12 HARRISBURG TELEGRAPH A NEWSPAPER FOR TUB HOMB Poundod 1831 Published evenings except Sunday by THE TELEGRAPH PRINTING CO.. Telegraph Building, Federal Square. K. J. STACK POLE, Pr»rt and V. R. OYSTER, Business Manager. GUS M. SHEINMETZ, Managing Editor. « Member American Newspaper Pub lishers' Associa tion, The Audit Bureau of Circu lation and Penn sylvania Assocl*"V Eaztern f work. This $7,000,000 armor plant is worthless tor other purposes. It must make armor plate or nothing at all. The advo cates of a government armor plant say that these private producers have been making the government pay too much for armor plate. In reply to this-ac cusation the Bethlehem Company says: England buys its armor plate from five privately-owned plants, and is now paying $503 a ton. Ger many has two privately owned plants, and is paying $490 a ton. Japan is the only country with a Government plant, and yet armor costs her $490 a ton. The specifica tions in the United States are much more rigid, and the wages paid are very much higher than those pre vailing in any foreign country. In comparison with these foreign prices, "the United States," no the Bethlehem Company reports, "is to day paying $425 a ton for armor," or $66 a ton less than the cost to Japan with its government plant. The aver age cost of the armor plate sold from this plant during the last twenty-nine years to the United States government, as shown by the books of the company, is $432.02 a ton. The Bethlehem people, however, do not leave the matter here. Probably they recognize the prevalent passion on the part of the Wilson administra tion for having the government do everything that hitherto has been done by private citizens. At any rate, they make the following proposals: We now offer to make armor plate for the United States Govern ment at $395 a ton —a reduction of S3O a ton, in spite of the fact that steel prices are continually going up. and are to-day much higher than for many years. The proposal price is less than has been paid for armor by the United States in ten years, and we agree to accept this lower price for the next five years. Since the war began we have been able to get in Europe almost any price we chose to ask for ordnance. We have during that period made no addition whatever to the selling price to the United States Govern ment of any of the ordnance pro ducts which we manufacture. If the foregoing price is not sat isfactory, we will agree to permit any well-known torn of chartered public accountants or the Federal Trade Commission to inventory our plant and make careful estimates of the cost of manufacture; with the data in hand, we will meet with the Secretary of the Navy and guarantee to manufacture armor at a price which will be itself quite as low as the lowest price which the Government could possibly make it, taking into account all proper charges. We make the fore going proposition, rather than have our plant rendered useless. Any reasonable man would suppose that Congress would have taken into account this double offer. It is a fair business proposition and is made by responsible people. That the govern ment could engage In this special line of work and turn out a product of the same quality at a lower price is beyond belief. Politics of one kind or another would be sure to get Into the manage ment of a government manufacturing plant, and we all know what politics does to cost. The quality being the same, private energy and private In terest can always beat the government in costs. The second of the Bethle hem Steel Company's proposals is sub stantially that the government shall not manage, but control Its $7,000,000 armor plant as if the plant were actu ally the government's, and that the product thus turned out, after all "proper charges" have been met, shall belong to the government at the cost jof making it. Nothing more than that could be got out of a government owned plant, except In the way of poll tics, and politics would certainly not reduce the cost of armor plate, no matter who made It. But the Demo crats are not worried about that. Poli tics is evidently the very thing they want in It. Jobs for everybody, seems to be the motto. A political machine at the expense of the government, is the watchword at Washington. But armor plate plant plans are not made In a day and an armor plate mill is not built over night, for which. In this instance, the country may be thankful, as it ■will give the Republican Congress of next year opportunity to cancel the appropriation and repeal the act, 812.000,000 FOR STEELTON STEELTON'S future as one of the great steel producing communi ties of the country is assured. An nouncement by the Bethlehem Steel Company that it will spend $12,000,- 000 there. Instead of the $10,000,000 forecasted by Messrs. Schwab and Grace following their recent trip of inspection over the plant, shows con clusively that Mr. Schwab and his fel lows were very favorably impressed with the possibilities of Steelton. Not even Schwab, free as he is with the use of money, spends millions of dol lars without a very distinct purpose in view. Evidently Steelton Is to be made a second Bethlehem. The erection of new blast furnaces, the replacing of the antiquated power facilities with new steam and elec trical plants, the building of new coke