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The fillings Gazette. S azette Printing Company, Publlsheos issued Semi.Weekly. TUESDAYS AND FRIDAYS. Subscription Rates. One year, in avance ........... 3.00 ®1i months.................1.50 Entered at the Billings Postoffice as second Class 2&atter. Tuesday, March 19, 1907. WESTERN PEOPLE ESPECIALLY INTERESTED. It was hoped that under the relent less manner in which the present ad ministration has prosecuted every form of official dishonesty and the severe manner in which the guilty wherever discovered have been dealt with, that nothing more would be heard of grafting in connection with government enterprises and work. But it seems that this hope is not to be realized; that dishonest men are still connected with the government and that fear of the consequences in case of exposure has not forced them to keep in the straight path. It is now said that wholesale graft has been dis covered in connection with the recla mation service and that sensational developments are working out at Washington. As yet the principal ev idence so far disclosed relates to em ployes of the service in Idaho, but the claim is made that conditions un earthed there prevail wherever recla mation projects are under way and that employes of the service in all the western states will have to answer for misdeeds committed by them. Agents of the interior department have been conducting investigations for months and according to report some startling facts have been de veloped. The discoveries made in Idaho are said to typify conditions elsewhere, and a reorganization of the entire service is in prospect. It is charged that engineers and other of ficials have been "standing in" with favored contractors in some instances, and in others have thrown out bids in order to make commissions on the purchase of machinery by the govern ment, and to profit in other ways. These charges are regularly sworn to in the form of affidavits and have been filed with the secretary of the interior. Other charges are that certain per sons have been favored with "inside" information as to irrigation projects, whereby they have been enabled to speculate on the lands to be re claimed. In Idaho a specific instance has been cited wherein the govern ment engineers pretended to favor one project, giving out newspaper inter views to this effect, while the knowing ones were buying up lands which would be benefitted by another project. When the ones on the "in side" had secured all the land they wanted, the interior officials suddenly changed front and decided in favor of the other project. A life insurance company of one of the 'middle states is said to have profited to the extent of over one hundred thousand dollars by this transaction. Contractors not in the combination are said to have been frozen out and a monopoly given to the elect, who were favored by al lowances for "extras" and in other ways. Capable and honest engineers who stood in the way were speedily transferred. If only a part of the charges are true the people of the western states will demand prompt and vigorous ac tion. While federal irrigation is na tional in its scope and its benefits will redound to all of the people, the west is particularly interested and it is its due that the service be cleaned of all dishonesty and corruption. Nothing inust be tolerated that in the slightest will discredit a policy so widespread and beneficent in its effects. The ac cusations are serious and ugly; that politics may be behind them, as has been intimated in the dispatches re lating to the subject, should not be -permitted to have any bearing on the matter. LEGITIMATE INTERESTS NOT IN JURED. Of the many explanations offered in .connection with the sudden and dis astrous decline in prices of what are considered gilt edge securities, prob ably. none will prove nearer correct than that by Victor Morawetz, chair man of the Santa Fe board. In his opinion the panic resulted in conse quence of sentiment and vague fears, most of which were unfounded. Added to this has been the efforts of the speculative element which is contin ually operating to bring about a de preciation in values, while the effect of the action of the managers of the big railroad companies themselves must also be taken into consideration. For months they have been more in sistent in raising the calamity cry than ever was the most blatant popu list in the days of Peffer, White and the rest of them -a few years ago. The "bear's" were qluick to avail them selves of conditions for their peculiar style of speculation that could not have been improved upon had they had the, ordering of them, and by playing upon the fears of the timid and weak' succeeded in a few min iites in tumbling down. a structure that had been months and years in rearing Although now and then a speculator is to be found who apparently does not know the meaning of the terms fear or caution, as a rule they are a timid lot, easily frightened, and once im bued