Bewnaiflim |
Demir
EEE ER,
INK SLINGS.
—So far as helping the Governor is
concerned that’s what the Legislature
is doing everything but.
—Why does it so frequently happen
that the man who takes the longest
belt usually requires the smalles hat?
—If winter doésn’t stop this linger-
ing in the lap of spring let us hope
that summer will make it hot for her.
—Twas midnight in the cellar
And dad was in a stew;
‘Cause Johnny ate the raisins
Stored up for his home brew.
—Jess Willard did come back. How
long he will stay will be determined
entirely by the amiability of his next
ring host.
—Judging from the way the early
fruit came through last week’s freeze
we must be gradually developing blos-
soms and buds of the anti-freeze vari-
ety.
— Always we thought it was: “La-
dies first.” Yet up in Canada, where
they had a man and woman to hang,
they led the man to the gallows first
in order to be polite to the lady.
— Wednesday we ate new onions out
of our own garden and thought sum-
mer was here sure. But yesterday
winter set in again and we've about
given up hope of ever needing an ice
cream suit again. .
—The wreck of the London to Paris
air express, with the loss of six lives,
two prominent Americans among
them, convinces us all the more of the
wisdom of keeping one’s feet on the
ground; there’s more of a chance to
pick a soft place to land on.
—And now Harrisburg announces
that it is going to take twenty million
dollars in new revenue to “clean up
the mess” at the capitol. Aren’t we
the boobs, fellow tax payer? Didn’t
we have an idea that Gif. told us last
fall that he was going to clean it up
for nothing?
—And they used to lay all the
crimes of youth to the “dime novels.”
Why one of our modern automobile
bandits makes the escapades of the
James boys, Nick Carter and Jeppo
the Hunchback read like they must
have been mere frolics at a Sunday
school picnic.
— Berlin is still insisting that the
residents of the Ruhr get themselves
into as much trouble as possible, but
Berlin is far away, from the land of
the French occupation and suffers
naught from it. Always there must
‘be simps enough to pull chestnuts out
of the fire for others.
—France says she is going to stay
in the Ruhr until she is paid. Bully
for France. In theory she is all right,
‘but we fear she’ll spend so much
‘maintaining, herself in the Ruhr that
.can’t pay any more than she has offer-
«ed France will be the greater loser.
—By decisive votes the Legislature
sent the gasoline, surtax and luxury
‘tax proposals into the discard on Mon-
.day night. Now they’ll have to start
all over to find something on which to
raise revenue or quit and come home;
leaving the Governor with a great
.debt to pay, a government to run and
no funds to do it with. And we have
a suspicion that that’s just the game
the Legislature is playing.
—Talking about a sugarless Mon-
day and sugar rations to bring down
the cost of that commodity, has any
one stopped to consider what a cessa-
tion in the manufacture of candy for
one week might do. Since the war
and since the country went dry we be-
lieve there is fully twice as much, if
not more, candy, ice cream and soft
drinks consumed in this country as
before. The consumption of sugar
for all of these is very great and may
have as much to do with the climbing
cost as the much talked of specula-
tion.
—1If all the governmental atrocities
that are being perpetrated in Alaska
are true the President is likely to have
a lot of anxious moments when he vis-
its that outlying territory during the
summer. For years we have been
reading of the subjection and exploita-
tion of Alaska by great financial in-
‘terests in the States, all of which seem
to have been fostered by the red tape
and isolation of governmental opera-
tions there. So that if Mr. Harding
expects the trip to be a pleasant one
we fear he is doomed to disappoint-
ment.
—The inroads that Dan Cupid and
other devastators will make in the
corps of teachers in the Bellefonte
public schools this summer will be
viewed by many as a distinct disaster.
While all of them have been wonder-
fully capable in their branches three
of them hold an unique position in the
field of local educational endeavor and
we doubt whether successors can be
found who will hold the love of the
«children and inspire the confidence of |
the patrons as these three young |
women have done in Bellefonte for
some years.
