The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume], May 24, 1915, Image 1

About The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939

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THE RICHMOND P AIX ABIUM
VOL. XL., NO. 138-
Palladium and Sun-Telegram
Consolidated, 190?
RICHMOND, IND MONDAY EVENING, MAY 24, 1915.
SINGLE COPY, 2 CENTS
ITALIAN TROOPS DEFEAT
AUSTRIAN IN CLASHES
ALONG MOUNTAIN PASSES
Preliminary Skirmishes Take Place Along Whole Frontier
Chief of Italian Staff Leaves for Front Great Headquar
ters to Be Established at Bologna, and Court Is Moved to
Florence Austria and Germany Mass Seasoned Veter
ans Along Boundary to Check Invasion of Former Ally.
BOTH SIDES EXPECT LONG-DRAWN-OUT BATTLE
Austrian Troops Tear Up Railroad Tracks and Dynamite
Bridges to Prevent Hostile Incursion into Teutonic Terri
tory. Mountain Passes Strongly Fortified Ambassa
dors Return Home Germany Hands Passport to Italian
Ambassador and Will Support Her Ally in the War.
BULLETIN
BERLIN, May 24 Diplomatic relations between Germany
and Italy were severed today according to announcement made
here. War will follow. Germany will support her ally, Austria, in
every possible way. The Italian Ambassador Signor Bollati is leav
ing immediately. He will take back with him to Rome a presiden
tial dispatch from the Kaiser bidding the envoy farewell and ask
ing him to express to King Victor Emmanuel the general indigna
tion in Germany over the action of Italy.
ROME. May 24 Hostilities have be--
gun between the Italian and the Teu
tonic allies. Austrian troops were tne
first to attack, but the clash resulted
in a success for the Italian Alpine
chasseurs who drove the Austrian in
vaders back upon their own soil
through a mountain pass between
Bont Di Legno and Bejo.
Lieutenant General Count Luigi Ca
dorna, chief of staff of the Italian
army, has left for the front. He was
accompanied by the Duke d' Aosta,
cousin of King Victor Emmanuel.
Great headquarters will be estab
lished at Bologna. The court will be
moved to Florence.
A dispatch from Basle quotes the
Wolff Bureau, the official news
agency of Germany, as saying , that
the German government has declared
war against Germany. Germany has
been and still is moving seasoned vet
erans who have campaigned in France
and Belgium, to the Austro-Italian
front.
All German and Austrian merchant
ships in Italian ports, valued at
$2,000,000 have been seized by the Ital
ian government.
Frontiers Show Activity.
Italy has a quarter of a millioa men
massed along the Austrian frontier.
Italian patrols along the Venetian bor
der report seeing many troops of Prus
sian Uhlans who are doing the chief
scout duty for the Austrians. These
Uhlans were detached from the Le
gions that preceded Von Kluck's
troops on the great drive through
France last fall.
It is reported that the Italian high
seas fleet has put to sea under the
duke of Abruzzi to attack the Austrian
defenses on the Adriatic.
Heavy troop movements are under
way. All the railroads in the kingdom
have been given over to the use of the
military authorities. A steady stream
Of soldiers passing northward flowed
through Rome yesterday, the sight of
the uniforms and the crash of martial
music inspired the people to great pa
triotic demonstrations.
Baron Sonnino, the foreign minister
upon receiving word from the Duke d' i
Avarna, ambassador to Austria, that
he had formally handed to the Aus
trian foreign office Italy's declaration
of war, remarked to his colleagues:
"We must have no illusions. It may
be a long war. It will last as long as
the war in Europe lasts."
Dispatches from Venice. Milan and
Genoa and other northern cities, stat
ed that war fever was growing. They
also brought news that Austria was
aggressively preparing for hostilities
on a big scale.