with fear of losses they become as a band of shep and hasten to un load, no matter at what sacrifice. Thus it was on the New York stock ex change last Thursday. No sooner had the "bears" begun to hammer down values, than did panic follow and a wild scramble ensued to see who could unload first. Reason and com mon sense were thrown to the winds in the demoralization and the one thought was to get from under. But the only injury done was to specula tors; the solid, substantial business interests of the country emerged from the burly burly without being scathed. Outside of Wall street and a few other speculative centers no one knew of the panic. There were no large fail ures and legitimate business every where continued uninterruptedly. A few individuals and possibly some small concerns were badly squeezed, but there were no general losses and the losers were confined to the gam bling class, wh3 must expect such things. The fact that there is no money stringency was amply demonstrated by the promptness with which the large dealers met calls for margins. The banks were prepared to take care of all demands, so long as security was forthcoming and no one lacked money if collateral was at' hand to secure loans. Demoralization existed on the stock market alone. The game now being played is a deep one. There is no proof that Thursday's commotion in stocks was not engineered by those who hoped to profit in another way by the wreck and ruin brought to many. Is it not likely that it was thought to give the president an object lesson, and who can say that it was not all a prelimi nary to the coming conference at the White House, when effort will be made to induce the president to recede from his position and permit the rail roads a freer hand than they now have? Stranger things than this have happened. If this really was the case, then the attempt failed, for following the day's events came the statement that the president did not consider the administration responsible for what had occurred at New York and that there was to be no deviation from the policy adopted. The only com fort to be had was repetition of the oft repeated declaration that "those that obey the law have nothing to fear from the government." The president is right in his con viction that the unrest displayed in financial circles as they relate to the railroads is due to the arguments ad vanced by the roads to head off "hos tile legislation," and not to fear of anything the federal government may do, or loss of faith in railroad stocks as safe forms of investment. Only a lit tle time will be required to demon strate this, and the present flurry will blow over as have others of the same kind. What uneasiness may have been felt in legitimate business circles has been dispelled by the action of the secretary of the treasury in coming to their relief at a time when it seemed that relief was required. That it may also help the speculative element is natural, but first consideration was given to the other side. Something much more disastrous than has as yet occurred must happen before alarm need be felt concerning a great strin gency of money. The country is still safe. RELIEF FOR ENTRYMEN. - Very evidently it is the intention of the new secretary of the interior that everything possible shall be done for the relief of the thousands of entry men whose applications for final and complete titles to their lands have been pending in the general land office, with no hope of being acted upon within the life time of the applicants. His order to Commissioner Ballinger would indicate that there is to be a new deal all around, and that some consideration is to be shown to the persons who under the old adminis tration of the interior department seemingly were held to be without any rights or claims for recognition. The officers of local land offices here after will be expected to do more than merely hear evidence and leave the rest to the general land office, as they are instructed to aid the entrymen, as well as to guard the interests of the government in seeing that no frauds are committed in the acquisi tion of lands. Furthermore, they are expected to in a general way famil iarize themselves with the character of the lands included In their re spective districts in order to facili tate matters and expedite business. As Mr. Garfield, in discussing the order, said, it is "one of unusual im portance to the citizens of the public land states." Because of the action of congress in not making provisions for the necessary help, the work of issuing patents will not progress as rapidly as desired, owing to the lack of field in spectors. This, however, will not be used as an excuse for unnecessary and unseemly delays in granting patents where entrymen have complied with the law and shown good faith in com plying with the requirements of the interior department and general land office. WISH WILL REMAIN UNGRATI FIED. If in his offer of co-operation with the government in bringing about a measure of