The times dispatch. [volume], January 11, 1912, Image 1

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

Image provided by: Library of Virginia; Richmond, VA

                
VfRGINlAHAS CODE.
NOI CONSTITUTION
Byrd Says Procedure Is
Most Cumbersome in
Existence.
BIENNIAL DINNER
TO LEGISLATURE
Lawmakers Arc Guests of Local
D c 1 e g a t i o n?Mayor Favors
State Prohibition of Evil.
Senator Keczell Delivers
Glowing Tribute to Vir?
ginia's Greatness.
Good fooil and good flow.* o? soul
marked the biennial reception and din?
ner tendered the memberw of the Gen.
?rai Assembly by the Richmond dele?
gation at Murphy's Hotel tast night:
The details of the dinner 'tr.clf. to
which Colonel .lohn Murphy and Man?
ager David Colo gave their personal
attention, was shove criticism. In?
cluding everything which the rnlnd of
the epicure could suggest
Probably 300 men wore present, ln
rludlr.g the members of the Legislature,
State officials, some well-known former
members and distinguished guests. The
assembly hall was decorated for inc. oc?
casion. By each plaio was laid a menu
and program abtiolutely unique in de?
sign, and generally complimented for
Its appearance. It was the work of
Davis Uottom, Superintendent of l'lib
liu Printing. In It were printed pic?
tures of the hosts of the occasion?
Sriator E. (;. lrolk*. Snator A. '". Har
man. John A. Curtis. John S. Harwood,
Edwin P. Cox, James J. Creamer und
Hill Montague.
The fcait of reason developed some
things out of the ordinary. The speech
made by Speaker 15yrd In rcRp'mdlng to
tho toast, "U-iwmakcrs." was full of
pungent suggestions.
"I.'nlumctited" Convention.
"Thanks to our late, and, so far as I
pin concerned, unlamcnted, Constitu?
tional Convention,'- he said. -Virginia
Is encumbered with the most Intricate
and unreasonable iawmnltlng machin
< ry In forco 'n any State In the Cni'-ru
The 100 members of that convention,
thinking and calling themselves tho
wisest who ever assembled, succeeded
in crystallising and fossilizing a Code
Instead of what they called a Consti?
tution."
In the tirst place, proceeded the
Speaker, all the business I? required
to Ik: tiono in sixty days, no matter how
gr< ??? its volume, a bill is introduced
in the House and goes through the
eornnUttc.cs. He described the dlffcr
?:nt sens of votes required by various
kinds of bills. 'Then," he said. "It
gets in the Senate, and thu t?rd only
knows what happens to House bills in
that body. Tho Senate spends the first
half of tho session In contemplating
lt.t own greatness and the remaining
half In seeing how many of Its own
bills It can pass and how many House
bills It can leave on the calendar."
Tho Speaker therefore urged mem?
bers to present all local bills early and
thus gut them out of the wuy. Ho
ridylsed against the introduction of
Identical bills In the two bodies as
causing waste of time and energy.
Ask Williams.
Lastly he told every on-, when In
need of help "to ask Joint Williams,
lie Is not a clerk; he Is an institution.
He has a great deal more sense than
has the Constitution of Virginia."
Mayor D. C. Richardson, responding
to the toast of "Welcome," asked the
Legislature not to enact a law to cora
pey any man to submit to conditions not
demanded by tho welfare of the Stale.
To so act, he said, would be tyranny.
He said he was In favor of "Slate-wide
prohibition of evil."
Tho Governor was not well enough
to bo present, and former Senator
Goorge D. Keczell, of Rocklngham,
was called upon lo speak for "Vir?
ginia." Ho compared the .state's con
dltlon now with what It was at the
time of which Llotttcnanl-Govc-ncr
Ellyson, who acted n? toastmnster,
spoke In Introducing the Rockingh-im
giant, twenty-five years ago, when
they were members together of tho
Senate. Tho revenues have douLled.
und tho State, said Senator Keczell, is
facing her greatest era?the inornini;
has barely begun to dawn for her op?
portunities.
Somebody lilt.
