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THE SAN FRANCISCO CALL -m iragPCDERT REWsrArnt—the PATER of authority* ■ > , ; rOVNOSS SECZHSBB 1, iw. ': \- •- '■': _______ ;"' W. W. CHAPIN, PubllAwr;,- Where the Responsibility Lies WW A coroner's jury, within the limitations of its powers, has fixed responsibility for the Napa valley train wreck, in which 13 persons were killed and 50 more or less seriously injured. The jury found that the collision was due to the extreme laxity of the operating system. Specifi cally, that laxity was failure to enforce the rules as contained in the book of rules and issued by the company for the guidance of its employes. . The developments of the inquest and the ver dict exactly confirm the editorial analysis of the causes for the wreck made by The Call on the day ■ ■ .-.- ...--■ , ■ ' ■ following the disaster. The Call then said that the Napa valley wreck. like similar disasters. was caused by disobedience of orders, encouraged, *if not demanded, by the operating department. The inquest more than justified that declara . tion. It disclosed an almost unbelievable laxity which worked to put a premium on just that sort of "disobedience of orders" which snuffed out 13 lives and maimed a half hundred persons. >. The testimony disclosed that the company had employed a man for the post of train dispatcher without the formality of any examination to deter mine his fitness. It disclosed that no superior employe or officer of the company had given this man any detailed instructions touching his duties, which daily in volved the life and limb of hundreds of passengers; According to the testimony of the dispatcher the disaster might have been averted had the rules been enforced. But that was a discovery he made subsequent to the wreck, when he began to study rules he had not been instructed to study until after 13 lives had been sacrificed on the altar of careless ness. The superintendent of the road testified that the company did not compel its dispatchers to copy orders in record books, and that it had permitted oral orders to supersede the written orders pre scribed in the rule book. The latter admission was most illuminatingly Qualified by the explanation that oral orders were j supposed to be given only in the cases of "no j orders," and when there were no order blanks handy. j All of which only serves to add confirmation to the oft reiterated charge that railroad operating rule books are designed to protect railroad com panies, not their patrons. They are filled with rules which every operating department employe knows he must break or suffer the loss of his employment; which he knows will be invoked only to shift responsibility to him when disaster and death result from their infraction. In the Napa valley case the disclosures were of j a character that left nothing for the jury to do but place responsibility on the system instead of the men subordinate to it. May this unusual verdict result in the enact ment and enforcement*of criminal laws which will not permit the men responsible for the system to absolve themselves from responsibility for the tak ing of human life, ,by dodging behind the rule book and "disobedience of orders." Marriage Hippodromed If 1 Marriage is a sacred thing, and not to be used as a spectacular stage setting. Re cently a wedding took place on a big public pier of Atlantic City and the bride to be fainted three times before the ceremony was finished." With 5.000 onlookers it is no wonder that the bride succumbed. Has matrimony become so spectacular that mar riage rites are to be put on in the spotlight for the curious to view? The bride is naturally nervous, leaving home and friends, but to go through an ordeal like this would make a perfect lady nervous, as the slang has it. One thinks of a bride surrounded by friends and admirers, and not joined to her husband as one of the sights to be seen by* a crowd of excur sionists. V Owing to the bride's fainting the minister short ened the ceremony in order to insure its conclusion. Marriage is, indeed, turned into a farce by " this hippodroming hullabaloo. " Band Concerts at the Beach ||B The opening of the Geary street road prom . ises to result in another municipal enterprise that will be promptly indorsed by many thousands :«f San Franciscans. . ./•"-. It is proposed to . erect a band stand