If t I FIVE IN HEW Lloyd-GeorgeSucceedsinForm-Ing New Ministry. PREMIER ALMOST DICTATOR Takeg Place Denied Asquith Carl Curzon, Lord Melner, Bonar Law and Arthur Hender son Hit Aidt. Lon Inn. The oflicial list of the new Ministry follows tlio unothcial fore casts, with two or three minor changes. Mr. Lloyd-George, Lord Mil ner, Karl Curzon. Andrew Iionar Law and Arthur Henderson form what Is olliclally termed the War Cabinet, while the others, who ordinarily have been designated as Cabinet Ministers, are called heads of departments. An Important point in this novel or ganization Is that It concentrate far more power In the hands of the l'rinie Minister than the British system has ever known before. Mr. Lloyd-George's proposals to Premier Asqulth were for a war council, of which the Premier should not be a member, although he should have the power of passing on Its work. Mr. Lloyd-George has not hesitated to place himself in the posi tion more closely resembling a dicta torship than he was willing to give his predecessor. The War Cabinet will hold daily ses sions directing the prosecution of the war, and the freedom of Mr. Lloyd George, Lord Milner and Mr. Hender son from department duties will allow thera to devote all their time to the War Council. The complexion of the new Govern ment Is 12 Liberals, 13 I'nlonlsts, 3 Laborites and the presidents of the Boards of Trade and Education and the Shipping Controller, who have been attached to no parties. The most Important new officials are the food and shipping controllers. Would Follow French Model. Sir Robert Flnlay's renunciation of the pension attached to the office of Lord High Chancellor will be a popu lar stroke. The Lord Chancellor draws 10. 000 in office and a pension of 5.0( 0 after his retirement. There has been much discussion over the cost of this largely ornamental office recently. Three retired Chancellors are drawing pensions, and Lord Buck master will make the fourth, having seen two years' service. I T. P. O'Connor gives notice of a notion in the House of Commons for the formation of a series of commis sions In Parliament on the French model, for co-operation with the Min isters In conducting the war. i The measures of the new Govern - rnent for the control of food supplies will be preceded by one for the entire control of the liquor trade, according ti well-informed sources. Absolute prohibition of the consumption of spirits except medicinal!;.', and re-tric-tions on the beer trade, are expee'ed. Tl'.e who'e resources of the spirit trade, it is believed, will be put under state control early in the new year and the accumulated stocks diverted to other purposes than drink. Tie distillation of whiskey and gin will be prohibited. SHARK SKINS FOR LEATHER. Bureau Of Fisheries Investigating Its Possibilities. Washington. I'-e of shark skins as a substitute fur le.i'her Is being In vestigated by the I'ni'ed S'afes Bureau of Fi.-heries as a pnj.-:b!e solu'ion of the high cost of aninril skins. Al ready, says a bureau statement, an ac ceptable leather is being made from shark skins in some foreign countries and In the t'nited Slates the-e has been a limited demand for the skins as coverings for smaller articles Flor ida fishermen will supply lame shark fklns for the experiments. The Gov ernment Is furnishing the fishing tackle. Men In the lighthouse service also have been directed to catch sharks. NO DOUBT AS TO PENNSYLVANIA. Official Count Of Vote Shows It Cave Hughes 181,953 Plurality. Harrisburg, Pa. The official count of the vote cast In Pennsylvania for Presidential elee'ors at the recent e'ec tion was completed and shows that Charles E. Hughes had a plurality over President Wilson of 1S1.950. The first elector on each party ticket received the highest vote. The veto was as follows: Kepublican, 700,7.14: Iiemo cratic, dC1.7t, Socialist, iZA?"; Pro hibition, 28 SiS; Industrialist, 417. -Total vote cast for President 1.207,037. TO VOTE ON VETO POWER. Business Men Consider Plan To Help President. Washington. Whether the Pre?! dent of the United States should be. empowered by constitutional amend ments to veto separate items of appro priation bills Is the subject of a refer endum ordered by the Chamber of Commerce of the t'nitcd States. It was announced at the Chamber's head quarters that all affiliated organiza tions had been asked to vote on the question and that balloting would be completed the third week in January. CONTRACTS FOR AIRSHIPS. Army Orders Ninety-Six For Its Coast A,-tillcry Stations. Washington. Contracts for flfi high power hydro-aoroplares for the roast artillery