Cortland Evening Standard, Saturday, April 26, 1902.
TYRANNY IN FINLAND.
Finns Warned Against Failure to Obey Recruiting Laws.
GAVE THE COSSACKS FREE REIN.
Communes Refused to Co-Operate in Securing Recruits—Heavy Fines Imposed Upon Them—To Petition the Czar to Withdraw Cossacks—Heavy Emigration From Finland.
St. Petersburg, April 26.—A representative of the Associated Press who has just returned from Hełsingfors, Finland, interviewed the patriotic leaders and others there, who declared the government was distorting every report of the disorders in Finland, with the view in the near future of proclaiming martial law.
This opinion is apparently borne out by an imperial rescript, signed on Sunday last, in which the period for recruiting is extended, and the Finns are warned against failure to obey the military regulations, which will "convince us that the administrative method which became customary in the course of the last century does not guarantee calm progress of public affairs and subordination to the authorities."
The recruiting law is the origin of the present trouble. The communes refused to co-operate, in failing to select representatives for the recruiting board, whereupon the governor arbitrarily imposed heavy fines on the communes. Tammerfors was fined 33,000 marks ($6,000); Hełsingfors 30,000 marks ($6,000), and six others from 14,000 marks $(2,800) to 22,500 marks ($4,300). Then Dr. Salzmann, chairman of the state medical board, and many members resigned rather than assist in what they declared was illegal recruiting.
The reports show the unvarying failure of the recruits to take the oath and the attitude of the populace of Winborg resulted in riot and collisions similar to those which occurred at Hełsingfors. Out of 150 recruits enrolled only 32 appeared and they were all rejected for physical defects.
In many of the communes nobody appeared and at NyKarlby only one man, a cripple, presented himself. Such is the practical working of the law which General Sobrikoff (the governor) declared the people welcomed with enthusiasm.
The official report of the Hełsingfors riots minimized the injuries sustained by the citizens and exaggerated the casualties of the troops. Eye witnesses characterize the action of the Cossacks as being worse than their conduct at the time of the St. Petersburg riots in 1901. The authorities apparently gave the Cossacks free rein. They invaded private houses, in many cases far from the scene of the disturbances, beating and slashing indiscriminately. They rode through the porticos of the great Protestant church, forced a physician to jump out of a window of his own home, beat women and children and cripples, and nearly killed a cabman who was a mile from the scene of the riots.
The people of Hełsingfors are preparing to petition the czar to withdraw the Cossacks.
Emigration from Finland is proceeding at an unprecedented rate. It exceeded 15,000 persons during 1901 and the number of emigrants now ranges from 500 to 1,500 a week.
DISORDERS IN RUSSIA.
Workmen Incensed Against Foreign Managers and Foremen.
St. Petersburg, April 26.—The minister of the interior, M. Von Plehwe, has gone south in order to personally investigate the disorders in Southern Russia.
Reliable information received here from Moscow shows that the labor movement there has assumed most dangerous forms. There have been many factory fires in Moscow and in the southern provinces, supposedly of incendiary origin, and factories have been placarded with Boxer-like posters, calling on the workmen to rise up against the "foreign devils" as the foreign managers and foremen are termed. These posters further declare that "cold steel and hot lead are cheap."
The managers referred to have been subjected to various indignities on the part of their own employees. The English words "foreign devils" are frequently heard in the streets.
EGGS IS EGGS.
Family Must Have Food—The Magistrate Thought Him Excusable.
New York, April 26.—Michael Brennan was brought into court yesterday charged with stealing eggs from the duck pond in Central park. It looked like a long term for the old man when in a rich Irish brogue he said, "I took the eggs, so I did, but times is hard with the likes o' me, what with being out of work and three children and the old woman to support. Sure the beef trust has took away our meat and we must have something to eat, and eggs is eggs, you know." The magistrate let him go.
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Cortland Hospital on North Main Street. |
PAGE FOUR—EDITORIAL.
Cortland Hospital.