It is officially reported that Aus
trian troops have torn up a section of
the railway between Vossino and Bor
ghetto. One bridge was dynamited
nd another was demolished with shell
lire. On the frontier of Trent the Aus
trians have retired to their fortifica-i
tions.
The Corriere d'ltalia. a leading ,
Roman Catholic newspaper, predicts a!
long, hard fought struggle. I
Weather Forecast
FOR INDIANA Partly cloudy tonight
and Tuesday; warmer Tuesday.
Temperature.
Noon TO
Yesterday.
Maximum 66
Minimum til
General Conditions The storm over
the southern states Sunday caused
rain south of the Ohio river. The low
barometric pressure in the northwest
will cause rain, followed by warmer.
W. E. Moore, Weather Forecaster.
TO RESUME BENCH
"At the close of the Thomas trial I
will take the bench again," said judge
Fox today, although in poor physical
condition.
The judge caitnot bear the inactiv
ity of a retired citizen. He will again
lake the circuit court routine in hand
(omorrow.
U. S. WILL WORK
HARD TO KEEP
NEUTRAL STAND
WASHINGTON, May 24 The state
department announced receipt of of
ficial notification from Italy that a
state of war exists between Italy and
Austria-Hungary beginning last mid
night This notice was given to Am
bassador Page at Rome, Sunday, by
Foreign Minister Sonnino.
The state department has author
ized Ambassador Page in Rome to
take over Austrian diplomatic and con
sular business in Italy and Ambassa
dor Penfield in Vienna to take charge
of Italian interests in Austria during
the war. 1
The neutrality proclamation which
will be issued following receipt of
Italy's declaration will fbirow those
issued as nation after nation entered
the European war.
Silent on U. S. Course.
Diplomatic and official circles, of
course, are not discussing the casting
of the die by Italy. Her action, how
ever, will cause officials to work even
harder for the continued peace of this
nation provided that peace may be
maintained with honor.
It is recognized however, that with
practically all great world powers at
war, the position of the United States
from a moral and commercial point,
and in the light of a friendly adviser
when peace comes, over Europe would
be an enviable one.
The consensus here is that Italy's
war declaration naturally will have a
softening effect upon the German re
ply to the Wilson note, assuming that
there might have been anything harsh
in that reply. It is not believed that
the German nation, beset on all sides
will run the risk of alienating the
United States at this critical time.
JEALOUS ADMIRER
CHASTISES WOMAN
WHILE GAR WAITS
James Tun s extreme jealousy of
Bessie Richardson has again gotten
mm into trouble, the third time with
in the last few months.
l wice he suspected her of trifling
with his affections, one time admin
istering a beating to a rival and an
other time giving Bessie an exceed
ingly rougn nananng. in each in
stance he drew a jail sentence.
Saturday Tull seized his sweetheart
as the was boarding a west bound
traction car at the corner of Fourth
and Main streets. After pulling off
her jacket, witnesses have informed
the police, he gave her a slapping.
The traction car conductor politely
held the car until the trouble had sub
sided, giving the signal to depart after
the young woman had boarded the car,
minus her jacket, which Tull took to
his home.
When arraigned in city court this
morning Tull pleaded not guilty and
the case was set for hearing tomorrow
morning.
CHRISTIAN SESSION
MEETS AT BOSTON
The quarterly meeting of the Chris
tian churches of Eastern Indiana will
be held at the Christian church in
Boston from Tuesday until Thursday
night. Rev. Stovenour of Portland, is
one of the principal speakers. The
program has not been fully com
pleted. On Wednesday and Thursday all day
meetings will be held and basket din
ners will be eaten, at the church.
DIXIE HIGHWAY
INCLUDES CITY
ON EAST FORK
Route Covers National Road
From Dayton to Indianap
olis on Promise of Brick
Pavement.
LOCAL MEN BOOST
Wayne County Old Trails
Society Pleased With Pros
pective Routing of North
and South Road.