stations In the United State, Hawaii, Philippine? and the Panama Canal Zone were let by the War Ic. pnrtn ent. Immediate construction Is to be begun on the DG machines, and contracts fooa will be let for C2 more. Persian fanning depends- ou Irrigation. CABINET P. 0. DEPARTMENT $12,1,000 AHEAD Postmaster-General ShowsSur plus Accumulated. $5,200X00 ADDED THIS YEAR Burleson Recommends That Tele phone And Telegraph Systems Be Taken Over By Government. Washington. Postmaster - General Burleson's annual report, Just Issued declares there was a Postolllce De partment surplus of 5,2uO,000 during tho present year and enumerates as among the year's accomplishments Im provement of the parcel post, exten sion oi city and rural deliveries and development of tho Postal Savings system. A surplus of $12,500,000 Is shown, ays the report, for three years of the four the administration has been In of fice, and it calls attention to deficits under previous administrations. The department makes many recom mendations for improvement of the service. Some of the most important are these: That early action be taken by Con gress declaring a Government monop oly over all utilities for the public transmission of intelligence and that as soon as possible the telephone and telegraph facilities of the United States be Incorporated Into the postal establishment That $300,000 be appropriated now for acquiring telegraph and telephone utilities in Alaska, Porto Rico and Hawaii. That second-class postal rates be re vised to make sepond class matter pay more of Its share of transportation ex pense and that the 1 cent rate be ap plied to all so-called drop letters. That public buildings erected for postoOice purposes be standardized and that their costs be commensurate with the needs of tho service. That funds be expended in a num ber of large cities for buildings not of ornamental de ign, but designed to accommodate the postal servire be fore more money is spent In smaller towns where buildings are not needed and cannot be Justified. That chances be made in the pres ent building policy which Imposes a fixed charce on the department that has grown burdensome. That the classified service be ex tended to Include the position of post master at offices of the first, second and third classes. That the department be authorized to bond its employes, so that the Government may be protected more adequately and that relief may be af forded officials ami employes of the service. That the pay of rural carriers be equalized by fixing salaries on the basis of the number of pieces and weight of mail traported. lenrth of routes and time required to serve them, Instead of solely on length of rou'es as at present. That $100,000 bo appropriated for experiments In aerial transportation of mall. Growth of the parcel post will cut the cost of living to the city dweller, the report declares. The service Is now handling 90 OoO.OOO packages a month. Liberal chances In its regu lations have done much to bring about Its extension, it Is declared. NEW U-BOAT NOTE MAY BE SENT. Washington Stirred By Activities Of German Submarines. Washington. More definite infor mation as to the facts Involved In recent activities by German sub marines has brought the situation to a point where a new note to Germany, designed to clear up any doubt as to the interpretation of the Berlin Government's submarine pledges to the United States, appears to be among the possibilities of the near future. President Wilson has given careful attention to the evidence In the cases of several of the vesels recently at tacked, but has given no Indication of what his decision will be. It was stated positively that no course had been decided upon, but beyond this and a reiteration that the American Government had not In any way al tered Its stand on the submarine question, officials declined to make ar.y comment. The cases in the forefront of con sideration are those of the British steamers Arabia and Marina, both of which, Germany con'ends, were be lieved to be transports in the naval service of the Allies. During the dav official information reached the State Department e'tab'ishlnr; that the Marina, on which six Amerlrans were lost, was In no sene a transport, nnC an Inquiry was ndd-essed to Great Britain for In'ormatlon as to the act ual status of the Arabia. WANTS HIGHER SALARIES. Petition To Conyress From Coast end Geodetic Survey. Washington. Secretary Redfield presented to Congress a petition from employed of the Coast and Geodetic Survey, rrttlng forth the high cost of living and asking for Increased pay. POTATO EMBARGO OFF. Agricultural Department Expects Canadian Crop To Lower Price. Wa.