THANKS GEN. BELL, CAMPAIGN IN SAMAR, MUNICIPAL OWNERSHIP, CORTLAND HOSPITAL, FIRST WAR MEETING, AND CORSET CITY HOSE CO.

 

Gen. John Franklin Bell.

Cortland Evening Standard, Monday, April 21, 1902.

THANKS GENERAL BELL.

General Chaffee Says American Troops Had Hard Task.

GENERAL BELL'S CARE OF TROOPS.

Surrenders of Insurgents Reported Daily—Constabulary Co-Operating With Military in Mindanao—Cholera Still Raging—Hardships in the Samar Campaign.

   Manila, April 21.—General Chaffee has forwarded to General J. Franklin Bell the congratulations sent the latter by President Roosevelt upon the recent campaign in Batangas and Laguna provinces conducted by General Bell. General Chaffee forwarded the president's communication through General Lloyd Wheaton and in an accompanying letter he expressed his great pleasure at the receipt by General Bell of the president's congratulations. The American troops, says General Chaffee, have never before been charged with a task more difficult of accomplishment. Only our comrades in the island of Samar have campaigned under such difficulties.

   So unique has been the situation in Batangas and Laguna, continues General Chaffee in his letter, that only a person thoroughly familiar with it by actual contact can appreciate the conditions which have been met and overcome, or fairly determine what were the best methods to accomplish the objects, namely the recognition of the sovereignty of the United States and the establishment of peace and order in the disturbed sections.

   General Chaffee concludes by saying that because of General Bell's never failing care of his troops and his encouragement to them in their labors, they share in the congratulations from President Roosevelt.

   Surrenders to the American authorities of small parties of insurgents are reported daily and these have increased since the recent surrender of the insurgent General Malvar. General Rufino with 26 officers and 375 soldiers has surrendered to the native constabulary in the province of Misamis, in Mindanao, where the constabulary are co-operating with the military.

   The cholera situation shows no improvement. There has been a total of 388 cases and 300 deaths in Manila and 856 cases and 602 deaths in the provinces.

 

Gen. Jacob H. Smith.

CAMPAIGN IN SAMAR.

General Smith Speaks of Hardships Endured by His Command.

   Manila, April 21.—The United States army transport Buford left here Sunday for San Francisco after having been detained in quarantine for five days.

   General Jacob H. Smith, who was in command of the American forces in the island of Samar at the time Major L. W. T. Waller of the marine corps is said to have executed natives of that island without trial, was to have gone home on the Buford, but has disembarked here,

   Orders have been received here from Washington that a court of inquiry into the general conduct of affairs in Samar be held. General Smith claims that, to the best of his belief, the officers and men of his command in Samar had to face insurmountable difficulties; that the hardships they encountered were almost unbearable and that the treachery of the natives of the land is unequalled in the history of warfare.

   He says that the American soldiers acted in the circumstances with the greatest forbearance shown in the war in the Philippines.

   "Campaigning in Samar is not a pleasure trip, but a stern reality," said General Smith. He also expressed doubt if the troops of any nation in the world would or could have acted in the circumstances in Samar as well as did the Americans.

 

PAGE FOUR—EDITORIAL.

Concerning Municipal Ownership.

   A recent number of The Electrical Review devotes nearly two pages to an account of the proceedings of the common council of the city of Worcester, Mass., in relation to the proposed municipal ownership of the electric light plant. An agitation sprung up there to have the city buy the plant and considerable pressure was brought to bear upon the common council looking toward that end. The common council proceeded to look into the matter and appointed a committee for that purpose, authorizing it to take any steps necessary and to incur any needful expenses to get at the facts.

   The first thing was to see what other cities were doing. Taunton is about the size of Worcester and its needs were about the same. Taunton has bought its own plant. It had been able to operate it for about the same figure it had been paying to a private corporation, but the plant had been deteriorating on its hands and it needs to spend $50,000 on it at once to bring it up to the state of required efficiency.

   The cities of Boston and Springfield had both investigated the same matter with the idea of owning their own plants, and both had decided adversely, and had concluded to pay for the service received and let a private company furnish it.

   Finally turning attention to their own city they ascertained that it would cost the city $275,000 to operate the plant under municipal control, and the total business of the electric light company the previous year, including what the city had paid it for service had amounted to but $236,000, or $39,000 less than the cost of operation would require. One point which made this difference was that the city is powerless to employ its men more than eight hours a day. The private company employs its men ten hours a day. The city would need to add 25 per cent at once to its pay roll to accomplish the same results.

   The committee finally made its report and laid the facts before the common council, and that body decided not to take any steps toward municipal ownership.

   The Electrical Review commenting upon this report says editorially: "The peculiar hallucination of municipal ownership seems to afflict communities in this country periodically. Probably there is no city of between 10,000 and 100,000 inhabitants which has not already undergone at least one period of agitation in favor of municipal ownership of electric lighting plants. Cities afflicted with the agitation recover their senses after a time slowly, if the plant is not erected very swiftly and repentantly if it is.''

   Cortland has never begun to consider municipal ownership of its electric light plant, though it did have a slight spasm looking toward its water plant before the new contract was submitted and adopted. Homer, however, has got a taste that way. It will soon own its water plant, thanks to the generosity of two of its residents, and it claims to be planning to experiment a little with lighting. It would probably be well for Cortland to go slow and watch the experiment in our neighboring village, for it seems to be generally conceded that a private company can carry on its own business more economically than a municipality.

