The times dispatch. [volume], February 22, 1911, Image 1

About The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914

Image provided by: Library of Virginia; Richmond, VA

                
THE TIMK8 founded Mn rnr n ..TT, , _
TH-B, DIBPATCH FOUNDiId !N )SM, WHOLE DUMBER 18,538.
RICHMOND, VA, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 1911.
THE \VBATIIBII TO-I,AY-Pa,r. PRICE TWO CENTS
LEAGUE MM ASK 1
FOR REFERENDUM
OH STATE-WIDE
President's Address Ac?
cepted as Keynote of
Its Policy,
LITTLE SENTIMENT
FOR LOCAL OPTION
Criticism of Governor for Not
Stoutly Supporting Strode
Act Heartily Applauded.
Legislative Committee, at
Late Hour, Still Wres?
tling With Its Report.
nv ALEXAxiiiait forward.
Newport News. Va.. February 21.? i
Voicing what is universally accepted !
by the delegates to the tenth annual
convention of the Anti-Saloon League
of Virginia as the keynote of tlie policy
of the league for tiie coming year. Pres
!?tilit Henry Pearcc Atkins, in his an
ntial address to-nlghl, advocated a re?
newed deniand for a referendaih oh the
question of .State-wide prohibition. He \
asked for new determination, for morel
linen and more money to carry out this
program before the General Assembly
of 1CH2.
Mr. Atkins's address was listened to
With profound attention and was heart?
ily applauded. Especially general was
the apphiuse when lie expressed his
"keen disappointment that our Gover?
nor's voice was not heard loud and
Etrong when the Strode enabling act
was before the .Senate of Virginia."
The legislative committee was not
ready to report at to-night's meeting,
and that portion of the program was |
dispensed with. The committee went I
into session at the conclusion of the
address of John el. Woblley, and at a
lute hour was still wrestling with the
details of the report;
in some quarters It Is believed that
this committee, in reporting on its
efforts to secure the passag?! of the
enabling act, will indulge in some < ilt
1< Ism of members of tho General As?
sembly who voted against it, while
others say that the report will be en?
tirely mild in form and will merely re?
late the circumstances of the tight.
Will Declare for Refcrendiiiii.
The nature of the report however,
is the merest surmise So far as I can
learn, there Is no dissent from the
opinion that the league ?.?/ill again de?
clare for a referendum On State op?
tion. There Is little talk el' a return
to the local option method of dealing
with the situation, and there Is no sug?
gestion that the league should ask
the Legislature for direct statutory
prohibition, without reference to a pop?
ular v o t e.
Action by the convention may, how?
ever, take the form of a demand for
a call for an election by the Legisla?
ture Itself, or It may propose, as was
the case in the St lode bill, that the
voters of the .State shall call tho elec?
tion.
An argument for State prohibition as
agalntt local option was presented at
to-night's meeting by Lev. .1. 11. Light,
of Front Royal, in his response to the
address of welcome. Referring to the
motto of the Convention, "Virginia
dry, ' Mr. Light said the league' would
proceed to accomplish tills end in its j
own way and in its uw n time, unmoved
by partisan criticism. If the principle
of majority rule, he argued, us ap?
plied to local option, was a sound one.
It should apply to the State at large.
Mr. Light recalled the preparations
for the local option election in Freder
ickshurg three years ago, when some
of those who now argue for local op?
tion were trying to prevent an expres
elun of the will of the people of that
city, He also talked of Maryland,
where, he said, the enemies of the
Anti-Saloun League are trying to pre?
vent the enactment of a local option
law. His argument was that the league
was driven to a tight for prohibition
3Ie used British disregard of the neu?
trality laws, which led to the AVar of'
1S12, as an illustration, saying that
the liquor Interests would not observe
neutrality, but shipped their product
into communities which had elected to
vote out tho saloon.
"The other answer." he concluded, "is
war?war against the saloon In Vir- }
ginla."
III! nt Local Option.