understanding between the administration and the railroads Mr. Harriman wished to be understood that as a prerequisite to such a con summation it was absolutely necessary to repeal the Sherman anti-trust, law as now applied to the railroads, he laid up an immense store of disap pointment for himself. The law has been found to work admirably even though, as he says, it may not have been intended to apply to the rail roads. Indeed, it is the only effective weapon in the hands of the govern ment, and were it to be repealed Mr. Harriman would probably be one of the first to take advantage of the fact, and the very conditions which the law aims to prevent would follow, with no way of ending them. Neither the government nor the in dividuals composing it object Ito law ful and proper agreements between the railroads, but the ones Mr. Harriman would enter into are not to be consid ered if it is wished that one section or interest shall not have an undue advantage over another. He says if the government were to approve of the "our rates as being reasonable the action would be reflected on the state legislatures." Undoubtedly this is the case, but as yet the government is not in a position where it may say with absolute certainty that any rates which the roads may see fit to estab lish are reasonable. It is for the pur pose of placing the government in ex actly that position that the president has instructed the interstate commerce commission to ascertain the actual value of railroad property in order that a basis may be reached on which to ground reasonable calculations in arriving at what is considered a fair return on the money invested. Until something of that sort is done the making of rates must continue to be largely a matter of guesswork, and no one will be able to say what consti tutes a fair or reasonable rate. LOOKS LIKE A PLOT. In these columns yesterday expres sion was given to the belief that Thurs day's panicky conditions on the New York stock exchange were engineered by certain men who desired to give the president an object lesson and impress him with the idea that his course as regards the railroads is dangerous, and thereby induce him to recede and give the roads freer hand than they now have. The more the situation is studied the more does it appear that this was really the case. Others are of the same opinion, and give their reasons for it. The Chicago Tribune is one of these. In its comments on the flurry created by the phenomenal decline in values on the board that newspaper says: "There is a strong suspicion in the minds of some people that the panicky conditions in the New York stock market yesterday were carefully engi neered by certain persons for the ex= press purpose of influencing the mind of the president, of 'throwing a scare into the administration.' It seems re markable, to say the least, that E. H. Harriman should have been here one week. Yoakum, Stickney and Garrett, representing the Rock Island, Great Western and Seaboard Air Line, should all have arrived in Washington and given out alarmist interviews within a few days, while on Monday evening J. Pierpont Morgan himself made a hurried trip to Washington, saw the president, arranged for a big railroad conference and left for Eu rope. "Some people seem to see a coinci dence in the fact that Mr. Morgan was hardly out of sight of land be fore panicky conditions developed in the stock market. Money had not pre viously been high, and except for the fact that the Pennsylvania, North western and other roads have been in the market for subscription which cul minate on Friday, there has been no expected reason for the extraordinary slump all along the line. It is not believed that Mr. Morgan would be a party to a premeditated panic in Wall street. He has too much lo lose. Nev ertheless it is considered strange that immediately after his visit to the White House, when he predicted all sorts of gloomy things to the presi dent, he should' go to sea so as to prove an alibi, and thereupon a mild panic should break over Wall street and sweep all prices down before it." STATE'S CLOSE FINANCIERING. Although it required 'ome close. fig uring, Gov. Toole finally saw his way clear to approve the bills making large appropriations for four of the state's educational institutions. Even after seeing the way reasonably open, his excellency questions the wisdom of the legislature in sailing so close to the wind and appropriating money up to the very limit permitted by the con stitution. This appears especially risky to him at this time, when the state is called upon to pay bonds to the amount of about $500,000 issued some years ago for the benefit of some of the institutions mentioned in the appropriations, which since then have been declared by the supreme court of the United States to be invalid, having been issued contrary to the provisions of the constitution. Fortunately for the concerns af ected, one of them has a generous sum in the maintenance fund created, for it, otherwise