The times dispatch. [volume], December 28, 1911, Image 1

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

Image provided by: Library of Virginia; Richmond, VA

                
Commission Recom?
mends Central Super?
vision of Valuations.
BASE LAND TAX
ON ACTUAL SALES
Legislature Asked to Create Per?
manent Tax Commission, to
Insure Collection of Income |
Tax and Reduce Rate on
Bonds and Evidences
of Debt.
Laws Suggested
For Tax Reforms
I'crmnnrnt commission to cqiinllrc
lasen noil supervise revenue eum
luK>l.i?.
C?c of actual prior? <>f property
transfers ?" hnses for osirssmrnt. I
Atinlltlou of land owr>Mir>, Itielr
?nrk to br dour by coimulssloucrs
"f tin- revenue
lleilnrtlou of Stnte tm on ?lock?,
bands nnd other evidence* of debt
to -r, rents nn the SUM), nnd Jlmlta
(lon of (lio local loir* to Ihr ?nmc
amount.
Placing of nil public service cor?
poration* on n uross rarnliiun basis.
Incrrni?c of sundry llcrunc tuxes,
'nrhidlug stork brokers, pawn?
broker* nini %-endern of medicines,
nn,| InipoKltlon of n license on pro?
fessional linscbnll nninrs.
Strengthening of Income tax Invr
by requiring employ fr? to report
salaries.
Abolition of exninlner* of record.
I'Muhllxhioeot of a uniform sys?
tem nf bookkeeping; nnHinit locnl
nsscnslng olllcrrs.
Proper equalization of the burdens
of taxation will inevitably remit In a
substantial lowering of the tax rate.
In the cpltilon of the State Tax Com
mission In Ith report to the General
.\>n nibly. made public yesterday. The
glaring Inequalities of - assessment In
Virginia arc gone Into with care and
;: t great length, ant] the conclusion
is drawn that, there must be a cen?
tralized supervisory power, which must
bo given t|,c right to remove com?
missioner of the revenue from oftlco
when thoy fall to assess propurty at
n rate of valuation which will be
uniform with the general plan through?
out the Slute.
To carry out this proposition, it Is
recommended that a permanent tax
commission of nine existing State of?
ficers, who shall be unpaid, together
with a paid executive officer, be
created. This commission Is to have
power (1) to equalize assessments
among the. counties and cities of the
Slate by fixing a standard valuation
for each class of tangible personal
property, an average per acre valua?
tion for each county and average
frontal valuations for each city; (2) 1
to remove commissioner!) of the reve?
nue for violation of the law or for
neglect of duty; (3) to formulate rea- j
sohable rules and regulations for the
uniform assessment of Improvements
and for the general enforcement of
the revenue law.
Would Abolish Second Auditor.
The entire report consists of more
than -100 printed pages, and Is com?
posed of the letter of transmlttal to
the Legislature, n summary of recom?
mendations, the report of the com?
mission proper and the report to the
commission by Secretary D. S. Free?
man. The latter contains the argu?
ments upon which the commission's
report is based, but it goes further
In many Instances, malting it evident |
that the. body did not agree on all ]
points at Issue. For Instance, Dr.
Freeman advocates tho abolition of
tho office of Second Auditor of Vir?
ginia, while the commission does not
mention such a plan.
In all, the report contains tho di?
gested researches of eighteen months,
comprising information secured in he- I
wllderlng quantity from every nvnil- ]
able source. The commission has met
many times, and has giwm all the!
features of the report much attention, j
As the Issues of taxation are the j
olosest to tho individual of all the
problems of government, so tho re- j
port of tho Tax Commission will be
tho most Important. In the public
mind, of all that will go to the Den- j
eral Assembly. Its members tire:]
Governor W. H. Mann (chairman),
Lloutonant-Governor J. Taylor lilly
6on, Speaker Richard lDvelyn Ityrd,
Judge Robert R. Prentls, Colonel A.
M. Bowman and D. S. Freeman.
Needs Supervision.
Tho greatest defect In the Slate's
financial system, says tho commission
In the outset. Is tho absence of any
mothod of supervising the assessment
of real and personal properly. If tho
assessors of ono county choose to so
esBcss lands nnd personal property ns
to evado their proper share of tho
public burden, there la absolutely no
method of preventing such action,
even though another county or city
may bo paying four times as heavy
tnxes. To correct this evil and to
equalize the taxes of all the people
Is, in the opinion of the commission,
the most important work of tax re?
form.
There is a lengthy review of tho
methods prevailing In other States,
and of those proposed in Virginia, In?
cluding total separation, rigid enforce?
ment of the law, the complete aboli?
tion of the tax on personal property,
partial scpnratlon and tho centraliza?
tion of authority. It is tho latter plan
. which tho commission recommends,
and to that ond it indorses a per?
manent commission ,/or tho equaliza?
tion of assesse- ' T.This commission
?would na,<- ifyiorvlslon of the
?work'- -,- ?...?oiiicnt, fix county nnd
city averages of valuations, remove
commissioners of the revenue for
falluro to discharge their duties and
(Continued on Sixth Page.)
