Term.. W. H.
McKittrick and wife of Bakpreflpld and W. Ray
bel and Mrs. Raybel of Chicago were among
other arrivHls at the Fairmont yesterday.
John Lewisohn of London, a member of the
banking firm of that name and a member of the
Royal Automobile club of Pall Mall, is a guest
at the St. Francis.
Mrs. A. C. Twohy and Miss Twohy and Miss
"N. K. Vanarsdale of Washington, D. C, and
Mrs. G. L. Dunlop and Miss Helen King of that
city make up a party that arrived at the &t.
Francis yesterday and who will sail on the Cleve
land for a world tour. All are well known in
the exclusive social set of the national capital.
William Wrigley Jr. and P. K. Wrigley, mem
bers of a Chicago manufacturing concern, and
party arrived yesterday in San Francisco. They
are registered at the Palace.
Captain Henderson of the royal nary is at the
St. Francis.
Mr. R. C. Turretin, the mayor of Reno, is a
guest at the Argonaut hotel.
Mr. G. S. Senders, owner of a large ranch near
Modesto. Is at the Argonaut.
Mr. W. B. Jessup, owner and publisher of a
newspaper at Bremerton, Wash., Is registered at
the Argonaut.
Mr. E. M. Kane, a business man of Loe An
geles, and Mrs. Kane are at the Argonaut.
Mr. A. Anderson, a contractor and builder of
Redding, Cal., is a recent arrival at the Argo
naut, accompanied by Mrs. Anderson.
* # *
Mr. T. B. Baker of Salt Lake City is at the
Hotel Washington.
Mr. Howard L. White of Tacoma is at the
Washington.
Dr. w. L. Myers of Livertnore is at the Wash-
Ington.
Mr. anrl Mr?. J. H. Gaynor of Los Angeles are
guests at the Washington.
* * *
J. E. Back, mining m*n of Nevada, is at the
Colonial.
Mr. Beames and wife of Chlco are at the
Sutter.
W. Hapson, the English actor of London Is
at the Sutter.
E. P. Plate of Nevada is a gueat at the
Baldwin.
* * *
W. E. Jacobs of Idaho is at the Columbia.
Mr. Maurice of Idaho Iβ at the Columbia.
H. Anderson of Reno is at the Columbia.
Mr. Clilcertson of Chicago 1s at the Colombia.
L. S. Henderson and daughter of Sau Jose are
guests at the Columbia!
Mai Wlnkler of New York Is at the Columbia
* * »
Mr. and Mrs. Harold Angel of Portland are at
the Dalp.
Bert Cerlect of San Diego la at the Dale.
O. H. McGee of Nevada is at the Golden West.
— —•—.
Mean Cuss!
It says here that Baltimore surgeons
have discovered that orange blossoms
may be used as an anesthetic," said
Mrs. Henpeck.
"I always did believe that T was un
conscious when we were married " re
plied Mr. Henpeck.—The Cincinnati
Enquirer.
WORTH MORE THAN GOLD
Reported discovery aJL a platinum
deposit in California has called atten
tion to some of the uses to which
platinum is put. Many of the scien
tists finer instruments are made of
platinum. It is used in the setting
of precious stones and chloride of
platinum is utilized in the production of
some of the finer photographic "tones."
The present price of platinum is I*7
an ounce, considerably more than cold.
FEBRUARY 3, 1913
Ferry Tales
I AM not a commuter." writes a resi
dent of this city, "but I do read
the 'Ferry Tales,' and I want to
ask if you know why it is that
the Northwestern Pacific maintains Its
lost property office at SausaMto In
stead of at San Kram-isco. V was m
Marin county a few weeks ago, and on
my way home I left a package on the
boat. I inquired at the ferry and was
told that 1 would have to go to feau
salito to make inquiries about it, as
all packages found on the company s
boats and trains were turned In there
and kept there. »*-«._ «.*
"The package contained nothing or
great value and I don't want It baa
enough to spend several hours chasing
it. But wouldn't it seem as if the
ferry depot was the logical place to
keep lost property?"
* * *
The Northwestern Pacific is not the
only ferry company that makes it dim
cult for the owner to retrieve property
left on boats and trains. The lost
property office of the Key Route is on
the Emeryville mole. It is open only
between certain hours —it opens too
late for many commuters and closes too
early—and to get the tim* , to make the
necessary inquiries the absent minded
traveler "must jniss either a boat or a
train, either of which means a sacrifice
of 20 minutes.