at the beach terminal of the Geary street line and provide municipal band concerts on Sundays and holidays. The plan was devised by and has the support >f Supervisors Hilmer, A. J. Gallagher. Mauzy, Murphy, Payot and Ilaydcn. It was inspired by a :hild. and its original development was founded n a desire to increase the receipts of the municipal road. That consummation of the plan would increase :he receipts of the municipal railroad is obvious. It is proposed to erect the band stand within the errntoal loop. It would not only help the municipal road, but t would add to the pleasures of thousands of San Franciscans and San Francisco's visitors, beside helping to popularize the finest scenic beach in America. , ' .. \ The children's playground at the ; Sloat boule vard end of the beach has amply demonstrate what THE SAN FRANCISCO CALL, EDITORIAL PAGE, JUNE 28, 1913 even a small amount of money can accomplish in , the way of making the beach ; attractive. V: It is the ; resort of hundreds of family parties every Sunday and holiday, and it is well patronized I every day. ; Aside from the -children's playground, the great ; highway and the short upper drive nothing has I been done to help the public enjoy the beauties of j the beach. Nevertheless, it is visited by scores of j thousands every Sunday. '. ._ , ■ I The proposed extension of the upper drive, the board or cement walk and popular concerts on I Sundays and holidays would not only draw many I additional thousands to the beach, but would make lit one of the most talked about show and pleasure I places in America. -~ ,' A Fearless and Capable Judge I>% According: to : - Washington _c dispatches Presi dent Wilson has selected Superior Judge Maurice T. Dooling- of San Benito county for the vacancy on the federal circuit • bench, r and Thomas E. : Harden of - San Francisco to succeed United States District Attorney John L. McNab, resigned. In the selection' of judge Dooling, President Wilson ■■ has honored ? both \ the . state ; and federal bench. No truer man; no more capable jurist sits on the California bench than Morris T. Dooling.: ; Xo man in California has a firmer hold upon the confidence of bench; bar and public than Judge : Dooling , . His name has ever been associated with I good things. ;' As fearless ;as he is : honest, he has made himself known and felt throughout the state. As teacher, lawyer, jurist and neighbqr Judge Dooling has proved himself a good citizen. He was the democrat chosen by republicans to sit on the legal advisory committee which passed upon the original direct primary bill before it was sub mitted to the legislature. : • The republicans of his ; county have repeatedly made his election to the superior bench unanimous by giving him their partisan nominations or by re fraining- from nominating candidates against him. President Wilson could have made no better choice. Judge Dooling has refused '; to do politics on the state bench. He will refuse to do politics on the federal bench. \ . Thomas E. Hayden, chosen to succeed John L. McNab, has been a resident of San Francisco for a number of years. He was an unsuccessful can didate for congress in the fifth district. He was a member of the San Francisco school board appoint ed by former Mayor Edward Robeson T.aylor. Mr. Hayden has been associated with the local democratic organization and has'been recognized j as a progressive. He is a clean, good citizen, and is so known rather than for the aggressiveness of his public or private political life. In Mr. Hayden the j people of the district * may expect a dignified :' and j courteous, rather than a vigorous, public servant. I The objection to his appointment on the ground j that he is a personal and political friend of Com missioner General of Immigration Caminetti prob ably will be obviated by the selection of a special j prosecutor for the Diggs-Caminetti white slave cases. ' As special prosecutor, Matt I. Sullivan, whose selection is announced in the same dispatches, will be entirely satisfactory to the California public.J?" : Mr. Sullivan has long enjoyed the confidence of the people of San Francisco, and his services in the graft prosecution cases after the shooting of Francis J. Heney won for him the confidence of the people ! of the state. May Help Reduce Cost of Living 111 Secretary of ■ Agriculture Houston has deter : mined to send two experts abroad to study and report on methods of meat inspection. One will go to Australia and New Zealand; the other to Argentina,. Uruguay and Brazil... - ". The avowed purpose of the investigation is to prepare for the reception of free meat under the provisions of the Underwood tariff bill, which prob ably will be made law some time before the new year. : ,-v / . ' ' ■>' ' The investigation is a good thing, quite apart from any consideration of the removal of the tariff from meat. ■';"'- r It has been most gratifyingly demonstrated in the northern Pacific coast states that under the existing tariffs meat can be brought from Australia and sold at a profit in the United States, at ap proximately one-half the ; prevailing prices. That can- only be true if the imported meat is not subjected to fhe entailment of extraordinary inspection' expenses after it arrives in American ports. An investigation of the inspection regulations in the great meat producing countries may disclose systems even more desirable than our own and work to the elimination of unnecessary {inspection expenses and decays in getting foreign meats into our markets. ; * ' If the standards of inspection in those countries be found inferior to ours, it is itat* improbable that the proposed tour of investigation will result in a raising of standards to conform with ours. In any event the investigations can hardly fail to result m clearing away some of the doubts about the importation of dressed meat and to work ulti mately to facilitate such importation. i The turtles of Germany should welcome Doctor Fried mann home on his arrival. An alleged expert says a college education is worth $25,000. There are lots of possessors of one who would be glad if they could dispose of it for 10 per cent of that ' amount. . - ' . ■' ',' ■ The department 'of . agriculture says English i sparrows are fine' eating. Cats know that 'is true.- , ' Chicago is going to have 12,000 street signs all at once. Evidently some official must have lost his , way.*' '•■ '.'■■■■.■>■■■■■■• ■■■"■-■■ ■ ■■-■■ ■■■■■■ ■■.. -.-■■■■ ,■■ ..-■.'. ■■■■„■ .. ■■-.-..■*.■■' i . FERRY TALES LINDSAY CAMPBELL AMONG the oldest .of the commut ers and the one 'most -widely 1 known, perhape, is John Driver 'of San Leandro. , You may not know him as John Driver, but will recognUe him 4; when I tell you that ;he Is a baldheaded old gentleman who looks like an actor of the old 5 school and who Is conspicuous in the largest of crowds by the fact j that he wears neither hat nor necktie. " . He gave up the necktie years : ago. after hearing John P. Irish deliver an oration. It was not the substance of the speech that attracted Mr. ; Driver as much as the volume of the orator* voice. 4 -' ■ " ;V'- - Vr. r ; If I had a-voice like that." he said, "I could get about 60 per cent more work : out of my men." Hβ made inquiries and was told that the Irieh voice had been developed by exposing the throat to the action of the air. 32 This result was obtained by the wearing of a loose and low cut collar without any necktie. o o c The hat was abandoned in the hope that - wind and sunshine would cause the appearance of a new thatch on his shining dome. Instead of a , new crop of hair, the elements produced a dark shade ;of tan, which, Mr. Driver says, is just as artistic as hair and much ■ more easily cared for. , --" • •■ :.;.-lV met him on the ■.■ steamer Berkeley ' the other morning: and he told me that ! he : had almost persuaded Judge r Sloes ! to become a ; member of the no hat club. :i He confided to me that he had a good commercial reason for going bareheaded. :/ : '- i ;'^I V; "■.*■"■,* -~"',*■•'-. ' : '■-■ : ,:i'-',\ ■;■■ "In business," he said, "I discovered long ago that it pays to have people remember you. People are too ■ busy to remember names and If you '- would im press : your ' identity upon . the people ■ with whom you come In contact you j must possess great fame, a very strik ing personality, a terrible deformity or some individual eccentricty in dress. I wear no hat. and people who forget that my name is John Driver Identify me ■ without . trouble *«3 'the old codger who goes bareheaded.' ;' ; •'•"'■'; '■', o o o • "My proudest achievement is the re- ; duction my preaching has effected in ] the number- of doctors located in San j Leandro. '] My text for years , has ■ been 'California olive oil.' I take "a table spoonful- before each meal and have never had an ail since I started. "When I started -preaching olive oil to my neighbors there were eight doctors in San Leandro and they were all doing well. There are only four there now and the best part of. their practice lies beyond'- the influence of my olive oil sermons. I have reduced the number of doctors and cut down the death rate and if I can continue successfully to dodge the automobiles I see no reason why I shouldn't celebrate my hun dredth birthday. ,, , l\'\ o o - o I asked him if the absence of shade didn't hurt his eyes. "On the contrary," he said, "when I I stopped wearing , a' hat I was not able to read without the aid of glasses. My eyesight has improved steadily and now I don't need glasses unless I read by artificial light." LITTLE MOVIES Muffled Knocks "Your wife is a splendid and highly sensible woman; how in ; the world did you manage to win her?" "That speech of yours last night, old chap, filled me with enthusiasm. Who wrote it for you?" " . "Whenever I look at you, Mibbs, I can't help wondering what there -is about you that makes me have a, sort of liking for you." -. "I don't believe you ever got drunk in your life,, friend fiwjgham; if you ever did, though, it was at somebody else's expense." ; "Come in, old boy; we were just talk ing i about you—and I'm mighty glad you didn't hear what we were saying" ' —Chicago Tribune. Vj, - Professionally Considered "The Declaration of Independence Is a" wonderful'- document," said ' .the patriotic citizen. *. : '■„■... -■■■■■■ "Yes." replied ■ the legal expert. "It's one of the ablest documents I ever saw. And the most remarkable thing is that with all the ability 'it r represents, no body appears to have received-: a cent for drawing: it up."—Washington Star. High Finance "My wife has adopted a scheme used by the baseball managers." " . "How now?" " ■.*■'■■ / "She is carrying on negotiations with our neighbor, Mrs. Wombat." ; "About what?" ' - V "My wife wants to trade our laun ilre* \ and a couple of housemaids for Mrs. Wombat's star cook, but Mrs. i Wombat wants a bonus." —Kansas City Journal. British Protest "Our ashes haven't been collected in a week," declared the London housewife. jVv "Is that so?" demanded the London i householder, angrily. H^; "It is. and if I were you, I should protest." * ' ■.-', --*"I ■ shall protest. I'll set fire to the postoftlce as l .go' down '.j town."—Louis ville Courier": Journal. " The Messenger Boy "Where arc you going, Senator? You seem busy." , '" V "I am busy. ; Got to : take this pack age of soil over. : to the j agricultural department to be assayed;' then I : must send -_ some seeds to line -of my " con stituents and find some lummer 1 board ers for ■■ a . man '.who says he - voted for me last fall."—Kansas City Journal. Confident "This office,you are applying for will require your - constant ' attention," warned the eminent official. ; .'".■ "That's all right. I don't believe I will have to hustle any harder to hold it than I have done to . get . it."—Wash ington Star. LOBBY GOSSIP Boll Weevil Conquered "By improved methods of cultivation and scientific treatment of the soil,, the boll weevil pest of the great southern cotton belt has practically been erad icated," said Frank L. Navine, one of the best known cotton brokers of New Orleans, at the St. Francis yesterday. Navine owns a plantation himself, and his method of cultivation was taken from the ideas advanced by the United States agricultural department. v -.-■ ' "The cotton crop of Louisiana for the last four years has. been far below nor mal, owing to the ravages of the boll weevil. This year's crop, however, is estimated at about 650,000 bales, which is almost the normal output,"" s said Mr. Xavine. "From 1908 to 1912 the crop of the state of Louisiana fell from an average of 1,000,000 bales :to : i 250,000 bales, working a great hardship on the small farmers. ' "The market continues to be . good. It seems as though the demand for cotton will exceed ' the output in the United States, this year. The 1913 crop has been estimated- by government ex perts at more than 14,000,000 bales and prices are the highest they have been for years. It is believed that ; never again will cotton be sold for unprofit able prices. "Although our people are much alarmed