liEADEUEPORTSOOiS
ON PRIMARY INQUIRY.
Expected To Be Against Di
rect Nominations.
il'.v Telegraph to *■* Tribune] »»:U..\. : ;
Albany. Jan. 6.--Acor.rdinia: t<» Senator
George Meade. chairman of fie legislative
committee which investigated the cperatl-m
of direct primary laws In other states. ♦he
report of that body will be presented be
fore February I. .ludcr- Knapp. counsel to
th.r committee, Is al work now "briefing"
the testimony on both sides.
•\Ve had about tin. thousand pages of
testimony," «sid Senator Mania. "Judge
Knapp is .summarizing the testimony for
i he din primary system and that against
it in 'he same fashion as a lawyer would
iMaw up •< brief on the subject. It has not
been decided yet whether our report will
he accompanied by a bill or bills."
It i> a foregone conclusion here that th*
committee's report will b» against the direct
primary system. Probably it will recom
mend a uniform primary day in the state,
an '•<!!■ primary ballot and the nafe
guarding of primaries at the state* expend.
rn<l perhaps a gjnaral enrolment, although
many organization men are not keen for
that feature of the programme.
Many persons here are expressing much
disappointment that the committee stopped
its investigation of primary conditions in
this Mate too mm to come into possession
of tacts regarding the conduct of the cau
cuses in the 42d Senate District, where dole
gates are being selected to name a succjs
*o r to Senator John Raines. According to
reports reaching this city, typical examples
of the convention system's evils have been
tl own [a ■ fashion which might havts
(roved a liberal education to the committee
Jn Wayne County, for instance, it is sasd
that Democrat! have taken part openly In
the Republican mass Charles H. H^tts,
Bfpublican state norn nftti email, candidate
fc<r Senator on a general anti-Hughes plat
foita, carried his ticket in the to vn of
Lyons by 682 to 2M votes for Edson W.
li.inn. a. candidate on the Hughes issues.
The remarkable tiling about this' is th.it
there are only about tight hundred Repub
lican voters in the town, about one-half of
them fanners, who, it is said, w?re k ;■!
i:i home by a heavy storm. Both side.* in
this !i?ht charge the use of money and the
\<:Jin£ tif I>eiri>..crats in the caucus. M■.
Jktts says Mr. Ei&mn wai responsible for
ihc Democratic votes, and that he "sp.^nt
• lot of money.*' Hughes men 'Tort that
:« tiers were sent, out by a prominent friend
• f liPtts urging voters to "see me before
Ibv c.-.ucl'f; there will he -• thing doing."
Another interesting caucus which might
hate ;::\<?u information to the investigating
committee vias that at Sodus. Wayne
County, where the IJetts people were beaten
soundly. Hughes men there had been ac
tive, and a lieutenant of Botts. the story
runs, sought to effect ■ "compromise" a
few days before the caucus, his terms be
ing that the Hugrhes men should name four
delegates and the organization one. Later
a meeting of the organization men was
)K-ld, after v i. nil they went on a still hunt
icr votes all through the town. The
Hughes men heard of it. and several hun
dred of them appeared hi the caucus fight
jug mad. An anti-Hughes chairman for
the caucus was chosen. The Hughes men
offered a resolution pledging the delegates
to support only a candidate who would
vote with Governor Hughes. The organi
sation, or Betts, men offered an amendment
ihat no indorsement be given, and the
chairman declared this amendment carried,
though the story goes that there was a
heavy majority against it. As a result, the
Hughes men carried the caucus when the
]>oJls were opined by eighty-seven votes out
of a total of 4Z2. Then a pro-Hughes reso
lution was adopted.
DAVIS SEEKS PLACE
Demand for Finance Commit
tee Head Disturbs Leaders.
(By Tflc-grajjh to The Tribune.]
Albany, Jan. 6.— The prominent part taken
by Senator Cobb in bringing about the
naming of Senator Ailds I ■ majority leader
has not assured bin the chairmanship of
The Senate Finance Committee without a
light. Buffalo has come forward with vig
orous claims to the place, and Lieutenant
Governor White and Senator Allds are
puzzling to lind a way out of the difficulty.
It has been considered a part of the gen
era! organization arrangement that Cobb
should succeed to Allds's place at the head
of the Finance Committee, and J. Mayhew
"Wainwright. of Y7estchester, to Cobb's
chairmanship of the Railroads Committee.
Senator Hill, of Buffalo, was ranking mem
ber of the Finance Committee, and at once
asserted his claim to the chairmanship.
Report says he met scant courtesy. There
upon Senator Davis, who in point of ser
vice is the senior Republican Senator, de
clared that if Hill couldn't have the place
he intended to get it. He served notice on
Senator Alids and Lieutenant Governor
White that lie was entitled to that place by
any logic which entitled AIMs to the ma
jority leadership and intended to make a
hard fight for it. It Is not known here to
vhat extent Senator Davis-has the support
<.f "Fred" Grcfr.er, his political chief.
Greiper was against the selection of Allds
us president pro tempore.