SOUTH REJECTS PLAN
Xtw Vork Syndicate Still Willing to
Handle Cotton Crop.
Washington. December 27.?Colonel
Itopcrt M. Thompson, of New York,
head of Hie syndicate which proposed
to advance J5O.000.00o for the purpose
of handling the Southern cotton crop,
blutnua tho Southern planter for the
delay in putting the scheme Into ef?
fect. He declared here to-day that the
syndicate still was ready to proceed
with the plan, which he said meant
everything to the Southern farmer.
'?We did not reject the plan." ho de?
clared. "It wa8 the South which re?
jected it; am) the Southern farmer:)
are opposed to It only because they
do not understand It. They will have
to be educated Into the knowledge
that our scheme Is not a speculative
one, as they have been led by certain
Interested parties In the South to be?
lieve.
"We would he willing to-day to put
through the plan which wo. proposed
some time ago to the committee from
the .South which met in New Y*rk ami
talked over the proposition. We are
not trying to urge the South to ac?
cept something It does not want, but
if it should appoint a committee and
n'nd It to us we would see to It that
the plan we .suggested was put
through.
"As It Is. a number of Individual
farmers of the South have expressed
their deslrn to have us handle their
crop for them on the plan which we
proposed for the entire South. This
will bo a test which will show the
rest of the South Just what we In-'
tended: and It Is probable that by next
year, others will be willing to fall In
with the scheme.
"The Southern cotton farmers this
year will lost $300.000.000, and the
trouble is that at least $200.000.000 of
this will go abroad. The whole coun?
try, not only the South, will be the
loser hy the South's refusal to accept
the economic proposition we submit?
ted."
DUNCAN MACKAY INDICTED
Charged With Misappropriating F?nde
or Kntbcr's Batate.
Steiiing. 111.. December 27.?It de?
veloped to-day that Duncan Mackay,
one of the largest real estate owners
In Galveston, had been Indl-ted by the
October Brand Jury on charges of mis?
appropriation of funds loft by his
father a* part of an estate valued at
$3.000,000. Tho transactions which led
to t).?. Indictment data hack several
years. After long litigation here in
t;<< County Court of Whltesldc county,
a Judgment for nearly $100.000 was
Issued against Mackay. but before the
(Hidings were entere.I hi left the lurls
dlction of the court. Duncan. Moore.
* nephew Of Mackay. then wont before
thd grand jury and gave testimony
which resulted in the indictment,
charging his uncl: with misappropria?
tion of practically the entire amount
or the judgment.
The Indictment was suppressed in
the hope that Mackay might return to
this stale, it being; generally under?
stood that he was in Curop?*. Now. it
is alleged, Mackay lias returned to the
United States, hut his exact where?
abouts Is not known.
Mackay Is charged in tho Indict?
ment., with having withheld $125.27"
from the estate r.f his father. A Judg?
ment for this amount, together with
ottornc-v fo.-s of $23.000. was entered
In the Whlteslde county Circuit Court
In .Tune In favor of Duncm Moore, a
nephew, and Simon I.egrow. of Chi?
cago.
OVERPRODUCTION OF COAL
Year One of Worm tn History of Mining
Industry.
Wnshlngton. Pecmiber 27.?There
has boon an overproduction of coal
this year and a consequent .struggle
for trade which depressed prices, in
tho opinion expressed to-day by Ed?
ward W. Parker, coal statistician tor
the united states Geological Survey.
Mr. Parker added that there had been
few more unsatisfactory years In the
history of the coal mining industry,
and that prices were depressed to such
an extent that when the total re-1
turns for the year wore footed up. the]
balance probably would be on the
wrong side of the lodger, although the
production of coal in the United States
for tho year probably was second only
to the record year of 1310.
"The anthracite Industry in 1911," he
said, "probably was as firm as any
Other In the country. A part of thel
increase in production was ?lue to the
stocking of fuel In anticipation of
April 1. 1912. when the. wage agree?
ments terminate. The bituminous
traiie. on the whole, has been demor?
alized and discouraged, and much of
the business was conducted at a loss.
The principal cause for this, particu?
larly In the eastern States, has been
the depression in the iron trade."
Tho total production of coal for the
year Is estimated at 190.000.000 ton?,
only 11.000,000 less than In 1910. Of
this year's production 400.000,000 tons
was bituminous coal.
ANXIETY IS RELIEVED.
Troublesome Moros Are Disarmed
Without Bloodshed.
Washington. December 27.?Anxiety
In the War Department to-day was re?
lieved by a cablegram from Governor
General Forbes, of the Philippines,
confirming the press report of the suc?
cess of General Pcrshlng's attempt to
disarm without bloodshed the trouble?
some Moros who had sought refuge on '
Mount Hajo. The Governor-General's !
cablegram read:
"John J. Pershlng reports .100 Moros
surrendered. Opposition to disarma?
ment practically ended. Consider his
management of affairs has been aias
terly."
