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STKAUS TO ALDERMEN fAVOES MILK ORDINANCE. fells Them He Will Run for Con gress to Increase Scope of Work. Kathan Straus, j-poakin? yesterday to a mm r ,-t.' of Board of AJderxnen on the proposed ordinance Tl.it «!! milk sold in this oity Fhall come from cows rertifled to be fr<re from tuberculosis or l>* p*>?f urize.l. u:-j,-e<i i- s adoption, and told the £j6erin?n that after he had won his fight for pure jn ; !k in !' ; :- cdty he was going to run for Congress t r, continue the battle on a larger scale. Mr. .Straus, -n opening his discussion, referred jo thp fact that li<> appeared before the aldermen ttro years ;!^'> lo favor a similar ordinance, when j, c <-it> d 11;<- opinions "f the leading scientific men of the world in support of the method of saving dJJdrcn's ;h<-s, which h<- paid he had been pursuing Jkt<* :;r!'i < Is..v.li*r«- for fifteen years, and lid : I now c •;!!<» to you with the added experience of tti, rears more :«nd with the added weight of the Indorw meni <>f pasteurization by the International ;ii;k Congress, by the lnt--»-;intionpl Congress of Hygiene and by th-- .\>u- York 9111k <'onimit f ee. n-iihii two years ago, before this board, opposed thi* measure «.f public safety. n*ben I rtood before you two years k^'. there mas i:" dispute uk to tlie success of my woik in Stving the lives of l>ahi.-s. but the idea of appjy iiig »i>" "proved method*! to the milk supply of a cr* I ;*' city v.:.s considered novel. Now w«- have the msmple of. Chicago, which has begun lh"l h " onforce- Biiiit "f a law such as you arc now considering- Moreover, la th<» last year I have pasteurized the ini'l; supply of Sandhausen. in Germany, with the result that the death rate among the children lias "bee", cut to less than ha!f the average death rate U<v the preceding five years. Mr. Straus said that the milk now brought into the city leaned witn bacteria and that there was no assura'.ice that any of it was free from disease perms, liven milk produced under ''ideal and' -kr>«=." he said, was not entitled to a "clean bill of hf E ;h • In support of this statement lie referred to a personal expericn.-e during the last fortnight, sayln?: 1 was offered i supply of milk for my laboratory ,'*",",. '.J iix most perfect dairy farms In the I "V cou'.irv owned l.y a wealthy *«tl«nan «h»1« town from one end of in* nation to the "ther o/'cours^ T W-rlv «"«£» to a contra-; to rake ihe wtaoj* output oi this big dair>. t of tM i2arip?iny consternation when the report of the vl^d" < H lath laboratory showed that this milk SSs full of tuberculosis. The milk was from « Srywbtre no r*P<-n^ was spared to have perfect ctoudhm K**l then can on<j expect from i ordl t4'; v .i^irfs? Such an experience as tins shows the necessity f"r your ordinance. He toM huw u'rvier the present regulation miik {< dumped into ti.e gutter if th- Inspector finds thfit Its temperature is too !>ich. and how the milk man is fined if U is proved that he bus ■• rated the milk or has skimmed off too much of the cream. • .Hm." ho lidded, "the milk has been sold and used before the disease germs have been ois= rover<*s. an<l. even when the Health Hoard knows that the milk of a certain dairy contains disease earns, the sale <>f the milk is not prohibited." M? . Btraau continued: There is only one way to combat this constant danser and thai is to pasteurize the milk. <-Jo on «rfth Inspection. As "The Jledical Record" says, "Inspection uil! make the milk more tit tor pas teurization.'" But don't depend on inspection alone. T!'«- city is paying; millions to support hospitals. It i-^ time for the city io do something to keep peo- Die out of hospitals by seeing to it that the two Bullion o.uarts of mills coming into this city daily f'roT. forty thousand dairy farms does not contain th<» living organisms that produce tuberculosis. typhoid and scarlet fevers, diphtheria and summer Pasteurize the milk which is the main cause of these diseases and you will not only cut the death rau- in half, you will not only save thousands of families from "unnecessary sickness and grief, but yon will save money for the city by reducing the drain \ip«u its purse for hospital maintenance. Pasteurization ft f all non-certified milk will be a south! linam-ial investment. Mr. gtraus made it clear that he did not mean that The city 6hould go into the milk business, but thai it shouM pee that the milk supply was safe. •'If you pass this ordinance." he said, "the big ceai^rs will erect ;heir own plants and will pas teurize their own milk. Then the city can have nations conveniently located to receive the ruilk of such dealers as do not have their own pasteuriza tion plant?, end the milk can be Turned back to These de&lers in an hour or two, properly pasteur s2<d. bottled and iced." "Commercially pasteurized" milk was referred to es "no pasteurization at all." and Mr. Straus said that "jn*il the entire supply should be properly pas teurized the only safe measure for the mother and housewife was to boil the milk. Kererring to bis own work Mr. Straus paid: I have done as much as one man and one purse can d« to save the lives of the chillren of -hit city Noiv 1 must ask ll\*> city government to take n the work. I am supplying pasteurized milk to s«ne twenty-five hundred babies a day, but every baby hi the city is entitled to such milk. So grow ing "child or adult ought to he exposed to the dan gers of raw milk. Manifestly, this work is too vast for one man, and I am not rich enough to endoTi the work that I am doing so as to assure Its continuance. Tou have regular paid advocates here to oppose ise. but I defy you all to ask me any question you please and* Iwill answer It. 1 am opposed by the doctors— it puts them out of business; but Jll fght every one who opposes me. and may the Lord hive mercy on any man who opposes me! The few questions asked were characterized by Mr. Straus as "f'Kilish." ALLOWED TO ISSUE CERTIFICATES. Cornell Receivers (Jet Permission from Court — To Be Used to Buy Material. JLflgo Holt, in the T.'nit?d States District Court, jwterday afternoon granted the application of e\- JudCQ Morgan J. O'Brien, representing 95 por cent cf the creditors and ell but thirty of the 6GO bond holder* and the receivers also of the steel and iron fira cf J. B. & J. M. Cornell, for permission to BOM Sloo,ftX> of receivers' certificates. Only a Unm.l objection was made by William On enow, '^presenting the trustees under the mortgage, the t'nited States Mortgage and Trust Company. Jud^e Holt urg.Hl all concerned to complete the reor fisization of th« company and obtain the ,dis ci^rge of the receivers as soon as possible. .' Tfce receivers— A. Gordon Murray and Michael Blake— were appointed in March. It was said then that the receivership was primarily for the purpose °T reorrsiniration. The original application was for S_'--.'.'. receivers" ocrtificatps. but the receivers feel n ? w tna t they can set alonp readily with $100, <*«. which wii! be used to purchase material to complete contracts outstanding:, which now ap^re- Cate &KUIOQ, Ju-ceiver Michael Blake said after the court proc-edinßg ... was hoped to have the reorganization of the company completed by June L ANTIQUES TO BLAME. HUSBAND SAYS. "Wife's Fad Not a Loan, He Testifies, Re sponsible for Suit for $2,000. FririkHn A. Taylor, vice-president and general cf the Randolph Cowles Brass ifact <-r.ng Company, of Waterbury. Conn., was the de fendant in th» Supreme Court yesterday before Jus- Ur « Katzek in an action brought by his wife to re cover C/«>0, which, she says, she advanced to him *o-^r years ngo. Mrs. Taylor, who was the politnry witness for her «3e of the cage, testified that her husband a<-k"l few for the money, eaylng that he was financially The agreement under which the «.«■. , ? , g!v»>n to him. nhe swore, was that Mr. i t? Or *""* to T»ay it back within four years. The husband testifled that the whole trouble lay fc the fact that his wife had a mania for <■<-.' letting *=tique Candtttre and had indulged In the fad so ««t=sire!y that it had exhausted his income. He *W>»ft>-! •- her. h<% said, mat she finally agreed to Vty lor asass st the furniture by advancing J2,<XV>. *blch eh<* obtained on a loan on stocks owned by SSI **• Jury returned a sealed verdict. EXONERATED IN HIGHEST COURT. A •>oMea b» the Court of Appeals filed r— lm p 7, -a th« County Clerk's office exonerates W. , ■' Chamber*, a cornet player, of the charge i coav«r«ior. made by Charles G. Conn, of Elk. «*i2» lB<! - Vrh ° CBUB< * d Chambers'* arr«wt on April * «■». on a charge of unlawfully converting musi «• rawchandlfe to the value of J2.765. which Conn w> rtw! Chambers with having obtained under a 'J»«l* n epreement. Upon the charge of converting -**• sooda. an order of arrest was issued by the ■•*•»* Court, and Chambers was held in Ludlow *Jf**t .'ail under bail of $2,r>00 for several days. ?" ber " now intends to bring an action against MMtf| to recover damages for false Imprisonment. TAKING THE COFFIN FROM THE HOTSF. AT XO. 233 LAFAYETTE STREET. FUNERAL OF PETROSINO CITY IK )\()RS I) E TE( TI J ' E. Thousand* of Policemen and fellow Citizetu Escort Body. -.n the J •epartnient. -■- y. The t.t> t;.ivf him a fun- - ' : ~ only tousand poli4 emeu and I behind his Uonsigi oi K. . • • . S Patrick's ■ 1 .. ii ' y ■ Police • • The streets were ihronge.J nil along ihe line of march from Lafayette street to Houston, to Mul berry, to Kleecker. to Mercer, to Waverley Place, to Vniversity Place, to 12th street, up Fifth ave nue, to 57th street, to Second avenue, to 59th street, where the civilians, foot police and firemen fell out. leaving the mounted police and guard of honor to escort me body to its resting place in Calvary Cemetery. Flags were tl ■ the Y/orkvllle court, paid the dead detect for a ball is t Oaes on th< •: •: Comm Presideni M G Board ' ' a « o-;rt attend* I the 1 •As the cortege passed High Pre<=fure Kngine Sia tion 2. in J2th stivet. between University Place and Fifth avenue, the beHs on the two engines were tolled and th* firemen stood at attention. Similar honors were paid at the house of High Pressure Company 20. In Lafayette street, a few doors above the dead lieutenant's home. At 10:30 a. m. the flower laden coffin wa.« brought out of the .lames K. March Association rooms, at No. 203 I^afayette street, borne on ti:e shoulders of Fix stalwart patrolmen, and the police band played "Nearer, Mv God, to Thee." Beside each of the six patrolmen walked a detective lieutenant in . dress uniform, and behind walked gjx citizens. The guard of honor came next, followed by the twelve patrolmen who have attended the body since its arrival from Italy last Friday morning. Next came a carriage. in which rod« the widow. Lieutenant Petrosinos sister. Mrs. Josephine Mazzle; hie brother. Antonio Petrosino. and Mrs. PetroHir.o'a brother, Jjouis Saulino. The procession proceeded to St. Patrick's Churcn, In Hot) street: As the body was taken into me church a company of mounted police, under com mand of Inspector - unittberger, presented batons and the band played. IfaasiSßor I. ■■• • in his sermon told of the life of the deceased policeman, who came to this coun try In 1869. when he was four years old. "lie man aged to mike his way without education, position or training." said Ifonaignor Laveile, "Mrst as an ilinerant musician, and later as a street cleaner, where he. attracted the attention of Inspector Will iams, who persuadt-d him to go on the police force, "Joseph Petrosino was a nobleman, with the pat ent of nobility— not written on parchment, but writ ten in God's own band on his heart." Honsignor Lavelle said that the Police Depart ment received much criticism, but he declared that it -was the most important and most efficient in stitution of the city government. ■a policeman la the c^urt of first instance," he said, "and performs one of the meal important and moat meritorious functions in the eyes of God and man." He told of the formation of the Italian squad at the suggestion of PatroaißO, and of his personal re quest to go to Sicily to study the problems of his department. He continued: Three days before he departed one of our pastors said to him: "1 hope you do not undertake this mission, because 1 inn sure that you will not come back alive, i want you to refuse to go." The lieutenant smiled one of his familiar .smiles and persisted In bis determination. "Then," said the pastor, "I must bid you good by, because I am sine that the next time i see you will be at your funeral." * May God grani that the sacrifice will be pro ductive of the greatest good, as the blood of the martyrs became the seed of the Christian Church. I hope and pray that the death of this faithful. true, large hearted, devoted and beloved man may be the means of Inspiring self-respect among his countrymen, so that no mere small handful of criminals shall degrade their race. May it teach to the rest of the people the debt and the love that we owe to the strangers on our shores, so that we may not wrongly discriminate. Let us make every one as welcome In our hearts as they are under our flag. in closing; be exhorted the congregation and In the church to pray for Ufa repose <.f the Oi Joseph I'etrosino. At the grave the mounted squad presented batons and the buglers sounded "Taps" as the body of the dead lieutenant was lowered. SEXTON DIES IN CHURCH. William T. Phillips, of No. 57 East 130 th street, sexton of Mount Morris Baptist Church, 127 th street and Fifth avenue, died suddenly in that edifice yesterday afternoon from rheumatism. Mr. Phillips became sexton of the church upon the death of his father, eighteen years ago. On EaMer he went to the church, although suffering great pain, and compelled to walk about with canes. Although still feeling 111 yesterday. Mr. Phillips thought ii necessary for him to go to the church to help distribute the flowers used at the Easter ser vice. At 32 o'clock he went to the Sunday school room, where his twelve-year-old son was waiting with some lunch. As the sexton started to eat he suddenly fell forward to the floor. The boy ran to bis home to get his mother, who returned with him. to find her husband unconscious. A physician was summoned, but he said th* man had died in stantly. The Coroners' office was notified of the death and permission for the burial was granted. — » ST. PATRICK'S TRUSTEES ELECTED. Three trustees for the ensuing three years were re-elected at St. Patrick's Cathedral by the pew hoMers of that church yesterday. The men re elected are. John J. O'Rourke, the contractor, of No. 345 Fifth avenue; John G. Agar, a lawyer, of No. SI Nassau street, and ex-Justice Thomas 1* Ituuer, oi 67 "Wail Et reeW^--' NEW-YORK DAILY TRTBIXE TUESDAY. APRIL 13. 1909. SC TA'KS AT THE FUNERAL OF DETECTIVE JOSEPH EETROSINO. . IRRYING THE COFFIN OUT OF THB CHITRCH HOPE FOR ST. JOHN'S Final Stand of Chapel at Trinity Election* To day. Why the members of St. John's Cttapel will try to elect only four of their own number to the Trinity Church vestry was <xp!ntned by ex-Surrogate Charles 11. Beckett yesterday. Beside* voting for Henry St. John Hyde, a member of Trinity Church, with IMnllp I. Schell. Herman Gustow ami William G. Hose, of St. John's Chapel. the. opposition to the regular ticket will challenge voters from St. I. :ki- Chapel. Grove and Hudson streets. m-d the Chapel of the Intercession, Broadway and IJMh street. Mr. Beckett said: "The people of St. I. Ik« have never voted before, an<l now th»y do so only because Trinity declares they ate entitled to. Until this year St. I,uke # s has always ■.. ■ d consider* .1 a fre-e mission chapel, and therefore not entitled to representation at election*. "The case at the Intercession Is different. In 1&97 this church Buccecded in having a. bill passed by the Legislature giving it the right to Mil out to any one. The members sold their church to Trinity and have never voted since. They are not legally corporators, because they have not been admitted as such by the other members of the corporation. In spite ■■( Its doubtful position In Trinity parish, this chapel has Bent out a circular accusing St. John's, which has been a partner for over a cen tury, of mali-'e and lyi: .ri nee. "We merely seek our "just representation in the vestry. There are 1.300 corporators. 136 of whom come from St. John Throe representatives is a fair proportion. We have substituted the names of tho new candidates f«> r those of Herman 11. Cam rr.ann, Richard Delafteld, Nicholas K. Palmer and Francis :.: Bangs because these gentlemen are four members out of six on the standing committee of the vestry, which has obstinately opposed the wel fare of St. John's. We have no personal reasons lor voting against than men." St. John's voters, 198 strong, will march to Trin ity Church at 10 o'clock this morning, at which time the polls will open and votes will be received by the Uev. William T. Manning, the rector. Trin ity's supporters will not be backward In voting. It is said, and will do ail they can to defeat St. John's, There will be watchers and challengers on both sides, while counsel representing the two parties will also be pi went. MISHAP AT EXECUTION. Matricide Has to Wait While Sing Sing Electric Chair Is Fixed. It took only one shock to kill Barnard Carlln, a matricide, twenty-two years old, who was i>n' to death in the electric chair In Blag Sing prison yes terday. The execution would have been one of the quickest mi record bad it not been fur a mishap just as the current *vi»B Mimed on. Carl in was brought into the death chamber at 5:56 a. in. He was accompanied by Father Ma honey, of St. Augustine'? Human Catholic Church, In ■.i::_. and repeated Hi.' prayer for the dyinp after the priest. Exactly one minute after he had entered the room lie had been strapped in the chair and the electrodes had been adjusted. The signal was then given and the current turned on, but there was no response. When everything works properly the victim >n the chair strains against the straps and then becomes rigid. l! was found that the wire attached to the electron on the right leg had fallen to the floor, and consequently no circuit had been formed. The officials explained that the ■wire had been worn out by frequent use. After a delay of fifty-nine seconds the wire whs readjusted and the current again turned on. and sixty seconds later the physicians pronounced Car- Un dead. DINNER FOR C. D. HILLES. Charles Dewey Hllles. the new Assistant Secre tary of the Treasury and formerly superintendent of the New York Juvenile Asylum, was the guest of honor at a dinner last night at the Waldorf- Astoria. The dinner was arranged through Con troller Metz and some friends. Mr. Metz presided. Mr. Hilles received a sliver loving cup, inscribed: "To Charles D. Hllle.", a Friend of Children, from Friends of Both." Addresses were made by Mornay Williams. Dr. William J. White, director of Catho lic charities in Brooklyn: Edward Lauterbach. John D. Lindsay. Franklin H. Xi backer, of the House of Refuge, of Glen Mills, Perm . ; George B. Robinson, of the New York Catholic Protectory, and Thomas itL Mulry, of the (at- Viaceat de I'sul Society, TTTE PROCESSION PASSING THROUGH 57TH STREET, WHERE THE CROWDS WERE GREATEST. fc PARK DEFENDERS MEET Decide That Vigilance of Committee Will lie Seeded for Some Time. Tht» executive committee of the ntral Park Protection Committee met yesterday afternoon In the office of Eugene A. Phtlbin. its chairman, at No. 5^ William street, «n>i decided by unanimous vet» not to organize as v 'temporary body." The members present were of the opinion that t lie safe ty of Central Park required ti;» vlrllanee of an organization such as the committee for some time to come. Tho members were pleased by news from Albany, a number of Senators and Assemblymen having as sured the chairman and Charles B. Stover, secre tary of the committee, by mall that there was no likelihood of the bill . rcvidlm for the erection of a gallery by the National Academy of Design be coming a law. The committee members were assured that they would i"- Informed in time to attend a hearing should the rules committee decide to report the bill, and the chairman was authorized to appoint three committees— one, on legislation, to watch legis lative proceedings and to tuke prompt action should occasion require It; .> committee on press and lit erature, anil *. finance committee. After the session the following statement was given out: This committee has been organized for the pur pose of protesting against and defeating the project to give the National Academy of Peprßn. und»T any pretext or by any plan, « foothold in Central Park It i.i proper to say that In adopting this attitude of uncompromising hostility to such * plan this committee is not animated by any un friendly spirit to the National Academy of Design. Our sole object is to preserve Central {'ark a? a park and to prevent the admission within Its bor ders of any new enterprise, no matter how public spirited and desirable it mi be. The Importance of preserving Central Park and all the breathing spaces on Manhattan [aland, ac quired by the city for this purpose 'it great cost. can be convincingly she in a single sentence. As the population of Manhattan (stand grows the park space available for recreation continually grows smaller In proportion to the population it has to serve. On the other hand, the growth of population con stantly increases the pressure from various sources to gel into the parks, precisely as air rushes* In to till a vacuum. For the.-"c reasons II la essential for the people of the city to stand guard over the parks "ii Manhattan Island with tireless vigilance. The security of the parks is to l»> found in alert public sentiment, which at an: moment of danger will organize an Irresistible sentlment/of protest. us has been <!■" •■ In this ■ •-■■ Every new victory for the preservation of Central Park as a park make* the future more secure. S.i far as the project of the National Academy of Design Ii concerned, this com mitt assures the public thai It will not abate its watchfulness or its opposition for .i single moment until the scheme Is irretrievably defeated. NIAGARA FALLS ICE PACK BREAKING. Gorge Still Choked, but Mass Yields Before Warmth of Day. Siagars Falls, N S April 12. -The Ice pack still the gorge, bul there was evidence U> day, nd there along the channel thai it was be ginning to break The daj was warm and there «hs no wind About I - thi water has fallen some ten feet. "At the Whirlpool Jhe ice Is beginning to br ak away and also ai the mouth of ! he riw 'I'h" Ontario Power Company's officials reported that the generating station w is tree of water and thai the machines would be started some time to morrow. Syracuse and the other cities which take their supply of electric current from the Niagara, Lockpoti and <«ii i:t !!• • Power Company, the. On tario's distributing corporation, are being supplied by the Electric Development Compan] JOHN DICKINSON, BROKER. MISSING. Fails to Appear at Hearing, and Attorney Doesn't Know Where He Is. Chicago, April 12. — Contrary to expectation, John Dickinson, broker, of New York and Chicago, whose firm, John Dickinson & Co., recently failed, did not appear before Referee in Bankruptcy Eastman in this city to-day. His attorney stated that he was ignorant of Dickinson's whereabouts. The bearing was post poned until Friday. DIED ON STEAMER FROM BERMUDA. The Quebec steamship Trinidad arrived here yes laislaT from Bermuda with the body of Charles Melnel, fifty-three years old. of Philadelphia, who had been on a visit to the island. Mr. Melnel sailed on the Trinidad when she left Bermuda three days ago. On Sunday he became ill. complaining of a pain In his heart, and died within a few minutes *fjesb«waa_BJri.ck«a ; THE MENDONCA SALE. Eighty-one Paintings Disposed of for Total of $87 £70. The first day's sale of the art collection of Senor Salvador de Mendonca, formerly minister from Brazil to the United States, which took place las night In the grand ballroom of the Waldorf, brought $27,370. Eighty-one paintings were disposed of. the highest price being $2,600, which was paid by W. H. Williamson for "La Suppliante." by Jean Baptists Greuze. A Corregio. "Head of a Boy," brought $2,2<». At a pale of pictures of Senor de Mendonca in 1599. a picture with the same name and attrib uted to the same artist was sold for H. 050. The purchaser last night was J. O'Reilly, an agent. Among the pictures sold, the purchasers and the prices paft were the following: Pabjrrt and artlM. Buyer. Fries. Ruins in Italy. J. B. C. Corel ... .T. C. Prentice *!,..*> V T^\ 9 Ll^ 3 * V^-- ..J- j. Cleveland.... 1.750 Landscape. TllConW: -.::.. H. V. Babe**.... UW Dona Mi :. . •■/. de la C««la De la <ruz ... Unknown *M> Geurno Washington »• the Fnman° f PriDC ' tUn - Un!U ' n ! y .....j. a. lasasi 900 «» k?jm£L?m£££ ■•■•■£ p .. »«" ri & KE Sn^:::::::.:::::::::^^-^:::: «3 L. v# »lt. Don. M.:... .j- * Murphy „ '--V V«!c* "a smith 430 I^ndsrj,pe near rli *° rg r. fnknown M LETTERS TO THE EDITOR. CONTRACT LIABILITIES A DANGER. To the Editor of The Tribune. Sir- If the contention of General Tracy that contract liability* Shall nor be counted again«t the city debt limit is hustained. one of the main ob jects of the constitutional limitation on debt will be defeated. The purpose of prohibiting a ciiy from Incurring permanent debt In excess of a cer tain percentage of the assessed value of real estate Is to reveal the present generation flora placing too. heavy ■ burden upon following genera tion* When the City Controller registers a con tract It becomes a valid claim against the city, which can be collected when the work has been performed, and if at that time no money Is avail able, the Controller must, by law. issue what are In effect notes based on Cue next years taxes. It is true that the contracts cannot be collected until the work Is performed; but. on the other hand, a registered contract is an obligation which must some time be met. If suck contracts do not count against the deDt limit there is nothing to prevent a city administra tion from awarding a. contract for some wasteful piece of work which may involve the expenditure of $10 000.000 a year for fifty years. If this work was performed yearly, even though the price might be exorbitant, sad the undertaking prove to be worthies*, the contractors could enforce the col lection of these »10.000.W0 payments ever; year tor the entire term of fifty years. The federal con stitution prohibits the Impairment of contracts. Under the rule hitherto prevailing, and which I believe is followed In all other states, of counting the ability on registered contracts against the debt limit, it would be impossible to place such an enormous burden on posterity. Even if the city administration entered Into such contracts they would not be enforceable, because they violated the constitutional provision. So far as the present day Is concerned it does ! not make much practical difference whether these liabilities are to be included in the debt limit or not because, as the Cassidy committee pointed out. a prudent administration will have to reserve the money with which to meet the obligations. The municipality Is in the same position as the honest citizen who has to provide out of his income for his obligations as they come due. and if M does not, bankruptcy will follow. A. C. PL.EYDELI*. Secretary New fork Tax Reform Association. New York. April 9. 1309. A HORRIBLE CRIME UNCOVERED. To the Editor Ol Ts)e Trlhune. Sir. The fearless and eloquent denunciation by •'Fair Play" on March 3 of the rich who so selfishly desire the removal of the duty on art -a contemptible luxury, utterly removed from all necessity in his life, and in that of all other right minded citizens, he convinces us deserves the ™m mendation Of all those throughout our glorious land of freedom who cannot afford these sordid extravagances, and would not Indulge in them If they could. How admirably be assails their de bused taste when he shows them up in the follow ing: "But these very rich men do not buy any of the twenty years' old pictures. They buy Millet, Daublgny, Constable. Nattier and Rembrandt. " What utter degradation and lack of appreciation of the truly tine products of the genuine oil paint ing factories at our very doors, which turn out the real things. la latest style sumptuous cold frame*, at $4 98. am! exhibit them gratuitous'-r tor th« bene fit of the poor In the many shop windows of >ur great metropolis. As he suggests, the value of all these store galleries, as well as the pictures of (m unpatriotic thousands who did not Invest in the ready framed kind, may tx» depreciated if »c let in all this old foreign stuff: and ha discloses a further crime: The "multimillionaires and billionaires," he assures us. actually buy their magnificent (what a scathing adjective!) collections abroad Instead of from art dealers here. I am a poor man and can not buy pictures myself. "Fair Play" has opened my eyes, and 1 now see that the wicked rich have been merely flaunting their arrogance when they let the public imagine it was enjoying their pict ures so constantly thrust before Its ease. Put on the thumbscrews! Squeeze the money out of them! What do we care for art any way? "Fair Play" only asks for free tea. I say give us free beer. JUSTICE. New York. April 8. 1909. MR. KNOX APPOINTS JOHN TATLOCK. A dispatch from Washington says that Secretary Knox has designated John Tatlock. of this city, a delegate from th* United States to the sixth Inter national congress of actuaries, to be held In Vienna from June 7 to 13. Mr. Tatlock was at one time assistant actuary of the Mutual Life Insurance Company, and recently president of the Wash ington Life Insurance Company. News of the ap «olatmeai KW-^pJl received la lojßjjraiice circle?. OPERATORS NOT AGREED SOME FOR PUNISHMENT. Leave Future Policy Toward Miners to Committee of Eleven. Anthracite operator?, including representatives of . the independent firms as well a3 the coal carrying companies, met yesterday in the rooms of the Trunk Lines Association. No. 113 Liberty street, to agree on a policy to b^ pursued, in view of th« fact that the negotiations between the operator* and the miners had ended in a deadlock. While some of the operators wanted to take m mediate action of a radical na.ture. there was a* difference of opinion as to the policy, and the ques tion was left In the hands of a committee of eleven, instructed to prepare a line of action to be pur sued, which will be submitted at another meeting o? the operators or April 22. The operators, numbering fifty, present at th« meeting included E. B. Thomas, president of th» Lehigh Valley Railroad; George F. Baer. president of the Philadelphia & Reading; W. H. T'uesdale. president, and E. E. Loomis. vice-president, of ths Delaware. Laekawanr.a & Western: T. D. Under wood, president of the Erie; Thomas P. Fowler, president of the New York. Ontario & Western;. L. F. I**—, of the Delaware & Hudson Com pany- W. T. Richards. W. L. Connell. Aivir* Markle. S. L. Warriner. J. U Cake, C. S. Stems and W. A. Lathrop. Some of the operators. It was learned, were ill favor of a reduction of the wages of the miners to the soaie paid before the strike of MOi and th* restoration of the old conditions and a prospective reduction in ion:>eciuence in the price of anthracite to the eonstnnera Th:.-? -would mean also. thi» abolition of the sliding scale, which was a sort af present to the miners in th>? way of profit sharing- Others wanted a general lockout at once. •The action of the operators' committee of seven in their conferences with the mine workers' repre sentatives was uaantmonsly approved. The com mittee of eleven appointed to formulate a policy to be followed by the operators is composed of W. A. I I^ithrop. W. L. Connell. T. M Rfehter. Frank: I pardee. W. J. Richards. S. D. Warriner. R. A. ' Phillips. Robert Quinn. C. C. Rose. W. A. May an<l John It. Bryden. It became known that while the -nine." were a? a. rule closed yesterday, it was because the miner* remained away. Easter Monday beins one of their holidays. Mr. !><H>ml.«. of the Lackawar.na. was asked If the ending of the negotiations with tba miners without a settlement would affect the de cision of the companies to continue the usual April reductions in price. "As far as this company is concerned." he said. "th» reductions will continue, and there i=> no rea son that I oan see to believe that Jhey will not ba continued by all the operators" TO INVESTIGATE BLAZE, State Acts on Lenox Fire — Raising Funds for Destitute. Lenox. Mass . April It— An investigation by tha state police of the C30.0C0 fire yesterday, which cost the live* of six persans. was begun to-day by Officer Thomas E. Bleigh. Evidence y-VJ b« tak«Ti in regard to the fatal doorway in ths Clif ford Mock, wher? th«- disastrous explosion occurred. This doorway, wtii.-h coTJ:ntinicrw»ci! v ith the apart ments upstairs, opened inward, and. it is alleged. formed a veritable trap, behind which three women who trie.! vainly to open it lost their lives. The cause of the explosion, which wrecked the build- Ing 1 , ia still believed to be a barrel of turpentins which was in the basement. A committee to solicit funds for th- homei-ss and destitute, consisting of Fred.rick S. De!afl<?!d. Edward Mac Donald and the Rev. W. C Grace, has been appointed by the authorities to act with Will •am D Curtis, who is treasurer \>f a fund beins raised by owners of l^nox villas living In New York. Boston and other cities. Many New Yorkers who have «rountry homes at Lenox expressed grt~.it sympathy yesterday for those who hail lost their houses and personal be longings at the tire there on Sund.iv mornin?. They will do everything they can to help those in need, and have already subscribed liberally for that pur pose. Frank K. Sturgis. who was in l>?nox at the time of the tire, said that many p*rs«>n3 had sent checks to William D Curtis, of Lenox, who would see that the best possible us^ was made of th* money. As there are several persons in New York who own largo places near the scene of the fire. Mr. Sturgis expects that a good deal of money win rw* sent from here tills week. He saU that probably not more than a third of tl?e rfnrrmged property was insured, and he thought the total loss wouM ba about »X).COO. Many of the people in the burned district not only lost their homes, but th»-ir me.ins of liveli hood, shop tools, etc.. .beJns destroyed. These people will be helprd until they are again in a posi tion to »upi->rt themselves. The voiunteer firemen from Lee and PtttsfMd came in for much nraise. Spectators said that they showed great bravery an.i did splendid work In checking the spread of the flames, which looked as if they %ouM certainly destroy the Curtis Ho tel and several other buildings in the neighborhood. CITY NEWS IN BRIEF. Frank Oester. through his counsel. George Fran cis O'Neill, has brought suit In the Supreme Court against Samuel W. Peck &~~€o. for the sum of C 5.000 damages for false arrest and imprisonment. Oeater was formerly employed as shipping cierlc by the defendants. In his complaint he states that Ml Mar li 6 the defendants caused bis arrest on a charge of larceny, and thru on March U he wia «!lscharsed from custody by a magistrate. James J. O'Neill, a Headquarters? detective, is made a co dei'endant. The hearing before John Whalen. referee, an pointed by Justice O'Gorman to take testimony as to the ability of Charles W. Morse, the banker. to pay a judgment of $171,275 3» obtained against him by tldw.ird Clarence Jones, which had baea set for yesterday, was adjourned to Monday. April 19. The Batonyl divorce case received e>n» more set back yesterday morninjar before Ju*tiee Plats-*!;, when the justice decided to let th* case go over. until next Monday morning. The delay was caused by the failure of the principal witness. Beatrice) Bre.vaine. the "faSHBONJ mul..' to submit bsj; i*io»l- Uoa l^ lii« court. __ *— — -— »—— — - - 5