—On Wednesday the Legislature
passed all of the hospital appropria-
tion bills, as they had been reported
out of committee, but as they are in
considerable excess of the funds avail-
able for charity purposes and the Gov-
ernor has already indicated his inten-
tion of cutting everything to the bone
they are very much in the same posi-
tion as the fellow who is all dressed
up and has no place to go. The Belle-
fonte hospital is on the list for $16,-
500.00 for the two years which is
$2,500.00 short of what it got two
STATE RIGHTS
AND FEDERAL UNION.
NO. 20.
VOL. 68.
Democrats True to Form.
The Democratic Representatives in
the Legislature fulfilled their obliga-
tions to the people and the party by
voting with practical unanimity
against the increase of taxation.
They stood almost solidly against
the increase of the tax on to-
bacco. They assumed the impreg-
nable position that there is no ne-
cessity for increased taxation at this
time, and that it is unjust to put ad-
ditional burdens upon the people al-
ready groaning under the weight of
excessive taxes. They wisely ex-
pressed a willingness to equalize taxes
by placing a fair share upon the man-
ufacturing corporations who pay noth-
ing except a contribution to party
corruption funds for the protection
given them by the State government.
In the discussion of the subject, on
the floor of the House on Monday
evening, Representative Rhodes, floor
leader of the minority, accurately de-
clared the Democratic attitude. “Gov-
ernor Pinchot campaigned last fall on
a platform of economy, efficiency and
no new taxation,” he said, “and now
confusion reigns on the tax problem
and from the Governor down we have
had nothing concrete on revenue.”
Representative Sarig, of Berks coun-
ty, was equally incisive. “It is an at-
tempt,” he stated, “to place the bur-
den of taxation on those who would
emit the least amount of squeaking.
What is planned here,” he continued,
“js to place the tax on the fellow who
is helpless and who is unable to pre-
sent organized opposition.” That is
the exact situation.
. As the “Watchman” has frequently
asserted, there is no public need for
additional taxation at this time. It is
true that there isa shameful financial
mess at Harrisburg, the fruit of crim-
it can be cleaned up within a compar-
atively brief period by economizing in
administration and applying honest
and practical methods in discharging
the business of the Commonwealth.
In the nearly five months of the pres-
ent administration not a single step
has been taken to accomplish this re-
sult in this simple way. Not one of
the redundant offices has been abol-
ished nor has a single surplus official
election the Governor solemnly prom-
ised these reforms; “made to the ear
they are broken to the hope.”
The proposed increased taxes are
not needed for the roads, the schools
or the hospitals. No additional reve-
nue is required to meet the commer-
cial, industrial or charity obligations
of the State. But the sum of twenty
millions of dollars is needed for po-
litical purposes. Governor Pinchot has
become obsessed with an absurd ambi-
tion to be President and imagines that
with that amount of additional reve-
nue he may achieve results in a couple
of years which will mark him as a sort
of super-administrator and thus rec-
ommend him to the next Republican
National convention as an available
candidate. It is a well laid scheme,
but we can see no reason why the peo-
ple of Pennsylvania should be taxed
to the amount of twenty millions to
carry it out.
President Harding’s Big Trip.
The itinerary for President Hard-
ing’s western trip has been arranged,
according to Washington news dis-
patches, and he is now engaged in pre-
paring his speeches. The objective
point of his trip is Alaska, where he
will spend a few weeks in observa-
tions, and during the period of his ab-
sence from Washington he will deliver
twelve prepared speeches. These the
news writets tell the public will take
the form of “a report to the American
people on the stewardship with which
he was intrusted two years ago,” and
also “an outline of the future policies
of his administration.”
His first speech will be delivered at
St. Louis and will present his views
on the proposal for membership in the
permanent Court of International Jus-
tice. In his message to the Senate
just before the close of the last Con-
gress, and his subsequent speech in
New York, he has probably said all he
has to say on that subject, unless the
opposition has forced him into a re-
versal of his opinions.
speeches he will endeavor to discuss
i subjects of loeal interest to his audi-
ences, and as he is a skilfull phrase
maker, he will probably make a strong
appeal to the favor of those in attend-
ance.