-hington. The first step of the Department of Agriculture toward a policy expected to reduce prices on food staple was taken when the em bargo on Canadian potatoes was or dered lifted. Shipments of potatne , It was explained, must bo certified by shippers to be as sound as Is com mercially practicable and to contain no more than 10 per cent, of tubers showing traces of disease. I THE HOUSE OF MYSTERY I I . UNITED STATES F Production Increasing Faster Than Population. THE BEEF SUPPLY GROWING Secretary Of Agriculture Points To Further Great Possibilities Held Out By Till able Lands. Washington. Fears that the popula tion of the United States is growing so fast that It will outstrip the pro duction of food are set at rest by the annual report of Secretary of Agricul ture David F. Houston, Just made to Congress. The production of foods In the United States has held its own In some branches and has Increased In others. The alarming decline In beef produc tion which set In some time ago reach ed tho lowest point In 1913. and since then has increased materially. At the same time there has been a marked increa.se In the production of swine. Sheep have declined slightly. More of these meat animals have been slaugh tered under Government supervision during the fiscal year euded June 30, 1016. than ever before, the report states. The heaviest slaughtering has been accompanied by an Increase In the number of living animals, how ever. Secretary Houston says that the situation gives reason for' the bright est optimism, it being indicated that the United States cannot only supply Its own food needs, but can feed a large proportion of the people of the outside world. The report states that the Depart ment has energetically worked through tho eradication of disease nnd the de velopment of stock raising to increase the food supply, lie recommends the Inauguration of a vigorous campaign against tubereculosis in hogs nnd cat tle, which, he estimates, Is causing an nual losses in the United States of $:r..ooo,ooo. The report states that the secret of continuing to feed the world lies In the expansion by the American people of the acreage of tilled lands. Food crops should be stabilized and better regulated, he declares. Crops should be rotated scientifically, the Secretary declares, and the entire business of tilling the soil should be placed on a more scientific basis. A marked improvement In the qual ity of foods and drugs offered the pub lic has been brought about through rigorous enforcement of the food and Drugs act, the report says. CASHIER SHOT BY BANDIT DEAD. Ordered To Turn His Back And Fired At Three Times. Point, Texas. Clarence Glass, cashier of the Point National Bank, died from wounds received when he was shot down by a robber who took $244 from the bank. Glass said the robber, after taking the money, or dered him to turn his back, and then shot him three times. The man escaped. WOULD MAKE WASHINGTON DRY. Senators Sheppard and Kenyon To Champion Measure. Washington. First efforts of prohi bition leaders In Congress at this ses sion are to be directed toward making the national capital "dry." The Initial move will be made by Senator Shep pard, of Texas, and Senator Kenyon, of Iowa, will champion the measure from the Republican side. ADVERTISERS FAVOR IT. National Association Approves In crease In Price Of Newspapers. Uotton. The Association of Nation al Advertisers at Its annual meeting here adopted resolutions approving "reasonable increases lu the selling price of periodicals and newspapers because of the higher cost of white paper. BEATS HUSBAND FOR MAYOR. Oregon Woman Keeps City Hall Job In Family. Umatilla, Ore. Mrs. E. E. Starcher Is mayor of Umatilla, having defeated her husbarifl in the election. Women also were elected to all other offices in the municipal government, Includin; four peats In the council, recorder and treasurer.- New York State consumes 370.5r.0, 000 feet of lumber annually In making iwick Ing boxes and crates. 