the excess of expendi tures over the estimated income would probably have stayed the executive hand and the different appropriations would have failed. The amount in the fund referred to can be used and thus prevent the threatened draft on the ueneral fund. But even with this sappy circumstance on the side of the ( nstitutions, it is a risky thing to dis- I ounT the future too much, and it will I lot do to encourage such close filnan lering. It will probably succeed this I ime, but the danger of the unexpected s ever present, and contingencies may Irise that will seriously interfere with I lans, no matter how carefully drawn. TODAY'S CONFERENCE. Today two presidents will meet at Vashington in what promises to be a nemorable conference. One is only )resident of the United States, the )ther president of a powerful and im nensely wealthy corporation. Mat ers of grave import are to be dis cussed and probably some decidedly lain language will be used by one of :he conferrees, and it will not be the san who asked for the meeting. 'hings have changed materially dur ing the last few years in this respect. rhe stature of the man at the head if the government has grown, while that of the man at the head f the corporation has shrunk. The lime has passed when the latter indi vidual could ride roughshod over the laws, the people and the government, for a new equation has been struck, there has been a readjustment. What Mr. Mellen will have to say can only be surmised, but surmise and conjecture in this case should be easy. He will make the same appeal that others like him have been making re cently, with this difference, his will be direct, while the others have been more round about. The answer he will receive will be the same as has been given to the others-"obey the law and you will have nothing to fear." - This, however, is not what the interests for which he speaks want to do. They want to be a law unto themselves; they have been accus tomed so long to ignore the laws of the people and show their contempt for statutory enactment that they have come to regard such course as per fectly legitimate and any interference as presumption. Suddenly they find themselves blocked, effectually and stubbornly, and the shock is greater than they think they can bear. But they will have to submit and pretend to like it. The conditions of which they are complaining have been brought about by themselves and whatever of suffering and inconven ience may be the result they them selves are alone to blame for them. The lack of confidence on the part of capital, the antagonism felt by the people and the drastic legislation en acted in many of the states are but the culmination of a long series of events. Had common sense and de cency prevailed where narrowness of view and contemptuous disregard for what is proper and just was manifest ed to a degree the people finally could endure no longer there would be no need for today's conference and the panicky feeling would find no lodgment in the popular mind. It is noticeable that in the midst of the turmoil and uncertainty the Rockefellers have continued to be calm and unruffled. They have not lost confidence in the country or its institutions. They see only over whelming prosperity everywhere, with no likelihood of an early abatement; they have not been sellers, but like the farseeing and shrewd men they are, they have availed themselves of the opportunity afforded by the sense less fear of others and have been buyers. None more than they and the interests they represeent have uea son for detesting the laws and the man in the White House who ;- so vigorously enforcing them. Yet they are not attempting to create panics and are not asking for conferences. They know what is demanded of them and know what to expect if those de mands are ignored. Having played a dangerous and desperate game, they are fair enough to seek only to evade the consequences in the usual way, without- attempting to throw the na tion into a financial turmoil and bring wreck and ruin to countless thous ands. That is the difference between them and the men for whom Mr. Mel len is today tring to intercede. Although it should not be necessary, for he has had ample opportunity to learn, Mr. Mellen will probably leave Washington with a clear understand ing and conception of where the presi dent of the United States stands and undoubtedly it will also be plainly impressed upon him that he need not look for relief in the way he and the men for whom he spoke would like. RIGHT KIND OF BOOSTING. So far as fertility of soil and cli matic advantages are concerned, un doubtedly Montana is the peer of Idaho and in respect of possessing localities offering inducements equal to-anything also not be behind its neighbor, but Ldaho Falls has a development com pany which believes in letting its light shine that it may be beholden of all men. In today's issue of The Gazette Idaho Falls has a development com the company is telling the public what it has to offer, for