Officials of the Insular Bureau be?
lieve General Pershlng thus has made
It possible for a large number of peace?
fully Inclined natives to take up agri?
culture and thereby greatly stimulate
the. development of the Islands. The
disarmament of the Moros Is the cul?
mination of a yiar's work by tho mili?
tary officers.
ENGAGEMENT CANCELED
Wntleraon Will Not Speak In Charles?
ton Because of Antagonism.
Charleston. S. C, December 27.?An?
ticipating strong opposition by Ger?
man and Irish-American citizens of
this city to a resolution to be Intro?
duced at the conclusion of tho address
of . Colonel Henry Watterson Indorsing
the proposed arbitration treaties be?
tween tho United States, England and
France, friends of tho Kentucky edi?
tor decided to cancel the speaking en?
gagement scheduled for to-morrow
evening.
Although, a committee composed of
Germans and Irish-Americans had not
decided upon a report recommending
what action to take If such a resolu?
tion was offered, the undercurrent of
opposition to the treaties was such
that friends of Colonel Watterson
thought It bent to eliminate Charleston
from tho list of cities In which ho la
to speak. It was explained that there
was no antagonism to Colonel Wattor
son personally.
Colonel Watterson left Savannah to?
day for Charlotte. N. C.
Millions of Amorleon homos nro de?
nied really good Ice Cream because so
much of it Is Ignorontly and Indiffer?
ently made. Try the Velvet Kind,
where Qunllty-Purlty-Sanltatlon proT
vails.
AROUSES BRITISH
People Are Incensed by
Indiscriminate Kill?
ing in Persia.
FOREIGN OFFICE
IS CRITICIZED
Czar Will Adopt Even Sterner
Measures in His Determination
to Suppress Disorders in
Helpless Country?Reports
of More Wanton Mas?
sacres Being Received.
London. December 27.?The Russian
government has decided upon stern
measures to suppress disorders at Ta?
briz and other disturbed Persian
towns. The dislocation of the tele?
graph lines makes It impossible to get
ii reliable narrative of tho outbreaks,
yet It cannot be doubted that a situ?
ation of the gravest complexity has
arisen.
As reports of Russian progress in
Persia and stories of tho indiscrimi?
nate killing of natives In Tabriz and
Rcsht and of the destruction of Per?
sia's constitutional government undor
Russian menaces continue tu reach
England, the people are becoming in?
creasingly disquieted at the British
government's complicity, which the
Foreign Secretary, Sir Edward Grey,
thinks Is ft matter of policy and com?
pelled by the Anglb-UUESlan agree?
ment.
Doubts also have been Increased as
to whether Persian Independence over
will be restored to even the feeble
Malus It had before this last assault,
by Russia. If Parliament were sit?
ting there undoubtedly would be se?
vere questioning of the government
on this subject and an arraignment
Of the Foreign Office.
Punishment Will Be Severe.
St. Petersburg, December 27.?A I
Semi-official statement Issued this
evening says that the Russian govern?
ment. In view of "acts" of foolhardy
aggression committed against the
Russian forces and institutions In Ta?
briz, Rcsht and Lnzcll, sometimes fol?
lowed by brutal torture of tho wound?
ed and base outrages against the
dead," has decided that the severest
punishment of the guilty Is merited,
and Russian commanders. In conjunc?
tion with Russian consuls, are in?
structed to adopt the most stringent
measures.
These measures, as pet forth In the
statement. Include the arrest nnd
trial by court-martial of all partlcl. ]
pants In the attacks, the disarmament
of the Fidals and other troublesome
elements, destruction of places where
resistance might he offered and what
ever else Is deemed necessary to re-1
establish order and secure the chas?
tisement of the offenders.
The latest reports from Tabriz an
notlhe that the telephone lino to
Julfa has been cut. .Tulfa Is n small
town In trans-Caucasia in tho Aras
River, less than 100 miles from Tabriz.
It was from this point that the Rus?
sian reinforcements were dispatched
to Tabriz several days ago.
About 200 Caucasian Fidais, includ?
ing a number of leaders, fled last
night to ICaradagh with the Intention,
it is believed, of crossing the Russian
frontier. A Russian guard has been
placed over the Russian bnnk, and the
citadel, over which the Russian flag
flies, is occupied by a Russian rifle
regiment.
The Fifth Chasseurs, with an artil?
lery detachment, has forced Its way
through the Boghlchemal, a suburb of
Tabriz, to Join the Russinn forces en?
camped there. There were several
skirmishes along the road on the
march from Julia, and at sunset to?
night art'llery and machine gun fire
could be heard In tho dlEtancc.
, Stories of Brulnllty.
London. December 27.?The Persia
committee. composed of prominent
Englishmen Interested In Persian af?
fairs, has recelvd the following tele?
gram from the provincial assembly at
Tabriz, srnt through tho Persian So?
ciety of Constantinople:
"On December 21 Russinn troops at?
tacked and seized the administration
buildings. They trampled school chil?
dren under foot on<j killed and de?
spoiled Innocent men and women. They
also looted the shops. The inhabitants,
after extraordinary forbearing, began
to defend themselves and forced the
Russian.-, to evacuate the government
OlIiOH.
