Republican farmer. [volume], January 25, 1918, Image 1

About Republican farmer. [volume] (Danbury, Conn.) 1803-192?

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Drastic Action Taken by Siemon As a Result of
Present Coal Situation Fuel Board Today
Appeals to Big Munitions Plants to .
Close Doors Holiday Mondays.
The city's plight in the coal situation being unchanged, Lo
cal Fuel Administrator Carl F. Siemon adv ises the heads of the
18 exempted factories to observe the Monday holiday and ap
peals to the national administrator to grant no more, exemp
tions, in order to conserve fuel so that industry might not be
brought into the face of absolute famine.
Here is Administrator Carl F. Siemon's signed appeal to
Assistant Administrator E. B. Noyes at Washington
"In view of the Inadequate sup
ply of all Rrado3 of coal for
Bridgeport would advise granting
. no more exemptions to manufac
turers of this city. We cannot
take care of those that have boon
exempted unless you immediately
start very substantial shipments
of both anthracite and bitumi
nous. "To take care of Immediate re
quirements we should have daily
deliveries of at least 1,300 tons of
anthracite and 1,000 tons of bitu
minous. This will not allow any
one to stock ahead. What con
you do?"
The local administration maintains
that many plants will be forced to
shutdown entirely unless they con
serve their supplies on hand, as in
coming supplies cannot he depended
upon. Siemon is rigidly against the
plan of several factories to work
'. overtime to make up for the Monday
holiday.
Regarding this Siemon said in a
statement today, "It is foolish for f ac
' tories to attempt to run overtime. I
Tequest them to observe the Monday
holiday whether they're exempted or
, not. It is the only way to observe
the spirit of the law even if they don't
feel like doing it. If they don't," ne
j continued, "they will soon find them
I selves without coal."
Four carloads of bituminous coal,
aggregating about 200 tons, was the
only relief afforded to the industrial
side today, while none was received
to aid the domestic shortage of more
than 30,004 tons of hard coal.
The fuel committee by the arrival
of a barge load of hard coal yesterday
was enabled to issue 500 orders for
quarter tons today, but even with the
daily allotment nearly tripled several
hundred were turned away.
Reconsidering his action in shutting
off the street peddlers from getting
supplies, Administrator Siemon an
nounced today that they would again
be brought into play to help solve the
domestic problem. Siemon has picked
25 reliable peddlers, who will be 11-.
censed and bonded. Each one of
the selected peddlers must file a bond
of $100 with the superintendent of
police and at the same time must ob
tain a special license to sell coal un
der the committee's regulations.
By this method Siemon believes
both the committee and the public
will be protected. The peddlers will
be closely watched and the bond and
license will be forfeited for any in
fraction of the rules and regulations.
Kach peddler will be given a ton of
nut coal, whenever the supply war
rants, which he must sell at the rate
of 85 cents for 125 pounds.
The coal is sold to the peddlers for
$9 a ton and by selling it at the com
mittee's price they are enabled to
make $4.60 profit on one ton.
The fuel committee has perfected
another plan in regards to keeping
the city's bakeries from shutting off
the bread supply. Thrpugh W. J.
Travis of the Massachusetts Baking
Co,, each of the 13 bread bakers will
be given daily supplies. This will re
quire 50 tons of egg coal weekly.
There is also a demand by restau
rant keepers and many report being
absolutely without coal. They have
been instructed to follow the takers'
plan and when their organization is
rompleted arrangements will be made
to keep them supplied.
The public schools continue in ses
sion, but with only two weeks' supply
ahead. Administrator Siemon said to
day that he had no intention of clos
ing the schools and will aseist in keep
ing them open for sessions. The sup
ply committee of the Board of Edu
cation has been promised shipments
direct from the mines, but it is doubt
ful of the promise will materialize.
Superintendent Charles Poland of
the new High school states that he is
using on the average of three and
one-quarter tons a day and has only
two weeks' supply in the .bine.