the proper financial consideration. The men composing the company think they have a good thing, and thinking so are not afraid to exploit it. Without promising riches to every one, they seek to im press it upon the man with limited capital that if he will invest it in what they have to sell he is assured reason able returns. While boosting their own', they are also incidentally help ing their state by the publicity they give to it. The work they are doing is of the kind that counts. BECOME AN ACTIVE MEMBER. A temporary. organization has been affected of the long discussed chamber )f commerce and steps are now active y under way to perfect a permanent Cody having for its purpose the ad vancement of Billings along material ines. The gentlemen selected to temporarily guide the institution are representative of the city's most im ?ortant interests; furthermore, they are hustlers, active, energetic and live men, who have yet to fail in any enter prise or movement undertaken by them. The business men will be called upon during the week by a committee appointed to solicit mem bership in the chamber. It is to be sincerely hoped that none will refuse to become affiliated. In order to be come a member it is not necessary to be engaged in the active pursuit of commerce, as many seem to think be cause of the name chosen for the body. Any reputable citizen, whether he be merchant, manufacturer, farmer, stock raiser or professional man is eligible to membership, so long as he is inter ester in the welfare of Billings and de sires to see it prosper and grow. The Gazette has so often set forth the advantages to be derived by an organization of the kind that it would be useless to refer to it again. It only remains to be said that nothing so promotes the growth of a commun ity as an active, enthusiastic organiza tion, whether it be called a chamber of commerce, board of trade or any of the other names popular for bodies of that sort. Billings has long needed an organization such as is now being per fected, and once thoroughly organized and its plans and work systematically outlined results will be apparent imme diately and people will wonder why it was not all done long ago. LUMBER TUIRST SQUIRMING. Although little has been heard of the matter since the moving cause was instituted, the cnances are said to be excellent that the country will be afforded a considerable measure of relief from the avarice of the grasping lumber trust in consequence of the senate resolution directing the depart ment of commerce and labor to inves tigate the operations of the combine. Senator Kittredge of South Dakota was the author of the resolution, and upon his recent return to South Da kota stated that the department was in the midst of its inquiry. While de clining to go into particulars, saying "an investigation of this sort is some what like a trial of a law case, and it is not always wise to give too much publicity until the proper time comes," he said he had received direct testi mony of the beneficent effects the investigation was having already. He said he had received many personal letters from independent dealers who were unable to have their orders filled previous to the institution of the in quiry in which it was said that no trouble was experienced now in get ting all the lumber wanted. What is better still, those dealers are enabled to sell at a considerable reduction from previous prices, in some in stances amounting to as much as twenty-five per cent. Senator Kittredge is a republican of the old school and believes in the republican policy of a protective tariff, but for all that it is very evi dent that from what he has learned concerning the operations of the lum ber trust he is inclined to think a re duction of the present schedules on lumber and timber products could be revised without serious injury to the country. He says it is now certain that the matter of repealing the tariff on lumber will come before the next session of congress. Should this oc cur the lumber trust will be primarily responsible, while another motive may prompt such action on the part of cer tain congressmen-conservation of American forests by opening the way for Canadian lumber. CANNOT BE SPARED. It is not often that a man finds him self in the position forced upon John W. Pace, secretary of the Montana state fair. Because of the smallness of the salary attached to the office. Mr. Pace desired to quit and devote his attention exclusively to private affairs. Some weeks ago he tendered his resignation to the president, who in turn passed it along to one of the directors. The latter, knowing a good thing, declined to make any suggestion relative to its acceptance, but sim ply handed the document to some of the other directors. After it had made the official rounds it was re turned to Mr. Pace with the regrets of the officers and directors, but really they could not see their way clear to accept it. The result is that Mr. Pace is holding a job against his wishes and