Of course the pretense that the trip
is not an electioneering enterprise is
all bosh. Ever since Andrew Johnson
made the circuit nearly sixty years
ago Presidents aspiring to second
terms have made similar trips, and it
is worthy of remark that most of them
have been disappeinted in the results.
The experience of Benjamin Harrison
and William H. Taft, men infinitely
more capable, come to mind and might
have served as admonitions. But in
any event Harding will cut a good fig-
ure and make a pleasing impression
years ago. If the Governor puts a
cut on this reduction, it’s up to us to
make up the deficit.
on the public mind during his long
journey, and we cordially hope it will
litical purposes. Governor Pinchot has
been dismissed.” Tn his eampaign for
In the other
i Governor Pinchot is about to take
‘the Old Guard bull by the horns, ac-
cording to the Harrisburg correspond-
'ent of the esteemed Philadelphia Pub-
'lic Ledger. The Public Ledger is very
‘friendly to the Governor and exceed-
‘ingly anxious that he shall have his
‘own way in everything concerning offi-
"cial and political life at the State cap-
itol. “For a long time,” writes the
' correspondent, “many of Mr. Pinchot’s
“friends have been slightly out of pa-
tience with him because of his appar-
ent complacent submission to the
'slings and arrows of an outraged or-
ganization, which to all appearance is
intent upon destroying him in the pub-
lic confidence and shattering the plat-
‘form with which he drove its leaders
into the slough of defeat.”
Just where these signs of sympathy
with the Governor’s purposes have re-
vealed themselves to the correspond-
ent is left to conjecture, but they are
probably most conspicuous in the ex-
ecutive offices at Harrisburg. In any
event, however, the cause of them
will be removed in the near future, for
though the Governor has not been in-
clined “to be rough or to seek the
destruction of men not in sympathy
‘with his ideals and aspirations,” he
has finally decided “to use the ax and
'use it where it will be most effective.”
This is really interesting information.
It will encourage the public to hope
for better things, and there is great
need for better things in Harrisburg.
It must be admitted that the rotten
mess that existed has become more
‘putrid since Pinchot assumed control.
{ It can hardly be said that Senator
Max Leslie is the head of the Old
Guard, but according to the Ledger’s
correspondent he is the main stick in
the woodpile into which the Pinchot
‘ax is to be plunged in the near future.
“Mr. Pinchot has been pushed just as
far as he proposes to be pushed,” de-
clares the correspondent, and Senator
Max Leslie and certain of his col-
leagues who are fighting the adminis-
trative code and other administration
bills undoubtedly will awaken to that
fact right soon.” Senator Shantz,
Senator Craig and Senator Sisson are
equally culpable, while Senators Daix
and Vare, of Philadelphia, are guilty
“in somewhat lesser degree.” ‘In this
purpose the Governor has the whole-
hearted ‘sympathy of the public.
“More power to his elbow” and “let
heads fall where they may.”
| ——At his “home-coming celebra-
tion” Uncle Joe Cannon declared that
he “wants to retire from public life
and live in seclusion.” Well, he is re-
tired all right and the manner of his
future life depends upon himself.
Enormous Cost of Roads.
The maintenance of the highways
of the State will cost twenty-eight
million dollars a year, according to a
statement made by Highway Commis-
sioner Wright to the committee on
roads of the House of Representatives
the other day. Of this sum $4,000,-
000 will be for general repairs, $1,-
500,000 for bituminous treatment of
| stone roads, $5,500,000 for resurfac-
iing stone roads, $5,000,000 for replac-
‘ing stone roads, $750,000 for replac-
ing guard rails at dangerous points,
$550,000 for widening roads, $500,000
‘for repairing and replacing bridges,
$200,000 for oiling earth roads, $250,-
000 for maintaining State-aid roads,
and $1,600,000 for overhead charges
on maintenance operations.