, Secietary William F. Sbechan of
the committee today issued an ap-
peal for the donation of surplus sup
plies from private homes and urges
all who can afford to follow the ex
ample of H. A. Jennings, who gave
the committee Ave tons from his bins
in bis home, leaving ltlni only enough
WWW
- VOL. CXXVI
SECOND VICTIM
OF R,R. CROSSING
CRASH IS DEAD
Thursday, Jan. 24
Early this morning at the Bridge
port hospital Frederick Weidlieh suc
cumbed to the terrible injuries' last
night when his brother Ernest was
instantly killed and the auto in which
both had been riding was smashed
by a fast moving train at the cross
ing of the Housataonic railroad tracks
on North avenue.
This makes the third member of
the Weidlieh family which death has
claimed in railroad accidents, another
brother, Charles, being killed when a
trolley overturned at Ash Creek about
10 years ago.
'Both men were members of the
Weidlieh Manufacturing Co. and re
sided with their mother at 628 Wil
liam street They were in a closed
sedan car and according 'to witnesses
before Coroner Phelan, were unable
to hear the violent blasts which the
siren of the onrushing locomotive was
emitting while approaching the cross
ing. The stories before the coroner dif
fer somewhat. Engineer Burns and
Fireman Wohn, saying that the auto
passed east in front of the train while
Stephen Barrett and Arthur L. Haaen,
who witnessed the- accident, said that
the machine came north on Lindley
street and turned into the train to
proceed west.
Engineer Burns stated that he did
not see the auto until he was almost
upon it, and then applied the brakes
with such force that the engine stop
ped in its own length, but too late to
prevent the tragedy. He also said
that a trolley car and another ma
chine had crossed ahead of the Weid
lich car.
UESTION TAX
EXEMPTION FOR
THE HOME GUARD
Is a Home Guardsman exempted
from paying his personal tax? The
Military Emergency Board say he is
and the state's attorney general says
he is not. .
With these opinions confronting
him, Tax Collector Howard F. Smith
will not accept a personal tax pay
ment from any Home Guardsman un
til he has received an official opinion
from City Attorney William H. Com
ley.
Under the tax laws, any member
of a military organization is exempt
ed. The Military Emergency board
regards the Home Guard organiza
tion as a military unit and has in
structed the company coumander? to
inform the Home Guardsmen not to
pay the tax and further advises them
that if the collector tries to enforce
payment, the board will stand back
of the men.
In order to avert confusion Collector
Smith will not enforce Home Guards
men to pay the tax until City Attor
ney Comley studies the matter and is
sues an official ruling.
to last the winter out.
The secretary also requests and so
licits complaints of private hoarding,
and guarantees that the names of the
persons making the complaints will
not be divulged. He also believes that
there are some factories with hard
coal that is of no use to them an
which if diverted to the committea's
use would do much to relieve the suf
ferings of many families.
Ma
BRIDGEPORT,
Declares Senator Cham
berlain, Replying to
Criticism By
Wilson.
Washington, Jan. 24 Stand
ing firmly by his charge that
America's military establish
ment is enmeshed in inefficien
cy, Senator Chamberlain of
Oregon, replied in the senate to
day to President Wilson s de
nunciation of his recent New
I York speech repeating the state-
jment which drew the Dresi-
dent's fire and declaring that
the president himself does not
know the truth.
Senator Chamberlain declared he
would show that the deaths of the
hundreds and thousands of men at
cantonments and camps were due to
the war department and that "all epi
demics could have been Prevented if
me war department had been effect
ive." Senator Chamberlain said the Pres
ident had attacked both his veracity
and his integrity, heretofore unchal
lenged, but that in replying he did so
without any personal feeling against
tne resident.
"For 24 years," Senator Chamber
lain said, "I have served the public in
my state to the best of my ability and
an mat "me i nave never had mv
veracity called into question nor my
integrity impeached, and I have nass-
ed through some bitter camnnie-nB
It is, therefore, with some feeling of
Humiliation and of sadness that I rise
to a question of personal privilege
when my veracity has been called into
question, not by an ordinary citizen
not by one of my colleagues, but by
a very distinguished gentleman, who
has the love and admiration of the
people and who by their suffrage oc
cuples the highest place in the gift
or tne people, and I may sav. tbe
highest place of any man in the
world."