producers, open hearth furnaces and mills of various sorts means the em ployment of hundreds if not thousands more men. The magic hand of Schwab has been laid upon Steelton and prosperity for years to come appears assured. What makes for good times in Steel ton reflects upon Harrisburg, so that we have double reason for rejoicing in the good news it Is the pleasure of the Telegraph to announce to-day. in. '■pejuwoifCtfcuvta Vy the E*-Committeeman Investigation of charges that Post master G. W. McNeil of Pittsburgh, was dismissed at the behest of the bosses of the Democratic State ma chine and to make a place for a brother of Joseph M. Guffey, the Democratic machine boss of Pitts burgh, will be made at Washington. Coming at this time when every effort Is being made to keep the Democratic machine on the track in Pennsylvania, the occurrence has created a tremen dous fuss inside of the organization. It is feared that friends of McNeil, who represents a class of the Demo cracy rather different from Palmer and his pals, will become heated and start real trouble. It Is intimated that Ambassador Guthrie, who was the man behind McNeil, will get busy, and as Guthrie was backed up in his recom mendation of McNeil by Vance C- McCormick and Roland S. Morris, there are plenty of signs of a storm. The fact that the Post Office Depart ment broke all precedents and put out a statement of its side of the con troversy Is taken to Indicate that it realizes the extent of the blunder. —Big men took note of the occur rence yesterday at Washington and Senator George T. Oliver announced that Guffey would not be confirmed until a thorough investigation had been made of the circumstances sur rounding the removal of Dr. McNeil and the nomination of Guffey. It is proposed to have the committee on post offices and post roads hold a hear ing, at which the Guffeys—Joseph and Alexander — A. Mitchell Palmer, Dr. McNeil, Postmaster General Burleson, First Assistant Postmaster General Roper and other officials of the de partment will be oalled upon to testify and produce the official correspond ence. —The Philadelphia Ledger, in a Washington dispatch, says: "Mr. Guf fey can hold the office of postmaster at the request of bondsmen until the question is settled, and if there is no vote 011 his confirmation before the adjournment of Congress, President Wilson can give him a recess appoint ment. But it seems probable that there will be no permanent tenure of office for Mr. Guffey until all the cir cumstances surrounding the dismissal of Dr. McNeil are made public. Dr. McNeil has returned to Pittsburgh. A direct issue of veracity has been raised.. The department reiterates its charge that he failed to co-operate in the inauguration of the two-division plan in the Pittsburgh office. Dr. McNeil emphatically denies this and says when he left Pittsburgh for Washington to attend the convention of postmasters all arrangements had been made to install the new plan and have it in op eration by August 1. Dr. McNeil re iterates that the cause of his removal lies in the fact that he refused to dis place Assistant Postmaster George W. Gosser at the request of Democratic politicians in Allegheny county." —The Post Office Department state ment, comes from Postmaster General Burleson, as follows: "There have been brought to the attention of the Post Office Department numerous clip pings from the press in which the allegation is made that the removal of Postmaster George W. McNeil, of Pittsburgh, vaa due to his failure to follow the wishes of local Democratic politicians. It is not the practice of the department to issue public state ments regarding the misconduct of officers who aro removed for the rea son that it is ret deemed necessary to subject them to such public humilia tion, and believing that the loss of their positions is sufficient punishment in the absence of any penal offense." —The board appointed to examine candidates for mine Inspectors in Schuylkill. Northumberland, Dauphin and Columbia counties at Pottsville announced that nine out of the fifteen candidates passed the examination. The candidates passed are M. J. Bren nan and Kyran Donahue, Pottsville; A. B. Lamb, Shenandoah; P. C. Fen ton. Mahanoy City; James A. O'Don nell, Centralia; P. J. Friel, Shamokin; B. I. Evans, Mount Carmel; Charles J. H. Rico, Lykens, and Evan Evans, Coaldale. —Dr. H. A. Surface, the State Zool ogist. will be succeeded by a man from New Hampshire when the State Com mission of Agriculture authorizes his dismissal, which it is planned to do if the zoologist does not resign. Mr. Sur face has been exceedingly busy the last few days fixing fences and it is understood that an appeal has been made by him to the Governor. Ex-Deputy Attorney General P. W. Fleitz, who was Surface's counsel when charges were made against him a few years ago, Is credited with hav ing staved off the dismissal of the zoologist and is understood to be work- Ins: with other men In an effprt to get the Governor to overrule the action of the commission. The fact that Dr. Surface was not dismissed when he re fused to resign is taken at the Capitol to mean that the zoologist is hopeful of having the Governor stand by him. —Officials at the State Department have had a number of inquiries the last few days regarding the way to withdraw