Colonel A. M. Bowman, speaking to
"Our Farmers," took a shot at people
who sii on the platforms at farmers'
Institutes and look wise, ~nd then
criticize the action of legislators. Sonic
one had given him credit of kitting
tho time-grinding bill, for which ho
voted. He told of the opportunities m
agricultural development In this Statu
One of the most taciful and effec?
tive of the speeches was made by Sen?
ator J. Powell Royall, of Tazewell, on
"Thu Minority." He said that tho
minority is not here as such, but as
Virginians, Intent on doing the beat
they can for the State they love.
Other toasts were as follows: "Stale
Officials." by Judge R. R. Prent Is; "Our
Women," by S. H. Love, of Lunen
burg: "Our Duty," by Senator J. E.
West, of .Suffolk: "Tho Great South?
west." by .Judge Martin Williams," and
?'Richmond City, ' by Hill Montague.
TO PROMOTE COTTON GROWTH
Russia Hopes to He Independent of
Other Cmintrlcx.
St. Petersburg, January 10.?A bill
containing measures to ibo adopted for
tho extension of tho growth of cotton
in Turkestan has hecn drafted by tho
Minister of Agriculture. Ills desire
Is to make Russia Independent of for?
eign cotton, 'especially from Amorlca.
Tho measures contemplated Include
the fixation of the holdings of tho
Kirghiz Nomads In Central Asia und
the Inclusion of the remainder.of the
land In tho state domain, together
with the fostering of private enter?
prise In irrigation work In sections of
the Kara-Kum Steppes.
A proposal for the imposition of a
tax of two-thirds of a cent a pound on
Russian-grown cotton in order to pro?
vide roventto for irrigation purposes
has been revived.
VESSEL HELPLESS
1NTEETH0FST0RM
Torpedo Boat Roe Is
Blown About Like
Chip.
AT GALE'S MERCY
FOR FOUR DAYS
Several of Crew Injured, but
Thankful to Reach Port Alive.
All Vessels Lost During
Past Few Days Have
Been Accounted
For.
Norfolk, Va., January 10.?The tor |
pedo boat Roe, <:r!j>p!o?l and with fow
provisions and no furl on board, reach
e<l the navy yard late to-night in low
of a navnl tug. The Itoc was towed
Into Hampton Hoods this afternoon by
tho cruiser Prairie, which plcittd up
the Uttlo craft thirty miles south or
Cape Henry yesterday during a north*I
west blow.
With her lifeboats amat>hcd. nr.-l
everything on her decks not built In'
the ship carried away, and two of hct
funnels dented, the little boat lookod
Ilk* the had just come out of a battlV
with some foreign foe.
Lieutenant C. II. Woodard. her com '
inander, sain the Hoe was at the mercy'
of two storms for lour days. For !wo!
days, he said, the ship was practically
helpless and woi without means o?|
calling for assistance, her wirel-.ss
having been wrecked.
The orcw was exhausted from lts|
awful light against the storm. No
fires could be made In the galley b"-1
cause It was Hooded and everythinrr to
eat on board excepting canned stub'
was ruined by wuter.
I "It appears to uj like tho waves thai
I beat over us were seventy-live .'ret
high," eald Lieutenant Woodard. "The1
wind reached a velocity of eighty
miles un liour and we were blswp
about like a chip. We were absolute?
ly helplc-r. Half of the lime out
! propellers spun around In tho air out
of the water ano wo could not steer
with the ship at all.
"Several members of our crew wer?
Injured by being thrown around on the,
ship, but all of them arc thankful tj
be alive."
The cruiser Salem, which woe also
damaged in the storm and had two
membera of her crew washed o/nr
board. arrived In Hampton Hoads thli
morning. The .Salem Is taking on coil1
and will sail for New York t? morrow
to receive repairs. Because of the
number of torpedo boats and othet
war vessels receiving repairs here!
there was no room at the local :;^vy
yard for the Salem.
Crew Left to Fate.
Norfolk, Va., January 10.?Captain
Charles Miller and three men. com pew-1
Ins the crew of the barge Alabama!I
went down with the vessel five miles
east ?".f Cape Lookout Hondas morning.