These personal charges against me
amount tfo nothing to the American
people, but affect policies which may
involve the future of this country, If
not the entire world," he said.
Senator Chamberlains' letter added
that he was discussing only the policy
"or lack of policy" of the military es
tablishment. After stating his expe
rience in the military committee and
testimony in the committee's investi
gations, the senator's letter continued
I believe I know something about
the deficiencies in the military estab
lishment, deficiencies wnicn are
clearly recognized and proven
in a system that ought to be remod
eled for the proper prosecution of the
war and have these disjointed
and unco-ordinated defects weeded
out."
In his letter the Senator also offer
ed to go over the whole situation with
the President, but said he received
no reply and on the following day the
President's statement criticising him
was published.
The President's statement and Sen
ator Chamberlain's reply then were
read to the Senate, and the Oregon
Senator observed:
"1 do not know if any reply to my
letter was necessary. I assume that
statement is the answer."
"The statement of the President
challenges me, of course, for proof
of the statement in the New York
Times, to which statement I adhere
and repeat before this body.
"The people of this country may
not see this as I do, but as chairman
of the military committee as an
American , citizen 'and a member of
this distinguished body, I felt that
should say the things that are in me
and if I succeed in making a rift in
the clouds through which the Ameri
can people may see, I shall feel my
efforts have not been in vain."
Senator Chamberlain repeated that
he had not distorted the truth in his
speech in New York, but that owing
to the great rush of business due to
the war the president has probably
not been able to ascertain .the truth
and does not know: ifie -truth.. From
the lips of those clesMa fhje presi
dent the chief executive cannot learn
the truth, not because his advisers
desire to mislead him but because they
are situated in the same position as
he is. . 1
He denounced the cry that investi
gation gives information to the ene
my. "Germany knows more about Amer
ica today , than the -men connected
with the departments," Senator Cham
berlain, declared.
IT tne government would be frank
lTTrH4 a WVI
CONK, FRIDAY, JANUARY 25, 1918
CANDY IS
POISONED
"Impurities" Discovered in
Confections At -Canteens.
Washington, Jan. 24 Discovery
of "Impurities" in candy supplied
to canteens of navy ships caused
the issue today of an order sus
ending the sale of candy to the
men and the purchase of addi
tional supplies pending investiga
tion. -- '
Navy department officials were
careful not to say wh? the "Im
purities" were, but thefemounce
ment of the order immediately
caused a recurrence of the report
that powdered gloss had been dis
covered. There was no confirma
tion for this, however, and no
case of sickness from eating the
candy has been reported.
So far as Is known this is ahe
first official action of its kind 'on
a great crop of reports of food
poisoning by enemy plotters which
have ranged from breakfast
foods to canned goods and now
finally to candy.
2 ARRESTED MEN
REPORTED HUN
TERROR AGENT
At the request of the department of
justice, Thomas Farrell, 221 Water
street and Chester E. Stephens, of 121
Blakeman place, Stratford, were held
by the police under bonds of $1,000
each until January 31. Both men are
said to be under suspicion as being
implicated in the recent widespread
Hun plot to terrorize the country with
a campaign of sabotage.
Chester E. Stephens was arrested
yesterday, i was saidt because he had
overstayed his leave of absence front
the naval station at Newport, and had
made the railroad depot his home for
the past couple of weeks. He claimed
when apprehended that he did not
have the money to return to Newport
and was ashamed to go home.
Now it is said that his motives had
a more sinister aspect and that he
was taken into custody by Federal
agents upon information that he was
implicated with others in a plot the
extent of which is not fully exposed
as yet.