from tickets and It is be lieved that they indicate Intention on the part of candidates named by the Washington party, for legislative and other nominations to withdraw. The withdrawal of the State ticket of the Washington party is expected, but thus far there have been few indications of such intention on the part of candi dates for other offices. —The Philadelphia grand jury has been ordered to make a probe of vice and other conditions in Philadelphia immediately. Meanwhile the raiding goes on and there is general clamping down of the lid. —ln Luzerne county Republicans and Progressives have formed the Hughes Alliance. Colonel Asher Miner is the president. ' —Pittsburgh Democrats have started to fight already over the McNeil inci dent. It is likely that It will lead to the biggest spilt in years. At both the State and local Repub lican committee headquarters In Phila delphia activities have been Inaugu rated to Insure the polling of a large vote for Hughes and Fairbanks and the entire Republican ticket. "W. Harry Baker, secretary of the Republican State committee, spent part of last week at the State committee rooms mapping out a program for starting the detail work which Is always neces sary prior to the formal opening of the campaign. He had State Senator "William E. Crow, of Fayette, the chairman of rhe State committee, on the telephone and they agreed upon a general course of procedure. Chair man Crow, at the meeting of the State committee, at which he was unani mously re-elected, was authorized to appoint a committee to revise the rules of the Republican party In the State In order that they shall conform with the recer.t changes made In the statutes covering primary and genera! elections. He was also empowered to appoint a committee upon resolutions and platform. No date has been de cided on for the meeting of the State committee, which is to be assembled upon call of the State chairman. Goes Right on Talking [From the Macon Telegraph.] "Excessive talking is the sign of a dangerous disease," declares a Russian scientist. Is that another unkind fling at Mr. Bryan? HARRISBURG TELEGRAPH — . \ When a Feller Needs a Friend By BRIGGS | (iWASiwHM 71 * '< || } APIS. YoO AKJC - [AM 9 I JAMEV UP TO 1.11 l \\l \ Voo AR€ AWFULLV/ I , ' i 1 '/Mai 0-Uie.T - AkjW \l 1 TELEORAPH PERISCOPE "] ' Maybe the successful Russian drive is due to the thirsty Russians having ' their eyes on the Munich breweries. Bad news for the Japs—Panama i Canal gruns made new record of effici ency. —Jamaica has trees known as whip ; trees, and we know some people who ought to live there. —There's one thing: about a street car strike—some of us are walking who need the exercise. —A soft answer turneth away wrath —some times. EDITORIAL COMMENT It is interesting to note that Car ranja released those prisoners just after j the news leaked out that Roosevelt was j raising a division.—New York Sun. j King Constantine could advise Wood- j row that there are more effective slo- j gans than "He kept us out of war." i Syracuse Post-Standard. Roumania will hesitate about going ' in until she sees whether Russia's drive ' this year is going to turn out the way i it did last year.—Binghamton Press. | LETTERS TO THE EDITOR - } PLEA FOR ORDER To the" Editor of the Telegraph: Few of our citizens seem to realize the necessity for preventing, at any i cost, lawlessness on our public streets, during the present street car men's ptrike. Whether the disorder is created by man, woman or child, the culprit should be punished promptly by the police department, or the deputies that the sheriff has sworn in for the purpose.. To-day the Commonwealth of Penn sylvania, is without a National Guard, and we have to protect a population of over 6,000,000 by 400 well-drilled men, consisting of our State Constabulary. With so many idle boys over sixteen, misguided women and men who should know better, all ready to create dis turbances on our principal streets, it behooves both the Police Department of the City of Harrisburg, and the deputies sworn in by Sheriff Caldwell, to look sharp that order Is maintained such as we are accustomed to in a city that has a reputation for less crime and evil doing, than any other city of like -population in the Com monwealth. This article Is written unbiased and with fairness to both the street car company and its striking employes, as it is a matter understood that the damage to street cars anfl annoyance to passengers, was not caused by the strikers themselves, but r>y men, wo men and children who snould De made to feel the strong arm of the law. A CITIZEN. COMPLAINTS OF POLICE To the Editor of the Telegraph: Kindly try to get someone to tell me why the police department does not protect its citizens and the men who are running the street cars. Yes terday morning at 8:20 at least one hundred people saw a motorman hit directly in the face with some sort of fruit and in perfect view or the officer at Fourth and Market streets. In fact the missile came very near hitting the officer. And then the police department tells the people they are doing their best. There is no excuse whatever. RESIDENT. No Square Deal [From the Louisville Courier-Journal.] The Cleveland Plain Dealer is no square dealer. It publishes the picture or a soldier kissing his sweetheart