5 00D TO SPAKE . " 11 I FLAUNT BANNER IN PRESIDENT'S FACE The Suffragists Carry Out Care fully Planned Stunt. PRESIDENT GIVEN OVATION President Wilson Merely Smiles and Goes On With His Speech, While Page Pulls Down the Of- fensive Banner. Washington. President Wilson's address to Congress was marked by a woman suffrage coup in the galleries the first real show of organized militancy In the capital and by a great demonstration of congratulation to the President upon his re-elecUon, in which many Republicans Joined with the Democrats. After acknowledging the prolonged cheers and applause which greeted his entry to the hall of the House, the President launched into his address, reviewing recommendations for rail road legislation, a corrupt practices act, and had passed to his recommen dations for a broader government for Porto Rico. He was Just about to be gin a sentence: "The present laws governing the Island and regulating the rights and privileges or Its peo ple are not Just," when over the rail of the gallery, where sat a party of woman suffrage leaders, there fluttered down above the heads of an amazed assemblage of senators and rcpiTscn tatlves a silken banner of suffrage yel- ow, bearing In great black letters the inscription: "President Wilson, what will you do for woman suffrage?" The suffragists said afterward, It was their protest against the Presi dent's plea with Congress for broader suffrage for the men of Porto Rico while he did not mention their own cause In his address. Wilson Merely Smiled. As the banner rippled down tho suf- frnrlsts sat smiling and unperturbed watching the effect. A diminutive page, raised on the arms of men di rectly under the gallery, grasped the edge of the banner and snatched 'it down. President Wilson, attracted by the stir, looked up from his reading, and apparently taking In the situation at a glance, smiled broadly, and with out hesitation or interruption turned his eyes back to his manuscript and continued his address to It and with out further demonstrations. Policemen . and gallery guards scurried to where the women were seated, but contented themselves' with watching the party, as if to prevent a further outbreak. When the Joint session was over the suffragists filed out unmolested by the police, who said they had no orders other than to prevent any further In fringement of the rules of the House. The banner remained a trophy with the scrgeant-at-arms. Was Carefully Staged. As It turned out, the women had their plnns laid with precision and sprung their coup almost on the sec ond. Evidently in possession of an advance copy of the President's ad dress, they had timed the document at the speed they expected he would read, and anticipated he would reach the Porto Rico section in eight min utes. Miss Mabel Vernon, of Nevada, whe heckled the President here at his American Federation of Labor speech ast July and who smuggled the ban ner Into the House Rallery under her coat,, kept time and gave the signal for the unfurling of the banner. TORNADO HITS LOUISIANA TOWN Business Section Of Atlanta Demol ished And Child Killed. Atlanta, La. A tornado, which swept over this town virtually demol ished the business section, causing a loss of about $10,000. Among the buildings destroyed were the Catholic, lethodist and Baptist Churches ant' the depot of the Louisiana Railway ind Navigation Company. AUSTRIA ASKED TO EXPLAIN. Penfield Instructed To Ask For Details Of the Chemung Disaster. Washington. Secretary tf State Tensing instructed Ambassador Pen field In Vienna to "request" the Aus- rollungarlan Foreign Office for an explanation of the sinking by an Aus- rltin submarine of tho American learner Chomung off the coast of '.pain on November 26. The Inquiry, t was puid, was preliminary to formul negotiations concerning the vessel and U nnt In Itself final. TEUTON FORGES OCCUPY BUCHAREST The Rumania Campaign a Notable Achievement. TWO GREAT GENERALS Mark , the Climax Of a Campaign Which Began August 27 Were . Crushed In the German Nutcracker. Derlln. Bucharest, capital of Kou mania, has been captured, It was o(U clally announced. Ploechtl, the Important railway June Hon town, 36 miles northwest of Bu charest, also has been taken. Roumanians Avoided Trap. London. The retirement of the Rou manians from the city of Bucharest nnd the surrounding region was made Imperative by the ndvanco of the Ger manic troops on three sides of the capital. To avoid flanking operations that would have eaten Into their armies King Ferdinand's commanders slipped out of the enemy's trap with their forces apparently almost Intact. Recent advices stated that the mili tary authorities had decided to make no stand In the capital, which was re ported to have been stripped of the defenses that once made It ono of the most powerfully foi tided positions In .tie world. The capture of Bucharest marks the culmination of an operation accounted by military commentators one of the most soundly conceived and brilliantly executed strategical feats of the great war. From the hour when Field Marshal Von Mackensen forced a crossing of the Danube and, on November 24, set foot on Roumanian soil, effecting