A hit at the local option.talk was'
ftiso made by Rev. ?- T. Wollford, pas- j
tor of the First Presbytorian Church
Of Newport News, In which the meet- ;
ing was held. He said that when he j
was a boy In Richmond "the time- i
honored policy of Hie Democratic |
party" was anything but local option, ?
which was then advocated only by a ,
few preachers and fanatics. Mr. Well
ford predicted that'within five years
"the time-honored policy" of the Demo?
cratic party In Virginia would be pro?
hibition.
But all local option sentiment has
not been abandoned. Some of it may
bo heard In the meeting. Governor
Mann is to preside at Thursday night's
meeting, and it is possible he may
have something to say. President At?
kins recalled. In his address, that the
Governor at last year's meeting of the
league referred to the financial con?
dition of the State In this connection,
and It* the executive makes an address
his utterances. In view of the present
condition of tho State Treasury, will
be a matter of great interest.
The attendance at the league meet?
ing is perhaps the largest in its his?
tory. The. First Presbyterian Church
was well filled at the opening session.
Dr. W. G. Starr conducted the opening
Tellglous exercises, and Maryus Jones.
Mayor of Newport News, welcomed the
convention to this city.
Mr. Atkins predicted that tho Legis?
lature of 1012 would grant the enabling
act, which It defeated In 1910. He
snld it would be hlfetory in 1913. No?
body In his senses, he aald. even
thought prohibition can prohibit, hut
he holiovcd that a prohibition statute,
with the manhood of ft Stubbs behind
1t, could do, as much for Virginia as it
has done for Kansas, lie referred to
the resignations of Rev. J. A. Taylor
nnd Rev. James Cannon from the
lenguo'a work, speaking of the latter
ns having borne, the burden and boat
of tho day, and leaving the task In
(Continued on Sooond Page.)
Senator Carter Confi?
dent Measure Will
Pass.
IN CONFERENCE
WITH PRESIDENT
Personally Opposed to Agree- i
ment, but Believes It Will Be
Ratified?Measure May Be
Reported Without Recom?
mendation by Commit?
tee To-Day.
DEMOCRATS WILL
REVISE TARIFF
Washington, 11. C, Februnry St.? j
It nil extra session of Congress Is
<-?Mfollowing the adjournment of
ilii- present session March 4 next, !
I lie IJemncrnt* of the House >\lll we I
nlioul at once lo revise several
scheilulrn or the Pnync-AIUrleu tnr- !
I ir net.
An authoritative statement lo tills j
effect wn? given out to-day l?j Iteti- j
reneutntlvc I udrnvood, of Alabama,
who already >iiih been seleeteil um j
the elinlrinnu of the new Commit tee i
on Wnys and Mean*. It imik made j
to correct an erroneous report which
li an gained circulation during (tic
past few ?Inj?. Mr. I lldcrwood said:
??The statement Hint If an extra
session In called the Democrats iu
the House Mill not begin the work
of revising the tariff In absolutely
unfounded. The Democrat*! are
pledged to revlne the tariff, nnd If
ivc go Into an extra session the
[louse unquestionably ?will pass sonic
tariff bills revising *?>mc of the
schedules of the Payne act down?
turn before it adjourns."
Washington. D. C, February 21.? I
The reciprocity agreement with Cana?
da will pass the Senat?-. This was a
declaration made to-day by Senator
Carter, of Montana, as he was leaving
the White House after conference
with President Taft. Personally Sen
1 tire. Representative McCall, of Mas?
sachusetts, who introduced the bill in
the Houec. aJf?o dli-cusaed the situa?
tion with the President and is hope?
ful of the measure's success.
President Taft is making few en?
gagements for next week, that being
the last week of this session of Con?
gress and the one in which the great
light for the Canadian reciprocity bill
will have its termination, unless there
i.- t.> be an extra session.
In Touch With Senator.
A number of invitations have been
declined that the President may have
his whole time for conferences with
Senate leaders If the situation should
demand.'