! The news was brought to Norfolk to-'
day when Captain W. L. Harman ani;
three men composing the crew of the |
barge Pocomoke reached the city. The]
Alabama and PocomoKa were In towi
of tri? tug Margaret when they :;truch!
a terrific northwest gale Monday morn?
ing. The tug was forced to abandon
1 the barg.rs and the crews of the Ala?
bama und Pocomoke were lelt to ttroir
I fate. High seus heat over the help
| less vessels and they tilled rapidly
[ The British steamer Clivcrgrove dis?
covered the barges nnd endeavored to
launch a lifeboat and send it to th?
assistance of the shipwrecked men. The I
I seas were so high that the small boatl
was swamped. The crew on tho Cllv- I
crgrovc threw life preservers to the
tuen on the Pocomoke, and they wore
forced to Jump Into the freezing water
Then they were pulled on board the
British ship with ropes.
The Alabama hAd disappeared while
the crew of the Pocomoko was bclutr
saved.
Yesneln Are Located.
Hamilton. Bermuda. January 10.?A
message has Just been received from
the United States tender Dixie report.
I Ing the missing torpedo boat destroyer
iMcCalj and tho scout cruiser Birniing
1 hnmc approaching Bermuda. They are
expected to arrive here to-morrow.
All Accounted For.
? Washington! D. C January JO.?
1 With tlie torpedo boat destroyer McCall
reported to the Navy Department to?
night as safe and approaching Bermuda
under her own steam, the last of tho
government craft whose whereabouts
has caused anxiety during tho past few
days is accounted for. The discovery
of the McCall was reported by the
commander-ln-chlef of the Atlantic
fleet. Tho Connecticut is convoying hcr
to Bermuda, whence, In company with
the Birmingham, after temporary re?
pairs. ?he will proceed to Norfolk.
The Dixie, Trlppe. Ammen, Walko.
Perkins, Stcrret and Preston have, left
Bermuda for Ouantanamo. The Pat/Id -
Ing. In attempting to leave, ran aground
and had to return.
Later advices from tho commander
in-chief Indicate that the battleships
will continue to Ouantanamo direct and
that only the riftb division will return
to Hampton Ro:,ds for coal.
fioen Detwu lu Storm.
Wilmington. N. C. January 10.?A
wireless to-night from Captain John
W. Harper, master and' owner of the
harbor steamer Madeleine, of Wilming?
ton, State? that tho craft, whllo en
route from Wilmington to Newbern, N.
C, encountered the coastal storm off
Cape Lookout and went down, tho cap?
tain and crow having-been rescued
by the steamer City of Montgomery,
from aboard which the wireless was
sent, via Beaufort, N. C.
Tuft Han Bail Cold.
Washington, January 10.?Preslelent
Taft is suffering from a cold, and to?
night White House officials cancelled
all of his engagements for to-morrow,
although no alarm was felt error his
oondltlon. ' Tho cold developed to-day,
und this afternoon tho President re?
mained in his study in the Executive
Mansion.
LORIMER CENTRE
OF HUM COMEDY
_
Audience Laughs at
Lighter Phases of
Politics.
DARK WINDINGS
ARE DELVED INTO
Senator Denies Under Oath That
His Election Was Purchased.
Had No Dealings With Hincs
and Would Not Have
Trusted Him in Po?
litical Capacity.
Washington, D. C, January 10.?Sen?
ator Lorlmor's second day as a witness
before the Senate Investigators of his
election was a human comedy of laugn
ter and polities. The day's Inquiry
delved Into the dark windings uf party
government and touched lighter phase's
that iwept the audience with laughter
Mr. Lorlmor's relations with Edward
Mines, tho lumberman, who has been
said to be the man who secured fhe
former's -election to the United Slates
Senate, were talked over at length, and
Senator Lorimer said nc lad never
asked Mr. (lines to work for him and In
fact aid not think illnes knew enough
about politics to be trusted in such a
Capacity.
l-ninous Message r?l?cii??cd.
The now famous message which
Him s is taid to have carr'ed from
Washington to Governor Ueneen to tne
effect that Presluciu '1 aft, senator Pen
rose and former Senator Aldrlch were
anxious to see Lorimer elected was
discussed again, and Senator Lorim\<r
said the Urst he knew of such a mes?
sage was when littles delivered it.
"is Mines the sort of man who would
bo selected to carry out a delicate po?
litic;,! mission'.'" asked Senator Joms.
"Certainly not by me," returned Mr.
Lorimer. "Mines and I were friends,
but I never felt I could ask hfm to use
nls time for me."
"Did Mr. Hines ever contribute any?
thing to your campaign lunas?"