"On December 22 the Russians bom
bardod the city until sunset, conster?
nation Increasing hourly. On December
23, In consequence of orders from the
central government to cense fighting,
the Inhabitants took no stops to de?
fend themselves, but tho Russians re?
newed tho bombardment, firing from
the environs of their consulnte at
women and other innocent persons.
They wounded or made captive the
wives and children of many reapec
table cittzons, and set lire to numerous
buildings and mosques. -Tho inhabi?
tants still remained quiet on Decem?
ber 25, but the ferocity of tho Rus?
sians greatly Increased. They killed
many women and children and a. large
number of buildings were burned by
them."
Wnnt Another American.
Teheran, December 27.?It Is under?
stood that the regent and Cabinet de?
sire the appointment of tho American,
F. E. Cairns, tho principal nsalstant of
Mr. Shuster, ns tho now Treasurer
Generaa of Porsia. It Is more likely,
however, that M. Mornnrd, tho Belgian
ex-dlrector of customs In Persia, who
somo months ago made himself proml
inent by his hostility to Mr. Shuster,
will recelvo tho position.
The British consul at Shirnz. W. A.
Smart, who. wna wounded-in n tight
near Knzeropn, is lying in a caravan
(Continued on Sixth Page.)
GRAND JURY ADJOURNS
"IJynomlte*? Indictment*' Will Not tlc;
Upturned Before Saturday.
Los Angeles, C'al.,' December 27.? I
Colnotdent with the appearance ot H. |
W. Pohlinan. business agent of the
Ssaitlo Iron Workers' Union, as. a wit- j
ness beforo the Federal grand Jury,
which resumed Its Investigation to-day i
Into tho alleged natlon-wldc dynamite
conspiracy. It became known that an?
other resilient ot Seattle, Dr. G. D.
Wagner, had appeared before the in- I
qulsltor3 and given Important test!
mony.
Dr. Wagner, who manages an elec?
trical supply company, was said to
have laid of a meeting he had with
James B. McNamara In Seattle In Au?
gust last year. Dr. Wagner's business
was situated opposite the Lyons Build?
ing, which was damaged by dynamite
on August 30. 1910.
The Lyons Building explosion was
credited to James B. McNamara, who
at that time \va? said to have made
his first dynamiting expedition to the
Pacific roast. According to the testi?
mony. Dr. Wagner Is said to have
given, a man. whom he afterward Iden?
tified by newspaper pictures as James
B. McNamara. took a part of one of
his destructive machines to the Wag?
ner Company for repairs.
Another witness was William Brown,
an employe of the Los Angeles Times.
He testified that the morning beforo
the Timss Building was destroyed, Oc?
tober 1, 1910, he met James B. Mc?
Namara In the basement near the spot
where the actual explosion occurred.
According to Brown, McNamara said
he was looking for work as a news
1 paper mailer.
i After questioning Paul Scharrenburg,
of San Francisco, secretary of the
I.State Federation of Labor, the grand
jury adjourned. The Federal Court ad?
journed until Saturday, and as many
I indictments would have to be pre?
sented In that tribunal, the adjourn?
ment precluded the possibility of the
return of the true bills before that
;date.
COURTS TOO POWERFUL
Baldwin Sees Menace In Their Control
of State Authoritlrs.
Buffalo. N. Vi, December 27.?Control
of State authorities by inferior United
States courts has developed to such an
extent that the people are becoming
impatient, declared Governor Simeon
C. Baldwin, of Connecticut, at the
opening of the twenty-seventh annual
meeting of the American Historical
Association and the eighth annual
meeting of the American I'oltlcal Sci?
ence Association In Joint session here
to-night.
If some of the recent court decisions
are not disaffirmed. Governor Baldwin
said, the judicial power of tho United
Slates appar.en.tly will extend to any
justiciable controversy arising in any
Slate, although pertaining to mere
matters of local concern.
Governor Baldwin also found a real
danger in tho recent utterance of a
President that he was for a Consti?
tution when It conserved the people's
rights, but not when It perpetuated
the people's wrongs.
"The danger." he said, "Is that a
Chief Magistrate by some stretch of his
executive or military authority may
come to play the part of a dictator.
It Is only a remote possibility, but the
science which we profess warns us
that great powers ore apt to be abused
?nd that the fathers were right when
they declared that eternal vigilance
[ was the price of liberty."
! EXAMINING BANKER MORSE
Taft Sends Special Board of Inquiry to
Atlanta.
Atlanta. Oa., December 27.?Acting
under instructions Issued by President
Taft, a special board of Inquiry, com?
posed of officers of the medical corrs.
U. S. A., arrived hero to-night to make
another examination of Charles W.
Morse, the New York banker, confined
in the army hospital at Fort McPher
son. The board consists of Colonel
l'enry Birmingham, Major Fauntlcroy
and TiO-'or Russell, all on special as?
signment-- at Washington.
It w-. stated at Fort McPherson
that h. preliminary examination ot
Morse wi ? made, soon after their ar?
rival iibou' 7 o'clock, but nothing as
to th<? nature of their findings was
made public. >If Mr. Morse's condition
permits, it th'-'^ugh examination will
be made to-morrow and the report
wired to Washington.