good-by, and prints both names under the picture. \ THE GOVERNMENT MAPS By Frederic J. Haskin I J THE summer vacation season is on. i Motorists are planning pleasure trips across country; tourists, unwelcome in Europe, are contem plating journeys through the national parks, and campers are diligently searching pamphlets and advertise ments in an effort to find the ideal camping site with plenty of fish. In these preliminary investigations the topographic maps of the Geological Survey are of great assistance. Over forty per cent, of the area of the United States has been sketched by the government topographic engi neers, including roads, houses, streamlets, mosquito districts, valleys, rivers and mountains. A glance at the selected camp site on a topographic map immediately tells the prospective vacationist the most intimate details of its physiography often carefully ignored by the railroad pamphlet. I It is the purpose of the Geological Survey gradually to map the entire j continental United States, as well as i Alaska, Hawaii, Porto Rico and the i Philippines—work which, when com pleted and tii >. sections joined togeth ! er, will cover over an acre of ground. Each section is sketched on a sheet I about eighteen inches square, the I preparation of which costs the gov ernment from three to five thousand dollars. On the back of it is printed a complete description of the physical features of the district, which has made the maps extremely popular. One man who toured the Crater Lake National Park, the Grand Canyon and the Delaware Water Gap with the aid of the survey maps, said that he did I not see how he had ever got along without them. But their value to the vacationist is small compared to their economic and military values. In modern war the A Task For Ingenious Democrats [From the New York Sun.] From our neighbor the World we learn that: "The monopoly tariff hogs are for dominant Americanism and the privi lege of robbing the consumer to in crease the crop of millionaires." The unconstitutionality of protec tive tariffs came to a painful end at St. Louis. The fundamental principle of a tariff for revenue oply there gave up the ghost. So a new phase must be devised, by which the pro tectionist Democratic party may be distinguishe'd from that political ag gregation It has so long, so earnestly, and so violently denounced as protec tionist. Thus a Republican protective sched ule is to be a "monopoly tariff," and a Democratic protective tariff Is to be something quite different. But how difficult it will be to make the old line tariff for revenue fellows recognize the distinction! The Secil of Justice And when he had opened the third seal, I heard the third beast say, Come and see. And I beheld, and 10. a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand.—Reve lation, 6:5. MORE OF MY LUCK By Wing Dinger I haven't played much golf of late, Because for four week-ends I've had to entertain at home Out-of-the-city friends. I cared not, for I knew the folks Were planning to go 'way To spend a week or so, and then At golf I'd have my day. They left the city yesterday, But, gee, there is a strike. And there's no trolley car to take Me whizzing out the pike. I'd hopes I could persuade a friend To take me in his car— Bat that's all off, because the roads Are covered o'er with tar. JULY 21, 1916. topography of the country is an im portant factor, and the nation which has the best detailed maps has a dis tinct advantage. It is the topographic map which is marked by the aeronaut as he flies over the enemy on scouting duty; it is the topographic map which aids in directing the firing, since the marksmen cannot see the target, and it is this map, in fact, which consti tutes the chess board on which the military authorities play the war game. It has been said that many battles of the Civil war would have been left unfought if there had been an adequate topographic map system at that time. As it was, the need was so apparent that Congress authorized the first corps of topographic engi neers in 1861. One author points out that the fa cility with which the Japanese took Port Arthur in the Russo-Japanese war was due to the fact that for months before, Japaese spies disguis ed as coolies had been quietly map ping the topography of the country. When the night of attack came it was an easy matter for the Japanese to disable the giant Russian searchlights illuminating the port, their guns di rected at the hill marked on the map as the position of the apparatus thus throwing the Russian forces into con fusion. The increasing use of the topo graphic map in this country as pre pared by the Geological Survey has made the land swindle an -almost ex tinct practice. It is impossible, for example, to sell a man a certain grove of oranges in (Florida when he he has a topographic map before him, show ing that the alleged grove is covered with several feet of swamp and water. [Continued on Page 9] [ OUR DAILY LAUGH tA hotel patron kicks when he has to pay good dollars for poor You cannot lm prove your time by tinkering with 1 Railroad Mail Pay [From the Buffalo Express.] If the Postmaster General had any hope that the conference committee would change the post office bill to meet his wishes regarding the pay of railroads for carrying the mails, they have been ended