Officials of the National Old Trails
Road association received with hearty
enthusiasm yesterday the news that
the Dixie highway commissioners had
decided to split the road, permitting
the east route to run through Rich
mond and Wayne county, at their con
vention in Chattanooga, Saturday.
Instead of one highway from Chicago
to Miami, Fla., there will be two
routes, one designated as the east and
one as the west route. The diverging
point of the highway is Indianapolis
where the route splits, one going
through Louisville and the other
through Cincinnati.
The east route will lay directly
through Wayne county, passing
Continued On Page Seven.
HEALTlTsURVEY
SURGEON SENT
TO STUDY CITY
Dr. J. C. Perry Detailed to
Conduct Tuberculosis Sur
vey and Outline Method of
Fighting Plague.
Dr. J. C. Perry, departmental sur
geon of the United States Public
Health service at Washington, will ar
rive in Richmond on Thursday, May 27
to conduct a tuberculosis survey of
the city, according to an announce
ment contained in an official commu
nication from Dr. Leslie E. Cofer to
Mrs. William Dudley Foulke, chairman
of the special committee of the Feder
ated Clubs.
The Assistant surgeon-general stat
ed that Dr. Perry would go first to In
dianapolis and hold a conference with
Dr. J. N. Hurty, secretary of the state
board of health and then come to
Richmond to begin his work.
Secretary Haas of the Commercial
club will invite Dr. Perry to use desk
room and office space in the rooms of
that club in the Masonic Temple
during his stay in this city.
Dr. Cofer wrote that Dr. Perry was
one of the best surgeons in the de
partment and that no one in the public
health service was more qualified to
conduct a tuberculosis survey than he.
Dr. Perry has had extensive service
in the Philippine Islands and was in
the Panama Canal Zone during the
entire time the eradication of disease
was taking place there.
For some time he has been in Chi
cago directing the work of removing
uncleanly conditions in that city.
REV. RAE ADVISES
GRADUATING GLASS
ON LIFE'S COURSE
High school commencement services
were held at 4 o'clock Sunday after
noon at the First Presbyterian church
when the pastor, Rev. J. J. Rae, deliv
ered the Baccalaureate sermon, "A
Master's Master" to the members of
the Senior class and a congregation
which taxed to the limit the seating
capacity of the church.
The Seniors occupied pews in the
center of the church. All the mem
bers of the faculty of the High school
were present at the services, which
included special music. The text of
the sermon delivered by Rev. Rae was
"Ye call me Teacher and Lord and Ye
say well for so I am." The pastor
said in part:
Life Needs Mastery.
"A life is never great until it is mas
tered. We have a choice of masters.
Christ as master guarantees us salva
tion from failure. He is competent to
be master of our lives for three reas
ons: first, because He saw the best
for each of us; second, because He
not only saw but expressed the best in
thought and word and deed, and third,
because he added to this the ability to
enable others to see and express the
best. .
"True success is therefore not found
apart from Him. We should accept
this standard , and obey His invitation
to "Follow Me". This assures us the
most useful, happy and the grandest
of characters.
"We combine our desire into this
apt quotation:
"I want to stand when Christ appears
In spotless raiment dressed
Numbered among His bidden ones,
His Holiest and best.
I want amid that victor throng
To have my name contest,
To have my Master say at last
'Well done! You did your best.'-
RUSSIAN BATTLESHIP
SUNK IN BALTIC SEA
BERLIN, May 24. The Overseas
News agency today announced the re
ceipt of a dispatch from Bucharest
stating that the Russian battleship
Panpeleimon has been sunk in the
Black Sea with 1500 men.
HISTORY SOCIETY
FAVORS PAGEANT
FOR CENTENNIAL
Chairman Wissler Appoints
Committee to Devise Plan
of Celebration and Interest
Other Societies.
SUPPORT IS PLEDGED
Several Visitors Promise Co
operation and Affiliate
With Organization Mr.
Foulke Speaks.