'Not that I know ot. (Jnce wheu t
was running for Congress somebody
had some circulars printed. 1 dan'l
know who It was. If Mr. Hines did it,
that was the only time lie ever did
anything for me."
Mr. Lorimer said that so far as ho
knew, Hlnos's activity In Iii? behalf
began after Minos had talked wth
Penrose and Aldrlch In Washington.
"L>id you suppose the President fa?
vored you'."" asked Senator Jones.
"I only knew that such an Impres?
sion hud been carried to Springfield.
I do know that a Republican was
wanted from Illinois, and In the clos
tng days of the Legislature the idea
got around that I was the one man
who could be elected. I never received
anything dlroct from the- White House
Tho President had no Interest In mo
personally, and I only knew P;nroso
and Aldrlch casually, but th<*y seemed
to think I was the man who could ho
elected."
When Senator Lorimer was relating
his early relations with Governor De
neen and told of the break with him,
ho showed some emotion, otherwise he
was a calm C-d Imperturbable wit?
ness.
HI* nrenk Wltb IJcnccn.
"My friendship was something akin
to affection for him," he said, reforri-.is
to the Governor, "and when he went off
with other men who were not iny
friends politically I still felt he fa?
vored me. I do now, and I always will,
feel that he was for me. although his
Chicago friends, the newspapers, would
not let him show It. Some of the Chi?
cago newspaper.-; have put In fifteen,
or twenty years trying to put me out of
public life."
"And during that time you have al?
ways bsen advanced by the people,"
said Mr. Hanccy. senator Lorimer did
not reply.
When Mr. Hanecy road extracts from
Chicago newspapers. In which Senator
Lorimer was referred to as having
"blonde curls and an innocent face."
and as being "a highbrow." ths Senator
joined In the general laughter.
Mr. Hanecy read a newspaper head?
line, "Senator Jones, in a purple robe,
eats the fatted calf." It referred to
State Senator Jones, of Illinois, but
Senntor Wesley L. Jones, of Washing?
ton, who is a member of the investi?
gating committee, led the laughter
which followed. Then Mr. Hanecy
read another that brought a double
laugh:
"Jones construes the primary two
ways?backwards and sideways."
All tho Senators on the committee
poenied to get a particularly good smile
out of that.
Senator Lorlmer's testimony to-day
was shortened because Mr. Hanecy
wanted to read Into the record several
political stories from the Chicago
papers. The reading had not besn fin?
ished when the committee took a re?
cess until to-morrow.
CALLS TITLE A MISNOMER
Federation of Labor Denounces "Scien?
tific Management" Schemes.
Washington. January 10.?The execu?
tive council of the American Federa?
tion of Labor to-day condemned the
so-called scientific management system
recently instnlled in various industrial
plants and talked of for governmental
plants. '
"Considering the rapid rate at which
American workmen now aro asked to
labor," said the council, "tho subject
of so-called 'efficiency' schemes has been
considered by the council at length.
The title Is a misnomer, and the
schemes are simply calculated to In?
duce 'speeding up' to a still higher
rate, undermining tho health and In?
creasing the accident and death rate of
tho workers."
To-day's action by the. council was
brought about by the hostility on tho
part of workmen toward tho Taylor
and other scientific management sys?
tems, the walkout in. the Norfolk Navy
Yard and the extreme dissatisfaction
in the Washington Navy Yard. Union
labor workmen 'believe, without excep?
tion, that' scientific management
schctnos are nothing but an organized
conspiracy to make them work faster
And harder.
Subpoenaes Are Issued
for D o cu m e n ts of
Steel Trust,
STANLEY TIRED
OF TEMPORIZING
Andrew Carnegie Goes on Wit
ncss Stand and Gloats Over His
Fellow Millionaire, John D.
Rockefeller?Laughs Like
Schoolboy Over Busi?
ness Triumph.
I Washington. January 10.?Intimate
books and papers of tho United States
Steel Corporation arc lo be examined
by the government. Chairman Stan?
ley, of t'ae House steel trust Investi?
gating committee, to-night lssu;j sub?
poenaes duccs tecum for all the loou
nu-nts which thus far the Steel Car.
poratlon had not produced, although
the committee expressed Its desire to
examine them.