, In addition to these items of ex-
pense there will be disbursed by the
Highway Department for expenses of
the automobile division the sum of
$600,000, for maintenance of equip-
‘ment $400,000, for maintenance of
borough roads on state highway: sys-
tem, $1,750,000, for township rewards
1$1,000,000, for the elimination of
grade crossings $1,500,000 and for con-
‘struction to meet federal aid, $3,000,-
000. The estimate on the replacement
of stone roads is for a twenty-five
year program and that for replacing
guard rails at dangerous points for a
four year program. It is an ambitious
as well as an expensive undertaking
and when the cost of construction is
added it is actually stunning.
Every thoughtful citizen, man or
woman, in the Commonwealth favors
good roads, and most of them will con-
cur in the opinion that even so great
a sum is wisely disbursed if it is hon-
estly spent. But it is a matter of rec-
lord that road construction and main-
‘tenance costs from thirty to fifty per
cent. more in Pennsylvania than in
Ohio, New York and New Jersey.
Therefore if the program of Highway
Commissioner Wright contemplates
the continuance of the profligacy in-
dulged in in the past, the people will
have a just right to complain and they
will complain not only loudly but long.
The people of Centre county would be
glad to get assurance from some
source that extravagance is ended.
——— na ——
——The present session of the Leg-
islature threatens to be the longest in
the history of the State. It has al-
BELLEFONTE, PA., MAY 18, 1923.
| Pinchot Getting Ready to Strike.
Lodge Hamstrings Harding.
Senator Lodge, of Massachusetts,
and his associate bitter-enders are
preparing to ham-string President
Harding’s plan to join the Internation-
al Court of Justice as they defeated
Woodrow Wilson’s effort to put this
country into the League of Nations.
Their scheme is to so hamper the
movement with reservations as to
alienate its friends in Congress, and in
the event of failure of that malicious
purpose, to make it impossible for the
court to accept the conditions. These
lobbyists for war material makers and
profiteers are determined to keep the
ways open for recurring wars and
they oppose any measure or movement
that promises permanent world peace.
The International Court of Justice,
which has been functioning success-
fully for nearly three years, is a fea-
ture of the League of Nations. Its
members are chosen by the assembly
of the League and its deliberations
are under the authority of the League.
The war lobbyists of the Senate have
determined to change this method of
procedure, if the United States be-
comes a member. One of the reserva-
tions which they propose is that “fu-
ture vacancies among the judges or
oaaty judges of the permanent Court
of International Justice shall be filled
by the nations, members of the court,
acting severally and independently,
each sovereign nation having an equal
vote in such selection.”
The sane and sensible method of
joining the court would have been to
follow the example of the other na-
tions participating in it, that is to say,
without reservations or conditions of
any kind. But as that seems to be im-
possible the protocol prepared by Sec-
retary Hughes and President Harding
might have been accepted as “a step
in the right direction.” In the future
such alterations might be made in the
conditions as would have brought
them within the range of reason. But
the envious and malignant Lodge im-
agines that would be gratifying to
Woodrow Wilson and he insists on
conditions that will not be accepted
by the Democrats in Congress or the
Court itself.
+.—The cold weather of last week
and the succession” of hard frosts
which prevailed for a number of morn-
ings has not materially damaged the
fruit crop in Centre county, according
to fruit growers who have examined
the plum, early cherry and peach
trees. If the weather man is kind and
sends no more killing frosts there
should be an abundance of all kinds
of fruit, as the trees were all heavily
laden with blossoms.
ef ements
——We may look for promises of
tax reduction and assurances of public
debt decreases at frequent intervals
from now until after the Presidential
election. Some politicians imagine
such statements are valuable.
— If Germany would try half as
hard to meet her obligations under the
Versailles treaty as she does to avoid
payment of just debts she would have
no trouble in getting French troops
out of the Ruhr valley.
——Whether Ambassador Harvey is
home for good or only on a visit a
good many thoughtful people will feel
easier while he is on this side.
