Cortland Evening Standard, Thursday, April 30, 1903.
MR. HEARST'S COMPLAINT.
President Baer Said He Was Insulted by a Question.
New York, April 30.—The interstate commerce commission resumed its investigation into the complaint of William R. Hearst against the anthracite coal carrying railroads.
President Baer was again called. He could not tell how much of the coal, mined along the railroads he controlled, was not purchased by him. He estimated that 8,600,000 tons of coal is carried annually by the Reading. J. P. Morgan, he said, was not one of the men interested in the Simpson and Watkins project to establish a big general sales depot for anthracite coal.
Mr. Baer said he promoted the plan to purchase the Temple Iron company and that six railroads were interested. He suggested the percentage of the different companies and their directors accepted it. The plan, he said, was not so broad as to make the company the sales agent of the six companies in New York. His idea was not to maintain uniform price for coal at tidewater but to get rid of the commission of 10 cents a ton for selling coal. He had reduced the expense of selling.
"But you have not succeeded in reducing the price of coal to the consumers?" asked the counsel.
"No," replied Mr. Baer. "Because you and your friends have succeeded in raising wages and getting up the cost of necessities so that profits are less."
Mr. Baer said he could produce the contracts between the Temple Iron company and the railroads. Counsel for the roads objected and he declined to produce them.
"Is there anything in these contracts," Mr. Shearn asked, "that would degrade and incriminate you?''
"I decline to answer that question because it is insolent. There is nothing in any contract I have ever made that makes me the criminal your client published me as being and he cannot come into court and insult me. You are not a gentleman or you would not insult me.''
"I ask the court to rebuke the witness," said Mr. Shearn, turning to the commission. The commission declined to rebuke Mr. Baer.''
Forest Fires Raging.
Glens Falls, N. Y., April 30.—Serious forest fires are raging in the vicinity of Glen lake and the head of Lake George, 250 acres near Fort Gage, south of Lake George, being swept last night. Rain has not fallen in many days, and the fires will continue until there is a change in climatic conditions.
The Plague in India.
Simla, April 30.—Tbe deaths from the plague are becoming something enormous. The mortality throughout India now exceeds over 30,000 a week.
PAGE FOUR—EDITORIAL.
More European Investigators.
It is announced that forty-six German agriculturists are coming to this country to study American methods of farming and stock-raising. They propose to stay two months and to travel 10,000 miles over the country in pursuance of their studies. They will doubtless see much that will be of interest and profit to them. They will find some essential differences between the farms of the fatherland and those of this country, particularly in point of acreage and implements.
Farms are larger in this country, and machinery can be used with better advantage than in Europe. Taxes are lighter, transportation rates for long distances are probably lower and the business is carried on in a more extensive way. There is nothing in Germany to compare with the great wheat regions and stock farms to be found in this country.
It is gratifying to have our foreign competitors come here and learn for themselves the sources of our superiority. They feel American competition, and they want to see the basis of it. Probably some of the Germans will go back home and decry our methods, but that will not hurt our feelings any. The competition, however, will go on, and hundreds of thousands of Germans will continue to abandon the small and worn out farms in the fatherland, which few tillers of the soil can ever hope to own, for the broader and more productive acres in America of which they can by thrift and economy acquire full and complete ownership. The delegation of investigators will be cordially welcomed and given every advantage to see and learn our methods. What they may say about us upon their return will be quite immaterial.
The Gee Brook Express.
The May number of the Gee Brook Express, a little four-page sheet issued in the interest of the Erie & Central New York railroad and distributed gratuitously to the patrons of that road, has made its appearance and contains many things of interest to the people of the section tapped by that road. Its editor is General Manager L. N. Frederick.
Hard Bank to Protect.
Part of the embankment on the south side of Groton-ave., Cortland, is being freshly graded. It is understood that it will be terraced and sodded over. This will be a great improvement and one that other property owners interested may well note, as the condition of the bank at present is an eye sore to an otherwise well adorned street.
City of Cortland—Charter Amendments.
AN ACT—To amend chapter one hundred and sixty of the laws of nineteen hundred, entitled "An act to incorporate the city of Cortland" relative to contracts, the power of common council, and sidewalks.
Notice is hereby given that a certified copy of a bill for a special city law, as above—entitled, passed by the legislature April 22, 1903, has been transmitted to the Mayor of the City of Cortland, N. Y., pursuant to the provisions of the second section of the twelfth article of the constitution of this state, and that the 5th day of May, 1903, at 7:30 o'clock p. m., at the office of the clerk of said city, is hereby fixed as the time and place for a public hearing in such city concerning such bill, before the mayor and the legislative body of such city.
Dated, Cortland, April 30, 1903.
Chas. F. Brown, Mayor of City of Cortland, N. Y.
OBEYING THE LAW
And Put Initials Upon the Back of the Automobile.
When Albert Webb Edgcomb emerged from his house on Court-st., Cortland, at about 10 o'clock this morning he was astounded to see a new red automobile of the Rambler pattern standing in his yard inside the fence next to the office of Dr. F. W. Higgins [owner of the red Rambler—CC ed.] which is next door. He rubbed his eyes to make sure they were not deceiving him and then went back in the house to summon other members of his family to verify the impression he had received that some one had tried to present him with a new auto. He was assured that he was not dreaming and then he went around behind the machine to see whose initials were on it, for the state law requires every automobile owner to display his initials upon the back of the machine, as a means of identifying any automobile that may have done any damage. There were no initials upon it. The machine was undoubtedly a new one and the owner had not yet had time to get them put on.
The events of the next few minutes do not seem to be very clear, or at least they are not recorded, but at any rate within fifteen minutes the observer might have seen a brand new flour sack firmly tied upon the back of that machine by fully thirty yards of rope and on the exposed side of the sack in letters at least a foot high were the initials, "A. W. E." Mr. Edgcomb then felt better and sat down to keep an eye on the machine. He was confident that it must belong to him because there were his initials, but he had not enough confidence in his new ability as a chauffeur to open the gates and invite any one to go out for a ride with him.
He is quoted as saying that it would be just like Dr. Higgins to come out there and claim that automobile, and try to run it off, but be would venture the assertion that if the doctor did do so be couldn't prove it to be his property, for the doctor 's initials were not on it and his own were there and tied as firmly as rope could do the job, and if the worst came to worst and he had to demonstrate his ability to run the machine in order to prove his property, he didn't know but he could cut up quite as many fancy movements with it as could the doctor.
BREVITIES.
—The Epworth league of the First M. E. church will hold a social at the home of D. W. Brown, 37 Greenbush-st., Wednesday evening, May 6. An interesting program is being arranged and refreshments will be served.
—The new display advertisements today are—J. B. Kellogg, Special sale of carpets, etc., page 8; McGraw & Elliott, Paints, page 6; G. H. Wiltsie, Dry goods, page 4; Warren, Tanner & Co., Tailor made suits, page 6; J. W. Cudworth, Optical talks, page 7.
Millinery Opening.
A cordial invitation is extended to every lady to wait for our millinery opening Saturday, May 2, Murray block, Homer, N. Y.
Mrs. Arthur Fall, Mrs. Frankie Brown.








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