The Southern Pacific maintains its
collection of articles lost on broad
gauge trains and ferries at the Oakland
mole. Articles left on the narrow
gauge system gravitate to the Alameda
mole so that >n every case the lost
property office is in the middle of the
trip.
* * *
Attention was called to this in the
early days of the ferry tale column.
Strange to say, no change has been
made. Since then I have talked with
railroad officials and can give my cor
respondent and others who forget
something of the railroad point of
view.
Lack of room in the ferry depot ls>
given as one reason for the present
arrangement. The expense is another.
The establishment of a lost property
bureau anywhere but where a clerical
force is already located would, the
officials say, necessitate the hiring of
an extra clerk. The next reason re
veals the ferry companies In the atti
tude of a stern but conscientious par
ent.
* ♦ »
"We do not wish to encourage this
sort of thing." said one official —and
he was speaking for all three com
panies, as I found later —"by making
the recovery of lost property too easy.
The more trouble the people who lose
things have in getting them back, the
less likely they are to do it again."
Lost property, unclaimed for a cer
tain length of time, Is- sent to a ware
house and at the expiration of another
interval is sold by auction. The pro
ceeds, less cost of sale, are turned in
to the state treasury.
# # ♦
Here is a suggestion that might help
the situation. It would certainly be
more convenient for the traveling
public. If the companies were bent
on making a permanent collection of
other people's property the. present ar
rangement could not be improved. They
say they are not. This plan offers a
better chance of getting It back to the
right hands.
Tn the ferry depot Is much unused
space. This is particularly the case up
stairs. My Idea would be to estab
lish one lost property bureau to which
all articles found on ferry boats and
trains and in the ferry depot would be
sent. It would not have to be a very
large space. People do not leave grand
pianos and motor cars behind them.
The lost article as a rule Is small and
unobtrusive. That's how it came to be
forgotten.
The present system must Involve
some expense for each company. A
division of the hire of a custodian for
eight hours a day between the throe
companies, would entail probably not
much greater expense. The higher
commission, in view of the fart that
the state gets the net proceeds of the
old horse sales, and that the establish
ment of this bureau would be a public
convenience, might be induced to do
nate and even fit up the space neces
sary for this bureau.
* * *
"We are always on the lookout for
suggestions." the head of one of the
ferry systems onre told me. Here's
, one.
♦ » ♦
He looked so like the stage farmer
that one could hardly blame a poor
city transfer man for thinking that
the traveler's name was Opportunity
He landed from an & P. boaU He had
come from Willows and was on his
way to Marin county. He had a trunk
in the S. P. baggage room and he
asked the expressman to drive In with
his wagon and take the trunk to the
Northwestern PaeiHc baggage room at
the other end of the ferry depot. .
He helped the expressman lift the
trunk aboard the wagon. He rode in
the seat with him the brief distance
and again helped unload the funk.
"How much?" inquired the man from
the country.
"Doll'n a quarter," was the prompt
response.
The traveler was just as prompt.
Here, he said, handing over the
coin, "is the quarter. You'll have to
nght me for the dollar."
The transfer man weighed Hn
pounds. The traveler weighed 200
pounds. There was no fight.
Which shows that fighting weight \n
an Important element In tariff making
LINDSAY CAMPBELL.
The Girls
"Don't marry till you're thirty,"
Said the matron to the girls;
"Don't cast your young attractions
Where they'll fall like wasted pearls.
Don t marry till you're thirty—
'Tie the young love soonest fades."
"We fear It isn't likely, ,.
Sighed the gentle Boston maids.
—Cleveland Plain Dealer.
"Don't marry till you're thirty,"
Said the matron to the girls:
But the Denver girls just giggled.
As they shook their lustrous fcurli;
"Do not marry till we're thirty?
Why, from offers of all grades,
We can marry twice by that time,"
Cried the much sought Denver maids.
—Denver Republican.
"Don't marry till you're thirty,"
Said the matron to the girls;
"Don't jump out of the cradle
After marquises and earls.
Go slow, like Helen Gould did,
In choosing from the men."
"But we, have no railroads," said the
girls.
"To catch somebody then."
—St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
"Don't marry till you're thirty,"
Said the matron to the girls.
"No, no; we won't." the maidens cry.
And loud their echo whirls
Through Kdens that are Adamless;
But let a man appear.
And 10, the maiden answers, "Yea,
I'll wed in June, this year."
ABE MARTIN
A new broom misses - th' corners.
Hon. Ex-editor Cals Fluhart ad
dressed th' Civil Service, league at
; Melodeon hall last night, subject;
: "What Shall we do With Our Ei-
I piistmasters?"