The President is keeping up his In?
terest in the reciprocity tight by talks
wit!: Senators. The two Senators most
ftared tn the reciprocity tight are Sen- ,
ators. Hale, of Maine, and Heyburn, of
Idaho: It was stated to-day that Sen?
ator Heyb?rn is working overtime to j
accumulate facts and llgures for a big
filibuster.
He Is prepared to talk for many
hours, even days, if he can get some
help. The people of his State are said
to be with him.
The fact that Senator Aldrlch has
expressed his opinion that the Cana?
dian reciprocity bill -should be passed,
and an extra session of Congress
avoided, is being used by the friends
of the bill as an asset in its behalt.
The reasons which led Senator Aldrlch
to this opinion are familiar to all Sen?
ators, and it remains for them to ex?
ercise their own judgment in concur?
rence or not.
May He Hcported To-I>ny.
The belief was stronger to-day than
yesterday even, that the reciprocity
bill will pass, and that there will be
no extra session. However, it is very
much of a hair-trigger proposition at
this time, and there are still oppor?
tunities for the bungler who "didn't
know it was loaded" to waste the
charge.
It is thought that the bill will be
brought in by the Finance Committee
to-morrow or next day. possibly with?
out recommendation. The belief is gen?
eral that if the bill can be brought
to a vole it will pass, and there is
good reason to expect a vote in the
Senate.
In fact, the backbone of opposition
to the bill was thought to have been
broken when the Finance Committee
announced that it would not delay re?
porting the bill to the Senate. The
hopes of the opponents rested with
that committee, with the possibility of
withholding action there, since it was
known that a majority of the com?
mittee was unfavorably disposed to
the hill.
Put the same pressure which will
bring the bill out of the committee
is expected to bring the majority vote
in the Senate, and the advocates of
the legislation are in a very comfort?
able frame of mind as to their ability
to secure a vote.
Attack on .lames J. Hill.
A letter charging that .lames .1. Hill,
of the Great Northern Railway, was
Interested In the Canadian reciprocity
agreement because the railway would
profit greatly from reciprocity with
Canada was read in the Henate to-day.
Mr. Oronna. the new Insurgent Son
ator from North Dakota, sent the let?
ter to the secretary's desk and had It
read. The letter was from R. T.
Klngman, of Hlllsboro. N. D. It sharp?
ly criticized Mr. Hill because of a
recent speech by that gentleman.
Mr. Klngman charged In effect that1
the railroad man had been In Washing?
ton when the treaty was negotiated.
The letter was full of startling stale
ments, among them one to the effect
that "the old man is getting childish,"
another that his statements in support
of the treaty were "an Insult to the
I Tc^Onuod on Second Page.)
GALLERIES HISS
SENATOR BAILEY
First Demonstration of
Its Kind Ever Made
in Senate.
DAY GIVEN OVER
TO LORIMER CASE
Rebuke for Applause Given to
Crawford by Spectators Causes
Expression Toward Texas
Senator?Beveridge Will
Conclude To-Day After
Lorimer Is Heard.
Washington, D. C, February 21.? j
I Shrilly rising above the expiring an- ?
j plause with which the galleries had
greeted a comment reflecting upon the i
intelligence of those occupying them,,
a long, sibilant hiss floated over the ;
chamber of the United States .Senate i
to-day. So far as many who have'
long been connected with it could re-!
call, never before had a hiss been!
heard in that dignified body.
The incident followed a remark by
Senator Bailey, of Texas. Senator ;
Crawford, of South Dakota, had made!
a statement bearing upon the Lorimer j
case that brought forth an expression i
of approval from on-looking opponents '
of the Illinois Senator, who eat in the
gallery.
"No applause will be permitted from
those In the galleries," said the Vicc
Prdsjdent severely.
"The applause,'" said the Texas Sen?
ator, who was in controversy with
Crawford, "is a fair measure of the
intelligence of the audience." From
that portion of the audience that had
not joined in the previous applause
came a Elight outburst, despite the
presiding officer's caution, but as It
trailed, out came, the hiss.
No notice was taken of the inci?
dent by Senators or ofhec-rs of the
body.