——Some of those now striving to
keep foreigners out of the country
would not be in themselves if their
daddies had been kept out.
President Harding would be
perfectly willing to go into any inter-
national agreement if he had the priv-
ilege of starting it first.
——Interpreted literally Governor
Pinchot’s latest threat against the ma-
chine leaders looks like a cordial invi-
tation to negotiate.
Mother’s day might have af-
forded greater enjoyment to many a
worthy woman if wash day hadn’t fol-
lowed so closely.
—Possibly Old Glory is a trifle
out of proportions, artistically speak-
ing, but it “looks good” to most of us,
notwithstanding.
——A combination of strong legs
and weak minds ought to guarantee a
successful marathon dancer.
——Germany’s thirty billion gold
marks look like thirty cents to Presi-
dent Poincare, of France.
— After all it must be admitted
that Jupiter Pluvius is the champion
forest fire extinguisher.
—A law declaring gathering dande-
lion blossoms a misdemeanor might
help some.
——The straw hat and May temper-
ature are equally behind time this
afford him all the enjoyment possible. ready proved to be the most worthless. year.
stan
Reparations and War Debts.
From the Philadelphia Record.
Some time ago French statesmen
proposed that if the indemnity from
Germany were reduced the war obli-
gations of France to this country and
Great Britain should be reduced. The
same proposition is now reported from
Paris to be a part of the government
plan, though it is not formally and of-
ficially Set forth,
The substance of this is that France
does not care who pays the indemnity,
so long as it is paid. If America and
England are willing to pay a part of it
Germany may be released from a por-
tion of its pecuniary penalty. Our
government has stated very definitely
that it will not allow the indemnity
on the war debts to be thus connect-
ed. :
We are not pressing France for pay-
ment, or even for settlement, but as
Great Britain has very readily entered
into arrangements with this country
for the discharge of its debt to us over
a period of 62 years it is naturally as-
sumed that in due time France will do
the same. We have waived any claim
to a part of the indemnity, and we de-
cline to wipe out a part of the French
debt in consideration of France’s as-
sent to a reduction of the fine impos-
ed upon Germany. The two matters
have got to be considered separately
and on their respective merits.
But the fundamental question is
what Germany can pay and whether
the indemnity shall be collected by
France, irrespective of its Allies, or
by the nations that won the war. The
British Chancellor of the Exchequer
tells the House of Commons that the
government regretted the precipitan-
cy of the Franco-Belgian reply and
that it believes Italy is in accord with
England, and the government “regret-
ted the loss of an opportunity once
more to testify to the solidarity of the
Allies by a joint communication to
Germany.”
Undoubtedly Germany is hoping to
escape a good deal of the payment.
Its chance of doing this depends chief-
ly on a division of the ‘Allies. France
ignores the nations that rescued it in
the world war and England and Italy
observe this indication of the impair-
ed solidarity of the Allies. ‘The moral
effect upon Germany of a joint reply
of the Allies would have been vastly
greater than that of the reply of
France alone. That moral effect has
been defeated by the action of France
in replying with only the joint action
of Belgium. Germany’s hopes that
prevent the Ruhr situation from kind-
ling another war are stimulated by
the fact that France acted alone and
England and Italy regretted it.
_ America has only the warmest feel
ings for France, and it may pursue a
| generous course regarding the war
debt. But it is not to be coerced into
wiping out the French debt, or else
putting the screws upon Germany, by
the effort of France to connect the
war debt with German reparations.
mm———— teams
A Shrine Worth Preserving.
From the Doylestown Democrat.
The nation-wide movement to raise
a million dollars to be expended in the
purchase, the restoration and the fu-
ture preservation of Monticello, the
home of Thomas Jefferson, deserves
the full support of every subject of
the nation regardless of political pref-
erence or personal prejudice.