As announced in these columns a few days ago the financial affairs of the Cortland hospital have reached a crisis. The monthly expenses of conducting that institution exceed the receipts by from $80 to $100. The hospital property is now all paid for except for a mortgage of $1,000. The Hospital association has had a gift of some real estate in the West which would no doubt sell for $1,000 at forced sale and cancel the mortgage, so that practically the local real estate may be considered clear and unencumbered. All the outstanding accounts in this city are now settled.
But the question arises, since the expenses constantly exceed the receipts, what shall be done for the future. In the past the annual deficit has been made up by holding fairs, and entertainments. The Crosley fund which was started a few years ago helped to tide over the situation, but those pledges have now all been paid and cannot be depended upon longer. The hospital has received some legacies and instead of laying these aside as should have been done as an endowment it has been necessary to use them to pay current expenses with.
The sources of income for the hospital are receipts for care of patients in the hospital and wages paid to undergraduate nurses who are sent out from the training school to take cases in the city and vicinity. But the receipts from these two sources are inadequate to pay the bills, inasmuch as many of the cases received at the hospital are charity patients.
The association tried to secure an appropriation from the supervisors of the county to pay for the charity patients, but the supervisors did not feel authorized by law to grant such an appropriation. An effort had previously been made to get the master before the voters of the town of Cortlandville to ask for an appropriation, but without success. An appeal has within a few months been made to the city to assist in caring for the poor, but under the provisions of the city charter this seemed to be impossible. There appears to be no way at present of securing public aid.
Three courses are open. Either to go ahead as long as the credit is good and contract debts with the local grocers, druggists and others, and trust to luck to pay them, or trust to hard work in getting up entertainments with the possibility that they may not be financial successes and that in the end there will not be money enough to pay the bills. Or, in the second place, to mortgage the property to pay running expenses, and in two or three years have the whole institution sold out with nothing left and nothing to show for it. Or, in the third place, to simply close the doors and have no hospital in the city. It must be one of the three unless some extra money can be raised to cover the deficit.
Common honesty forbids the first. The board of managers will not ask dealers to furnish supplies without having some intimation of where the money is coming from to pay the bills.
Common sense forbids the second. The ladies who constitute the Hospital association have worked too hard to bring the institution up to its present state of efficiency and excellence to have it frittered away and vanish in thin air.
Shall the hospital be closed? It must be and will be unless the management can raise $1,000 at once to cover the deficiency for the coming year. If they can do that, they feel sure they can meet the other bills.
Within a few days a soliciting committee will go out among the residents of this city and county and ask for subscriptions. The pledges are to be conditioned upon the fact that the whole $1,000 is subscribed, otherwise they will be void. Five hundred dollars will not answer, $800 will not answer. The whole $1,000 will be required. This is not a large sum to raise if everyone will give a little, but it cannot be raised if three men out of four turn the solicitors down and the fourth gives but a dollar.
It would be a great misfortune to this city to have the hospital closed. It would be a step fifteen years backward. It would be a change from a prosperous and growing city to the country village of two decades ago.
Aside from its advantages as a place where the ill may go and be cared for; as a place where operations may be performed with all of the sanitary appurtenances and equipments of modern surgery: aside from the convenience to the public of being able to draw upon the hospital training school for nurses to assist in their own homes; aside from all of these, what would be done with the emergency cases of accident that are occurring all through the city and county where the unfortunate victims are now brought to the hospital for care?
There was a collision on the Lackawanna railroad a few years ago. One man was killed, another dreadfully injured and was taken to the hospital. A citizen of Cortland was run over by the cars in the railroad yards two years or so ago. He was taken to the hospital, his foot amputated and he recovered. There was a collision between a train and a trolley car between Cortland and Homer. A resident of the latter place mortally wounded was taken to the hospital. There was a railroad accident at Preble a few weeks ago and several men badly injured were taken to the hospital and cared for. There was a man shot in Lapeer and he was brought to the hospital and after an operation and a week of suffering died there.
There are accidents constantly happening in this city. Men are falling from roofs, being run over by teams, getting hurt in the factories, and they need immediate help. Where can they be taken? Who stands ready to open his house to have one, perhaps three or four, strangers brought in covered with blood, ready for a surgical operation—and needing all the equipments for it—perhaps unable to be moved for weeks afterward? Any one would do it from a humanitarian point of view if there were no other place. But there should be another place especially suited to it.