BeveridKC Doc? Not Finish.
The day In the Senate largely was
given over to Mr. Beveridge. who dls
cussed the Lorimer case, lie did not
conclude, and suspended with the un?
derstanding that he would continue
to-morrow afternoon, after the conclu?
sion of Mr. Lorimer's speech in his
own behalf. Senator Burrows, in
charge of the question In behalf of
the Committee on Privileges and Elec?
tions, had previously given notice that
after the conclusion of Mr. Lorimer's
.speech, he would ask that a vote bt:
taken.
There was general acquiescence in
this plan until It was found that Mr.
Beveridge could not well conclude to?
night.
The most spirited part of to-day's
discussion came ttnvard the close of
the Beveridge speech, and was begun
by Mr .Gallinger. lie interrogated
Mr. Beveridge as to the source of the
money which the latter had freely
charged had been used in the Lorimer j
election. Mr. Beveridge replied that it |
had been received from Brown; Brod
erick and Wilson.
"But where did Brown. Broderick
and Wilson get It'.'" persisted Mr. Gal
linger. Mr- Beveridge confessed that
he did not know, and to assist him
somewhat, the New Hampshire Sena?
tor suggested that as the men who
had confessed to receiving the money
were "a band of liars," no one could
tell whether there was any foundation
for their charges In this instance.
In this connection Mr. Bailey un?
dertook to show that nothing had de- |
veloped to connect Mr. Lorimer with |
the use of money In the election. He i
mentioned it as a curious fact that '
this was the first ease In the Senate of
the kind, in which there had been no
effort to find the source front which
the money alleged to have been used
had been derived.
Mr. Crawford then entered the con?
troversy. "It makes no difference
where the money came from," he said,
"if it was used for corrupt purposes
and an election resulted from Its use."
A burst of applause resounded from
the galleries. The chair admonished
the visitors that demonstrations of the
kind are not permitted by the Senate.
Hist In Ilenrd.
"Oh." exclaimed Mr. Bailey, who
accepted the manifestation as against
his position; "it is a fair measure of
the. intelligence of the audience." Then
the hiss was heard.
Declaring that there was not a
scintilla of evidence connecting Mr.
Lorimer with the charge of bribery,
Mr. Bailey asked Mr. Beveridge. if he
believed that Brown, Broderlok and
Wilson had supplied the money, and
the Indiana Senator replied In the no
i gatlve, expressing tho opinion that it
had been furnished to them. The
Texns Senator then declared that if
there had actually been money In the
possession of Holstlaw. Beckemeyer.
Link and White, its source easily could
have been traced. No effort bad been
made, he said, to show that 5 cents
had been drawn from Lorimer's bank,
and he argued that if money had been
used for Mr. Lorimer, the hank books
would have shown this fact.
"That position Is against every rule
of common sense," declared Mr. Craw?
ford, interrupting the Texan. "Tho bur?
den of proof is not on those making
the charge; tho presumption Is that
those who profited by the transaction
furnished the money."
Mr. Bailey was just as compliment?
ary in his response. "When the Sena?
tor suggests a resort to tho rules of
common sense he should not violate
such rules himself." lie said. Tho
trouble he urged was it was assumed
Hint money had been used as the. wit?
nesses had charged, which he did not
believo lo have been the case.
"Then," snld Mr. Beveridge. "it was
all a dream."
"No, not a dream; It was all a Ho,"
responded Mr. Bailey.
"Does not tho Senator- believe that
Holstlaw deposited the $2,5*00, as ap?
pears in evidence?" Mr. Bailey was
asked by Mr. Beveridge. and he
promptly replied thnt he did not.
"What motive could have prompted
the testimony?" the Indianian demand?
ed.
"The same motive, that caused oth?
ers to want to destroy Mr. Lorimer's
character," was Mr. Bailey's explana?
tion.
CITY OFFERS BECK MORE PAY
TO KEEP HIM IN PRESENT JOB
Railway Company
Wants Inspector as
Its Chief Engineer.