Speaker Wadsworth began to-day his task
of apportioning: committee places. No an
nouncements will be made until next week.
It is believed tnat Robert S. Conklin. of
New York, will succeed Beverly R. Robin
pon on the Rules Committee, the appoint
ment, it is MM, being in the nature of a
reward for his stand against direct pri
maries.
A*?emta!yman Whit ley, of Monroe, prac
tical'}- is i,M-:r^i of the chairmanship of
the ''Jties Committee, although Warren Lee,
o? Brooklyn, ie making a hard fight for the
jjlare. Mr. Gray, of St. Lawrence, prob
ably will t>e made chairman of the Codes
committee, leaving vacant the chairman
ship of the jKdai Committee, which Mr.
Lowraan, of Elmira. wishes to take.
6COTT GETS ONTARIO COUNTY.
Benate Candidate Routs Opponents of
Direct Primaries at Canandaigua.
[By Telegraph to The Tnhune ]
Oanaiididgua. N. V.. Jan. 6.— Royal R.
Ecott, candidate for Senator in the 42d Dis
trict to eucceed the late Senator John
R&lncs, to-day carried the Ontario County
convention, at ,Canandaigua. The oppo
nents to direct primaries were completely
routed and on the first ballot Mr. Scott
secured enough votes to Bend him to Ge
neva. Saturday strongly Indorsed.
It is figured to-night that Mr. Scott will
have four Wayne County delegate* and
probably three from Yatea County, besides
Ms nine Ontario delegates. This will give
fcirti ■:tfc<-t; out of a possible twenty-four
fc.':d the nomination.
DICKINSON VISITS SANTIAGO.
Santiago, Cuba, Jan. € — The United
Plates converted yacht Mayflower, with
Jfcrob M. Dickinson, Secretary of War, and
l ; i»rty aboard, arrived here to-day from
Banto Domingo. Tb< Mayflower proceeded
to Havana. The Secretary visited the
rauitnelds and will leave for Havana to
morrow by rail.
Tribune Ads. Get Salesmen
Brooklyn. December 23, '09.
Gentlemen:
I got a salesman through the
advertisement and think he is all
right.
BENJAMIN LEVY.
No.-. 203 Flatbush avenue.
Brooklyn,
EQUAL PAY FIRST
MiSS STRACHAN FIRM.
But, at Thai, She Heard Ru
mors of Dr. Ma.rrcell's Post.
One thing at a time persistently clung to
will result. it Is said, in several things
being done well, whether the system be
followed by man or woman, if it were be
lieved otherwise by Mips Grace C. Strachan,
the equal-pay-for-women leader In Brook
lyn, she might never be City Superin
tendent of Schools for greater New York.
She may never attain that eminence de
spite her beliefs, but that is not the point
at present. ' -f/^ }'■'
Dr. William H. Maxwell* term as City
Superintendent expires on March 13. Miss
Strachan's friends within and without the
Board of Education are passing along the
whispered query: "How about— in fact,
why not, a woman for City Superin
tendent?" This much granted, who among
womankind better qualified or so widely
known, who so available and, perhaps, so
ready, to assume new burdens requiring
strength of mind and singleness of pur
pose as Miss Grace Charlotte Strachan,
superintendent of districts 33 and 35 in
Brooklyn: she who was born in Buffalo,
the birthplace also of Mrs. Ella Flagg
Young, already City Superintendent of
Schools In Chicago?"
Where the rumor started \b hard to de
termine. Whether the bridge took it across
<*r brought it over is impossible to dis
cover. Miss Strachan doesn't know who
is to blame— that is. Miss Strachan said
yesterday that she was conscious of the
activity of the rumor coupling her name
with the office of City Superintendent of
Schools, but, except that she felt flattered
and had been told by members of the
Board of Education and other friends that
she was the person for the place, she really
did not know anything about the matter.
And who are the Commissioners of Edu
cation who thus coyly promised support to
Mis* Si radian? Search has failed to find
a member of the board who will say that
he has even heard of any other member as
favorable to the substitution of Miss
Strachan for Dr. Maxwell. But that's an
other siory. The rumor has been roaming,
a:id others besides Miss Strachan herself
have had their attention called to the prob
able possibilities, so to speak, when votes
aro counted next March.
Miss Strachan is not now a candidate,
however. She was positive, polite and
painstaking in giving her reasons at her
home, No. 13<>8 Pacific street, Brooklyn,
yesterday afternoon.
"One thing at a time," said she, kindly.
"Always I have ordered my life, as far as
It has been possible, first to carry one thing
to the end before shouldering other dufles.
The cause of the Interborough Association
of Women Teachers must succeed before
I can permit myself to think of such a
thing as my becoming City Superintendent
of Schools."
"You are, then, not a candidate?" was
asked.