Steps looking toward the holding of
a pageant in Richmond, were taken
Saturday afternoon at the meeting of
the Wayne County Historical society
when the members appointed a com
mittee to investigate, in acting upon
the suggestion of William Dudley
Foulke. His idea that a suitable me
morial or statue of Oliver P. Morton
be placed in Morton park or Glen Mil
ler park was also given consideration.
The committee appointed to devise
ways and means of holding the pa
geant in connection with next year's
centennial celebration is composed of
the chairman, B. F. Wissler, the sec
retary and treasurer. The chairman
was authorized to place as many more
members to the committee as he saw
fit.
Every organization in the city will
be appraised of the purpose of the
committee and will be asked to send
delegates to the co-operative meeting
which will be held later. At this
meeting further steps will be taken in
Continued On Page Seven.
JESSUP TO PRESENT
VIEWS TO COMMITTEE
A written opinion by Wilfred Jes
sup, president of the Light, Heat and
Power company, on the question of
the purchase of the private electric
plant by the municipal light plant, will
be considered tonight by members of
the Commercial club public service
corporations committee at a meeting
called by the chairman, George Seidel.
With Mr. Jessup's communication,
the communication of City Attorney
Bond will also be considered. The
committee has gained other informa
tion which will be taken up with the
two communications.
ITALIANS CELEBRATE
CHICAGO, May 24 Warlike enthu
siasm and patriotic sentiment today
fired the hearts of 25,000 residents of
little Italy in Chicago. A total of
10,000 Italians are expected to enlist
in their native army and go back
home to fight. Throughout the dis
trict in which the Italians live there
were demonstrations. Uniformed
bands paraded the streets playing the
national airs.
LIFTS SUNKEN WASP
WASHINGTON, May 24 The sub
marine F 4 will soon give up the se
cret of the disaster .which cost the
lives of her officers and men on March
25th. Admiral Moore wired: "Lifted
(Submarine 20 feet. She is now in 18
fathoms of water. Can see her from
lifting scows through water glasses.
She seems intact."
BAVIS CITES REASONS
FOR PURCHASING PLANT
To the Citizens of Richmond:
The Committee appointed by the
Mayor to consider the electrical prob
lem in the City of Richmond, recog
nized the idea that the supplying of
electric energy for illuminating or
power purposes is essentially a mo
nopoly business and the economic ad
vantages of a monopoly of this busi
ness in the City of Richmond justi
fied the recommendation that the
City proceed, if possible, to exercise
its power to acquire by condemnation
the plant and business of the Light,
Heat & Power company at a just and
reasonable compensation therefor.
The Committee considers it econom
ically wrong, and can see no good rea
son vhy the expense of operating two
nlants to snrmlv .-hat ran he nrnHnrurl
f-" 1 i
Dy one, snouia De longer conunuea, it
it is in the power of the City to take
over the plant of its competitor.
The question of expediency in the
creating of a monopoly is hardly
doubted by anyone, but there is sla
CITY MUST PAY
RIVAL FIRM FOR
NEEDED REPAIRS
Lawyers Give Interpretation
of Decision by Judge Com
stock on Demurrer of L.,
H. and P. Plant.
BOND HOLDS IDEA
Bavis Claims Victory for City
Because Unnecessary Im
provements Will Be Ex
cluded From Cost.
Whatever additional equipment the
Richmond Light, Heat & Power com
pany installs for its electric plant, or
contracts for, between the date of the
filing of the city's petition with the
Indiana Public Utilities Commission
for the purchase of the electric plant
of the .company, under condemnation
proceedings, and the date fixed for
the city to pay for the property and
the actual transfer takes place, will
be appraised by the state commission
as an item to be considered in estab
lishing a purchase valuation, provided
that such additional equipment is ab
solutely necessary to "maintain effi
ciency of the service it owes to its pa
trons." This was generally accepted today
as the correct interpretation of the
ruling made Saturday by special judge,
D. W. Comstock, in sustaining the de
Continued On Page Two.