a Junction shortly afterward with Gen eral Von Falkenhayn's armies, driving through Wallachla from the west, there seemed little doubt of the ulti mate fate of the Roumanian capital. The relentless pressure of the Teu tonic invading armies, with their pre ponderance of heavy artillery, proved too much for King Ferdinand's forces once the Roumanian front was broken In western Wallachla and the Danube crossed behind the line of the north ern Teutonic Irruption. Continuously outflanked on tho south by Von Mackensen's advance and on the north by further Austro Gernian Irruptions through the moun tain passes, tho Roumanians had no choice but to fall bock upon the line of their capital and now have been forced to yield even that. Hold 50,000 Square Miles. The taking of Bucharest virtually completes the conquest by the Teu tonic forces of the southern section of the Roumanian kingdom, embracing territory of more than 50,000 square miles. The heclnnlne of the Teutonic cam paign against Roumanian dates back to the Roumanian entrance Into the war on August 27. Perhaps taken by surprise by the speed with which the Roumanians threw their troops across the Transylvania Alps Into Hungary nnd took possession of Kronstadt, Her mannstadt and a wide sweep of Hun garian territory, the Austro-German military authorities were awake to the opportunities In Dobrudia, on the Rou manian southeastern front. Within a few dnys the Bulgarians were found to be winning signal successes along the Danube, capturing Turtukal on Sentember 7 nnd Silistrla on the 10th. There remained then the operation of clearing the remainder of Dobrudja: up to the lmnortant railway line running from the Black Sea port of Constanza into Interior Roumanla, over the bridge at Tchemavoda. This Von Mackensen accomplished something more thnn a month later, defeating the Russo-Roumanlan Army and capturing the railway, thus shut ting off Bucharest from direct rail communication with the Black Sea and cutting the most convenient line for sending Russian reinforcements and supplies Into Roumanla. Crushed As In Nutcracker. This accomplished there began the process of crushing Roumanla In the nutcrackor fashion made- familiar by the Germans In this war. First, the Roumanians were pushed back to their frontier on the north. This was easily accomplished, as the Invaders of Hungary were apparently ill-equipped to hold their ground. Gen. Von Falkenhayn, In charge of this opera tion, then began hnmmorlng at the passes through tho Transylvanlan Alps, which it was necessary to carry to -reach the Roumanian plain. The Roumanians, assisted in some cases by the Russians, tenaciously defended these passes and their approaches, but all nlone tho line the Teutonic attack progressed and finally on November 18 came the vital break in the Rouman- Inn lino. This occurred in the UnDcr Jlul Valley, when Von Falkenhayn won the great battle of Tirgu-Jul and opened the way to the plains of Little Wallachla. Falkenhayn's Advance Rapid. Driving southward Von Falkenhayn quickly captured Craiova, cutting off the Roumanian forces In the Orsova region, In exlreme Western Rou manla, and by November 23 had vlr nalv coniDleted the conouest of Little Wallachla. The Roumanians' retreat eastward was In full swing by this BRITISH STILL ARGUE. But Are Expected To Let Austrian Ambassador Come Here. Washington. A series of communi cations is now passing between the United. States, England and Austria over England's refusal to give safe conduct to the new Austrian Ambas sador, Count Tarnowskl. Oil obtained from seeds of Brazilian rubber trees has been found an accept able substitute for linseed oil by Brit ish palntmakers. time, when suddencly came the news that Von Mackensen, who had been marshaling a big army In Dobrudja, had effected a crossing of the DanuDe at several points, one of them at Zlm nitza. turnluit the position the KOu- manlans had taken up along the Alt river after their retreat from the Jlul. From then on events moved rapidly. Von Mackensen, capturing Glurglu on the Danube, pressed up the railrond lino thence towards Bucharest, and the armies from the west and north, winning engagements that permitted the Influx of additional forces through the passes, fought their way to the line of the Argechu. Argechu Battle Decisive. This line was broken In a great bat tle on December 3, In which the (list Roumanian Army was badly defeated and began falling back eastward In disorder. The Austro-Ocrman armies were ncniing the capital ou threo sides, and nt no point, except on the south, meeting really effective resistance- Evon to tho