"No, I am not a candidate, and I have
told you why," she replied. "Equal pay
im-st first succeed. I realize the honor that
my friends bestow upon me when they
urge my name as a successor to Dr. Max
well. As far as qualifications go, I feel that
my work in the elementary schools, high
schools and normal school as teacher, as
member of the faculty of the Training
School for Teachers in Brooklyn, followed
by principalships, and, for the last ten
years, as district superintendent, makes a
record that is the equal if not the superior
cif any that can be produced by any other
person in the public school system, from
the City Superintendent down."
In 1t.&3. while attending the summer ses
sion ol the Cook County, 111., normal
school, she was told by Colonel Parker, of
that institution, she said, that if she would
remain at that place he would guarantee
that ehe would one day have the highest
position held by any woman in the public
schools of the United States.
She came instead to Brooklyn, and has
been forced to ask herself whether she,
rather than the other Buffalo woman, Mrs.
Elia Flagg Young, might not now be City
Superintendent of Schools in Chicago, if
she had chosen the Western city.
'Mrs. Young has done well," said Miss
Btnchan; "she has done very well, in fact.
I am not now a candidate for a similar
place in New York. I feel that I could
fill such a position and, of course, I should
dearly love to be City Superintendent of
School* 1 . When equal pay has Jaec-n
achieved." she said "then"
"Then?" echo answered.
"Th«n will be time enough to see
whether, by resignation or otherwise, the
place is ready for a woman."
GOVERNOR FORT HOST.
Senator Frelinghuysen Urges
Generous Policy for Park.
[By Telegraph to The Tribune. 1
Lakewood, N. J., Jan. 6.— Governor Fort
was the host at a luncheon at the Laurel
Hour* to-day for the members of the new
legislature, nearly all of whom were pres
ent.
There was plenty of speech making, but
it was all in a lighter vein, save, perhaps,
the words of Joseph S. Frelinghuytsen,
I 'resident of the Senate, who discussed some
of the large projects which are now in
teresting the people of New Jersey, espe
cially the improvement of the Palisades
Interstate Park, as outlined in Governor
Hughes's message yesterday.
Senator Frcllmrhuysen spoke of the large
Improvements, having in view the future
of the state, which have been launched
since Mr. Fort has been Governor. He
told of the inland waterways and the ocean
boulevard and the proposed enlargement of
the Palisades Park.
"The improvement of the park, as out
lined in the message of Governor Hughes
yesterday," he said, "means much to New
Jersey, for our state will practically bo the
gateway to this splendid stretch of park
land. New Jersey should provide its share
of money to help the project, for the re
sults that will be attained are invaluable.
We should not be parsimonious. An appro
priation of $500,000 can be safely made, and
if the burden is too much for one year, it
can be given in yearly Instalments of
$100,000."
SING SING EELIEF DEFERRED.
State Has Already Expended About
$300,000 on Bear Mountain Site.
Albany, Jan. 6. — If the Legislature de
cides to abandon the site of the new state
prison at Bear Mountain, Rockland Coun
ty, in order to accept the gift of a ten
thousand-acre tract of land In Orange and
Rockland counties from Mrs. Mary W.
Harrtman, widow of Edward H. Harri
man, and contributions of money from
Mrs. Harriman and others aggregating
$2,625,000 for park purposes, as recommend
ed by Governor Hughes, the state authori
ties are looking forward to no little diffi
culty in securing another available place
for the new $2,200,000 structure which It in
purposed to erect to take the place of Sing
Sing prison.
The Rockland County site cost the state
$75,000, and altogether the commission hav
ing the matter In charge has expended
about $235,000 in making ready for the new
building.
The abandonment of the Bear Mountain
site will mean a delay of probably two
years in sufficiently relieving the over
crowded condition of Sing Sing prison. It
is expected that the new Great Meadows
prison, at Comstock, Washington County,
will be completed in a few month* and
that will reduce the population of Sing
gin* by about WO. ■ > ; ;- — „
NEW- YORK DAILY TRIBUNE. FRIDAY, JANUARY 7, 1010.
CITY HAD NO SHO
LEGAL SIDE UNHEARD
Asked to Pay for Making Poor
Line a High Class lioad.
"So far as I can make out, the city's
side Jr. this matter has so far remained
absolutely unrepresented."
Thus wrote Controller Met* to Corpora
tion Counsel Pendleton In reference to dis
puted claims against the city for Its share
of the cost of abolishing grade crossings
along the lines of the Bay Ridge branch
of the Long Island Railroad in the Bor
ough of Brooklyn. Informed by his engi
neers that this grade crossing elimination
york as being carried out involved a gi
gantic grade betterment scheme sanctioned
by opinions from the Corporation Coun
sel's office. Mr. M?tz refused to pay $225,000
certified to as the city's share for the work
by the Brooklyn Grade Crossing Commis
sion. The railway company has applied
for a mandamus order to compel payment,
and there is a good prospect of the whole
matter being thrashed out in court.
The alleged purpose underlying the stren
uous fight which railway company has
put up on this, matter is an attempt to
compel the city to share the cost of con
verting (he Bay Ridge line from a prac
tically Inoperative one and two track rail
way into a low grade two and four track
trunk line. This is being done, according
to the Controllor'a engineers, under opin
ions given by the city's legal department
that misinterpret the meaning of an act
of the Legislature authorizing the abolition
of grade crossings along the railway.