Monticello, situated near the city of
Charlottesville and overlooking one of
the fairest of Virginia's valleys, is one
of the noblest and most historic es-
tates in America. In some respects
the house and its immediate natural
environs are more impressive than
Mount Vernon itself, and that is say-
ing a good deal. In a modest ceme-
tery near the entrance to the estate
reposes the dust of the famous Amer-
ican. A simple shaft bears his name,
but the inscription makes no refer-
ence whatever to the fact of his hav-
ing been a President of the United
States, although the epitaph explicitly
states that Jefferson founded the Uni-
versity of Virginia, wrote the Decla-
ration of Independence and was the
author of a Bill of Rights.
The most noted men of Jefferson’s
day were guests at Monticello at one
time or another—the great Lafayette
among them. Unfortunately, with
such a generous heart was its hospi-
tality dispensed by the master of the
estate that he bankrupted himself and
the place became destined to pass out
of family ownership shortly after his
death.
_ The political controversies and par-
tisan excesses of that dramatic act of
our national play in which Jefferson
assumed the leading role is of secon-
dary interest at this time. The in-
herent greatness of those who were
making history then is of primary im-
portance and affords unending inter-
est to succeeding generations. That
of Thomas Jefferson is one of “the
few, the immortal names that were
not born to die.”
Lost Confidence in Governor.
From the Clearfield Republican.
Explaining his change of front on
the question of knocking Pinchot’s
$250,000 spy fund from the General
Appropriations bill, Representative
Alexander said, “I. have lost confi-
dence in the Governor.” So will every
other red-blooded man or woman who
gets close to Gifford, and has the op-
portunity of taking his actual mental
measure. The only kind he will im-
press and who will likely stay impress-
ed, are the direct opposites of the red-
blooded species of humankind.
ce ——— pn ——
—Get your job work done here.
—During a heavy thunder storm at Al-
lentown, one night last week, Ammon Lat-
timore, a member of the police force, was
struck by lightning as he was running for
shelter from the downpour of rain. He
was thrown fifteen feet and badly injured.
—A man who breaks his father’s jaw is
deserving of no sympathy from the court,
said Judge Edwards, of Scranton, on Sat-
urday, as he imposed a sentence of two
years in the eastern penitentiary on Les-
ter Shafer, 30 years old, who admitted a
vicious attack upon his parent.
—A sentence totaling twenty-four years
was imposed by Judge Potter, of Colum-
bia county, on George Jacobs, 50 years old,
who recently robbed Captain Raub, of the
Salvation Army, of $50. Jacobs had been
paroled from the eastern penitentiary,
through Raub’s efforts, when he was serv-
ing time for another robbery.
—The mysterious disappearance of ap-
proximately 100 young chickens from the
premises of Marion Ruskowski, of Nanti-
coke, in the heart of the town, was solved
last Saturday when the poultry fancier
shot a full-grown raccoon prowling about
his hennery. The animal had wandered
down into town from the mountains, about
half a mile away.
—Romeyn Henry Rivenburg, assistant
headmaster of the Peddie Institute, at
Highstown, N. J., has been named as the
next dean at Bucknell University, Lewis-
burg, by the committee on instruction of
the board of trustees. Mr. Rivenburg is a
member of the class of 1897, and has been
at Peddie for twenty-five years. He will
fill the vacancy caused by the death of
Dean Llewellyn Phillips last January.
—Another important coal transaction
was consummated at Ebensburg a few
days ago whereby the Pennsylvania Coal
and Coke corporation, with its main offices
in Cresson, purchased the property of the
West Branch Coal company from the Bitu-
minous Coal corporation, comprising an
acreage of aproximately 1,000 acres. located
in’ Barr township, Cambria county. The
consideration is said to have been about
$500,000.
—One man was killed and two others
seriously wounded in a brawl at a stone
quarry shanty near Annville, Pa., late Sat-
urday night. Steve Westmere, 55 years of
age, was cut in the back with an axe and
killed, while Mike Nocavic was stabbed in
the side with a knife, and Lazo Umlotiz re-
ceived a fractured skull. The wounded
men, who were taken to a hospital in Leb-
anon, are not expected to recover. All
were quarry workers.