over the free sugar schedule, I believe that Louisiana, because of its rich soil, will recover : from : the blow of free sugar within several years." Gold Mining in Philippines George Ij. Thompson, a mining engi neer of Boston, who has returned; from a tour of inspection •of gold t mining possibilities in - the Philippine islands," believes that with proper developments the mountains of the islands will pro duce gold in great quantities. " > "Capital from : the United States will not: pour into the Philippines until the democratic administration announces some definite policy with regard to the immediate independence of , the terri tory," said Mr. Thompson, who is a guest at the Palace. "The mountains of Luzon, especially in the Benquet regions/ contain 5 untold mineralV wealth. i Quartz end dredging operations have been carried on with tome degree of success, but modern machinery Is needed to make the mines pay. *. Capitalists are aware of the pos sibilities along these lines, but they will not sink millions In machinery and other , mining perquisites until : they know what to expect: from the Wilson administration." •<". r - •: • San Francisco Selfish J. M. Cross, a well known attorney of Modesto, has a "kick" about : ; the 'way San Francisco is trying to secure. the waters of the Hetch Hetchy. Mr. Cross says that : Turlock and'; Modesto need the;water for irrigation purposes, and need it badly. . - O ■ ; "If the people of San Francisco knew the actual conditions that confront ! the farmers of the Turlock and Modesto districts they would >' not ask congress for the use: of the lletcli Hetchy streams,"/ said , Mr. Cross at the Manx yesterday. _ > . "We have more than 256,000 acres—a miniature empire—that fi must Ibe Irri gated to ; produce enoug-h to afford * living to 3 the farmers," vhe :/ continued. "If that water is diverted, that great region will suffer to the 'extent.'of; mil lions. The papers claim that it only the nat re lovers Who are opposed £to the scheme. It's, the nature lover* backed: by the people of Stanislaus and Merced counties, who see their liveli hoods ; threatened. Aβ a matterj of fact, the irrigation projects I require every drop of water : that comes from tht Hetch Hetchy. .- San Francisco J has a good supply already, and we think the city is selfish in trying to secure what practically amounts to our existence^ Can He Make It? VOICE OF THE PEOPLE Harr a Heritage Editor Call: The undersigned, a sub scriber and reader of your paper for many years, asks you in all fairness to give publicity to the following , state ment of facts, which will serve to cor rect a false impression which a . read ing of the press of today conveys. • Mr. William B.Harr, assistant attor ney general of the United" States, was. appointed to his present position by former President Taft in 1909, and if he Is guilty of the charges imputed to him in "releasing undesirables" during 1912, this should have been exposed at that time. ' It seems hardly fair to let the impu tation rest on this administration of responsibility * for his appointment. President Wilson has been in office but 110 days and all subordinates could not be removed v/ithout interfering seri ously with public business. ; r Aβ your paper ■ has in its news col umns : and editorially been eminently generous in its - treatment of the na tional administration, I ask you to give this statement publicity. Tours sincerely, THOS. J. WALSH. ANSWERS TO QUERIES ; CALKING PIPE—J. 8., Salinas. It li Im possible Uf state how many joints of pipe a man can 'calk in an eight hoar day. whether *, 6 or 12 inch pipe, for much depend* on the condi tion* of the ditch In which the; pipe la laid and: whether it Is for high or low pressure or whether there Is obstruction* in the pipe line ■ that ' has : to be removed. An old time calker, when yonr question ■ was presented to him, said: "A calker ! calks as. much as he can In eight.hours and then ■ quits. •It In impossible to flat any , number of i joint* he should calk in that time." * ♦ * MOURNING —W. T. X., City. The fast and! set rules for wearing mourning are gradually be coming \ obsolete, and many writers . express the j opinion "that mourning should not be in the ap-! Parc!, but in the heart and mind." ' | -- : '.