The subpoenaes are served directly
on J. J. Farrell. as preslJer-.t th*
t'nlted States Steel Corporation, but
there If iiu disposition on the part of
the committee to force him lo taltti tho
stand. The subpoenaes are nude re?
turnable January 22, and the corpora?
tion is commanded to turn over tae
I documentary evidence to Kxp'-t .-V:
I countant. McRac, of !Iio committee.
! Chairman Stanley, who prosecuted a
successful campaign yesterduy for an
additional appropriation of ?30,0D0 Ia
carry on the Investigation Into the
st?e| situation, announced that he pro?
pose.) to cease temporizing. He de?
clared he would subpoena hereafter
i such witnesses as hesitated to come,
? and would s;|ze by the authority >.f
' Congress such documentary ovldence
I as ho de.'med Important. Additions!
suljpoenaes. It Is understood, will be
Issued within a few days.
?"It .loe.v my heart good to tMnk
that I got ahead of John D. Rockc
I filler, my fellow-mllllonaire. in that
Lake Superior ore deal."
(>lon?m Over Itnekefcllrr.
Andrew Carnegie, former ruler nf
the steel Industry of the United States,
sloat^d thus In testifying to-day be?
fore the House committee of Inquiry
Into the United States Steol Corpora?
tion. Mr. Carnegie had Just told the
committee about his deal with Mr.
Rockefeller. v.h?re>\". ho obtained con
? trol r,f Mr. Rockefeller'? iron ore hold?
ings in the Lake Superior region nt a
rate of If. cent? a ton. holdings which
when turned Into the Ste^l Corporitl.m
later form?d a large par; of the assets
valued at JTf'0.000.000.
Mr Carnegie laughed like a school
; boy as he referred to the business trl
j umph ho had achieved over his "fel?
low millionaire."
I Throughout the inquiry to be con
; t'nued to-morrow, Mr. Carnegie deeinr
I cd he had come to tell all he know.
I but ho was unable to supply many
: facts which the committee desired,
staling that he had never paid any at
tenUon to the books of the Carnegie
i Company before its absorption by the
j Steel Corporation.
He was particularly emphatic In hla
testimony relating to tho sale of Iiis
I property to the United States Stee)
Corporation at the behest of J. J'ler
pont Morgan, and toltl the committee
thut he- wanted to end gossip th.v he
had held out for an unreasonable price.
He also declared that when his part?
ner. If, C. Frick, asked him for an
option for unknown persons on the
Carneslc Steel Company, that ho de?
manded $;,0uo,00ii as an earnest of the
intentions of the prospective owners
and that when the deal fell through
and he- learned that the Moores, ot
Xcw York, were behind it, he was sur?
prised.
"Hud I known that the Moores were
bohlnd that option which I made on a
valuation of ?320,000.000," said Mr.
Carnegie, "I never would have given
It."
Thought Trice Justified.
"Whon you gave that valuation ot
the Carnegie proper! lee." asked Repre?
sents live Sterling, "did you consider
that the. earning power of the concern
justitiell It?"
Mr. Carnegie replied in the affirma?
tive.
"I never heard until now," he said in
1 response to a question, "that Mr. Frlck
I had anything to do with It until I
j heard It referred to here. That ho
was Interested with tho Moores Is ro?
mance, so far as I know."
Mr. Carnegie was asked about tho
Steel Plato Association and other pools
which the Carneglo Company was a
party to in the late OO's. and which
continued until 1904. Ho said he had
known of the existence of pools, but
did not know that they were unlawfu
until many years afterward.
Asked about the option valuation o
$320,000,000 and the final disposition of
the property to tho Steel Corporation
In 1901 for a much larger sum, Mr
Carnegie related the history of his re
tlrement from tho stool business. II
told how Charles M. Schwab, then
president of tho company, had come to
him with a messago from J. Plerpont
Morgan asking him If ho desired to
retire from business and how much ho
wanted for his properties.
"I told Mr. Schwab that It wauld
depend entirely upon my partners,"
(Continued on Third Page.)
Ryan's Entries Beaten
By Negro's Gamecock
Lynchburg, Vn., January 10.?That
money does BO< always Bet the best
? ii, ?hoiMi In the nil urd of prises
to-day ot the Lyttchburg: Poultry
Show, when the ernmococU helonK
Ing to a negro teamster of Lyncb
burg took the blue ribbon over half
a dosen cock* exhibited by Thomas
F. Jtynn, the New York nnancler,
(be birds belnpc entered from his
Oak' Tlldge estate, twcnry.five miles
from here.