According to officers at Fort McPher?
son, Morse's condition has remained
about the same during tho"past few
days, with no o.nj of any Improve?
ment as a result of the cringe front
the Federal prison to the army hospi?
tal.
SENSATION IS. DYING
Only Case of Larceny Against Man
Found Wltb Dynamite.
Pittsburgh, Pa., December 27.?Geo.
Rrllges, arrested Monday night at Mo
ncssen. Pa., a steel town near here,
while carrying a suit casa containing
seventy-two slicks of dynimlte and
fuse, was charged with larceny later
to-day by an official of the Henderson
Coal "Company, who alleged the ex?
plosives were stolen .'rom "he com?
pany's magazine. A hearing at which
Bridges promised revelations has been
postponed until Friday morning. The
belief is gaining that there is noth?
ing of a sensational nnturo In the
arrest of Bridges. The coal company's
allegations and the charge of larceny
against him seem to have ta.ken the
wind out of ihc incident.
When taken into custody Bridges
claimed tho dynamite was given him
by a stranger, and to-day he said:
"I will not take all the blame for
this and tho rest of them will hovo
to take their medicine like me."
CREDITORS GET 22 PER CENT.
Tnugled Financial Aft'nlrn of Harry
Thaw Are Wound t!?.
Pittsburgh, Pa., December 27.?The
financial affairs of Harry Kendall
Thaw, on Inmate of Matteawan Asy?
lum, and the slayer of Stanford White,
were wound up to-day, when Referee
in Bankruptcy William R. Blair di?
rected that checks for 22 por cent, of
the amount of the claims against
Thaw's estate he mailed to his credi?
tors. Thaw's liabilities were about
$300.000. The principal claim was that
of hik mother. Mrs. Mary Copley Thaw,
for ?209,67C
SHOT FROM BEHIND
Young Man Killed by One AVhone flonio
He Is Said to Have Wrecked.
Rome. Ga., December 27.?Douglas IT.
Harris, agod ttvonty-flve years, for?
merly of LaGrango, Ga.. was shot and
Instantly killed hero to-night by Uriah
1U Starnes, a traveling salesman.
Starnes immediately surrendered to
the police. He made a statement
charging that Harris hnd wrecked his
horop.
Starnes to-night went to tho hotel
where Harris was employed and shot
him. In th:i hack. After Harris had
fallen Starnes emptied tho contents of
his pistol Into the. body.
Nothlng^oiso quite tnkoa the place of
this delicious Ice Cream?Ma phi Nut,,
Tho Velvet Kind. 1
Mongolia and Turkestan
Pass Under Russian
Influence.
MAY BE ANNEXED
AT ANY TIME
Czar's Influence Will Flank That
of Mikado in Manchuria and j
Alliance May Be Expected.
Dr. Sun Will Be Elected
President of New Chi?
nese Republic.
Peking, December 2S. (3:26 A. M.)?I
Mongolia, which almost equals China I
proper In size, will be proclaimed in?
dependent to-morrow, simultaneously j
with the cuttlng'off from China of the j
vast dependeny of Turkestan. Both !
will pass under Russian Influence, and
practically will become Russian pro- |
tectorates. Russia at any time will
be able to annex them. A grand khan
will bo named as monarch of Mongolia.
The construction of the Trans-Mon?
golian Railway, for which Russia has
long sought permission from China. I
will now 'be a mntter of time. Europe
thereby coming nearer to Peking by
three or four days. J
Russian Influence will flank the
Japaneso sphere In Manchuria peril?
ously, and u Japanese alliance for the
sake of preserving Japanese Interests
I may soon or later be expected. Rus?
sian officers and officials, If not the
I Russian government proper, have In- I
I fluenced this action in Mongolia*
Will Elect Dr. Sun President.
Shanghai, China, December 27.?It
is reported that the delegates of tho
eighteen provinces of China proper
here intend to meet at Nunking on
December 2S to elect Dr. Sun Vat Sen
President of the provisional govern?
ment of the united provinces. The ar
rlval of Dr. Sun Vat Sen has Injected
an entirely new and forceful element
Into the ranks and councils of the
rovolutlonarles. There i.s every evl
deno that Dr. Sun Is receiving more
consideration than othor leaders of
the revolutionaries here. His residence
is crowded from morning till evening
with representatives of all tho prov
, lnces, generals and governors, with
whom he has continual consultations.
The delegates from the provinces of
China proper, who have been attcnoing
the Nanking convention, came In a uoay
to Shanghnl, where they met Dr. Sun.
later roturning to Nanking. There is
reason to believe that they will meet
on December 2S and elect Dr. Sun pres?
ident of the provisional government of
the United Provinces of China Proper
by a unanimous vote of the delegates
of the eighteen provinces. After that
has been dono the revolutionaries plan
the selection of a Cabinet by tho Pres?
ident, who then will Issue, a proclama?
tion setting forth the terms offered by
the revolutionaries to the Manchus and
the imperial court In event of their
peaceful surrender.