POLLARD URGES
COUNCIL TO ACT
Two Committees Agree to Raise
Salary to $3,600 in Order to
Retain Services of This
Official Who Has Made
Excellent Record as
Building Inspector.
Building Inspector Henry P. Beck
was yesterday offered the position as
chief engineer for the Virginia Rail?
way and Power Company, made vacant
by the resignation of Calvin Whiteley,
Jr. who has accepted a similar posi?
tion In Baltimore. Mr. Beck has tho
matter under advisement, and had no
statement to make last night as to his
action.
Realizing the great loss to the city,
were he to retire from tho Building
Department, especially at this time,
when there is much important con?
struction work in progress In all parts
of the city, prompt action was taken
last night by the Council Committees
on Finance and on Ordinance, Charter
and Reform with a view of increasing
the salary paid by the city. The street
railway company offers $3,0')0 per year,
and the committees recommended that
the city meet the price, increasing the
Building Inspector from his present
salary of $2,500 per year.
Was Xot .Solicited.
The action of the Virginia Railway
and Power ^Company came as a sur?
prise to the Building Inspector, and
was not solicited by him. He was first
approached on the subject by Vie-e
President Fritz Sitterding on Monday,
and a formal offer was made to him
yesterday morning. Mr. Beck Is an
engineer of long and practical ex?
perience. He was for several years
an assistant engineer In the office of
former City Knginec-r Cutshaw. Later
he opened an office for general en?
gineering, doing work for the Rich?
mond and Henrico Railway In connec?
tion with the foundations and prelim?
inary surveys for the Marshall Street
viaduct. Hfc has been employed at
various times by the Virginia Railway
and I'ower Company and Its predeces?
sors, b?Tldi t s 'veral of the dams In
James River, and supervising construc?
tion of the Twelfth Street power
house, built by the Virginia Electrical
Railway and Development Company,
now the chief power house for the
Virginia Railway and Power Com?
pany's system, and in some regards a
piece of unique construction. It was
the first all reinforced conorete build?
ing to be erected in Richmond, and be?
cause of its location and manner of
construction, is probably more abso?
lutely fire-proof than any other
building in the city.
Wan In Hoard of Aldermen.
Many years ago Mr. Beck served in
the Common Council from old Jack?
son Ward, and in later years he was
a member of the Board of Aldermen
from the same section, serving until
under the rearrangement of ward
lines, that ward was abolished. Ho
was a member of the Water Committee
during the construction of the cKy
settling basins. He was elected by the
Council to the office of Building In?
spector when it was created In 1907.
At that time the city had no build?
ing code, and only the most lax me?
thods of regulating building c onstruc?
tion. Under the leadership of Mr.
Beck a special commission was ap- J
pointed, composed of architects, build- j
ers and citizens, which drew up the
present building code of the city,
adopted in 100S. Mr. Beck has steadily
worked out a' definite organization
for his office until It Is one of the best
maintained In the city government.
Issues .Monthly Iteiiort
Since Its organization it has never
once failed to balance on the hist day
of tho month, and Issue for publica?
tion an accurate report of the volume
of building operations in the city, and
for the corresponding month of the
previous year. The office force now
consists of one clerk and three deputy
!nspectors, and tho methods of keep?
ing the records and division of tho
work are regarded as models.
Mr. Beck has worked hard, early
and late, keeping his office open in
busy seasons far Into the night,
cheeking over plans, and has won
general approbation by his impartial
action In many Instances. Without
favor to Councilman or citizen he has
adhered to the rules, reporting viola?
tions to the Police Court and condemn?
ing faulty work and unsafe buildings
without fear or favor. Building opera?
tions In the city have more than dou?
bled since tho offlco was organized,
last year's report having greatly ex?
ceeded the year before, while January
and February this year from the totals
on exhibit In Mr. Beck's office, are far
in advance Of the same months last
year.
Pollnrd Takes Initntlve.
