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| SMS Vineta. |
Cortland Evening Standard, Saturday, December 13, 1902.
THREATEN TO BOMBARD.
Foreign Residents of Puerto Cabello Seek Refuge
ON CRUISERS OF THE ALLIES.
Crisis is Regarded Less Serious in London—President Castro's Request For Arbitration Well Received—Venezuelan Consuls in Europe Think United States Will Intervene.
London, Dec. 13.—A dispatch to the Daily Mail from Willemstadt, Curacao, dated Dec. 11, says that the foreign residents of Puerto Cabello are taking refuge on board the German cruiser Vineta and the British cruiser Ariadne, and that the vessels are threatening to bombard the port.
WILL NOT ENTER INTERIOR.
All German Action Will Be Confined to the Seacoast.
London, Dec. 13.—The Venezuelan crisis is regarded less seriously here this morning. Lord Lansdowne's speech is held to show that the situation is in no way alarming, and although the opinion is expressed that President Castro's reported request for arbitration has come too late, this step on his part is welcomed as a proof of his anxiety to withdraw from his position.
The morning newspapers express various opinions as to the arbitration proposals but there is a general agreement that if by a guarantee made by the United States or by other means Venezuela could be bound to carry out an award no reason exists why Great Britain should refuse to consent to arbitration. It is believed, however, that neither Great Britain nor Germany is likely to accept the arbitration proposal.
Statements attributed to the consuls and other representatives of Venezuela in European cities all betray a stronger feeling against Germany than against Great Britain as well as reliance upon the United States to prevent any Anglo-German invasion of Venezuela. The Venezuelan consul at Genoa is credited with the assertion that the armed intervention of the United States would be certain to follow immediately such invasion.
A dispatch from Berlin to the Morning Post says the British commander in Venezuelan waters will as senior officer, in the future direct, all joint action by the Anglo-German fleet after having consulted with Commodore Schroder, the German commander.
Germany has no intention of sending a force to the interior of Venezuela. All German action, according to the correspondent, will be confined to the coast.
PAGE FOUR—EDITORIAL.
Rights of Labor Unions.
In this age few, if any, right-minded and intelligent persons will deny the right of labor to organize for its own protection and benefit. This right is as clear and indisputable as the right of capital to do the same. Neither can the right of an organization of laborers to work or to refuse to work, or to say with whom they will or will not work, be successfully questioned. When a labor organization, however, declares that non-union laborers shall not sell their labor in the open market and seeks to prevent, by threats or violence, such laborers from working when, how and for whom they please, it goes beyond its rights and makes itself a foe of public peace and order and a lawless assailant of individual rights. Peaceable persuasion is all right, but forcible compulsion, never. Even labor leaders are driven to admit the correctness of this position, while claiming that unorganized labor has not the moral right to accept work in opposition to organized labor on strike. The truth in the matter has never been better or more pointedly put than by Archbishop Ireland at a recent meeting of the Civic Federation in New York City. A newspaper report of the meeting says:
Archbishop Ireland took a hand in the discussion of Mr. Gompers' speech. Reverting to that part if which Mr. Gompers tried to show that a laborer should not be permitted to work if by so doing he was injuring organized laborers, who would be more in numbers than himself, the Archbishop said:
Mr. Gompers seemed to distinguish and did distinguish between the legal right of each one to sell his labor and the moral right. Well, admitting the distinction and saying that the union did not deny the legal right, but did deny the moral right, I would ask whose business is it—the business of the state or the business of unions or of individuals to enforce what they believe to be the moral right?
For instance, the unions believe that independent workers have not the moral right to sell their labor in opposition to the union labor. Very well. Admit that, for arguments sake.
Will the unions be willing to leave to the state the punishment of moral wrong on the part of non-union laborers, or will the unions take it into their own hands to discourage moral wrong and to prevent non-union laborers from selling their labor? [Applause.]
The enforcement of that is a question as to which you could, Mr. Gompers, possibly clarify the atmosphere.
Mr. Gompers—Every association, when formed, establishes for itself a system of ethics.
Archbishop Ireland--I think I understand Mr. Gompers. Of course every association has the right to establish its own code of ethics, that is true. For instance, every church establishes its own creed, or rather puts forth a creed that is its own, but not every church has the right to go out in the streets and the public places and say "If you don't come to my code of ethics, well, I'll hit you," [Laughter.]
THE SUPERVISORS
Apportion State and County Taxes and Adjourn.
WILL MEET AGAIN WEDNESDAY.
Question on Preble Appeal Costs—Total State Tax Only $2,439.81—School Commissioners' Expenses Apportioned.
At the session of the [Cortland County] board of supervisors Friday afternoon Mr. Hunt moved that the action of the board in auditing the bill of Kellogg & Van Hoesen for defending the Preble tax appeal be reconsidered. Mr. Hunt claimed that the bill, which was for $1,398.07, if audited by the board would invalidate the whole tax list, in that the law gives the state tax commissioners the authority to fix the costs of the proceedings, in an amount not less than $3,000. The expenses were allowed by the state board at $2,000, and he contended that more than this amount could not be raised. The tax commissioners fixed the fees of the attorneys on both sides at $500 each.