Should this not occur, the campaign
against tho Manchus and tho imperial-!
i ists will bo continued, nnd Peking will
be taken.
j Dr. Sun Yet Sen evidently docs not
regard the peace conference here seri?
ously, and wll] proceed with his plans
without regard to Peking. No decision
' has yet been reached as to whether
the nrmistlco is to be continued.
ICmperor Given Vp.
Peking, December 27.?Representative
members of the imperial court, accord
i ing to un authoritative source, have
signified to Premier Yuan Shi Kail their
willingness to agree to an abdication.
The court, the samo aulho'rity ?Haies,
realizes that there is no hope, for It In
the detention of three or four detached
sections of the country and somi-loyul
j provinces, and hopes to obtain bettur
terms by agreeing to the proposed ref
1 crendum on the question of tho fcArm
i of government.
Premlor Yuan Shi Kal fully realizes
that tho republican spokesmen gath?
ered at the. peace conference at Shang?
hai are not likely to accept his propo?
sition for a carefully elected Assembly
representing the entire empire. lie is
of the opinion that the republicans
know that tlmo wll| favor his (XuatT
Shi Kai's) plan.
Loan Prevent* Campaign.
Tho Premier is certain that he could
i win several hattlos with tho modern
! fymy nt his disposnl, which Is better
equipped and greatly superior to tho
rebel forces, but as he Is unuble to ob?
tain any loans he would be unablo to
reconquer the lost provinces.
Yuan Shi ICnl in all probability will
resign his office after making the best
terms possible for tho throne. Yunn
Shi Kal regrets what he considers to
bo Tang Shao Yl's desertion. Ho sug?
gests that Tang Shao Yl might become.
President of tho republic, which is an
offlco ho himself would not accopt. He
also regrets that foreign nutlona have
withheld their financial suppart, with
the help of which ho could havu recon
I quered tho country.
ncgorded un Shrewd Move.
Tokio, December 27.?Yunn Shi Kal's
proposal to decide tho form of govern
I ment which shall prevail under the
new regime In /"hinn by means of a
convention of delegates from all over
the empiro Is rogarded here as a
shrewd move, but opinion Is divided
as to whether it can bo successfully
carried out. Many prqminent Japan?
eso bollovo that tho proposal will bo
nccepted by tho revolutionary leaders
' in ordor to muke it easier for Yuan
' Shi Knl to impress upon tho court
that abdication Is unavoidable.
On tho othor hand, many of tho well
I Informed here think that tho great
body of tho revolutionists is too Im?
patient for action to nwtitt the tedi?
ous outcome of a national convention.
The revolutionists nro fully awaro of
the present helplessness of the Peking
government. With this In tnlnd tho
rebel nrmy nt Nankins may Insist upon
the refusal of Yuan Shi Kal's pro?
posal and tho Immediate resumption
(Continued on Sixth Page.)
.COLONEL STILL ADAMANT
Refuses to Attend Peace Dinner Inder
Moillfled 1'laUs.
New York. December 11.?Although
President Tnft Is to be the- guest of
honor and Andrew Carnegie Is down
on the program as honorary president,
tho pending arbitration treaties with
'Jreat Britain arid France, for which
Mr. Taft has labored and which Mr.
Carnegie has Indorsed, are not to be
brought officially befor; the Citizens'
Peace banquet, to be held at the Wal?
dorf-Astoria Saturday night. At least
this Is the plan of a majority of the
executive committee, as voiced to-day
by Mill.sr.i J. Bloomer, the executive
secretary. The committee had reached
this decision, said Mr. Bloomer, after
he had Informed Its members of the
receipt several weeks ago of a letter
from Theodore Roosevelt declining, as
all opponent of certain phases of the
pending treaties, to attend the banquet.
Mr. Bloomer then laid the matter be?
fore the committee, and it was do
elded, he said, that the ?en?e of the
body was that the specific purpose of
the dinner was not to lndor*o the
agreements.
With this revised understanding, Mr.
Bloomer .called on Colonel Roosevelt
again to-day, and again the colonel
declined flatly to attend. But, as Mr.
Bloomer said, this would not change,
the attitude of the promoters toward
the scope of the gathering. In other
word?. It was for the purpose of pro?
moting "world peace In general with?
out reference to anv treaty in particu?
lar." Whether President Taft and Mr.
Carnegie understood this when they
accepted Invitations to the banquet,
Mr. Bloomer could not say. That Issue,
bo explained, bad not heen raised at
the time the invitations were sent out. '
At Mr. Carnegie's residence It was
said that he had accepted an Invita?
tion to the affair with the Idea that
the arbitration Ireatles were to he the
paramount topirs. and that he had
heard nothing In the change of plans
until to-day. Notwithstanding this. It
was said that Mr. Carnegie had no
comment to make.
Mayor fraynor declined to-day to
serve on the reception committee at
the dinner.
PETITION IS DENIED
Commerce Commission Acta on Request
of Southern Rnllnny.
[Special to The Times-Dispatch. J
Washington. D. C, December 27.?