BRITISH GUNS
BREAK ATTACK
OF KAISER'S MEN
LONDON', May 24. Another ad
vance at Festubert, south of Neuve
Chapelle, and the repulse of German
counter attacks in which the Germans
were mowed down by British artillery,
are reported in official dispatches
from the front today.
Three thousand German soldiers
were killed and 1,000 taken prisoners
in the French victory that resulted in
the capture of the Lorette heights.
The opposing forces were engaged in
a sanguinary battle for thirteen days,
but an official statement issued today
says that the French troops were tri
umphant in taking Lorette, and the
German works on the White Way.
"In capturing Lorette heights we
have attained one of the principal ob
jectives of our movement, north of
Arras," the statement says. It con
tinues: "The bloody battle which in
thirteen days made us masters of that
strong position constitutes for our
troops a magnificent victory. That
the enemy attached great value to Lor
ette mountain is shown by the fact
that he made great efforts to hold it
and also to recapture it."
Heavy losses are admitted in this
campaign.
Another German raid was made
against Paris today. A Taube flew
over the northern suburbs during the
morning and dropped several bombs.
The damage was slight and there were
no casualties.
LISTS SOLDIER DEAD
i
I The Memorial day program for next
j Sunday has been completed by the pro
I gram committee and will be announc
ed following a meeting of all commit
tees tonight at the G. A. R. hall.
The various committees will make
reports on the progress of their work.
All plans have been made and after
the approval of the general organiza
tion tonight, will be announced pub
licly. Yesterday committees visited the
cemeteries and checked over soldiers'
graves. Markers were placed where
they had been lacking.
APPOINT MISS PETRO,
The vacancy caused by the resigna
tion of the nurse at the county in
firmary was filled Saturday by the
county commissioners, who appointed
Reah Ruth Petro, daughter of Super
intendent Frank Petro.
cere and honest doubt regarding the
wisdom of the method adopted by the
City, through its Common Council, on
the recommendation of the Commit
tee. That the City's position might be
thoroughly understood, it is the desire
of this Committee that the fullest pub
licity be given every phase of this
question in as plain and concise a
manner as it is possible to give, that
all may understand, and, unfortunate
ly, the lot has fallen to me to carry
out that duty.
The only thing we ask is, that the
entire question be viewed impartially
free from any personal bias or irfter
est, taking the broadest possible view
of the subject to the end that the best
interest of the city may be conserved.
This Committee and administration
have no other purpose to serve.
Now let us consider the business of
the two plants as separate units, tak
ing that of the L., H. & P. first; then
the City plant, and then both, operated
Co nti n u e dO n Pa a Four.
CITIZENS CONTRADICT
BOND'S OPINION UPON
OBLIGATIONS TO BUY
Sentiment Shows Business Men Believe if City Had Pursued
Original Purpose of Letting Utility Commission Fix Valua
tion of Both Plants to Determine Rates, Municipal Plant
Would Have Offered Every Inducement to Get Greater
Part of Electric Light Business.
SEE NO ADVANTAGE IN BUYING SECOND PLANT
Wonder Why City Attorney Did Not Cite Rulings of Utility
Commissions in States Where Similar Problems Have Been
Solved Believe Light, Heat & Power Company Want to
Sell Plant to City and that Municipality Is Bound to Car
ry Out the Option Agreement It Entered Upon.
The ruling of Special Judge Comstock in which he sustained
the position of the attorneys for the Richmond Light, Heat and
Power company and held the same opinion as a member of the
Indiana public utilities commission, was generally discussed by
citizens Saturday and Sunday and was contrasted with the 5,000
word statement of City Attorney Bond in which he attempted tc
show that the city could, even after the valuation was fixed, decide
not to purchase the light plant, if it so elected.