—Members of the Altoona Rotary club
are now engaged in compiling a list of the
crippled children of Altoona, with a view
to having them treated and helped or
cured. Where parents are unable to af-
ford the expense of treatment, the club
will pay all the bills. Where parents are
able to bear part of the expense, the club
will assume the remainder. The idea is
to make it possible for every child in need
to receive the advantage of surgical sci-
ence and skill.
—Sets of the Dickinson alchometer, a
device invented to permit rapid tests for
beer and other wet goods taken from boot-
leggers have been supplied to members of
Troop B, state police, at Wyoming, Pa.
The contrivance is such that it can be car-
ried in the pocket and a test can be made
within five minutes’ time. One of the chief
Lpurposes of issuing the alchometer is to
contents of brewery trucks without seiz-
ing the goods before the nature is actual-
ly known.
—Samuel Ditt, 30 years old, is at the
Lewistown hospital with a bullet wound in
his left arm. Ditt went to Lewistown from
Burnham, hunting his former housekeep-
er and tried to force an entrance to a
room occupied by J. T. Campbell at his
boarding house. Campbell opened the door
cautiously in an answer to his summons,
but closed it with heavy pressure from the
inside when Ditt forced his arms through
the narrow opening. Some one from the
inside fired a 32-caliber revolver bullet
through the museles of his arm.
—Simple ceremonies marked the dedica-
tion of the $300,000 Zion Lutheran church,
the Rev. Dr. C. R. Bowers, pastor, at Sun-
bury, on Sunday. More than $100,000 was
pledged during the two services. The Bi-
ble class named for Dr. J. M. Francis, of
Waynesboro, of which Benjamin Apple is
teacher, pledged $33,000 and paid in cash
$18,500. The Bible class taught by J. Wil-
liam Stroh pledged $28,000, of which $12,-
000 has been paid in cash. The largest in-
dividual subscription was that of W. D.
Leiby, $5,000 for chimes for the church
tower.
—The elimination of the grade crossing
over the Pennsylvania Railroad company
tracks near Vail station, Snyder township,
in Blair county, has been ordered upon
complaint of the State Highway Depart-
ment, the Public Service Commission an-
nounced last Friday. The crossing is on
the state highway known as the “Lake-to-
the-Sea” route and will be relocated to
avoid curves at each approach. The work
is to be completed by October 1, 1923, The
expense will be in excess of $90,000 and will
be divided between the railroad company,
the county, the township and the High-
way Department.
—Judge H. C. Quigley, in criminal court
at Pittsburgh last Friday, freed Mrs. Fe-
lixia Demshuk, who was charged with at-
tempting to murder her husband. The
woman said she had been estranged froin
her husband, and that when she was phys-
ically unable to defend herself, he attack-
ed her. She shot him three times, she said,
in self-defense. “No jury in the world
would ever convict this woman if her hus-
band had died as a result of this attack,”
said the judge. “Though the court does
not condone such offenses as this woman
admits, we cannot brand her as a criminal
simply because she defended herself
against her husband. Without placing the
stamp of approval on her act, we will sus-
pend sentence.”
—Signaling his engineer to stop as he
lay in the agony preceding death, Thomas
Effinger, a brakeman on the Philadelphia
and Reading railway, brought his train to
a stop in time to avert a possible wreck
on the heavy grade between Locustdale
and Barry early last Thursday. Effinger,
who was a Shamokin resident, was cross-
ing his train when the bottom of a steel
hopper car filled with coal on which he was
walking, suddenly gave way. He was car-
ried downward with the rush of coal, land-
ing between the tracks, and rolling over
one of the rails. Though his right arm
and his right leg were cut off, he still firm-
ly gripped his lantern, and in the instant
before the wheels passed over his arm
flashed a signal which was seen by the en-
gineer who brought the train to a quick
stop. He died in the hospital.
SPAWLS FROM THE KEYSTONE.
bniake it possible for the police to test the