, It appears that the Bay Ridge railway
before the work was begun could not be
used as a modern freight line because of
its limited trackage and the existence in
many places of prohibitive grades. When
the present grade crossing improvement is.
completed thi3 Bay Ridge branch will
emerge a low grade trunk freight line ex
tending from the Long Island terminus at
Fay Ridge across the Borough of Brooklyn
to the Queens Borough lino north of At
lantic avenue. From that point it will be
continued under the name of the New York
Connecting Railway north through the
Borough of Queens and by means of a via
duct over Ward's and Randall's Islands
and bridges over the Harlem and East
rivers to the Morris Park freight yards of
the New York, New Haven & Hartford
Railway, in the Borough of The Bronx.
VALUE OF THE LINE.
Over this proposed New York Connecting
Railway in Queens and the improved Bay
Ridge branch of the Long Island Railroad
in Brooklyn, the New York, New Haven &
Hartford Railway will have a direct route
for its New England freight traffic by way
of the Bay Ridge terminal, across the Nar
rows by ferry, and to all points west and
southwest by the trunk lines of the Penn
sylvania Railway.
Incidentally, connection will be made at
Woodside,~in the Borough of Queens, with
the Sunnysido yard tracks of the Pennsyl
vania Railway, affording direct connection
for passenger trains from Boston and other
New England points with the Pennsylvania
trunk lines to Washington, the West and
Southwest through the new tubes under the
East River, the island of Manhattan and
the Nur'h River to Jersey City.
'Commenting upon the important part the
Bay Ridge branch railway Is to play In
this elaborate transportation plan, the
Finance Department engineers* report says
that on the Queens side of the grade cross
ing act's denning line a new railway is be
ing constructed under a franchise grant
by the city at the railway's sole expense,
with a recompense to the city determined
in a measure by the mileage to be con
structed.
On the Brooklyn side, on the other hand,
the city is being assessed for one-half
the cost of providing a continuation of,
the same tracks that are being constructed
on the Queens side at the railway's sole ex
pense, in addition to one-half the cost of
caring for the existing railway, and this is
being done under the interpretation placed
by the Corporation Counsel upon the pro
visions of a law designed solely to abolish
grade crossings.
METZ TO PENDLETON.
In forwarding the report of his en
gineers to the Corporation Counsel with
a reiteration of former requests for a re
view of the legal opinions under which
the city is being assessed for one-half the
cost of betterments carried out under the
grade crossing elimination act. Controller
Metz, in a letter addressed to Corporation
Counsel Pendleton, says:
So far as I can make out, the city's
side In this matter has so far remained
absolutely unrepresented, nor were the en
gineering features inquired into by your
department as they could have been repre
sented by some of my representatives
whose special duties along technical lines
qualify them to foresee where important
improvements and betterments to the ma
terial advantage of the railways outside
the clear meaning of the law, as improper
ly charged against the city's account.
The subject of land purchase will short
ly come before me, and it is this feature
I would like you to consider in your review
of previously presented subjects, as it is
intimately related to .some of the points
heretofore covered. The railway company,
in many places, has a right of way only
thirty-five feet wide, while at others it is
fifty feet and upward in width. On a two
track basis, as the railway existed at the
time of the law's passage, only twenty
feet of this property was developed or
graded into an operating roadbed; the rest,
as the configuration of the country de
manded, was occupied by the necessary
slopes, ditches, and, in part, by telegraph
poles.
The railway company demands that this
whole property width, irrespective of its
previous track equipment capacity, be low
ered or raised, and this is being done un
der opinions rendered by your department.
In, this connection an expenditure It being
imposed upon the city for a betterment
which but for the grade crossing elimina
tion act could not have been carried out
by the railway company without considera
ble expenditure for additional property neo
esary for slopes. Under the legal opinion
of your department, that the grade cross
ing act calls for the conversion of the full
width of the right of way into a graded
roadbed available for additional trackage,
the city is called upon to pay one-half the
cost of the additional property required for
the necessary slopes, or to pay one-haft the
cost of constructing retaining walls, with
the necessary property easements.
SEEK TO TAKE EVERYTHING.
Moreover, in its demand for this full
width of right of way as a graded road
bed, the railway company has neglected to
reserve space for the necessary equipment
of telegraph poles, signal bridge supports
and other operating utilities pr for the
transmission poles or tower supports for
possible subsequent electrical operation
that are essential to the operation of the
modern high-class railway this is designed
to be. Judging by the construction costs of
what is being required elsewhere along the
line. With the necessity of subsequent In
stallation of '.hebe facilities apparent, and
with no property in the usual location re
served for their accommodation, it is ob-*
vious that property purchased for slopes
must be used for that purpose.