Much surprise was expressed because Mr. Bond in his many
citations of authorities for his stand, steered clear of adducing a
single decision of a public utility commission on the points in
volved, although there are a number of states that have public
utilities commissions, similar to the one in Indiana. These state
commissions have had the same problem to rule on, as is involved
in the present conflict, and tax payers seem anxious to know how
these commissions ruled.
The principal part of divergence of citizens with the opinion
of Mr. Bond was his assertion that the city had not contracted to
buy until the purchase price had been fixed. It was pointed out,
in contradiction to Mr. Bond's view, that both parties, by virtue of
their acts, had agreed to submit the fixing of the price to the state
utilities commission, which is vested with the power and has the
facilities to determine the valuation of the plant. It was held
that even if a board must decide the price of the plant, it does not
relieve the city of its obligation to purchase under the option
agreement.
Many persons said if the city had adhered to the plan it origi
nally outlined of asking the state commission to fix light rates and
terms, which would have applied to both plants, the city, under
protection of the state utilities act, could then have gone out and
obtained a large amount of business which it now proposes to buy
through the purchase of the competing light plant.
Permanent Rates Would Give City Advantage.
In this connection, citizens argued, that, since the city and the
Light, Heat and Power company have only a temporary rate sched
ule now, the municipal plant can not go out and conduct an ag
gressive campaign for more patrons. As soon as the definite rates
had been established, based on the valuation of both plants, the
city would have had every argument to induce consumers to use
its product. Inasmuch as the rates would then have been the
same, and the city by virtue of its better plant could have given
better service, the municipal plant solicitors could have appealed
to every tax payer to patronize the city plant. The Light, Heat
and Power company would, if this original plan had not been in
terfered with by the city in its proposal to buy the competing plant,
had no argument to meet the claims of the municipal light plant.
The outcome would have been that the city would soon have con
trolled the whole light situation.
Books Would Have Shown Results.
Business men said if the city had followed out this plan, the
books at the end of the year would have shown whether the muni
cipal plant was taking away more consumers from the opposition
plant. Had the results shown that the city was unable to obtain
this business, then, so these business men argued, the city would
still have been in a position to institute condemnation proceedings
if the competition of the Light, Heat and Power company war
ranted such action.
That the Richmond Light, Heat and Power company is anx
ious to unload the light plant on the city, is apparent and obvious,
so it was argued, otherwise the company would now offer to join
with the city in asking that the condemnation proceedings be
dropped. The company's officials have shown no inclination to
back down from their effort to turn over the plant to the city or of
joining the city in dismissing the proceedings if the municipality
should determine upon such action.
"TRAIL" HONORS POET!
The proposed Joaquin Miller "Trail"
between Richmond and Liberty may
be realized according to plans which
are being considered by the Library
board at Liberty. The proposal met
instant favor at a meeting recently. A
monument may be erected at the po
et's birthplace a tew miles north of
Liberty. Committees have been ap
pointed and will meet again this week
to work out details for the tribute to
the memory of the "Poet of the Sier
ras.
Contract for the supplying of coal
for the Y. M. C. A. for the coming
year was made with Mather Brothers ,
by the house committee of the asso-;
ciation, which met in conference Sat
urday and opened bids which had been
received. Secretary Learner declined
to make the figures public.
MILTON ODD FELLOWS
DECICATE NEW LODGE
WITH CEMEMONIES
Richmond was represented Satur
day night at the dedication of the new
Odd Fellows home in Milton and the
initiation exercises. A special car was
chartered for fifty-five Odd Fellows
and twenty went in machines. In the
afternoon, Grand Master J. T. Ar
buckle of Rushville was present to
participate in the dedicatory services.
A class of fifteen was given first de
gree work at night by the Richmond
members. East Germantown and
Cambridge City lodges gave the sec
ond degree work. After the work, a
banquet was served. The attendance!
was the largest the Milton lodge haa
ever had at a cebrjUon, J