Little can be learned of the man
Farrell, but it is intimated that he is
supposed to be a dangerous prisoner
and one of the many important cap
tures made within recent times by the
federal agents working in Bridge
port. SEVENTY-EIGHT
MEN ENTOMBED
IN ALLAN SHAFT
Halifax, N. S., Jan. 24 Seventy
eight men, alive or dead, are entomb
ed in the Allan shaft near New Glas
gow, where a terrific explosion occur
red late yesterday afternoon. Of the
98 men believed to have been in the
mine, only nine escaped from a high
level. Eleven bodies have been re
covered. Little hope is entertained
that any of the 78 entombed men
will, be rescued alive.
The nine who were rescued were
on the 500 foot level and did not hear
the explosion but, warned by smoke,
they ran for the cage. Joseph Lahey,
a, Belgian boy who was found at the
bottom of the shaft, was kept alive by
a pulmotor but died after being
brought to the surface.
The violence of the explosion blew
the cage up the huge shaft and drove
mine timbers 200 feet long the levels.
New Glasgow, N. S., Jan. 24. It was
feared today that all the miners im-
prisoned in the Allan shaft of ths
lAcadia Coal Co. near here, as a re
sult of the explosion late yesterday,
had perished. The dead, it is be
lieved, will number 90.
FEDERAL DRIVE
AGAINST ILLICIT
WHISKEY-MAKING
Washington, Jan 24 Discovery
that manufacture of moonshine
whiskey is increasing rapidly in bone
dry states and. that quantities have
been sold illicitly to soldiers in south
ern camps caused Internal Revenue
Commissioner Roper to announce to
day a nation-wide campaign against
illegal distillation in co-operation
with state governors.
with the people "then he could rely
upon the people to rally to the support
f the ni-csirlent and the prosecution
"of the war," he aaaea.
WILSON'S FOES
IN SENATE ARE
ALREADYBEATEN
War Cabinet Bill Fails and
Not Even a Test Vote
Is Likely
Washington, Jan. 24. The fight
against the administration is over
before it is begun. The question xt
confidence in his conduct of the war
that the President was willing to
place before the Senate, and which
was to have been forced to a deci
sion today, will not be put to the test
unless the unexpected occurs. Mr,
Wilson's position has been supported
to such an extent that a votA is nn
i lonerer ree-arriprt n npnMcnrv tn xrnva !
it.
The last chance that the opposi
tion to the executive had to place on
record what would have amounted to
censure of the manner in which
America has managed her end of the
war was dissipated yesterday when it
became known -that Senators Lodge
Lof Massachusetts and Warren of Wy
oming, two of the most powerful of
the Republican group, stood- with the
President and would throw their in
fluence and' votes against the War
Cabinet measure.
When the Chamberlain bill is reached
it will be referred to the Military Af
fairs Committee, of which the Oregon
senator is chairman. Should he at
tempt to make an immediate report
ing out of the bilMt will be opposed
by Warren, who will ask an oppor
tunity to formulate a minority re
port. In this he will be joined by
certain of the Democratic committee
men who opopse the measure. It is
possible that a vote may be taken on
this point, but the Senate leaders re
gard it as improbable. Later, should
the proposed law be reported out,
Swanson of Virginia, acting chairman
of the Naval Committee, will ask that
it be referred to his body, since it
concerns the workings of the Navy
Department as much as it does the
army. In this position he will be
joined by Lodge, ranking minority
member of the Naval Committee.
Should it reach that committee, the
bill will die there, but it is very
doubtful whether it will be reported
out of the Military Committee, once
it is sent back there, Jor it is realized
that the administration is in control,
and the committeemen, including
some of those who favor the bill, be
lieve that the part of wisdom lies in
avoiding an open break with the ex
ecutive. "
When the meascure has beeta dis
posed of the administration will offer
such a -program as has been found
necessary through the experiences of
the various departments, but it can
be said authoritatively that nothing
of a radical nature will be asked for
at this time. No War Cabinet is need
ed, in the opinion of the President,
and the pending bill to create a Di
rector of Munitions will likewise be
scrapped.
It cannot be denied that Col. Koose
velt played a part in the situation
which developed yesterday afternoon,
although it is .a question whether he
was not an involuntary performer.
His pesence in Washington had the
effect of immediately solidifying the
Democrats and it was not without ef
fect among certain of the Republi
cans who do not noia me -oionei in
high esteem.