LAIRD O' SKIBO IS WITNESS
AXDUKW CA KN EG IL).
FRENCH CABINET
IS OVERTHROWN
Premier Caillaux and His Col
leagues Announce Their Re?
tirement From Office.
ITS COLLAPSE INEVITABLE
Sequel to Dramatic Scene When
dc Selves Refused lo Sup?
port His Chief.
Paris, January 10.?The downfall of |
the Caillaux Cabinet came suddenly
to-night. That the ministry would be
overthrown In the Chamber Ot Depu?
ties In the next few days was ihi gen?
eral belief, but announcement of the
resignation of the ministry to-night
caused considerable surprise. It was
logically due. however, because of the
failure of Premier Caillaux to obtain
timber to complete a political com?
bination which was practically con?
fronted with the certainty of speedy
collapse.
The resignation last night of the |
Foreign Ministsr, Justin de Selves,
which followed a dramatic scene at a !
meeting of the Senate committee, when
M. de Selves declined to back up the |
Premier in his statement regarding j
recent negotiations between Oerniany
and France, resulted In Immediate dls. I
sensions in the Cablnot. Theophlle i
Delcass?. Minister of Marine, accepted
the portfolio of Minister of Foreign
Affairs, but M. Millerand. ex-Mlnister
of Public Works; Admiral C.crmlnet
and Pierro Baudin, to whom the Marine
portfolio was successively offered, de?
clined. M. Millerand said that ho
would take only the foreign office; Ad?
miral Gcrmlnet pleaded that lie know
nothing about politics, and M. Handln
declined "on the advlco of friends."
Finally, M. D-Jlcassc sougst tho Pre?
mier and agreed to accept the foreign
ministry only on condition that a par?
liamentarian of distinction could be
found for the important portfolio of
the Navy, for the regeneration of which
he had labored for months. M. Cail?
laux therefore accepted the inevitable,
and went to Dlysoe Palace and an?
nounced to President Fallleres tho re?
tirement of himself and colleagues.
fAbar he Issued a statement regretting
j that ho was unable to retain the pro
miershlp and mount the tribune to
defend himself against charg?? und
calumnies.
Among the names mentioned as most
likely for the new Cabinet are M. Del
casse. Bourgcls, Raymond Polncalre,
Millerand. ex-Premier Brland and pos
I slblv ex-Premier Clemenccau.
The Paris newspapers, which unani?
mously regret the De Selvoa-Cni?aux
Incident as likely to do harm to tho
prestige of France ahroad. - quickly
lined up for and against the Premier.
The projected return of M. Delcasse
to tho Foreign Office was hailed as an
event of international Importance.
Sacrificed. It was pointed out. In a
moment of panic with Oermany. his re?
turn would have had a significance
which could not fail to satisfy French
self-esteem.
STRIKE BLOW AT TIPPING
Hotel Men Ask t'o-Operntlon of Travel?
ing Public.
Charlotte. X. C.i January 10.?With
the ndoptlon of a charter which pro
vidos for tho admission ot' all tho
States from Maryland to Texas tne
Southern Hotel Men's Association, now
embracing only North Carolina and
Virginia, adjourned to-night. A. T.
Moore, of the Beverly Hotel. Staunt?n.
Va., was .elected president. and J.
Frank Hell, of the Ynrhorough, Rnl
eigb. secretary and treasurer. The
vlctr'presidents are Edgar U. Moore, of
tho Selwyu. Charlotte, and Richard
Neddo, of tfjo Neddo, Norfolk. Va. A
committee Of three was appointee to
moot In Atlanta at a later date with
representatives from.all tho Southern
hotel associations for tho purpose of
perfecting and amalgamation. Onu of
the most Interesting actions of tho
association was the adoption of a
resolution asking the. co-operation of
tho traveling public In discouraging
the practice of tipping.
VAULTS YIELDING
UP 1HE1R HOARDS
i
More Than $50,000,000 Already
Taken From Wrecked Equi?
table Building.
BILLION STILL IN RUINS
May Be Weeks Before All
Treasure Has Been
Recovered.