inclination, but as he is a loyal Mon tanan and thoroughly appreciative of the honor conveyed by the refusal to let him go, he has concluded to re main and do the best, he can. Undoubtedly some way will be found of making his salary commen. surate with his worth and the nature of the duties required of him. He is too valuable a man to be spared; there are too many who want him. "Capt. Daring" will be compelled to suomit more and better testimony in support of his claim than any he has as yet seen fit to offer before'he will be accepted as the man who has at last discovered the pole. If the distinguished gentlemen who are to have a conterence with the president expect that in consequence of anything they may have to say to him he will recede from his position as regards the railroads, they might as well remain at home. Not only will they find him firm in his convictions, but they will also hear some decidedly plain talk and not at all to their liking. An unfeeling eastern newspaper, commenting on the story told by an imaginative individual concerning the ease with which a Japanese army could land on the coast and march uninterruptedly to the western base of the Rockies, finds consolation in the fact that it would probably wipe out the California legislature, among other things. Judging from the pictures that have been printed of him, Dowle snowed ex cellent taste when he declared in his ante mortem statement that he would return more beautiful and in another form. Even then he could hope to secure little more than honorable men tion in a beauty contest. As long as the soil of Zion City Is able to bear the load it has carried ever since the place secured a name on the map, .those whom he left behind will probably not go into a decline consequent upon Dowie's threat to re turn. It is to be hoped that the Illin ois doctors who decided that a deaf, dumb and blind girl, who seemed to be ailing but could not tell her trouble, had appendicitis did not dis covere that the joke was on them. The Kentuckians who are now com pelled to take water in more than their accustomed quantities need not de spair. The season for mint is draw ing apace, and nature continues in her kind efforts to equalize matters. However, it may not be said that the reported car shortage on the Isth mus of Panama is due to the hostile at titude of the administration. Moreover, Mr. Bryan Is stronger convinced than ever that government ownership Is the only remedy. MONTANA. (By Sam Walter Foss.) Montana, the empire of vastness, The mistress of mountain and plain, From the heights of thy sky-piercing fastness, From thy prairies that roll like the ocean, From thy mountains shall blow un confined The breath of new power and devo tion. And a new blast of hope for man kind. Montana, the magic of morning, The sunburst of dawn with its beams, Gild the robe of thy maid-like adorn ing That is woven of hopes and of dreams: Of hopes and of dreams of new races, The dwellers by river and glen, That shall gladden your desolate places And match all your mountains with men. Your mines with their wealth for the nations, Your largess of fruits and of grains Shall feed the unborn generations That shall people your peaks and your plains; They will come with the might of their millions, They will come like the surge of the sea Make ready thy gorgeous pavilions To welcome these millions to be. Montana, so realm-like thy regions, And so loud and so kindly thy call, That the ages may pour forth their legions And thy spaces make homes for them all. Be strong for the greatness before thee, The imperial breadth of thy fate; Through the strength of thy sons who adore thee To the summit of greatness, be great. Lands panting with pains and with pities, Lands heavy with sighs and with groans, Shall build in your valleys new cities Forever unburdened by thrones; From thy prairies that heave like the ocean; From thy mountains shall blow un confined The breath of new power and devo tion, And a new blast of hope for man kind. MARTS OF TRADE New York Money. New York, March 18.-Money on call easier, at 3 to 6 per cent; ruling rate, 4% per cent; closing bid, 2% per cent; offered at 3 per cent. Time loans strong; 60 and 90 days, 6'% per cent; six months, 6 per cent. Prime mercantile paper, 6 to 6% per cent; sterling exchane strong, with actual business in bankers' bills at 483.35@483.40 for demand and at 478.40@478.45 for 60-day bills; posted rates, 480@480% and 484%@485; commercial bills, 478%@478%. Bar silver, 66%. Mexican dollars, 51%. Government bonds steady; railroad bonds irregular. New York Bonds. U. S. refunding 2's registered, 105. U. S. refunding 2's coupon, 105%. U. S. 3's registered, 103%. U. S. 3's 'coupon, 103½. U. S. new 4's registered, 130. U. S. new 4's cdupon, 130. U. S. old 4's registered, 100%. U. S. old 4's coupon, 101%. London Wool Sales. London, March 18.