In effect, therefore, the railway company,
starting with a property width of, say,
sixty feet, which waa equipped with and
could accommodate only two tracks be
cause of its configuration, emerges upon
the conclusion of the work with a four
track railway occupying the whole of Its
property width, and, In addition, has sixty
feet more of property purchased for slopes,
half at the city's expense, available for
facilities necessary to operation which for
merly had to be cared fur along with the
tracks Inside the old property lines.
The further effect of the utilization of
the entire original right of way exclu
sively for tracks has been to impost! upon
the city a larger share of bridge coats than
Its proper due at all overhead crossings. if
it be recognized that the city Is liable for
bridge construction further than sufficient
to carry the "existing trucks" of the rail
way. The betterment exclusion clause of
the law operative "whether provided lor
in this act or not," would certainly appear
to be sufficiently protective of the city
interests to require cognizance being taken
of these demands of the railway company
In excess of the limitations of the l:;w and
to require that the city is not assessed for
expenditure* not due to the operation of
the Jaw.
The Joint account expenditures so far on
this work aggregate In excess of $1,500,000.
and I would request your earnest and
prompt attention, In order that the city's
Hide of the cast may be more fully pre
tented than I as been possible in my com
munications, I would further ask that the
chief engineer ©£ tills department be con
sulted. . . ;-. -
ON BROOKLYN HEIGHTS RAILWAY.
Looking- south along line south of Church avenuu before work was begun.
After work waa practically completed showing the start of ti.e four-track line which
replaoed the old line south of Church avenue.
ATTACKS PRESIDENT
Norris Alleges Deal rvith Can
non — Speaker on Regularity.
Washington. Jan. 6.— "The insurgent Re
publicans of the House are not intimidated
by the action of the administration in
witholdlng patronage from them, and are
Hot scared into silence by any apparent
combination of President Taft and Speaker
Cannon," said Representative Norris, of
Nebraska, one of the leading insurgents of
the House to-day. Mr. Norris resented
stories that the insurgents were "lying;
down" under an edict of the administration.
Mr. Norris criticised President Taft for the
alleged action of the administration in
singling out insurgent Reprtsentatives for
punishment.
"President Taft is making a grave mis
take by aiding Cannon in this way, and
I want to say so unhesitatingly." continued
Mr. Norris. "I do not object, nor do any
of the Insurgents object, as far as I know,
to the withholding of patronage from us.
But I denounce this singling out of the
men who have opposed Cannon and the
House organization for an infliction of
punishment. How can the President say
that we are opposed to his policies and de
clare that we are to be punished for it
when we have not opposed his policies In
any way? We do not, in fact, know yet
what Mr. Taft's policies are to be. We
have not even received his messages upon
several important subjects. Still, we have
b*en punished. Postmaster General Hitch
cock has admitted that we are being dis
criminated against right now, although we
have done absolutely nothing to merit it.
excepting to oppose Cannon and the House
machine.
"The light of the insurgents in the House
will continue against Speaker Cannon and
the House rules which he personifies. We
will not, however, oppose any policy of the
President so long as it is Republican doc
trine."
Speaker Cannon called at the White
House to-day and had a few minutes' talk
with President Taft. After some coax
ing on his way out the Speaker made a
few remarks concerning the doctrine of
party regularity.
"My test of regularity in politics, church,
finance or family," he said, "is co-opera
tion, harmony. I am a great believer in
caucus— the wicked caucus. Get together
and tight out the differences there, and,
if you are licked, come back and tight
again. We can't all have our way in this
world. We do not have our way, no mat
ter how big or high we may be. The maniy
man gives and takes, rights or yields, as he
thinks btst for his cause. I havun't much
patience with these men who are wiser
than all the other fellows put together,
and whose views are unchangeable.. 1 al
ways feel that a man of that sort has no
business in an organization. If he can't
tight it out in party ranks and yield if he
is beaten, then he had better go out and
join the enemy or, better still, form an
organization of his own.
"But all this is che.stnutty, boys," con
tinued the Speaker, "the worst sort of
chestnuts. But I want it understood that
I did not mention this subject to the Presi
dent or he to me. 1 am not trying to run
his business."
STEEL CASE TO TAFT.
A. F, of L. Presents Charges
Against the Trust.
Washington, Jan. 6. — The American Fed
eration of Labor, through a committee
headed by Sa-muel Qomperß, James O'Con
uell and other union leaders, to-day carried
its tight against the United Btates Steel
Corporation to President Taft. The com
mittee presented to the President a foimal
paper in which tbey set forth fourteen dlt
ferent charges of . illegality against the
Steel Corporation and asked for an immedi
ate Investigation of the so-called trust,
which they assert is operating in defiance
of the United States statutes. The Presi
dent promised- to take the matter up with
the Secietarv of Commerce and Labor and
with Labor Commissioner Neill.
The first charge against the Steel Corpora
tion la that it is an illegal combination ex
isting in defiance of the Sherman anti-trust
law. The labor leaders say that if the
government officials will, as they have done
in the cases of the Standard Oil Company
and the Tobacco Trust, present to a com
petent court the facts concerning the Steel
Corporation, a decision against the corpora
tion logically would follow.