New York. January 10.?More than
f?O.OOO.OuO in stocks and bonds was
recovered from one of the smaller
vaults In the burned Equitable Life
Assurance Society building late to?
day, but it probably will be a week ?
perhaps longer?before the great
vaults of the society und the Mer?
cantile Sat'e Deposit Company give up
their half billion or more in securities.
Further examination of the gaunt, ica
shrouded building, swept on Tuesday
by fire, showed more conclusively this
afternoon that the vaults are still in?
tact. In the opinion of those who
made the Inspection?an opinion rein?
forced by the revelation to-day that
the smaller vaults had kept their!
treasure safe?their contents will suf?
fer little. If at all. Uut. burled as
they are under hundreds of tons of Ice j
and dobrls, it may be a matter jf
weeks bcforc it will bo advisable to
open them.
Meanwhile, securities variously esti?
mated in value from hulf a billion to
a billion and a half dollars cannot bo
reached. Special guards have been
thrown about the building and day and
night they will keep watch to see that
no unauthorized persons enter the
building.
The smaller vaults of tho Mercantile
Trust Company were the ones reached
this afternoon. As soon as it was seen
they could bo entered (Ifty clerks were
despatched from the Paukers, Trust
Company, a few blocks away, to trans?
fer the securities.
Between J50.000.000 and 570,000,000
In stocks and bonds were removed. Tb>
Bankers' Trust Company owns the
Mercantile Trust.
Just what Is the valuo of the securi?
ties still in tho vaults Is more guess
work. It is known that the Equitable
securities are closo to $300,000.000, and
those of the Harrlman ostato in the
vaults of tho Mercantile Safe Deposit
Company are understood to approxi?
mate $126.000,000. It is also said that
Thomas F. Ryan has approximately
$100,000,000 In Bccuritlcs there; the
Could estate practically a nearly simi?
lar sum.
Tho Mercantllo Safe Deposit Coni
Jany Issued a statement saying thai
not. only was everything in the vaults
safe, but that In some plucc thu paint
on the. vault had not even boon blist?
ered.
No furthor traco had been found to?
night of the body ol Duttalion Chief
William Walsh. Nor had the bodv ot
William Campion, chief of thu Mercan?
tllo guards, been recovered, although
it is partly in sight
Monaco to nearby property from the
shnky walls of the building was of?
ficially recognized late to-day by the
Ore department, which ordered u six?
teen-story office building across the
narrow width of Cedar Street from the
Equitable structuro vacated.
POPULATION OF FRANCE
In I'nst forty Yearn It Uns Increased
Only :t,M)0,(X)P.
Parts, January 10.?Ofllclal returns of
the census of France taken last year,
which hove Just been published, show
that tho population now numbers 39,
601.50?. as compared with 39,252.115 in
190rt.
The tlgnres show a steady movemunt
from country districts to the cities, of
which tlfleon, us In .1900, have n popu
latIon of move than 100,000. Paris now
lias 2.S88.U0 Inhabitants; Marseilles,
550,611), and Lyons. (?33,796.
The population of Franco In the past
forty years has increased only u.500,
, 000.
STRIKE BLOW AT
FEE SYSTEM
?! ( -.
Governor Recommends
Partial Abolition by
Legislature.
ANNUAL SESSION
BEGUN YESTERDAY
House Decides to Keep Lobby?
ists From Its Floor?Speaker
Byrd Appoints Committees.
Few Bills Introduced.
Spessard Still After Ex?
aminers of Record.
Moat drastic and far-reaching of tho
many reforms urged l>y ttic Governor
in Iiis biennial message to the Gonerat
Assembly, presented yesterday. In tho
beginning of tho session. Is that look?
ing to the abolition of the fee system,
and the payment of salaries as com?
pensation to public official*. True, ho
thinks It wtsc at th.s time to have it
apply only to cities and to counties
with more than 'JO.OOO population,
which would Include thlrty-ono. Vet
It ?a tho first time that the insistent
agitation for a roform In the matter
j of th0 payment of foes from tho
pockets of the people has rccelvod.
such high official sanction.
The effect upon the members of tha
L-eglsliUurc was marked. Though re?
ceived in slleneu In tho House (tho
message not being re:id at length In
the Senate) It was apparent that :t
caused something of a flutter. Thcro
were many who said there was no
chance of the adoption of a law to
this end at this time, but the fact of
Its prominence In the message?Indeed,
the lact of Its presence there ut all
was looked upon as significant.