south it was an nounced on Tuesday that they had worked within seven miles of the capi tal, which had been reported under bombardment for several days, and Its evacuation by the Roumanians wus hourly looked for. In entering Bucharest, the armies of the Central Powers have taken their fourth Entente capital. Early In the war, King Albort and the Belglon Gov ernment were forced out of Brussels, and last yenr King Poter of Serbia and King Nicholas of Montenegro were successively compelled to give up their capitals to the Teutonic invaders. Now the process has been repeated In the case of King Ferdinand of Roumnnla. Bucharest Well Fortified. Bucharest, before the present war relegated old-fashioned fortifications to the scrap heap, was considered ex tremely well defended by its outlying works, which comprised 18 fortifica tions of the first class and many re doubts and batteries. Aside from Paris, It was accounted probably the largest military camp In the world, capable of accommodating 200,000 men. AMERICAN STEAMER SUNK. Crew Of John Lambert Arrives At New York. New York. The steamship John Lambert, listed In the Maritime Regis ter as an American vessel, was shelled and sunk without warning by a Ger man submnrino off the Isle of Wight on November 22, according to mem bers of the crew, Americans, who ar rived here on the French line steam ship Espngno from Bordeaux. The John Lambert was one of the 12' vessels which was built on the Great Lakes the French line agreed to purchase. Accordingly to the arrivals the vessel had not yet been turned over to the French Interests, but was on its way to Havre for delivery there. CONDEMNS BELLIGERENTS. Pope In Hie Allocution Calls Atten tion To Violations Of Human Law. Rome. In bis allocution at the secret consistory, when the Right Rev. Mgr. William T. Russell was made Bishop of Charleston, S. C, the Pope said: "It Is well to recall, aside from the laws of God, that even If the laws of men were obeyed at present peace and prosperity would reign In Europe. We see open cities and defenseless In habitants exposed to aerial attacks and we see by sea and land nameless horrors. I cannot but deplore again these crimes nnd condemn all those by whom they are committed." McADOO AND HOUSTON TO STAY. Officials Close To Wilson Deny Res ignation Reports. Washington. In spite of reiterated reports to the contrary, officials clcse to President Wilson Insisted that neither Secretary McAdoo nor Secre tary Houston will retire from the Cabinet at the close of the President's first term. Attorney-General Gregory, who returned from Texas, refused to say whether he was planning to re sign. In his case, however, the re ports are generally credited among his friends. $1,000,000 FOR FISH HATCHERIES, House Bill Provides For One In Mary, land Or Virginia. Washington. Twenty fish hatch erles In as many states would be pro vided at a cost of about $1,000,000 by a bill which passed the House. They would be In Alabama, Louisiana, Flop Ida, Georgia, South or North Carolina, Maryland or Virginia, Oregon, Texas, Oklahoma, Illinois, Washington, Ari zona, New Mexico, Michigan, Idaho, Missouri, Pennsylvania, Delaware or New Jersey, Minnesota and California. The bill now goes to the Senate. URGES PAPER EMBARGO. Kansas Congressman Inroduces Meas ure Providing Fines. Washington. A bill designed to place a two-year embargo on exporta tion of news print paper was Intro duced by Representative Campbell, of Kansas, and referrod to the commerce committee. Penalties ranging from fines of $1,000 to $20,000 and Imprison ment of not more than ten years would be provided by the measure. ALL QUIET IN SANTO DOMINGO. Payments Suspended For Several Months Are Resumed. Santo Domingo. The situation Is now quiet In Santo Domingo, In which American military rule was proclaim ed last month. Payments by the Gov ernment, which were suspended for several months on account of the re tention of public funds by the Ameri can officials, have been resumed. Turkey has put bakeries under gov ernment rule. VOTE OF THE GUARD COST NEARLY $8000 Expense Of 19 Election Commission. ere To Texas Was $7,459 Jus. tlce Walling Spent $9,041. Harrisburg It cost the State of Pennsylvania $7,456.60 for the expenses of sixteen commissioners to take the vote of the National Guardsmen at the election held last month. One commissioner has not filed his account The com missioners were allowed ten cents a mile for their trips to Harrisburg for In. structlons and supplies nnd for the trip to and from El Paso. The expenses do not Include the cost of printing and other expenses. Justice E. A. Walling