So realizing what It would mean to
lose such an officer, and that It would
take many months to break In any
new man, however well trained. Chair?
man IT. R. Pollard. Jr., of the Coun?
cil Committee on Finance, who for the
past three or four years has led the.
fight In the Council against "salary
j grabbing." and has been known as
I the "watch-dog of the. treasury," op?
posing bond Issues and unnecessary ex?
penditures, took tho lnltatlvc In se?
curing Immediate action that would
assure Mr Beck of tho city's appre?
ciation of his work, and If possible to
keep him In the post in which he has
proved so .successful.
Mr. Pollard brought the matter to
the attention of the Committee on Fi?
nance last night. Under the rules that
committee can originate no action not
authorized by the Council, but every
member save one was of the opinion
that Mr. Beck was worth aa much oi
more to I he city as he Is to a corpora
tlon. Without committing thomselvc.
,,p (Continued on Second Paso.)
HRXRT r. IiBCK.
Action by Grand Jury Against
Cincinnati Republican
"Boss."
GIVES BAIL IN SUM OF $1?000
He Declares It a Political Move,
and Asks Public to Withhold
Judgment.
Cincinnati, Ohio, February 21.?Geo.
B. Cox, for years head of the Republi?
can organization In Cincinnati, a prom?
inent factor in State and national poli?
tics, president of the Cincinnati Trust
Company, and known widely us an
owner of theatrical property, to-day
was indicted by the Hamilton county
grand Jury on a charge of perjury.
The basis of the charge Is that Co.v,
allegedly, testified falsely before the
grand jury on March 21, 1906, in deny?
ing that lie received any of the iirrer
est money which several banks, ac?
cording to the disclosures before tha
Drake investigating committee, paid
to county treasurers as recompense
for the deposit of county funds.
The specific case on which the- Jury
acted occurred in the administration
of John II. Gibson, who served two!
terms as county treasurer, from 1300
to 1904. Gibson testified before tho j
grand Jury yesterday that Cox re- |
ceived ?4S,500 of the 597,00 1, which the
banks gave Gibson as "gratuities" dur?
ing the latter's service.
Gibson paid ?S7,0f>i into the county
treasury in 190*5, following tin investi?
gation by the grand jury of the Drake
disclosures Two other treasurers,
Tilden R. French and Rudolph II. Ily
nick, respectively. paid $59,450 and
$5S,440 to the county.*
Hull Fixed at $1,000.
Prosecuting Attorney Henry T.
Hunt recommended to Judge Gorman
that bull be fixed at $1,000. The re?
quired bond was given by Cox, with
Abraham F?rst as surety.
No date for Cox's appearance in
court was set
Mr. Cox in speaking of the indict?
ment said:
"I do not regard this as an Indict?
ment in tho true sense of such action.
It was purely a poUHenl move, and
was brought about by political condi?
tions.
"The jury which brought the indict?
ment was selected by a Democratic
judgo who drow tho names of the
grand Jurors from his Inside pocket,
instead of from the Jury wheel, as tho
law requires.
"The people, Irrespective of politics,
know, I believe, that never in my
"career have t been accused of telling
u falsehood. I regard the action of
the grand Jury as one of the most
serious attacks and one of the most
outrageous procedures emanating from
a body connected with a court. 1 will
leave my side of this affair to the
facts, as brought out In the trial In
the meantime, I ask the public to sus?
pend judgment."
The law under which tho grand jury
returned tho Indictment provides that
in case of conviction for perjury, the
penalty shall be Imprisonment for not
more than ten years, nor less than
th roc.
TENDERED TO DAWS0N
President AnUm fovtn Iteiiresentiitlve io
Become III? private Secretary.
Washington. 11. C, February 21.?The
President has tendered to Representa?
tive Alberl F. Dawson, o_f Iowa, the of?
fice of aeicretary to the President, but
Mr. Dawson has not yet commuhicuted
I to the President whether he would ac?
cept tlie Office. It is understood that
Mr. Dawson Is still considering the teri
I der and that the indications arc that
he will not find it feasible to accept
[ the olllce.
ESE TREATY
ES TO SENATE
Restrictions Upon Immigration,]
Heretofore Existing,
Eliminated.
TRADE AND COMMERCE PACT,
Western Senators Expected to
Make Fight Against
Ratification.
Washington, D, C, February 21.? j
The text of a new treaty with Japan,
designed to replace that pf 1S91, and
drawn with the special design of elimi?
nating the restrictions upon immigra?
tion contained In that treaty, was laid
before the Senate by President Taft.
The essential difference between the
proposed treaty and the existing con-j
ventlon is said to be in the fact that
H omits all reference to such restric?
tions, and leaves to the national honor'
of Japan the enforcement at her own
ports of the limitations upon emlgra-1
tlon from Japan now expressly placed
upon immigration into the United'
States.
The document Is to provide that
either country may denounce the
treaty at the end of six months if it
falls to operate as expected.
Because It will be such a radical
departure from the existing treaty,
and touches the question of the deep-1
est importance and interest to the.
Pacific slope, the Injection of this con-1
ventlon into the closing hours of the!
Sixty-first Congress created a sensa- i
tlon to-day.
That the new treaty will encounter
opposition soems certain, for even if It
should be speedily reported to the Son
ale from the committee without seri?
ous controversy within the committee
room, tiie Western Senators am ex?
pected to insist upon opportunity for
debate, which will develop to the full]
the extent of their opposition to the
treaty. This new treaty Is ono ot
trade and commerce, Intended to re?
place the treaty of 1891, which Is an?
tiquated. It was drawn simultaneous?
ly with a number of other Japanese
treaties, of similar scope, negotiated
with all of the great powers. But, un?
like the others, this treaty was not
promptly ratltied, and did not go into
effect until about a year after others
were in force. Japan has already ne?
gotiated treaties to replaco those of
the nineties, witli nearly all of the
other powers, except the United
States. If our government were to In?
sist on its rights, the existing treaty
could bo continued in force until Jutiy
I 17. 1912.
j This littlo Incident?the difference
of a year In the expiration of the old
'treaties?Is proving very embarrass
j ing to the Japanese in developing a
tlscal policy. A3 all of the new treaties
contained favored nation clauses, the
Japaneso would be obliged to ion
cede to the nations other than tin
United States all of the privileges
which Americans now enjoy under the
treaties of 1891. The practical result
would be delay for a full year, n
America refused to enter upon a new]
treaty relation at once, the readjust-,
ment of tariff rates and other forms of j
tnxation vital to the sound financing
of the Japaneso Empire.
.No Heferern-c to Immigration,
The radical difference between this
new treaty and the one now in force
and the one which may prove obnoxious;
to the Western Senators is understood
j to bo the omission of any reference
to the immigration question.
In Article 2 of the treaty of 189-J.j
following provisions declaring the rignt:
j of the two countries to full liberty of
[travel and resilience mid trade in both]
I countries, is this qualification: |
"It Is, however, understood th.it I ho{
stipulations contained In this ami the
preceding article do not in any way
affect the laws, ordinances and regu?
lations with regard to trade, the Im?
migration of laborers, pol lei and pub?
lic security which are it; force or which
may hereafter bo enacted in either of
Uta two countries."
LECKT WILL
IT
Den ies Responsibility f oz
Condition of Insur?
ance Company.
-
HIS RESIGNATION .
WAS VOLUNTARY
Points Out That Directors Have
Not Put Up $133,000 Additional
Capital, but Have Repaid
Themselves $91,000 and
Added Only $42,000
to Assets.
Robert. Lecky, Jr.. gave out yester.
day a statement In reply to an article
about the reorganization of the Vir
ginla State Fire Insurance Company,
which The Times-Dispatch printed on
Sunday on information furnished It by
the State Insurance Bureau and ar.
authorized officer of the company.
In that article It was slated that
directors had put up $133.000 in cash
to carry out the plan of reorganiza?
tion.