by the report of that committee. Mr. Burleson will not have his way. but, instead, the Interstate Commerce Commission will pass on the problem. It will determine what meth ods of payment should be adopted whether space or weight—and what the rates should be. This is a common-sense way of dis posing of this matter. The Interstate Commerce Commission is the one Fed eral authority that is completely cap able of handling this problem as it should be handled. Mail is simply freight of a special form. The Inter state Commerce Commission devotes al most all its time to questions arising from the transportation of freight and It is particularly well fitted to deal with the mail question. Its decision can be received with more confidence that it is right than can any ruling by t«e Postmaster General or any of bis as sistants. Ibentng Ctttjat Scarcity of men has become so sen ious in many industries that when manufacturers, contractors, farmers and other employers write to the State Bureau of Employment they either enJ close money orders or mileage books for the persons whom they hope Fath er Penn will be able to engage for tham. In the last few days a dozen or more applications have been made for men for machine shops, building trades and several other lines and in each instance the prospective employ er sent along; a deposit to cover the carfare. Farmers, who were demand ing hands a short time ago because of the harvest have stopped applying. Probably because they recognize the situation In regard to labor and that foreigners who know how to work in the fields are keener about the higher wages of a hot steel mill. One of the greatest demands Just now is for ma chinists, plants in half a 'dozen sec tions of the State having standing or ders at the State Bureau for every ma chinist that can be secured, the offer of carfare to stand. Brisk demands for carpenters and other building trades men for Pittsburgh. Philadelphia and other cities have been made, the wages offered being* higher than known in years. « » » Evidently there will be considerable interest in farmers' institutes during the coming winter because numerous applications have been made to Direc tor C. E. Carothers for listing of places which have not had the meetings. It is planned to have about 400 insti tutes during next winter and to ask the legislature to be more liberal with ! funds for the educational work among the farmers. The attendance last season was away up in spite of the reduction of the appropriation. * * * Excuses being given for not riding on trolley cars vary according to the maker and some of them are funny. The other day a man said that his family would not permit him to run any risks, while another blamed the family doctor, who, he declared, had warned him not to subject himself to any excitement because of a weak heart. Another man said that he did not mind it but would not like the no toriety. Probably the funniest excuse of all came from a man who said that he had some neighbors who were in clined to be unpleasant anyhow anrl who might make riding on a car a rea son for saying unkind things. A couple of men were found who said they did not ride on cars because they, were afraid of stones. • • • Carrying concealed weapons appears to be something which has gotten into disfavor with the law the instant a man gets on a car. The other evening when things were inclined to be a bit lively In some sections of the city a couple of men in a crowd declared that the crew of a car which was hav ing a tempestuous voyage in Market street were armed. "First thing you know one of them fellers'll shoot. They oughtn't to have guns on cars" said one. "Yer right," j replied the other, "Neither ought 1 I you." i The first speaker, who had no con nection with the strike whatever, hur riedly put on his coat to hide a bulge in his hip pocket that had been noticed iby many and apparently be'en taken as a matter of course. I, ... "I don't know what has come over -|the bass," said an old fisherman yes ijterday. "The water is right and the - [ weather is good' and I see fish every 2 jtime I go out, but they won't bite. Last t! season the river and creeks were sel !:dom in condition for fishing and this 11 season was looked forward to with 3 great delight by anglers, who expected 1i to make big catches. But few have - i had their expectations gratified. 'Bob' 3 (Lyons told me the other day that ha r and a party ran across a big school of v bass of exceptional size in the creek 0 near Oyster's Mills, a few days ago and 1 couldn't get one of them. The fish * were so tame that they would not s move even when the bait was waved in * front of them. This has been the' ex - perience even of sunfish anglers, and when a sunfish won't bite there is - something radically wrong with the 4 whole fishing game." "Judging from the papers I get you have it on us in temperature every now and then, but just imagine the after noon and evening breezes from tho Susquehanna being full of sand and as hot as the air in Market Square in the middle of the day. We have those regularly," writes one of the militia men from El Paso to a friend in this city. [ WELL KNOWN PEOPLE " —Levi L. Rue, Philadelphia banker, has gone to the Adirondacks for the summer vacation. —Harry B. Eberly, city controller of Williamsport, w