The interstate Commerce Commission
to-day denied tho application of the
Southern Railway to continue and es?
tablish rates for the transportation of
passengers between Washington. D. C...
and Atlnntu. Attgustn and Savannah
and Intermediate points that yield
greater compensation as a through
route than tho aggregate of the inter?
mediate faros. Bridge tolls at Wash?
ington begin with .". cents to Char
lottcsvlllc, Vii.. and Increase to f>0 cents
to Atlanta.
While the commission In denying
this application did not tlx a future
rate, minus the Washington bridge
charge. It Is assumed that since the
right either to "continue or establish"
such rates as now exist has been de?
nied, the railroads will rearrange their
tariffs in accordance with the new
rates, which must i;n into effect aa
tho result of such a decision.
Inasmuch as there are a number of
similar applications pending by other
roads, the opinion rendered to-day
probably will also govern tho others.
INOCULATION ORDERED
Step Is Taken In Fight Agalnat Tr
phold -Fever.
Washington, December 27.?As a sup?
plementary preventive measure against
tho Inroads of typhoid fever In the
ranks of the navy and marlno corps,
the compulsory Inoculation of all tho
officers and enlisted men of theae
hronehos of the service under forty
five years of ago has been ordered by
Secretary of tho Navy Meyer. All re?
cruits will be subjected to tho treat?
ment and all those applying for ro-en
llstment also will take the treatment
If they have not undergone It within
two years previous or had a case of
tho fever. In case of dotibt tho order
provides that It shall be administered.
A similar order was Issued by the
War Department some time ago.
SEEKS ACCESS TO COALFIELDS
Norfolk nuil Southern Is After Interest]
In Construction Company's Line.
Charlotte. N. C. December 27.?IS. C. |
Duncan, a director of the Norfolk und
Southern Railway, who has boon en?
gaged recently in negotiating for thOi
purchase of several small Independent
lines which form a connecting line
between Norfolk and Charlotte, left to?
day for New York to attend a meeting
of the directors of tho North Carolina
Trans-Continental Construction Co.,
which recently began building a line
of railroad from Knoxvlllo, Tenn., to
Ruthorfordton. N. C.
It is reported that Mr. Duncan will
endeavor to secure at the directors'
meeting an Interest In the construction
company for the Norfolk and Southern,
which will glvo the latter a connec?
tion with the lino under construction,
and thus direct access to tho coal
Heids of Tonnessee and West Virginia.
TRAINS COLLIDE HEAD-ON
Engineer Is Killed Instantly nnd Fire?
man Injured.
Knoxvlllo. Tenn.. December 27.?En?
gineer IS, R. Heinlg, of litowah, Tenn.,
met Instant death, and his fireman.
Thomas W. Vaughn, of WUIIamsburg,
Ky? was seriously Injured when two
passenger trains of the. Louisville and
Nashville road collided head-on at
Savoy, Ky.. eighty-five miles north of
Knoxvlllo, this afternoon. One train
luid just entered a sTTTTng when tho
other came In view, und before the
switch could be thrown, dashed Into the
standing train. None of the passengers
was seriously hurt.
WILL SUCCEED RICHESON
Rev. Austin T. Kempten Called to Ini
ninuuel Baptist Church.
Cambridge, Mass., Docomber 27.?
Rev. Austin T. Kempton. of Dunciihurg,
Mass., to-night was called to tho pas?
torate of Immanuel Baptist Church to
succeed Rev. Clarence V. T. Rlcheson.
now awaiting trial on tho chnrge of
the murder of Avis Llnhell,
Rlcheson sent bis resignation to the
church Immediately after his arrest
The church at Its Hrst meeting after-]
ward voted not to accept tho reslghn-j
tion, but later, upon an Indictment'
being found against tho pastor and I
his second request thai the church j
take final notion, tho resignation was
accepted. Rev. Mr. Kempton Is a na?
tive, of Nova Scotia.
HEROISM REWARDED
Five Members of GuiihonCs Crew fief
Medals nnd (Srntnltlc*.
Washington, December 27.?.For he?
roic conduct In the tight with outlaws
on the Island of Bastian, Philippine
Islands, September 21 last, flvo mem?
bers of the crow of tho gttnbont Pam
Kanga bavn been awarded medals of
onor and n gratuity of Sion by Sec?
retary of- tho Navy Mayor. It was in
this fight that ?n.-dgn Itovc.y was
killed.
You can road the enjoyment In your
guests' fttcoH when you serve them
with Tho Vclvot Kind Ico Croam,
Investigation by Board
Demonstrates Good
Conditions.
BRUTALITY WAS
IN FORMER YEARS
Dr. Carrington Declines to Mako
Charges, but Says He Has
Material Which Reflects
on Board Members?Shoe j
Company Influence
Not Shown. 1
According to every witness exanu
ined last night at the Investigation Into
conditions at the Stnto Penltonti&ry?
conducted by the board of directors,
conditions In tho ldg prison are entirely
satisfactory from the standpoints ot
health, discipline and humanity. Tha
former surgeon. Dr. Charles V. Car
rlnglon, upon whoso published state?
ments the Investigation was hold, free?
ly admitted these facts.: Ho produced
matters in prior. administrations, bud
these worn not gone Into, the board
holding that there was now no neces?
sity for looking Into abuses which Lad
been long since corrected.