Mr. Lecky says in his statement,
however, that '"the reorganization ol
the company repays $01.000 to the
directors, nnd adds $12,000 to the as?
sets of tho company." It Is explained
that this $01,000 in question Is to be
paid back to the directors, or changed
front it contribution to a stock pur?
chase?evidently with the approval pi.'.
Insurance Commissioner Button, who]
worked with the directors and In?
dorsed the reorganization plan.
In his letter to the stockholders, un?
der date of February IS last, in which
he offered his resignation as vice
president?his resignation as secretary
and manager going to tho board of
directors?Mr. Lecky said:
"At the meeting of the board of di?
rectors held Immediately following
your annual meeting, January 26 last,
all of the ofllcers and directors volun?
tarily offered to place their resigna?
tions before this special meeting, with
a view of facilitating a reorganiza?
tion of tho company, and thus relieve
the. stockholders of all embarrassment,
If such action was deemed advisable."
But nobody except Mr. Lecky reT"
signed, the reorganization having beer,
effected with Frltit Sitterding as vice
president and Archie II. Harris secre?
tary and manager.
Mr. Lccky's statement in full is ai '
follows:
Lecky'x Statement.
The publication In Sunday's Times
Dispatch by Insinuation has so reflect?
ed upon me that 1 feel it my duty tt
state to the public of Richmond, at
concisely as possible, all of tho facts
as I know them, and which are sup?
ported.
In 190 1 the directors of the Virginia
State Insurance Company contributed
$72,000, as a result of the Baltimore
and other conflagrations occurring
that year. Later on $26,000 of this
money was repaid as special dividends,^
leaving a balance duo to these direc?
tors of $46,000.
In December, 1010, for reason*
Htnted to the stockholders of the cojn- '
pnny. In n letter of December 31 by
tlie director*, the Increase of the prem?
iums during the year wan mo treat nn
to euune an Increase#in the reserve
Cumin of more than $100,000, and that
Increase, together ivltb the losses by
tire, which ?vere not abnormal, invade,!
(lie .surplus, anu eneli director, myself
included, contributed $5,000 to the
fund.
The reorganization of the company
repays $91,000 to the directors and adds
$12,000 to the assets of the company.
Regarding the Insinuations as to tho
errors made, I beg to say that nona of
these errors were discovered, as a re?
sult of any examination, except such
as was conducted by myself, and on
November 30, 1909, this condition was
reported, In writing, in a general let?
ter treating of the needs of the com?
pany. In the following language:
"It was only on last Friday that the
balance sheet to October 31 could be
prepared, and immediately thereafter
I undertook the preparation of the
annexed statement; the losses were
listed and the reserve books added and
calculated personally with tho aid of
the clerks. The reserve figures shown
are but of balance with the premium
account on the ledger, being greater
than all premiums written for the
year. To arrive accurately at the re?
serve figures. It will require an in?
ventory of all risks in force, but this
work will take more than two weeks
to complete, and the errors found will
go to the credit of this calculation.
"All of the items shown on tho an?
nexed sheet will have to be charged
off ?s non-admitted assets, although .
they have considerable value?tins
amounts to $19,907.25.'!
The company was examined by the
State of Illinois after the payment of
the Baltimore toss; it was examined by
the Virginia department In 1907; later
by the Virginia department In Jan?
uary 1910, and in January. 1011'. Th-5
results of the January, 1910. examina?
tion were published broadcast b"> t\t?
insurance papers of this country.
Hii.si neu? Preserved.
Tho business of the company has
been preserved, and wo have only,,
retired from States that were unprofit?
able, with the single exception of th*
s;tato of New York, in which we could
not continue, because of the laws of
that State forbidding a company of
our condition' from 'doing so. The re?
tirement from New York was as of
December 31. 1909. All of the busi,
?oss in New York and Texas was re- ;
insured and one-half of tiie btislne*;
cls.where In the . country, and over,
,isk posslbie for us to reinsure, u
,j, j* contract was included. V'-''
business of the . ompan; l
been maintained, and under d*v
January ' 31. I?i0. the director*^