But it is ridiculous to argue the question. The conclusion is as plain as daylight. There is not a man, woman or child in Cortland county old enough to have a thought who does not know that there ought to be a public hospital somewhere within the limits of this county. It is as necessary as a kitchen in a house. It is a part of the equipment of a city.
But hospitals do not happen, they do not grow of themselves, they are not spontaneous, they will not run themselves. They need systematic, organized, regular and unfailing support.
No one can take any exceptions to the conclusion the management has arrived at, that the hospital must close its doors unless it can pay its debts. But if it should be necessary to close up it would be an everlasting disgrace to the city.
It is to be hoped, however, that no such step will be needed. It is earnestly to be desired that all who can aid in keeping it open lend their assistance when the subscription paper comes around. But it is $1,000 or nothing. Let no one forget that.
Before another year is ended it is the idea that an effort should be made to have the city charter so amended that the proper authorities may be enabled to render needful assistance. It is but fair that the city should take care of its needy. The present charter limits very closely the way in which this can be done. There is no censure attaching to any official for the way in which he performs his duties under this charter, as it stands, but if it could be so amended that the city could be enabled to pay for the service it actually receives the course of the managers of the hospital would be greatly simplified and their way made much easier.
◘ A rooster in Brooklyn has been arrested and confined in jail for disturbing the neighborhood in the early morning. No one had enjoyed his morning greeting, but when a woman nearby fell sick his salutations became torture to her and complaint was made to the health officer who ordered his arrest. The New York Journal says: His voice is now heard at early dawn in the jail, where he awaits sentence. He is not in a death cell yet, and perhaps may escape with his life, but Dr. Walker has been ordered to see to it that none but dumb birds roost in back yards of houses on the Heights of Brooklyn.
AFTER THE FINES.
Cortland Board of Health Will not Clean up Premises for Nothing.
At the meeting of the health board last night at the office of Dr. E. M. Santee, it was decided to collect the fine of $10 in every case where the city has been obliged to clean up, and in case a refusal to pay the fines is made the city attorney is directed to sue for the amount.
Bills for the month were audited.
SURPRISED THE CLERK.
Mrs. Tuttle Knew of it in Advance, but Not Her Husband.
Attorney W. D. Tuttle was last night the victim of a most skillfully devised and perfectly executed surprise. He learned among other things that a lady can keep a secret and that one of the ladies who have that faculty is a member of his own household. He has been the clerk of the First Congregational society of this city and of its board of trustees for the past eighteen years, and the regular monthly meeting of the board has all this time been held at his office.
Yesterday was Mr. Tuttle's birthday anniversary and when he returned to his house at 26 Orchard-st., Cortland, he found a meeting of the board in session there which he had not called, and concerning which he had no previous knowledge. It also had this peculiarity, that there were ladies present—the wives of the members of the board, making nineteen in all. Mrs. Tuttle, however, assured him that she had been previously let into the secret and that it was all right even if she hadn't told him all of the particulars in advance.
There didn't seem to be but one real matter
of business to transact and that was the presentation to the clerk of a
handsome black walnut Morris chair as a token of friendship and esteem. The presentation
was made by B. T. Wright and Mr. Tuttle responded with much feeling. Refreshments
which the party had brought with them were served and the evening was passed most
delightfully in a social way.
BREVITIES.
— Several bicycle riders have paid fines of $1 in city court today for sidewalk riding.
—The work of grading and putting down cement sidewalks at the new Lackawanna station has been commenced.
—Mrs. Wilson Amerman of Moravia, the mother of the Misses Kate M. and Jean K. Amerman, who are well known here, died of consumption at her home last Wednesday.
— Street cars will run every fifteen minutes next Monday night between the Messenger House and the Gillette Skirt factory from 7:30 to 8:30 while the people are going to the latter place to attend the military whist.
—New display advertisements today are: M. W. Giles, Special prices, page 7; E. M. Mansur, Codfish, page 6; Gas Light Co., Gas ranges, page 6; Opera House, "Our New Minister," page 5.