■■;., ; --:#*> ~:• " * j V SLAVES—Subscriber, City. At the outbreak j of the civil war it was estimated that the slaves j In " the United States had a monetary value of $2,000,000,000. • ■ ; ] r. '■■/:/>;>■ * • .;•-'. :■".-. ; BLUE BIRDS —V. 9. G.. Saratoga. There Iβ ! BO law In this , state providing for a bounty for the scalp* of blue bird* or blue Jays. j THE STATE PRESS Auburn's Assets : A live Chamber of Commerce 'j Is al ways-, an -asset to a town, end Auburn has a live chamber; Sometimes it scat ters its ammunition,' but It is -worth every dollar of its cost, even if it did nothing;,else than to maintain a public; meeting: place, and hold ltSelf together so that the town may have some cen tral organization or mouthpiece through which to act when the occasion re quires. Just now the Auburn chamber has a live president and a live direc torate Every business man should lend aid to the . Auburn Chamber of Commerce. —Placer Herald. i Fresno Favors Backstamping The morning. paper says that "In a recent order received at the Fresno postofflce L the death knell(sic) of the practice of 'backetamping , letters is sounded.". We thought that the "death i knell" '< had been sounded , some time ago. We believe in backstamping; it enables; business men to place the re sponsibility for the failure of the per sons addressed to receive his mail in due time. We do not beiir.v* that do ing away with the practice will ex pedite the delivery of mail to a grati fying extent.— Fresno Mirror. Promises to Make Jumping General Editor Call: Regarding the pocket ful of dynamite letter in this morning's Call, I would like to say I have a better method. I have not used It yet, as some occult influence hovers about. . Several times I have had narrow ee capes, and as it appeared as though the sight" of me almost breaking my neck to get * out of the way of speeding au tomobiles furnished some amusement to the occupants of the cars, and as th» authorities take no steps to protect people from autoists, who think people on foot have no rights. I decided to protect myself. ; The dealer told me I could "hammer the hammer," so the next time I have to jump I promise to make jumping general. Strange to say, since I have been prepared I have had plenty of room to cross all streets and have not had to Jump out of the way of ma chines racing three abreast, up Golden Gate avenue or taking the corners into Van Ness avenue at 40 miles an hour. A READER. ; PHILIPPINE ISLANDS— F. F., City. At the cloee iof the. Spanish-American war the United States "demanded the cession of the Philippine Islands.'Spain for some time objected, bat ulti mately ceded them to . the United States '■[ for 120,000,000. and the latter agreed that for, ten year* Spanish ships should be admitted Into the vraters of the Islands en the Mate terms as ves sels ef the '.United State*. Spain made an effort in the negotiations for the United States' to as same the debt of Cuba, but was not. successful. * « • NATtVK SONS—H.J.M.,,Oakland. The Na tire Sons of the Golden jWent, as an order,'never had a celebration of Admission day In Oakland. j The parlors of , that city tad of Alameda eoonty held ; a celebration en one occasion, bnt It win not such a one as la ordered annually. by the grand parlor ef the order. * * ♦ ADMIRAL—A. O. H.. City. The rank of ad mlral of the United States nary waa created by act of congress July 25. 1868, and baa been con. ferred only on three officers, namely: Darid G. rarragut in IMC, Darld D. Porter In 1870 and George Dewey.ia ISM. : SHARP POINTS Not for Fun ; It is safe to assume that "Ice Kin Morse hae not resumed control of the Hudson River Navigation company solely for his health.—Cleveland Leader." • ' :•- - Work for the Lobbyist Now that President Wilson says th» lobby ; must go the lobbyists would do well to rush a lobby to lobby for the lobbyists.—Portland Oregonlan, The Cure • When the Young Turks ; kill off all the old gobblers there will be ■• ', Sick —Portland Oregonian. •"••** Inexplicable A New York man with a salary of $I*ooo a year is said to have iared ! $100,000 In 17 years. And , the strangest I thing about it is that he doesn't" appear ito have been a New York policeman.— ! Cleveland Plain Dealer. ■ -; Deals and Ideals One thing • the tariff bill is teaching tlie democratic brethren in congrese i* that usually there Is a vast difference between deals and ideals. —Cleveland -Leader. ""' ' * ' . .'■ "- ; •'■■ '. - ■' '