Terhaps news of the inner nature
of things reached the Colonel yester
day, for Tie secluded himself and de
clined to see newspaper men, saying
that he might have a statement to
make today.
Senator Chamberlain is showing
quiescence with the new turn matters
have taken. He is not trying to swim
against the tide. He said yesterday
that he would not make a fight against
the procedure, but instead would rise
to a question of personal privilege
and on the floor of the Senate make
public reply to the President's char
acterization of the speech he made in
New York last Saturday.
Chamberlain has announced that
his defense will be found in the record
of the War Department which the
military affairs committee investiga
tion brought out. Democratic Sena-
tors will maKe reply, wun possioiy a
i or u i. ,
also.
It is more than likely that the dfr
bate will close the whole issue and
that the war cabinet measure will
never reach a vote. After three days
of consideration the belief is general
even among certain of the group most
partisanly inclined, that the Presi
dent must be supported in the posi
tion he has assumed unless the un
dermining of all public confidence is
to be risked. And but few of the ad
ministration's critics are willing to
go so far as to gay that this hazard
should be made.
Friends of Wilson regard the vic
tory as highly significant. They
spurn the thought that the retire
ment of the opposition has been due
to consideration for the administra
tion; they insist that it means noth
ing more nor less than a complete
backdown on the part of the critics,
who. it is charged, lack the material
to make good their frequently re
peated attacks.
The administration causea it to be
NEW SERIES VOL. CXXVI NO. 5596 ,
TEUTONS INSISTING ON
BALTIC PROVINCES '
"AND' COURIAND' -
Gen. Hoffman, Hun Representative at Brest
Litovsk, Pulls Away Mask of Hypocrisy and
Shows Bolsheviki Map of Wilhelm's
Plans for Deutschland.
Petrograd, Jan. 24 Russia must give up Coiirland and all
the Baltic provinces or the Germans will resume military opera
tions and occupy Reval within a week, the German delegation
at the Brest-Litovsk negotiations informed the-Russian repre
sentatives at the last session of the conferees. An adjournment
was taken until Jan. 20, to permit the Russians to consider the
German terms. "
Repocts of the session indicate that the Germans took a de- .!
finite stand and most frankly outlined demands on which they j
;.,.:.(.,.-mu , 1 i' j i TTi : t 1 i
are insistent. nie suuieiary ui me u itraman UOiegcUlOn gave ;
out an account of the meeting. It says the Russians put a ques- -tion
to the delegates of the Central powers as to what were ;
their final peace terms. Gen. Hoffman, one of the German :
.1 . t 1 l : J i :
ueiegtiies, reuneu jjy upeniiig a map cum punning OUI me fol
lowing line, which they insisted should constitute the future
frontier of Russia:
From the shores of the gulf of Finland to the east of the
Moon Sound islands, to Valk,to the west of Minsk, to Brest
Litovsk. . "
This r-nmn PIA V pliminatf5
uruvinico.
known last night that it was opposed
to any. sidetracking of the test by
means of parliamentary , technicali
ties. Those who know the President
best say that his attitude yesterday
is very likes it was at the time of the
McLe'more resolution, when he in
sisted that the matter be fought out
in the open. If he has any reason to
believe that the situation in the Sen
ate today will not be effective in set
tling finally the points at issue it is
possible that he wil compel a vote
to be reached so that a record may
be made. In fact, it can be said that
he regrets that this method is not
ikely to be followed, for his confi
dence in the conditions is such that
he is quite willing to give the widest
opportunity to his opponents.
Last night it was admitted that the
air had been cleared and that the
President had succeeded in making
plain that he purposes to exercise the
executive function alone. His willing
ness to put the question to a public
test has silenced, for the time, many
of the critics who have been focus
sing their attention upon the need of
a war cabinet.
In the debate that will follow
Chamberlain's speech some of the
facts that have made the President
so firm in his belief that the War
Department has done a good job will
probably be brought out. But many
of the things that Mr. Wilson told his
Senatorial callers Monday night are
of a secret nature and cannot be re
vealed, however impressive they
might be in swinging back public
support to the war office.