Early Appropriation Ulli.
Governor Mann also odded tha
weight of his influence to the move?
ment to sccuro an early report on tho
general appropriation bill. Ho haj
made out a blank guide, showing .no
appropriation for every purpose for
last year, and loft tliost >r tho two
succeeding years to lie ..cd out by
the members. After ;>ayir.g that from
bio knowledge of tho IInances of tho
Stale ho does not think it safe to ap?
propriate mor0 than $6,500,000 for each
of the next two years, lie adds: "With
this Information placed in the hands it
the members of tue Gonoral Assembly
ut tho commcncomcut of the session,
I trust It will be their pleasure to pasu
tho appropriation bill ut an early
dnte. to the end that It shall go to a,
conference committee without delay,
and be acted upon with duo delibera?
tion, rather than that It bo deferred,
until the Iuat hour of tho Assembly,
when concessions of doubtful wisdom
might havo to bo madc to savo tho
bill."
A striking recommendation refers
to Judicial procedure. The Governor
says: "An act should he passed pro?
hibiting trial und appellate courts
from setting aside verdicts of juries
and granting new trials in criminal
cases except on the merits." Ho be?
lieves that tho practice of considering
technicalities has become so firmly
flxod in Virginia procedure, that t
will he Impossible, for courts to 'remedy
this ovll, and therefore that the leg?
islature, should take hold ot It and -pro-,
vide tho remedy.
C'onunittecn -Seiued.
The opening day of the session
the General Assembly of 1910 wag
without Incident of groat Importance.
Tho bodies were duly organized anrl
elected their officers. Rules yi'crn
adoptod, and the Governor was heart]
from. Committees were announced in
the House, but not In the Senate, tho
Steering Committee, having not as yec.
mudo a report.
There uro no surprises In the Houatt
committees, the results being thaso
forecast months ago. Judge Murtiri
Williams still heads the Committee on
Privileges and Elections, thu moat Im?
portunt. carrying with it the Demo?
cratic floor leadership- Alden Bell, ot
Culpepor, Is chairman on Courts oc
Justice: Walter Tausill Oliver, of Fair?
fax, on Schools and Colleges, and Har ?
ry It. Houston, of Elisabeth <Jlty,
on Chesapeake and Its Tributar?
ies. Colonel A. M. Bowman, of Roa
nokc county. Is still at tho head of
Finance, whllo Edwin P. Cox, of Rich?
mond, again is chairman of General
Laws.
Lobbyists Arc Marred.
In tho matter of rules, the Hons*
decided to keep lobbyists from It-j
floor. This applies to those who coma
under this head, even though former
members. State officers, judges, of?
ficers and employes ot the Legisla?
ture, "and such other persons us litt?,
! Speaker may designate," are permitted
on the floor. To this rule was added
yesterday, on motion of .Judge Wil?
liams, tho following: "Privlded, that
the privileges granted hcrcundcr shall
not bo exercised by any person hav?
ing business for compensation bet?rt?
the House or any committee thereof. "
This will debar canvassing of mem?
bers on the floor for or against any
measure. Tt Is believed It will bar
out salaried employes of the Anti
Saloon League of Ylrglnlo.
Surprlslnsly few bills are presented,
the total being only forty-eight In thsj
two houses, some of tl.eso being dupli*
cates. Those covering the general -<ub
jeets mostly In the public mind viara
not Introduced, It being evidently tint
desire to confer on such topics. Asldi
from local bills, those presented nn
on sorlous subjects, and froak bllla
were eschewed.
l>o Away With (ExnrulncT?.
One Introduced by 'X. E. Spressard,
of Cralg, in th<> House, possesses morci
than ordinary Interest. It would abol?
ish the esumlnors of rocord, and sm?
pose their duties on clerks at a nomi?
nal compensation?10 cents on tho ?L
000 of amounts found In the hands ~>t
fiduciaries. Mr. Spessard has bocn in
work on this proposition for years. Hai
formerly got but little recognition, but
returns this year to tlnd tho Suite Tax
Commission thoroughly agreeing wll'i
hltn and urging thut these offices bj
*' '(IfontTnued oir~Sovchtli Pago.)