It is charged that the steel corporation
"not only degrades labor by low wages and
a twelve-hour work day, but denies a day
of rest by enforcing work seven days In the
week"; that it "tyrannically prevents the
organisation of its workers to elevate the
standard uf living, and suppresses and pre
vents free speech and public meetings" ;
that it "boycotts American labor and has
enforced decrees of banishment from com
munities where it dominates."
In closing it Is charged that the steel
corporation "Is organized illegally, dom
inant and defiant, with no respect for legal
right and human right, and with brutal In
difference as to human capacity for endur
ance and for deaths and injuries of its
tollers, and that its continued exlstunco and
methods are a menace not only to labor,
but to the business nun outside of its bane
ful power and influence."
MT. VERNON DIRECTORY BURNED.
The discovery was made yesterday that
the copy for the new Mount Vermin City
Directory was destroyed in the" fire of the
American Express Company warehouse, in
Now York. last week. The loss will ne
cessitate a rt't-iiiivuHK of the city, which will
require several weeks. The copy, which
contained about 000 names and ad-,
dresses, was in transit to the printer at
Reading, Perm. Th« recanvas will be be
gun at once. . . .
MEDIATORS GIVE UP
Will Take Up Western Stcitch
mens Grievances Noxc.
Washington, Jan. 6.— Efforts to adjust the
strike of the Northwestern switchmen have
b«en abandoned. Chairman Knapp of the
Interstate Commerce Commission and Dr.
C. P. Neill, Commissioner of Labor, the
mediators under the Erdman act, had a
final conference with H. B. Perham to-day.
It was determined that nothing further
could be done to effect a settlement.
The following statement was given out
by Chairman Knapp late this afternoon:
The conferences that have been held dur
ing the last few days between Mr. Perham
the president of the Order of Railway
Telegraphers and head of the railway
branch of the American Federation of
Labor, and Chairman Knapp of the Inter
state Commerce Commission and Com
missioner of Labor Neill, have been ad
journed without accomplishing anything
definite. If any new developments occur
and if the outlook for an amicable adjust
ment should become more promising, the
mediators will again take up the case and
attempt to bring about an adjustment.
Mr. Perham was keenly disappointed by
his failure to bring about a settlement. He
had a conference in the afternoon with
Chairman Knapp, but it resulted in nothing.
Proceedings in mediation of the contro
versy between the officials of the railways
operating out of Chicago and their switch
men will be beg^in at the offices of the In
terstate Commerce Commission in this city
next Wednesday. The negotiations will be
conducted under the Erdman act. If the
mediation should prove unavailing. It is
entirely likely that the controversy will be
referred to aibltration, under the provi
sions of the law.
The differences which are to be considered
are precisely similar to those which result
ed in the strike of the Northwestern switch
men. The most serious questions involved
are those concerning wages and hours of
labor, and double pay for overtime and
Sundays.
St. Paul, Jan. 6.— The news from Wash
ington was discouraging to the switchmen's
leaders feet*. Asked if he would call off the
strike now that a settlement was impossi
ble. President Hawley said: "Oh, no; we
intend to stick."
"LOST WILL" NOT ADMITTED.
Probate of Copy of Mrs. Stenton's Al
leged Testament Denied.
Surrogate Thojnaa handed down a de
cision yesterday declining to admit to pro
bate the "lost v.iU'* of Mrs. Louise M.
Stenton. the aged woman whose daughter,
Mrs. Alice Kinnan, was found murdered in
1906 on the veranda of her home, in The
Bronx. The proponent of the alleged will
was Burton W. Gibson, a Brooklyn lawyer,
who had acted as Mrs. Stenton's confiden
tial attorney.
T. Percy McElroy, who was named as
residuary legatee, joined in the application
for the probate of the will. Mrs. Stenton
by this will left a life interest in her prop
erty to her daughter, Mrs. Kinnan, and
upon her death McElroy was to receive the
bulk of the estate.
After Surrogate Thomas had concluded
the trial of the will contest, which was
brought, by ten of Mrs. Stenton's nephews,
nieces, grandnephews and grandnieces,
Cleveland & Cleveland, attorneys for Mc-
Elroy, asked to be permitted to reopen the
case aiW permit Gibson and another wit
ness to supply further testimony as to the
"lost will," an alleged copy of which had
been put in evidence. Surrogate Thomas
permitted the affidavit of the other wit
ness, who was Gibson's stenographer, to be
placed on the record, observing that fur
ther oral testimony was unnecessary.
His decision yesterday declared that "the
facts as to the execution or loss of the al
leged propounded paper were unproven and
unsustained." previously stating that "be
cause of Gibson's interest in the endeavor
of McElroy to submit further evidence
their evidence Is to be received with cau
tion."
TOO MUCH OPERA
SO SAY MANAGERS.
Theatrical Men Think New
York Has Orersupply.
The sixth annual dinner of the Associa
tion of Theatre Managers of Greater New
York was held last night at the' Hotel
Knickerbocker." All the. members belong
ing to the association were, present with
the, exception of Al. Hayman. who sailed
for Europe on Wednesday, and Henry W.
Savage, who is out of town for an open
ing. There were present 108 managers and
guests.
The idea that "peace" was to be the
"motif" of the dinner was expressed In the
decorations in the Inner space formed by
the tables joined In a large rectangle. At
one end was a hatchet buried in a bed of
fiowers, and a pendant dove looked kindly
at the diners from the other end.
Charles Burnham presided; and opened the
speaking. Other speakers were Sir Charles
Wyndham, William Gillette. Oscar Ham
niersteSn and Henry B. Harris. Marc Klaw
presented a loving cup to Mr. Burnham.
In a letter Mr. Hayman complained of
the unsatisfactory business of last year.
There are too many theatres In the city,
he aald. "Greater New York, with a popu
lation of 4.500,000, is asked to support over
three hundred performances of grand opera
In a season of twenty weeks," he. said. "It
Is asked to support thirty-nine first class
theatres, also forty-eight theatres devoted
to vaudeville, burlesque and popular priced
attractions. In addition to these eighty
seven theatres, there are over live hundred
theatres and halls licensed for moving pict
ures. '":.*:''
"This is asking New York to support
more theatres and places of amusement
than the cities of London, Paris and Ber
lin combined. Managers and capitalists are
Kolng theatre mad. A halt should be called
or a colossal amount of money will be lost."
With the condition into which the theat
rical business is drifting, Mr. Hayman
said, some of the theatres would be forced
Into the market through foreclosure sale or
otherwise. "It Is easy to get money to
luild a theatre, but it requires an attrac
tion to keep a theatre open," he continued.
"I know only three actresses and one actor
who can be relied up >n as drawing cards
In America to-day."
Mr. Savage devoted a large part of his
letter to a discussion of grand opera^ which,
he said, "is a form of musical art that is
now permanently a part of our entertain
ment field, but it will not be permanent in
its present form-^r, raiher, in the prevail
ing manner of its presentation and con
trol.
Mr. Savage looks for a decided modifica
tion of the "grand opera erase." But he
also expects "a steady and sure growth"
following the reaction.
Continuing, Mr. Savage said:
How absurd it id that a music-drama—
and practically every opera since Wag
ner's epoch making time is a drama with
music — should have vitiated one of its two
chief component parts! How grotesque
that 90 per cent of those who attend, say,
a performance of "Madama Butterfly"
should be compelled to trust to Providence
and a ridiculously written libretto transla
tion to know what it is all about!
And therein lies one of the prime rea
sons why it takes a Caruso, a Mary Gar
den or some other picturesquely presented
personage to draw an audience. Why
should the people go otherwise, when the
opera itself means only as much as can
be told by the music proper? Were "The
Merry Widow" or any other marked popu
lar success sung In Esperanto or In Swed
ish I think even the walls would take on
a different aspect. And how incon
sistent to demand English in operetta and
permit a foreign tongue in grand opera,
when between the. two lies but the one art
form of opera comique— a step that is daily
becoming smaller.
The present system is automatically de
stroying itself. A star to be a star must
not only possess rare and distinguished abil
ities, but he or she must be one of a very
few. If there were hundreds of great stars
all would soon become commonplace in
the. estimate of the general public. But
it is sought to extend the star system of
grand opera throughout the country.
Regarding the effect of expanded grand
opera upon the purely commercial aspect
of the theatre, I do not believe the final
reckoning will show any adverse Influ
ence of one art upon tht other. The grand
opera public will grow, without a doubt;
popular appreciation of higher forms of
music and drama is clearly on the in
crease.
Sir Charles Wyndham thanked the mem
bers of the association for his cordial re
ception. Ho likened the relation of actor
and manager to that of wife and man—
the actor who loves and obeys and the
manager who cherishes and endows with
the best he has.
Oscar Hammerste-in, who spoke next, said
that he Hsu-tied with much Interest to th*>
remarks of Mr. Savage, which seemed "real
savage" to him. In speaking of the com
plaints about poor business, Mr. Hammer
stein said that operatic business was no
worse than the dramatic. "Everything has
been dull this season," ho said. "Everybody
has been looking for a reason for this, and
nobody has found it. You must excuse me
to-night for not making my speech more
fitnvery, but business has been so rotten."
William Gillette, the actor, devoted his
speech to the attacks made by critics upon
managers. "It is pleasantly known,' 1 he
said, "that theatrical managers are scoun
drels. I have met a manager now and then,
but there was no use telling this to one at
a time, so I waited to have you all together.
There is one thing only which has sunk low
er than you are, and this is the drama. You
would think that tlure would be no more
space left for the drama to sink deeper, but
the men who write about it take care of
that.
"Why are you so low? Because you are
commercial. The Idea of running thea
tres to make them pay! How dare you! It
is outrageous! i am glad to know that
tome of you run theatres that do not pay;
but most* of you put on plays that draw."
After a few words of praise for Mr.
Hammersteln. George Kraus called upon
Marc Klaw to complete his spe«ch. and Mr
Klaw said, facetiously: "It must strike
some of you that th*> selection of spokes
man is a Tirana* one, because I don't
know how the rest of you have fared, but
so far as the firm of Klaw & Erlanger
have been concerned, we have never yet
Itien able to secure good terms at Wal
jack'a Theatre for any of our attractions."
Mr. Klaw became serious and addressed
Mr. Burnham In terms of high praise be
fore giving him a loving cup from the as
eoctation.
LEAST RESISTANCE
After all, to improve New York
property is merely to follow th«
lines of least resistance.
First, because the develop*
ment of your property is in
line with the City's expansion.
• Second, — and this is th«
milk in the cocoanut —
the owner who improves his
property, also improves his in
come and possibly his temper.'
To pay taxes and carrying
charges on unproductive prop
erty is to disregard the philos
ophy of easy lines.
The burden of carrying New
York property is rightly that erf
tenants.
It is for you to put up a
building, that they may assume
that burden.
THOMPSON-STARRETT
COMPANY
Building Construction
Fifty-One Wall Street
LABOR TESTIMONY
Committee Investigating Em
ployers* Liability Holds Session
The legislative commission which will
consider employers* liability and causes of
industrial accidents, unemployment, lack
of farm labor and kindred subjects heard »
full day of testimony In three session* yes
terday. All manner of technical detail waa
given by experts and others representing
certain interests.
Professor Frederick R. Hutton. of Co
lumbia University, and connected with ths
Museum of Sanitation and Safety, ex
plained the value of exhibiting devlees to
prevent industrial accidents. He recom
mended a $3,000,000 museum, with an an
nual support of $30,000 to $40,000.
The present liability law came in for »
long discussion at the hands cf George W.
Alger, author of several works on the sub
ject. One point he emphasized was th«
elimination from the present law of the
fellow workmen's negligence clause. Ha
advocated more stress beinsr laid on tho
"risk-assumption" portion of the act.
L. Schram. chairman of the labor depart
ment of the United States Brewer** Asso
ciation, which employs fifty thousand man*
recommended to the commission the estab
lishment of a common fund, supported by
the employer, the employe and the state,
from which money could be drawn in cade
of death or sickness.
The next speaker was Miles M. Dawsoa,
attorney for the striking shirtwaist makers,
who made a detailed and technical state
ment of the German system of compulsory
insurance societies, a system which ha
■would like to sej adopted here. «
Morris Hilquit. W. J. Ghent, president of
the Rand School, and Nicholas AlelalkofT
spoke for the socialists, who are unalterably
opposed to the present liability law. Amonif
those representing labor was James L. Ger
nom, chairman of a conference of all
the central labor organizations of greater
New York. Both the socialists and the la
bor people want a compensation plan.
The socialists, who class workmen a3
those receiving less than $2,000 annually,
desire to have a disabled, workman paid 63
per cent of his wages, and his family not
less than $2,400 in case of death. This U
based on a salary minimum of $500 an
nually while the labor party, which also
recommends 65 per cent in case of dis
ability, thinks a dead man's family should,
receive four years" salary at a minimum of
$£50, this being the low cost of living In.
New York City. Both parties are opposed
to any employes subscribing to a common
Insurance fund, and consider It impossible
to so repair the present law that the pres
ent average maiming and killing of thirty
to thirty-five thousand soldiers of Industry
will be reduced to a much lower figure.
One of the speakers, Dr. Thomas R.
Crews, of Wappinger's Falls, N. V.. drew
an appalling picture of conditions in a car
tain print mill, and said the conditions
there were not only mediaeval, but that
peonage and slavery existed only paralleled
In the South before. the war."
BRIDE COMMITS SUICIDE.
Homesickness Believed to Have Caused
Young Wife's Act.
Mrs. Emily Fox, of No. 1219 Brook ave
nue. The Bronx, a bride of six days, com
mitted suicide yesterday by inhaling: Illumin
ating gas In the kitchen of the two-room
Mat which she and her husband, John Fox,
an electrician's helper, occupied. The po
lice believe the young bride killed herself
because of homesickness for her family In
Sheffield, England, whence she came here
to marry Fox two weeks ago. The young
woman left nothing to explain her act.
Other occupants of the house traced the
odor of gas to the Fox rooms, which they
broke in and found the woman sitting in a
chair In her night clothes, with a gas tub©
fastened in her mouth by a string and a
towel wrapped around her head. The
woman was dead. /
OFFICE GIVEN TO ALIEN.
Rabbi Resigns aa Civil Service Com
missioner in Schenectady.
Sohenectady. N. V.. Jan. «— Rabbi Solo
man Michael Hinden early to-day resigned
as Municipal Civil Service Commissioner
following the exposure last evening oy a
newspaper that he had be«n appointed and
taken the oath of office despite the fact
that he was an alU»n whr> had applied
only last October for his first papers. Ha
was one of the first appointees named] by
Mayor Duryee. who took office on Janu
ary 1. The position pays $396 a year.
B\