 

Julia E. Hyatt.

Cortland Hospital on North Main Street.

THE CORTLAND HOSPITAL.

Running Behind Financially—Proposition to Close the Doors.

   At the special meeting of the board of managers of the Cortland hospital, at 3 o'clock this afternoon at the home of the president, Mrs. Julia E. Hyatt, the proposition to close the hospital indefinitely will be discussed. If the board of managers conclude upon this course, the city of Cortland will be without any public institution for the care and refuge of the sick or injured of the community.

   Mrs. Hyatt stated today that the average income of the hospital is about $80 per month less than the expenses for the same period of time. This is why $1,000 per year had been asked of the common council, as this amount would make up the deficit and the hospital could then get along without assistance from individuals. The president stated that the board of managers had worked for a long time to pay for the buildings and lot, and now that they have these all paid for and have used what money they have on hand to pay up deficits to the present time they do not feel like eating into the property to keep the institution running. Upon this basis they would have to close sooner or later, and Mrs. Hyatt believes in closing with the property still in hand.

   The income of the hospital is received from patients and the work of the nurses in caring for sick outside of the institution. Many of the patients that are treated at the hospital are charity patients, and thus the revenue obtained is not as great as the expenses incurred.

   It is thought that if the city would appropriate each year enough to cover the expenses of the charity patients the other expenses could be met by the association. The expense of conducting the hospital is, without any doubt, much less under the present administration of affairs than it would be if under the control of the city.

 

FIRST WAR MEETING.

Forty-First Anniversary Occurred Last Saturday Night.

FLAG FOR THE FIRST COMPANY

Now in Possession of George W. Edgcomb, Who Will Present It to the New Museum When it is Ready to Receive It—The Old Days Recalled.

   To the Editor of The Standard:

   Sir—The first war meeting held in Cortland took place in the courthouse on Saturday evening, April 20, 1861, forty-one years ago yesterday. This was in response to the first call of President Lincoln for 75,000 troops to put down the rebellion that had already commenced in the firing on Fort Sumter April 12.

   The first regiment to reach Washington was the Sixth Massachusetts which was attacked on April 19, by a mob of southern sympathizers while passing through Baltimore and the first blood of the civil war had been shed.

   The meeting referred to was presided over by the Hon. Horatio Ballard and was full of patriotic excitement. Volunteers were called for and several responded. This was followed by other meetings almost nightly and soon a company was formed with Martin C. Clark as captain, known as company H, Twenty-third regiment New York, Volunteers, which included myself.

   We left Cortland May 9. On our way to the depot we halted at the courthouse where, from the steps of that building a silk flag was presented to the company by Prof. N. Mighill of the Cortlandville academy, in behalf of the ladies of Cortland.

   We went to Elmira, one of the state rendezvous for troops, and while waiting for our barracks to be built, were quartered in Beecher's church, a small wooden building, where from the gallery our flag was displayed. We were very proud of it. It is in my possession today and I will be glad to present it to a museum for relics when such an institution shall have been formed in our city.

   Geo. W. Edgcomb, April 21, 1902.

 

CORSET CITY HOSE CO.

The New Name for W. J. Buchanan Hose Co.

   At a meeting of W. J. Buchanan Hose Co. held Saturday evening final action was taken upon the subject of name and it was voted to change to Corset City Hose Co. This is the end of a matter that has been considered for some time, as the change had been recommended by Mr. Buchanan and the trustees of the company, who had discussed the matter in an entirely friendly manner.

   A motion to place Mr. Buchanan's name first upon the honorary list and that a committee be named to draw up suitable resolutions to be presented to Mr. Buchanan was unanimously carried.

   This company was organized Oct. 2, 1894, and was incorporated March 16, 1897. It owns its cart, uniforms and furniture and has fine rooms on the first floor of the village building.

   It is a member Of the State Firemen's association as well as of the Central New York Volunteer Firemen's association.

   At Auburn in 1900 it captured the first prize as the best appearing company in line out of forty-five. As many of these companies were from large towns this company justly felt proud of the honor.

   On account of the reorganization of the fire department it was decided that the number would have to be changed to 2 instead of 1, as there were two No. 1 companies. The company is now Corset City Hose Co., No. 2.

 

BREVITIES.

   —Photographer Butler has a very tasty display of water colors in his show case in front of the studio.

   —The Cortland Garbage company has placed a closed box wagon on the streets for the collection of garbage.

   —There will be a regular meeting of the Modern Woodmen of America at G. A. R. hall on Wednesday evening, April 23, at 8 o'clock.

   —The Loyal Circle of Kings Daughters will meet Tuesday, April 22, at 3 o'clock at the home of Mrs. W. D. Tisdale, 111 Port Watson-st.

   —The Normal school opened this morning after the spring vacation of one week. The early trains were crowded with students returning to take up their school duties again.

   —Word has been received of the death of Edith, the little daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Thomas S. Haupt of Tyrone, Pa. Mrs. Haupt was formerly Miss Jessie Colledge of this city.

   —The Howell Bible class of the First Baptist church will hold a reunion and banquet at the church parlors tonight. Ladies are invited and about 250 people are expected to be present.

   —New display advertisements today are—City Cycle Co., Bicycles, page 7: New York Store, Millinery, dry goods, etc., page 8; Sager & Jennings, Paints, etc., page 7; J. W. Cudworth, "Optical Talks," page 7; Warren, Tanner & Co., Shirt waists, etc., page 3.