The Investigation resolved Itself into
accusations by Dr. Carrington: (1) That
U. lt. Penn, a keeper, Is disloyal to Su?
perintendent dames U. Wood; (3) that
Mr. Penn Is n cruel and brutal oflleial,?
whoso presence In the prison would not
be tolerated It Dr. Carrington had hi*
way; (3) that tho malign Influence ot
J the Thachcr Shoo Company, which em
ploys tho convict labor, still exists, and
is curbed only by the Influence of Major
I Wood. j
Contradicted by Wood.
On these points tho former surgeon
was flatly contradicted by Major Wood,
who stated that he believed Keeper
Penn to be thoroughly loyal and com?
pletely his friend and supporter; that)
no brutality Is practiced by any one,
and that there is no opportunity for tho
influence of tho Thachor Shoo Company,
to hava any part whatever In tho re
lease of convicts on parole.
lla.l tho matters probed by the hoard
been charges made and prosecuted by
JJr. Carrington. it would bo admitted
by all present that they collapsed com?
pletely, and that no censurable condi?
tions now exist or have existed at any
ttmo during Major Wood's administra?
tion. Tho charges seemed absolutely
unsupported.
But Dr. Carrington- expressly dls* ?
claimed that ho had meant to maka
such accusations as woro read Into
his published articles by tho board
when the resolution calling lass,
night's meeting was adopted. Ills at?
torneys said that his language was nod
such as to justify the conclusion that
he had stated "a certain official or
officials or employes of tho peniten?
tiary were improperly influenced op
controlled by tho Thachcr Shoe Conn
pany."
Dr. Cnrrlugton'n Statement.
Upon hclng sworn, Dr. Carrington
read tho following statement, which
succeeded in arousing any Iro which
might not previously been enter?
tained In tho minds of the board,
against htm:
"Before I am examined as a witness,
I In which character only I appenr, with
all due respect, I desire It to be dls-?
i tllietly understood (tint I nru not here;
to prefer charges before this honrd. I
hare Information, In no way connected
nllh the recent election of surgeon,
which, unless refuted, will reflect no?
on the character nnd offlclnl conduct
of some members of the bnnrd, an vvclt
na upon one or more of the prison of
! flclala. I can, In addition, point out
' son reei from vrblrh other Information
may be obtained, the correctness of all
of which will necessarily he In Issue.
I am, however, rendj- to answer nit
questions, whether Involving the mem?
ber* of the hoard, or nny prison official,
and whenever I ennuo* answer of ray
owu iK-.rsonal kuotvledgc, I am ready
[ to the best of my ublllty to point out
: all sources frlm which such informu*
lion may lie obtained."
Could Not To- Itself.
During Dr. Carrlngton's examlnan
j tlon. F. G. Stratton, of Petersburg, one
j of tho directors, Inquired of tho wit
ness If ho were ono of those mention^
od, and, if so, what were the natura
Of the charges referred to.
Dr. Carrington evinced the utmost
willingness to reply, and said ho would
go Into tho whole matter. But L. L.
Soberer objected, saying that tho board
should not try Itself, and that he for
one was unwilling to sit in Judgment
upon himself or his colleagues. Chair?
man Patton thereupon ruled tho ques?
tion out, after Richard Evelyn Byrd,
rounsel for tho board, had agreed with
Mr. H?herer.
loiter. W. B. Bradley, another mem-'
her of tho board, aroao and expressed
his Indignation at tho action of Dr.
Carrington In tiling the paper, which ho
said was donn merely to got into thaj
newspapers, lie thought to take such
an advantage, when the board could no{
Investigate Itself, wus unkind, ungons
clous and uncalled for.
Cnlls I'eiu. Disloyal.
Dr. Carrington began his evldenco
with assertions ns to tho disloyalty of
Keeper R. R. Penn. Ho said that when
:i paper was prepared Indorsing Major
Wood, nil ihe prison employes signed Jt
save Mr. Penn, who said he could not
ngreo that discipline was better under
Major Wood's methods. This was early
In the admlniatratlon of tho prosent au
perlntendent,
Continuing. Dr. Carrington said tha$
Penn was the most brutal and cruet
man ho had ever known, and that ho
had given Major Wood und former su?
perintendents numerous Instances o8
Pcnn's ill treatment of convicts, includ?
ing tho usa of tho cross and knock?,
lng men tn the heads with clubs. On
one occasion, ho asserted,' Major Wood
said he would discharge Penn, but thai
the hoard was not behind him. Later, ?
giving tho names of some convicts who
had boon badly whipped, Dr. Carrt ig
ton said that If Penn got their names, -
unless Major Wood protected thrui,
they would .^ot tho worst deal ally men;
ever received.
Reverting to tho "malign InnUos.Co'J
of tho Thacher Sho* Company, forn>.orly/: