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PUBLIC LEDGER COMPANY
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Charle It I.mllnjton. riilllp 8 lolllns, John B Tfll
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Indpcnlinet Bqutri Thfladflphla
Uwin CcrnMb, ,Dre j and Cheitnut Street
AfUNTio Crrr , rrfl-lnlotl DulIdlPf
Jfti roan U0A, Metropolitan Tower
Cmdioo BIT Horn lneuraM Bulldln
Iamo 9 Waterloo riete, rail Mall, S. XV.
NEWBBOnCAUflt
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nn FriftrtrfohKlraftft,.
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83 Itu Louie la Urand
sOBscntrrioxTEftMs
Tlr earrlef" Diit OiLt, ileent. B? mall, ponlpald
eutM f I'lillmlelphl. except where rortlun poaure
fequlfeil, Baut Om, one month, tneniynve cental
i Chut, one year three dollara. Aft mall aub
urlptlona parable In advance.
BELL, 3000 WALNUT
XCYSTO.NC, MAIN 3000
I tW Addrvt ell co)inuitcaloi to Kitntna
Ltdger, tndcptndence Square, Philadelphia.
I 'a.iTMtD it Tin riitUDELf ul roarorrioi is ercoNB-
ctAia Kilt, mattes.
TlllLADEHMItA, WEDNESDAY, UI.IXMDEH 16, 11114,
Inibccilic Economy
BELABOtlINO lilsh prices lias been a
popular enough pnstlmo to drlvo a cou
plo of million men out of work nnd Into soup
houses. By now It may bo beginning to
dawn on citizens In general that something
for a nickel when you haven't got the nickel
- Is a -whole lot moro cxpenstvo than the same
thing for a dime when you have that ploco
of silver at your disposal.
High priced aro the barometer of pros
perity. Thoy indicate a healthy condition
In the business world, plenty of work nt
good wages, smoking chimneys, buzzing
wheels. It Is easy to find low prlcos. Go
xlnto the backwoods or settle In nn agricul
tural community- whore poverty hangs on
the seasons and the fruits of civilization are
as far off as the Unrden of Ucspcrldos. There
are Islands In tho South Seas where monoy
is unknown. Eggs aro cheap there, and fish
and air. Clothes coit nothing because there
aro none.
That Is what we havo been straining to got
away from. Humanity has been thinking
vand laboring and struggling and sweating for
centuries' to get up and uway from such
stagnation. Its Intelligence has been co-ordinated
and Ub stamina tested in the pro-
diglous battle. And when by tho mercy of
Providence and the magnificent application
of genius we have progressed so far that tho
push of a button turns night Into day and
the push of another brings1 Into our kitchens
the riches rf all lands and countries, when
we have made tho metals our servants and
the hidden forces of nature our slaves, there
burst forth loud protests from vociferous gen
tlemen of tho "I-wIsh-for-tho-good-pld-days"
vtype, and they actually succeeded In convinc
ing a large part of tho people that the high
cost of living was ruining them.
We have had a taste of theoretical low
prices. Wo havo seen what 11 means to, sot
tUft clock back. There id a happy .mean,
neither too high nor loo low, but under or
dinary conditions the law Is Inexorable that
1-WBh.prlcea connote real prosperity, an abund
ance of money, tho capacity to get the things
a QaL muney wui uujr. ja ueiween our jnma
,-. running aim a iow cents more tor ineir proof
' ucts and our mills not running at, all there
can be but one decision. We need legislators
who can grasp the Idea of the middle ground
and not spend their time devising now meth
ods of smashing- profits. Inventtvo genius Is1
the greatest safe depressant of high prices
that we have. Our lawmakers, on the other
hand, begin by trying to depress prices and
end by depressing prosperity.
Uncle Sam as Miss Nancy
COLONEL CJOETHAL3 should be dis
missed, for oxtravngance. Ho actually
cabled the Government that he neoded ships
to preserve the neutrality taws. It Is obvious
that ho might Just as well have written or
have sent his dispatches by messenger over
land, on foot. For how could Colonel Goethals
possibly know the situation so well as his
superiors at Washington, those far-vlsloned
statesmen who intuitively ore aware of every
thing? f fBesldes, the ships are needed to carry pota
toes and canned goods to the extremities of
th,e world. The big- guns are to bo removed
to make space for cargo. Verily, Colonel
Goethals must be strangely Ignorant of the
program for restoring tho American flag to
the oceans. Plainly- his judgment Is not to be
relied on, for his long career has been char
acterized by few, If any, mistakes; a fact In
Itself likely to arouse suspicion. Uncle Sam
is rapidly becoming Miss Nancy and may
havo Ills' wrist watch taken from him if he
Is nqt careful
Ahead of Mr. Bryan
THERE is calumny abroad. Hear Jlepre
Berttative Buohanan declaring- that as "Mr.
f , Jloosevelt seldom expresses himself through
te newspapers and magazines, it might be
'V: - wl t Et hold of him and drag- something
6t frf him on the subject" of our unprepar
ijlea. Perhaps Mr. Buchanan has been
ifieep. Why, word for word, Mr: Roosevelt
! 100,000 ahead of Mr Brian!
Quibhling Over Patronage
"SUITE naturally Senator O'Gorman wanted
Vgtj suggest all of the Federal appoint
ments la the State of New York. Precedent
ta'ort this aide, Nearly every President has
consulted with Senators and Representatives
kWore distributing patronage. Thus, a
hauMdatory interpretation has been put upon
fM xot& of tad Constitution: "He (the
-Mat shall nominate, and by the advice
::M4 0iisent of the Senate shall appoint."
JMwiatorg are jealous, at their own honor and
rtMR U is threatened thy fuse Into a body
! dfanse, Tfeare are prttalneat Gonstitu
tUmatWt wto hold that the werds "by the
vU: and aHMHt f tjie Saate" appjy enly
to ajwiasmta, asd that tba PrsMflt hat
t-h full right of oml&aUon.
II tJaut t truo PrWlt Wilson has simply
tajppnrf a pre464t, and iu so doing- basr
npHji dawn upon hlmsalf toe rebuke t the
. wjfavtt- And ! burdM of JMAvtaff that the
bIwHub u Hnt foe u a.ButiMtat alia
ujca tk $jpM. u bowed tin Uvb4mM
tm pi th He k & 4Mtie vt
ifce IfttU-tfetMiss at watrunsgt. ganajtaw M
nmauutva bae dty cWHwid it, ad
tfte Status tarH bn UtcW
Ate4"i immMt f iHMtttmbte t titeumuf-
mijt, j-tjtoisJtf.!, tit Fasda U. rljrM; -
ll of the politician of the land will bo
with the Senate, but most of the straight
forward, unsophisticated people will side with
tho President. At any rato llio lmpase
should Have been avoided by the exercise of
a little tact.
HcarYc! HcarYcl
H
AIL to the triumvirate' The mogul
moxlmus and tho moguls minimi, bo to
Bay, havo met ntitl conferred mid decided.
To this part of the program Mr. Vnro will
attend and to that Mr, McNIchol will give
his attention; for even rts Juicy contrar-ts
must be divided fairly between the two, so
likewise must tho lawmaking of the Com
monwealth bo equitably distributed between
them. So has It been decided and so will
It be done.
Most of tho things on which Philadelphia
has set her heart she wilt get, say tho
mighty three, for great operations require
contracts and contracts Require contractors,
and there are no contractors who stand a
chance except the two who are going to
ace that tho Legislature does the right
thing. How fortunate It Is that the needs
of these gentlemen and the necessities of
Philadelphia point tho same way I
But os for smaller Councils nnd good gov
ernment, nay, nay; It must not be. Who's
kicking, anyway? If tho Organization Is
willing to provide scores of Councllmen
with tho means of livelihood and tho ap
purtenances thereto, at the expense of the
taxpayer, who so vllo as to object? Uc
sldos, tho pickings havo been too itch under
tho old plan to gamble with a now one.
This Is a free country and fce have a right
to be governed the way wo like, by a mogul
maxlmus and moguls minimi nr nnj other
kind of moguls we want. But It Is per
fectly obvious that the Commonwealth hai
erred In not providing funds for tho formal
promulgation of the edicts and orders of
these democratic rulors.
Give Us a Definite Policy
THE
eve
HE outbreak of tho war brought whal
er common sense there happened to
be In Congress to a head. A few of the bor
rlors placed In tho' way of an American mer
chant mailne were removed. As a result 101
ships, of a gross tonnage of a third of a
million, havo como under United States
registry. This is a gain of some significance
In Itself, but it Is most Important as show
ing what can be accomplished If the navi
gation laws are liberalized, or, to use a
better word, modernized.
Our a j stem Is obsolete. It Is the most
standpatter thing wo have. In tho matter
of consular fees atone tho American ship Is
penalized Intolerably. A British vessel, it
aeoms, pays a gross sum annually for con
sular service, but an American bottom is
mulcted by our representatives In every for
eign port It visits. There aro other imposts
equally as discouraging. Wo havo had pro
tective tnrlffs to protect American manu
facturers, but In shipping wo havo pursued
exactly the opposlto courso; that 1b, wo have
protected our competitors against nil com
petition by us. The President has diag
nosed tho dlsoase very accurately, but ho
suggests a palliative Instead 6f a remedy.
Ho wants to experiment.
Thoro are men In the United States who
know something about flipping and would
not bo long In deciding on a definite plan
for the rehabilitation of our marlno along
economically sound lines. The dying Con
gress can do nothing of moro final value
to the country than to appoint a capable
commission, the recommendations of which,
after due consideration, should form tho
basis of a settled, definite and nonpnitlsan
policy to be adhered to tenaciously and vig
orously carried out.
Simple Simons or Pi omen?
GREAT are politicians and devious their
ways. Thero is that $50,000 appropria
tion whereby and by means of which the un
employed are to bo succored, aided' and fed.
It Is a large sum of money, although when
distributed among more than 100,000 men,
who want work Instead of charity, It will not
go very far.
Millions for public works would have been
a real oaals for men who want Jobs and can't
get them. But tho erudite gentlemen who
guard the municipal treasury found so simple
and excellent a solution of the problem en
tirely beyond their comprehension. Not that
they are Simple Simons, for they havo been
known to trade and barter with sucoess, but
because they enjoy a good game, and there
Is no game quite so exciting as politics.
The distinguished persons who will dis
tribute the (50,000 will make every dollar of
It count, and with It they will accomplish no
end of good. They will take the tool as they
And It and use It with consummate skill. But
there would have been no need for their
efforts and unemployment would have been
reduced to the normal If the piemen had not
been listening to their master's voice, the
deep, guttural Jones of the Organization. The
unemployed will not forget.
A coal man's Christmas.
If Russia had a few more news dispensers
t-he German armies would be annihilated.
After the war there will be an entirely
different kind of retrenching in Europe.
For ft time It appeared that Colonel Goethals
was more likely to get a Chautauqua lecture
than ships.
There Is some reason to suppose that Doc
tor Brumbaugh also will have something to
say about legislation.
Although the commuter may be a bit dis
comfited, he yet ha a potent weapon with
which to worry the railroads tho trolley.
Evidence continues to pile up that "It's a
long way to Tipperary." whether from the
British or the German point or view.
; ;
If Senator Penrose is nominated for Presi
dent on the Republican tioket, It wljl be Qllle
James who makes the seconding; apeeoh.
Counting both the Varea as one man, we
have la t$R, MoNiahol and Penrose one
triumvirate and four pair ef breeches, a, oorq
binatUm unprecedented Is history or art.
The Woman's Legislative gongreM has
voted down eugeajea and supported eigar
. Yet, it fewer algarattes were smoked,
eugeales would not be so much emphasized.
. I. IJ'.mj 1 I u u l "
The poll of Goutwiliaea on the transit plans
revealed the fact tkat a number ( oir law
Streril had nr hif4 ef then. 7SUW two
Jaat on dees Rot gtv a nan mmb
Wa.
If oWat Wltasa aad Sor MarUa are
r(t4 ta kav MadMel fcMHjMbM MW in
tkHkir vMeuH toMn If so, taW VrfjMwit
can aoooU MatU wtUi lbs kawtoaai that
tMM to mo t4jy f a -FtMM? Otor"
aalMF r-J6td trot Ww . "
UUUy d w Jtov ah a Wwm
MtMt
THE REAL KAISER
BEHIND THE iAIASKS
Williclm II Only a Man Like Many
Others, But n Man of Mystery Sur
prises of a Diverse Personality A
Biography Difficult to Write.
lly VANClTfllOMPSON
NO personality 1ms been so disfigured and
distorted In this whirlwind of war ns
that of the Kaiser of Germany.
Unto has been poured out on him; (ho
caricaturists have had their way with hlin.f
Ho has even been seriously depleted ns tho
Antichrist.. In Switzerland, In Italy and
Franco I saw thousands nt savage and often
Indecent caricatures of the Knlscn and It In
a Btrnngo and disconcerting fact that theso
postcards were made nnd prlhtcd In Ger
manychiefly In Munich.
On tho other hand, tho Get man, nnd espe
cially the Gorman-American, papcts have
lent themselves to laudation almost to deifi
cation of this unhappy sovereign. One Ger
man profossor It was Dr. Adolf LttEsen, pro
fessor of philosophy In tho University of
Berlin could find neither English nor Ger
man words fit to express his adoration of
tho Kalaor and, rising Into Latin, ho de
clared Wllhclmus Sccundun to -be dclicla
generis humanl "the delight of tho human
race" which Is quite ns absurd as to cnll
him tho Antichrist.
In Many Roles
The Kaiser Is a man Ilka many others
ho
Is nil unhappy man with a truglc destiny.
Amid all this adulation and vituperation I
wonder whether It Is poalblc to tell the
truth about tho predestined man. I have seen
him many times In tho year; 1 have studied
him us one of the most significant problems
In Europonn history, nnd most of what I
know about him 1 have learned from his
German subjects. Perhaps, after all, it la
best not to write too much, but a little truth
never huit any one living or dead.
When ho cntno to tho throno more than a
quarter of a century ago ho BUrprlsedoyery
one. IIo had been known as an authoritative
and belllcoso Prince, nnd his speeches and
proclamations' showed him as a pacific- and
courteous monarch. And throughout tho
icars ho has gone on surprising people. Ho
has done everything and been everybody,
and In his multiple disguises It is hard to
tell Just who tho leal Wllholm Is. Is he
hunter, yachtsman, skater ho has posed In
each role or Is ho painter, musician, poet
or preacher? Ho has played ovot-y part. That
Is why he Is so eluslvo as a man. At tho
moment you saw him dressed ns a Prussian
general: In nn hour ho was1 disguised as an
Austilnn field marshal, nn Engsh admiral
or a colonel of tho Bersagllerl. Ho has worn
the casquo of the Dcath'B Head Hussars and
tho fez of the Turk. Under all theso shifts
and changes of costumo and attitudes What
sort of n real man was hid?
Physically, not an Impressive man.
Ths German Kaiser Is short and of late
eari rather stout.
Seeking an Ideal Williclm
Bather short nnd stout, with a clrar eyo
and nn Imperious look, with a wilful chin
and a straight, strong nose, with sensual
nostills nnd lips that Is he. Tho mustacho
you know. Sometimes ho wears It drooping,
sometimes twisted up Into truculent curves;
sometimes clipped short. Ho is alwajs ex
perimenting with it; and with his hair. Ono
year he parts his hair on tho side; another
year It stands erect en brnsse. He litis al
ways loved to vary his personal appearance,
seeking, as It were, the definite and Ideal
Wllhelm he Is to hand on to posterity. It is
as though In all these transformations he
had been trying to find himself. A man of
peace and prayer. And yet you remember
the Moroccan crlsls7 It was as though wild
Mars awoke In him. He stormed down Into
Alsace-Lorraine he leaped from city to city,
filling them with midnight alarms, with
buglo calls and drum beats. Some haunting
ghost of the Great Frederick had chased
away the Lohengrin In him. But he did not
make war.
That Is the thing to bear In mind.
Twice he threatened, but ho did not mako
war.
The gesture satisfied him. He had spoken
like n warrior and ho was content. The mere
attitude sufficed. Hore I think wo aro getting
close to the shcart of this mystery.
Great actor, great poet, great diplomat,
great orator, great warrior It was In his sad
destiny that he should try to be each of
them and all. The malicious "Countess van
Eplnghovcn" states it was Professor Knack
fusa, of Cassel, who painted his pictures
aided by Karl Saltzmann, who put in the
landscape and marine; that L'he Court Chap
lain Trommel wrqte his sermons; that Von
Moltke composed the famous "Hymn to
Fair"; and that the military discourses were
prepared by the officers of his military house
hold, I do not quite believe it. In a way he
did all these things. Ho lived for a while In
t'hese diverse personalties. And the good
Germans, his subjects, averred It,
Tragic Deitiny
Do you remember a book once, famous?
It was written by Professor Quidde, of
Munich, and 150,000 copies were eold In the
first two weeks. In all 600,000 copies were
sold and the professor made a small fortune
more than Mommsen or Von Treitschke
gained In 10 years. The title was "Caligula:
a Study of the Insanity of Cesarian Power,"
and what the professor did was to establish
a parallel between the acts of the successor
of Tiberius and those of the Kaiser of Ger
many. Vaguely I remember some of the com
parlsons. Like Wllhelm II. Caligula Joyed
the theatre and posed himself as an aetor,
taking all parts, singer, gladiator, dancer;
and, too, he. was, fond of making speeches.
Apd ttlen, I remember, Caligula announced
his Intention pf invading Great Britain; and
he marched his legions to the. sea,
TJiat was all.
And Professor Quldde, u his boot, .reaalM
the fact that when Caligula, came to tlt sea
shore be ordered his leglona $ gather iy? the
seaghetls and earry them bask to Rom as
"spoils of the conquered ocean-"
r de Mat say that aorojs these eraaa
aji'ftedatM and polBlo you can se tifeS real
Kaiser; but I think you can se a IjajK a
blpt of the rta) man for he is aUhr Aati
eiirJH jer th "delight of the fcitmau is."
And Ms rat btegrapHy will uat be miMtehed
until Uu Year J of the German Rpub)te.
Pscsfeaps net VR tfeeji
I went to interview eld Bwarek oac
what I get item Mm was tba shortest answer
( in the hUtory ef iuterviswe, tt was "Nata
Bt I stags tb ftqututaae ol Ducter
Cry 8n4ar K wa for yaars. Biun k a pn
yt secretary d4 bad Jlovjad Mm l,i ins
.ytmt to Fri4richruk. Am4 wttk tut
igt aad raduofetabto dafyanr.. h 4
t.a M ChaaHot had mwittm tt Metwy of
mi wuia n vtMrlMwHM
4 o aasret 6teis. goatee Oryaatf ai4
chnrge of them after Bismarck's death and
was protected by Prlnco Herbert von BIb
marclc, Bui Herbert died In 1001. Immedi
ately hla widow was forced to give up 'the
papers' nnd poor old Chrysander, without
trial or examination, was locked up In a
madhouse. So that biography will never be
written. The old Chancellor's vengeance will
never know the real Wllhelm, or know no
moro than ou nnd I can know today. And
that Is not much, Is It?
Merely this:
That he played many parts In life and
plajcd them gallantly In splto of tho fact
that hereditary diseases kept knocking at
his feveted brain, und that ti Thyestlan dos
ttny dogged htm. And tho beginning of tha't
destiny's fulfillment was when tho Knlser,
who had loved to play nt war us ho placed
at painting and preachjng- and verso making
and hunting found suddenly that his stage
world had become real, horribly nct'ual, a
flame-swept world of war.
But neither jou nor I can be quite sure,
for Wllhelm II Is the enigma of hh genera
tion. He Is moro mysterious than tho Man in
tho Iron Mask, because ho has hid himself
behind a dozen masks. And no one knows
his real name.
VERSE-aiAKING IN TJIENCHES
Great Love and Great Hate as Spontaneously
Expressed in War PormB From tho Iront.
THE fervor of "lofty song" has always
flamed above the smoko of battle fields and
now burns anow, says a writer In whose
article In tho Paris Fignro the Literary
Digest las found somo Interesting and sug
gestive facts. Ho calls attention to poemi
by Tlostand, Zamacots und other notablo
poets contributed to the columns of that
Journal. Yet It Is still moro striking that a
great quuntity of verse comes to tho Figaro
day after day from soldiers, nurses and gen
eral workers at various' points along tho
front. It Is admitted that In these efforts the
expression docs not always measure up to
tho subject. Yet If, ns La Bruyere says,
"the writing of a book is a trade in itself,"
so also, according to tho present writer, it
is a trade in itself "to cry out one's sorrow
and one's Joy In tho language of Apollo, to
drape with harmonious phrase and winged
phrase ono's hate and one's love." Tho souls
of theso poets in action, he explains, are
overwhelmed with emotion and their minds
confronted with such mighty happenings that
they are too strained to conceive of them
Justly. Spontaneously as patriotic Bongs'
spring to the lips of soldiers on the march,
poetry flows from the pen of every French
man who tries to express what he feels in
the present circumstances. Simplicity and
sincerity, consequently, are the chief char
acteristics of this verse from the trenches,
and It would seem, the writer tells us, that
France Is "finding Its youth again and can
understand only two essential passions great
hate ahd gTeat love." We read then;
"Love la the subject of all these new poets;
love for wounded France, for her ruined
monuments, for her imperiled traditions, love
fpr her sons that have died and for those
who are about to die. And hate, as well
hate, for 'the barbarians who brought these
woes upon her. Yet their love is born of this
hate. Take this passage, for example,
from a poem written by Maurice Lecoeur, a
sergeant In the 69th Regiment, on the evening
of the battle of Islettes:
" 'Bo the Prussians paesed through her?
What wake of carnage, ruin, and of hatst
Lo, Vandal and the Cimbrlan live again
And wallow in their anettnt gory mire!
Ye savage of gun and shell.
Ye ourt. ais&sslnr In a land despoiled
The blood ye shed shall ever stain your
souUI' "
Less redolent of anathema, bqt equally in
formed with martial spirit, is the picture
presented by Lieutenant Jacob, of tho Hist
Infantry, of a troop movement. He writes-
"Conies the orJcr to advanee, and the squads d
ploylnjr wide
Sek the foe en every aide;
Bold but Iowly gainst the chance of the warn
ing P'd that alia
The tr with whUper as it hlH."
PriA Qbarlea of Bourbon is responsible
for a poem to the nieraory of a private,
VoJturet, who achieve farn 1 the battle ot
the Mania. A selection fm it fallgwa:
uTtia Hlvwr Mara flaws red today, br4 wttl stni
rftoaar sew.
For M3 where singly YlWt has stretohed
The MpM lasting for Uf fgMr. the Seroer growg
A. math afcll Tiltwt' day Ulm tuwui ta
Othar poa tt jjff Wgaro writer (Wy
Uoiaag to the d4 4n tj id of fecMfr, aad
not a w ara tribute i ' herols. Belfehm."
We read, far taatapeat
What m ir rtg&u m u&jUm--
H IBa w
8tdt bar rpU-
e the &mw. Wtt9 fwsp
to Out Beiiu ?
Wf
,AMJii.r W-mu,nmti, 3mm
. auirfl by or am m M w f?'
t C'Uj,l, ttromity. Belgium kaard.
Wkat of u tout W teaar
SIMPLE, ml! EFFECTIVE
COMMISSION RULE A SUCCESS IN ERIE
Dreams of " the Visionaries" Have Come True No Mourning Over the
Passing of the Old Bicameral Council.
By HENRY A. CLAItK
Stale Senator and Author of Act fro Id log Coramliitoa lotm of Govern went in a'ennijlrftnla Cihei
THE system of commission- form of gov
ernment for cities of tho third class In
Pennsylvania has been in operation and effect
bo long that we aro now nblo to determine
from actual results whether It has proved
to be tho success t-hat Its friends prophesied
or tho failure that Us opponents predicted.
Tho practical operation of the system In
ono city and tho results attained In it may
or may not bo fairly typical of what has beon
accomplished In other places, but thh natural
inference Is that If it has been easily nnd
surely a success in ono It ought to bo nnd
could be so In all, for l-he municipal problems
of tho entire group are similar and tho legal
formula for solving those problems Is tho
same.
During the discussion of tho bill In the
legislative sessions of 1911 and 1913 and up
to the 27th day of Juno of that year when
tho bill became an act by the Governor's
approval, the city of Erie, having a popula
tion of about 60,000 and being tho third
largest city of tho class, was an ardent, con
tinuous and intelligent supporter of the
measure.
Its Chamber of Commerce, Board of
Trade, Business Men's Exchange, nearly all
of the civic associations and a great majority
of its citizens demanded a change and re
joiced when It came.
Have they been disappointed? Do they
Wls-Ji the old bicameral council reinstated?
Decidedly not, judging from tho expressed
Views of many of her leading citizens,
When 'nominations v oro to be made a large
number of candidates presented themsolves,
a spirited contest tools place and during tho
campaign for final election the Interest was
Intense.
The result of the election was. a keen dis
appointment to many, porno regarded it as a
calamity others did not so consider It,
The Mayor hold over, and among tho four
members of Council elected wero a pattern
maker, a printer and a lawyer.
Increased Civic Activity.
The advocates of the system Aad declared
that it would beget an Increased civlo activ
ity, and they were correct.
Presumably tho structural features of the
law are too well known to need mention now,
as they havo heretofore been discussed and
given publicity. The newly elected officials
of the pity of Erie qualified and entered upon
their duties, passed the necessary ordinances
to enable them to carry out tho purposes of
tho act, assigned themselves to the heads of
apostrophizes King- Albert of Belgium as
follows;
"Nor 'fore the agony quailed or shrank.
Think not we reckon alight of this.
Valiant In field and sacrifice!
Our children shall the legend tell
Of Albert. King, whose name shall spell
Wherever read as none other can;
'Great King. Oreat Soldier, and A Manf "
As an example of the patriotic devotion,
awakened by the present conflict, these selec
tions from a hymn to Franca are offered;
"JIall France, my native land, and home of all
that's high and fair!
I bid thee fear no hostile hand nor hordes that
grind loved acres bare.
For they shall bloom another morn, a smile
more radiant and wide
Bnrlqhed with rarer wheat and com when
ever one last foemap. died!" ,
Unemployment Problem
From tta Chlco Dally Trunin.
To what extent, asks Mayor Mttchel, can the
co.operat(ve effort and foresight q( manufac
turers, financiers and merchants mlnlmU
chroplo unemployment at a certain period of
the yeart In answering this first quostlon the
busntsa men may have important suggestions
to inak to States, counties, cities and other
governing bodies. Such bodies undertake vari
ous enterprises without reference tp the con
dition, of the labor market and the- money aiar
UjtU TJy fan plan more wisely. potpn tudi
t9Uly, ana eater the market a eiHl&yera and
ependers when their aid Is partlautarty wel-
rrtitre U alio tha qutaUen of bette rKaqjza
tlon of. puhjiq. qual-pubHr ma private cm
pyras.t bureaus. The bureaus opd by
drtl and State are uaelus or wcr in too
many cases, became the paralyilsg hand of
spoil and polities la oq them Insfflleney u
the rut. Of the private agHa tome can b
cwM hy surgical treatment only: thti Ujitt
feaU Jt rntWy effloUnt oaea ihnitfrf ba
iwaftrved asd orowsht into soma jtt a du
uUa riti -ffttfe o0j(a awJ hA4at
l hiip tap-wmnrn m ,
AKaal Ofitui '$Ht
jtM tt Nw Tat vata $,
tt a MtcMM4 tta tfw Wmttm Um mJMeb
Has t uaa for iu municipal Ctritms tra
lalantinna Nt trimmed vlth us kr.,.i. k.
ii atu wens. i -
tho departments for which each scorned best
fitted and havo been In dally session since.
Each member specializes on tho work of
his department, acts accordingly and gets'
Immcdlato results.
Joint action of tho wholo body Is quiet and
easy, and conclusions arc reached without the
long, disappointing, vexatious nnd ofteniimes
costly delays characteristic of tho formof
system. Those having business to transact
with Counoll are surprised and pleased at the
Intelligent and expeditious way of handling It.
Under tho old system members of Council
strove to get what they could :or tho ward
from which they wero elected. This resulted
In sectional development without regard to
tho beat Interest of tho municipality as a
whole.
Now word lines aro practically eliminated
and city Improvements aro planned on a com
prehensive scale with referenco to the pres
ent and futuro needs of tho entire city.
By dividing municipal business Into depart
ments and plating a Councilman, designated
ns HUporlntondcnt. at the head of each, re
sponsibility has been fixed and this arrange
ment has borne most excellent results. Thora
Is no shifting of responsibility from Common''
to Select Council, or tho reverse, or from the
Mayor to tho Controller.
Hcjponsivc Responsibility
The superintendents, commonly known as
commissioners, of tho several departments,
keenly feel their responsibility, are quickly
responsive to tho Just demands of complain
ing citizens and to tho necessities of civlo
Improvement, and are careful In the expendi
ture of monoy to secure those common bene
fits. Contracts are enforced; their provisions
aro not stretched or waived through
favoritism.
The benefits of tho new system may ba
briefly summarized as fullows, in so far aa
the city under consideration Is concerned;
Log rolling has been done away with.
The pork barrel Is a thing of the past.
Fixed responsibility.
Continued sessions. Council always ready
for business.
No time-consuming delays.
Economy and efficiency,
The awakening of civic pride. ' '
A greater Interest manifested in municipal
affairs by tho people.
These, the "dreams of the visionaries" who
advocated the adoption of the measure, have
become actualities in the City on the Lake,
Our Preparedness
From the Kew Torlc Bun.
I cannot sympathize with those sincere gen
tlemen who oppose military and naval defenses
XL c?imtry n the ground that they will
TafL nCt U,ln'C "0 William H
!lB want.t Put ourselves In a position to
render a service to humanity and to the world
we win not do it by arming ourselves and w&
serlng around and bragging to the world of
what we can do.-willlam Jennings Bryan.
MV -? ? SSBnlS
W1'' mm,ary r"oure"
If the full strength of the British fleet w.r.
Stdn i"5' wUl1 UWniu3 Btates fleet
wa would, not, In my opinion, ba ableVti L,S!
EF""-Si;s;SK
(Fletcher.
I SAT APART
Th.e shlldren danced a merry rin
I watehed them while. I heard thfm sm
?.& 0W..0h "" down! ,n8
wasroipW
"My ehlld is tell, and Tours are f.i,
fr&,74!gow..
I moaned my tmUr tlf QWn
M ta S w sj ta 3t7t7 tawa
t v.iutUk4 my Mined ct
fiwsrass
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