elcctd to the Supreme Court, filed an accounting for $9,011.79 expended In his campaign. This sum ropri-sents his personal ex penditures and does nnt Include any of the contributions to Campaign Com mittee in his Interest. Ho gave the Erie County Campaign Committee $3,209.05: the Republican State Com mittee, $2,500, and the Democratic Stato Committee, $1,000. The Erls County Walling Committee accounted for the contribution from the Justice and the Schuylkill County Walling Committee for $59.35. Congressman John R. K. Scott certl fled to expenditure of $2,105 with $814.67 unpaid. He received no con tributions and gave the Republican State Committee $1,000. Mr. Scott paid $500 to the Philadelphia Commit tee of Seventy for Investigation of qualifications of voters and $200 to a detective agency for the same pur pose. Certifications of payment of nothing or less than $50 were made by A. O. Graham, Washington candidate for Coneross-at-Large: Isaiah Schellne, C. H. Ruhe, A. H. Klngsburv and F. D. McCue, Democratic electoral candi dates. O. O. Benn, Republican elector, accounted for $300. Jitneys Declared Common Carriers. Jitneys are common carriers within the meaning of the Pennsylvania Pub lic Service law and can only be ope rated when their owners have obtained certificates of public convenience from the Public Service Commission which, however, will grant authority to ope rate only when applicants for certif icates show that they hnve safe and adequate vehicles according to a de cision of the commission. The opin ion was written by Chairman Alney and refuses a certificate to Poter Greco, against whose operation of a Jitney the Allegheny Valley Street Railway hnd filed a protest. Tho opinion Is the first In which the commission has taken a stand against Jitneys not of sufficient size to meet demands of traffic. It lays down rules and under the decision will come prob ably a score or more of Jitney ope rators In western Pennsylvania, who have been complained against, while the case will furnish a precedent In other cases which may be brought Commutation Asked For Murderer. Application was filed with tho Stale Board of Fardons for commutation oi the death sentence of Fred Christy, Mercer county, convicted of the murder of his father, John Christy. As in the cases of the two Jefferson county mur ders, sentenced to die for the killing of the father of one of them, a plea of youth Is made. Christy Is only a little over seventeen. He asserts that another person did the actual killing and that he was adjudged guilty of first degree murder on submission of his case after withdrawing a plea of not guilty; the person whom he charges with the murder being acquitted. Aek Holiday Ruling On Work Hours. Represenatlves of employers asked the State Industrial Board to permit two hcurs extra work each day the week preceding Christmas for female employes. Christmas falls on Monday and the law provides that In holiday weeks women and girls may work two hours extra a day not In excess of a total of fifty-four hours to make up the 'oss of time. The emplovers wott'd like to have thera work the week be fore, during the rush, Instead of the week following. The Attorney General will be consulted before a ruling Is made. Quail To Be Brought To Pennsylvania. Dr. Joseph Kalbfus, secretary of the State Game Commission, received a telegram from one of the representa tives of the commission that he had arrived In Texas from Mexico with 6000 Mexican quail for distribution throughout that State. This Is the largest fot ever brought Into this coun try for the State's propagation work. The quail will be kept In captivity until Spring, bolng distributed throughout farms whose owners have agreed to care for them. Whitewashing Casual Employment Whitewashing a fence on a back lot Is casual employment and a person In jured In such employment cannot claim compensation, was the decision given by Referee E. K. Saylor In the claim of Lewis Stambaugh, of Boiling Springs. It settles a question as to casual em ployment. Schwab Buys Fifty Memberships. Charlos M." Schwab took fifty mem berships In the Harrisburg Chamber of Commerce for officials and others con nected with tho Bethlehem Steel Com pany. Australia boasts of the tallest troei grown on British Boll. Fifty thousand combinations are po Bible with a new combination padlock. The first electric lamps ever mad In Argentina recently were turned out at a new plant The temprrature of a new eloctrh) Oatiron can ,bo regulated to four dlf ferent degrees. One Farls motion picture plant pro duces an average of 3.000,000 feet ol Blras weekly.