BOLSHEVIKI WILL
ATTEND TRIAL OF
I. W.W.IN CHICAGO
Amsterdam, Jan. 24 Russian par
liamentary circles regard the Russian
situation -as being very critical, ac
cording to the Lokal Anzeiger of Ber
lin. The paper says that the latest
news from Petrograd shows that Bol
sheviki supremacy is seriously threat
ened and the question now arises as to
whether it would be wise to nego
tiate further with men whom anarchy
at any moment may sweep away.
TAFT STARTS ON .
SPEAKING TOUR
OF 8,000 MILES
Ayer, ,Mass.- Jan. 24 -Former
President William H. Taft, in ad
dressing the men at Camp Devens
here today on the issues of the war
and the ultimate objects of the League
to Enforce Peace, started a month's
speaking tour of 8,000 miles, which
will take him to 12 military training
camps in 13 states in the south and
middle west. Mr. Taft was asked to
make the tour by the war council of
the Y. M. C. A.
"BLOODY SUNDAY" '
CELEBRATION KILLS
40 IN PETROGRAD
Petrograd, Jan. 24. Forty persons
were killed and 200 were wounded in
roits in Moscow on Tuesday during a
demonstration at anniversary celebra- I
tion of "Bloody Sunday."
ALL THE NEWS
THAT'S WORTH
PRITIN G
j i 1 1 ,
nnr anri nnrl nil Iho Kaltis v
- ...
1 he Russians asked the terms of
the Central powers in regard to the
territory south of Brest-Litovsk. Gen.
Hoffman replied that was a question
that they would discuss only" with
Ukraine. M. Kameneff, a member of
thft "Russian Halaofin 1 a.
supposing we do not agree to such
conditions. What are you
do?"
going to
Gen. Hoffman's answer is reported
to have been: "Within a week, then,
we would occupy Reval."
The Russians then asked for a re
cess, which was granted reluctantly.
The Germans declared it was the last i
postponement to which they would
Consent, The remiQct n... j . i
- ..-,"jl nao llldUU Oy :
Leon Trotzky, head of the Russian 1
delegation,- who said he desired an
opportunity to lay the German peace j
terms before 'the council of workmen's 1
and soldiers' delegates.
The negotiations between the Ukrai
nians and the Central powers are
proceeding amicably. The Austrians '
offered to cede Cholmatehina to the i
Ukrainian republic, but only on con
dition that the Ukrainians send grain'
and ether food stuffs to the Central
powers immediately on the conclusion ,
of peace.
imiCTrjiTirHi
n l o nH Mil
Y FORGE CUT
HEAT SALE
Washington, Jan. 24 To create a
large export surplus of flour for the
Allies .the food administration is con
sidering a plan of forced reduction in
flour sales all the way from the mill
er to the consumer. Millers, whole
salers, retailers and baiters prob- '
ably will be required to hold their
their sales of flour down to 75 per
cent, of the amount now handled."
As the Allies are demanding from
75,000,000 to 100,000,000 more bush
els of wheat, the food administration
has arranged to take over 30 per
cent, of America's flour production,
out of which will be selected supplies
for export.
Food administration officials be
lieve the United States can give 90,'--000,000
bushels of wheat made into
flour between now and the time the
new American crop comes in, with
out endangering the American sup
ply. PRICES OF FOOD
GREATER MENACE
THAN COAL LACK
New York, Jan. 24 There was no
general increase in sickness in New
York city during the five-day indus
trial shutdown - and fewer deaths
from pneumonia were recorded, ac
cording to reports published today by
the board of health.
"The coal shortage thus far is not
worrying us so much as the food
shortage, due to high prices," says a
statement from the board.
THREE FRENCH SjHIFS SUNK.
Paris, Jan. 2-1 The sinking of two
French vessels of more than 1,600
tons and one of less size is shown in
the weekly report of French shipping
losses. Four vessels were attacked unsuccessfully.-
Ml
HUi
MA
INW
I