The matter was made a special order for 3 o clock, and at that time the motion to reconsider was voted down. Preble it is said will contest the matter.
The committee to apportion the state tax reported the following:
On motion of Mr. Peck:
Resolved, That the board hereby ascertains and directs the sum of $27,851.29, consisting of the following amounts, to be levied in the city of Cortland for state and county purposes, and that the chairman and clerk of the board certify this resolution to the common council of said city, pursuant to Sec. 183 of the charter of said city:
State tax for canals, $543.21
State tax for stenographer, $323.71
County tax, $17,447.77
Maintenance of poor, $226.65
City's share of bonded indebtedness of former town of Cortlandville—$9,157.39
Election expenses, $59.04
City's proportion of railroad commissioner's bills, $73.00
City's proportion of bill of Kellogg & Van Hoesen, $20.32
Total $27,851.29
At 10 o'clock this morning the board adjourned until Wednesday, Dec. 17, at 10 o'clock.
CORTLAND COMMON COUNCIL.
Make Up Tax Budget for the Coming Year.
THE RATE THIS YEAR WILL BE $1.66.
Last Year it Was $ 1.68—the Total Amount to be Raised is $92,768.10—Each of City Funds Gets Practically What Was Asked For.
The common council met last evening at the office of the city clerk to make up the tax budget for the coming year. The amount to be raised for the several funds was fixed at 55,486.81, for principal and interest on bonded indebtedness, $9,430. The amount certified by the board of supervisors to be raised for state and county taxes was $27,851.29, making a total amount to be raised of $92,768.10. In order to do this the rate of taxation must be $1.66 on $100. The rate last year was $1.68.
The amount to be given each of the city funds is as follows:
General City, $4,000.00
School, $18,600.00
Poor, $1,500
Police, $4,600.00
Fire, $3,500.00
Lighting, $8,813.31
Water, $5,000.00
Public works, $9,473.50
Total $55,486.81
Aside from the amount given the public works fund the tax on bank stock of $5,526.50 is to be credited to that fund, which with the $9,473.50 as given above, will make a total of $15,000 for the use of the board of public works.
Each of the city funds got practically what was asked for, and it is believed by the common council that the amount to be raised will nearly, if not entirely, wipe out the deficits of the different departments.
The total valuation of the city upon the assessment roll is $6,146,671.92. The bank stock valuation is $558,231.92, leaving $5,588,440, upon which is to be raised the sum of $92,768.10.
WAS PLAYING SNOWBALL
Albert Knapp Finds Himself in Trouble and Goes to Jail.
Albert Knapp of Little York got into a peck of trouble yesterday afternoon by indulging in a seemingly harmless game of snowball with about fifty school boys on Main-st. He had taken drinks enough to make him feel happy, and the harder the lads pelted him the more he enjoyed it. Several women upon the street, however, could not see so much fun in the game, and when Knapp made a rush for the lads they picked up their skirts and ran in any direction to get away.
Knapp was arrested here last April on the same charge, and upon taking a solemn vow to let whiskey alone and to send $3 to pay a fine, he was given his freedom. When Chief Barnes saw the game of snowball yesterday, he recognized Knapp and arrested him at once.
This morning in city court Knapp was told by the court that his presence had long been desired and that confidence in his final coming had been felt. He said that he had not forgotten his indebtedness to the court, but he had not possessed the money to pay the fine. He addressed the judge as "boy."
Knapp said that he did not think there was any harm in snow-balling with the boys. He pleaded guilty and was given 30 days in jail. He did not grasp the situation, but seemed to think that the sentence was all for snow-balling with the boys. He said that he was once sent to the penitentiary for six months for stealing one chicken. He thought that, too, was a pretty hard sentence for the number of chickens he took.
BREVITIES.
—The Lehigh Valley railroad company has issued an extremely pretty engraved 1903 calendar.
—The Clionian society of the Normal school initiated eight new members last evening.
—The Y. M. C. A. basket ball team has gone to Ithaca and will play the Cornell university team there tonight.
—The W. C. T. U. parlor meeting which was to have been held at Philo Mead's, 8 Copeland-ave., this evening, has been postponed until Monday evening.
—The Political Equality club will meet at the home of Mrs. Julia Hyatt, Monday at 3 p. m. A full attendance is desired as the study of our city charter will be commenced.
—Binghamton capitalists have purchased 3,000 acres of coal land in Virginia and will begin work on their purchase in a short time. The land is said to be underlaid with anthracite coal of superior quality.
—The new display advertisements today are—M. W. Giles, Holiday goods, page 7; Bingham & Miller, Formal opening of Holiday goods, page 7; C. F. Brown, Christmas presents, page 5; Warren, Tanner & Co., Christmas suggestions, page 6.
—The Oneida tax rate for the coming year will be $2.35 on each $100 of property. Cortland's rate, as made out last evening by the common council, is $1.66 on the same amount, or a lower rate by $.69. Oneida was made a city soon after Cortland's city charter was adopted.
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