--The offerings at the wool auction sales today amounted to 13,018 bales, including a fine selection of merinos. All selec tions were competed for eagerly. Am ericans took suitable parcels. Victo rian scoured super clothing was in strong demand at full sales. Pur chases by home traders were heavy. St. Louis Wool. St. Louis, Mo., March 18.-Wool steady. Mediunl grades combing and clothing, 24 to 28; light fine, 20 to 23; heavy fine, 16 to 18; tub washed, 30 to 38. Chicago Grain and Produce. Chicago, March 18.-A record price for the season was established today for May wheat, when that option de clined to 75. Selling was prevalent for the greater part of the day in the wheat pit, and the market was weak. The late strength of corn and oats steadied the wheat market during the last half hour. The close was steady. May wheat opened 1/.@¼c lower to a. shade higher, at 751/2 to %, sold off to 75 and closed atl 75%@%, 1/@%c lower. The corn market was decidedly strong all day. May corn opened 1/ to %c higher, at 45 to%/8, sold off to 44%, and then advanced to 451/2, where it closed. Oats opened weak, but rallied on covering by shorts and closed strong. May oats opened V%@%c lower, at 395/s@39%, advanced to 40% and closed at 40%. The early provisions market was weak because of liberal receipts of live hogs. Later the market rallied on a lively demand from a local pack er, who was said to be covering shorts. At the close May pork was up 10c, at 15.05; lard was up 5c, at 9.05, and ribs were 12%c higher. Chicago Livestock. Chicago, March 18.-Cattle-Re ceipts, 27,000. Market steady to 10c lower. Beeves, $4.10@6.80; cows and heifers, $1.55@5.20; stockers and feed ers, $2.75@4.85: calves, $5.75@7. Hogs-Receipts, 40,000. Market weak. Mixed and butchers, $6.50@ 6.80; good heavy, $6.70@6.771/z; rough heavy, $6.50@6.60; light, $6.60@6.80; pigs, $6@6.50. Sheep-Receipts, 25,000. Market steady. Sheep, $3.90@6.15; lambs, $4.75@8. Omaha Livestock. Omaha, Neb., March 18.-Cattle Receipts, 6,000. Market steady. Na tive steers, $4@5.80; cows and heifers, $2.50@4.75; western steers, $3.25@ 5.25; stockers and feeders, $3@5; calves, $3@6.50; bulls and stags, $2.75 @4.50. Hogs-Receipts, 3,700. Market a shade lower. Heavy, $6.45@6.50; mixed, $6.45@6.471/; light, . $6.40@ 6.471/; pigs, $5.75@6.50. Sheep-Receipts, 2,500. Market steady. Yearlings, $5.85@6.70; weth ers, $5.25@6; ewes, $4.90@5.80; lambs, $7@7.75. Kansas City Livestock. Kansas City, Mo., March 18.---Cattle -Receipts, 22,000. Market steady. Native steers, $4.50@6.35; native cows and heifers, $2.80@5.15; stock ers and feeders, $3.75@5.25; bulls, $3 @4.25; calves, $3.25@7; western fed ,steers, $4@5.80; cows, $3@4.50. Hogs-Receipts, 8,000. Market 5 to 10c lower. Heavy, $6.571/2@6.621/2; packers, $6.55@6.60; pigs and lights, $5.75@6.62z. Sheep - Receipts, 5,000. Market strong. Muttons, $5@5.90; lambs, $7.25@7.75; range wethers, $5.50@ 6.75; fed ewes, $5@5.60. BASKET BALL GAMES. Sheridan and Billings Teams Will Meet. Basket ball games between the two leading teams of Sheridan and Bill ings have been arranged for in Bill ings Thursday and Friday nights. The games will be played on the south side school gymnasium grounds. Thursday night the Sheridan high school. team will meet the Billings Athletics, and the Spencer Busi ness college of Sheridan will meet the team of Company K of Billings. Friday night the opponents will be ex changed. E. P. Neill of Billings will referee for Billings. The officials chosen by Sheridan have not yet been made public. ARRAYED AGAINST COMPANY. Great Falls Citizens Take in Tele phone Strike. (Special to The Gazette.) Great Falls, Mont., March 18.-At a mass meeting of citizens held in the city council chambers, resolutions were adopted condemning the Rocky Mountain Bell Telephone company for inefficient service, high rates charged and unfair wage schedules paid to its operatives. A committee was appoint ed to confer with the management, with a view to bringing about an ami cable settlement, and if this purpose is not realized the patrons of the com pany, it was the sense of the meeting, should order the removal of their tel ephones, and the company failing to do so within 24 hours, it was the fur ther sense that they be thrown out by the lessees. The meeting was largely attended, and it was made plain that no half way measures would satisfy. Mayor Ewing called the meeting to order and John Stanton presided. Several prom inent citizens delivered addresses, putting the telephone company and its methods on the gridiron. SENTENCE IS APPROVED. Washington, March 18.-President Roosevelt has approved the sentence of dismissal in the case of First Lieut. Noah Overly of the Philippine con stabulary, who was tried and convict ed by court martial on charges of reprehensible conduct. FOR SALE. HIGHLY IMPROVED 1,400-ACRE HAY, GRAIN AND STOCK RANCH, four miles from depot, at $20.00 per acre, 300 acres under irrigation; mostly Missouri River bottom land; 1,000 acres state leased adjoining patented land goes with ranch It. can't be duplicated for the price in this state. Terms easy. For partic ulars address. J. L. Perkins, Cascade,. Mont.