. THE MEYERSDALE COMMERCiA. .YERSDALE. PA. Be Important Bills Are Appearing sm———— on Calendar. | MAY WORK EVERY EVENING in Endeavoring to Keep Up House ls " Likely to Labor Overtime—Capital | Punishment, State Police netomess Civil Service for City Firemen and | Other Measures Being Considered. Harrisburg, Pa., April 10.—Bills of vital importance are now out on the calendars to be voted on by members of the two branches of the legislature fn a short time. Tt i; expected that the next ten days will bring forth addi- t cual measures of g neral interest and signs point to ever, legislator having his hands full until the close of the session. Many anticipate plenty of night work in trying to keep up with the oytput of the committees. The general appropriation bill made its appearance last week, but has since been returned to committee for necessary changes. In regards to de- partmental appropriations a subcom- mittee is at work looking into various items and as soon as this investiga- tion task is gotten through with the two chairman, Buckman and Wood- ward, will be ready to whip appropria- tions into shape. In addition to the bill to increase the state police force, this week's house calendar contained the Tomp- kins bill to abolish capital punish- ment which passed the senate a few weeks ago, as well as the kindred bill giving a jury the power to de- | <ide whether the punishment in a first degree case should be death or life | imprisonment. : Township Code. The township code is also on the calendar. This is of great concern to the townships of the commonwealth. It codifies into one general law the hundreds of acts that have been pass- ed affecting townships of the two classes. This code was prepared by the legislative reference bureau and the object is to simplify township Jaws, as was done in the matter of borough laws two years ago. The borough code is proving a great con- venience to lawyers and officials of such municipalities and it is believed the general law covering all township acts will likewise be of inestimable benefit to persons interested in town- ehips. Representative Siggins has in- | troduced the township code. Catlin’s bill giving firemen in third class cities the benefit of civil service went through this week and is now up to the governor for his approval. An- other Catlin bill regulating b-xi g . contests has passed the senate and is 4n the house committee, The equal suffrage amendment ' as ‘been reported out of committee with an affirmative recommendation and is Mow on the calendar. Health Insurance Here. Considerable attention has been at: tracted among the members by t-e bill presented by Representative J. J. Dean, of Lawrence, to establish a svs- tem of health insurance in Pennsylva- mia. It contemplates state participa- tion and was prepared after four years of investigaton and study under tie direction of the American Associaticn for Labor Legislation co-operating with the American Medic2l associati"n and representatives of labor and indus- try. This bill is being introduced in legislatures this year. The bill provides compensation for losses due to sickness to all manual workers and all others earning less than $100 per month. It eovers any sickness or accident not within the scope of the workmen’s compensaticn act. Benefits Include medical, surgical and nursing attendance; medical and surgical supplies; maternity benefl's for childbirth; cash benefits for a max- imum of twenty-six weeks in a year, and a limited funeral benefit. The state is to assume one-fifth of the cost of insurance; two-fifths is to be paid by employers and the remaining two- fifths by employes. I.ocal mutual health funds are created for the ad- ministration of these benefits and are to be under the joint control of the employers and the insured employes. Compensation Amendments. The house committee on labor and industry has reported favorably the Woodward bill making a series of emendments to the workmen’s com- pensation act. They were prepared by the labor organizations of the state. “The most important amendment is in- creasing the compensation from fifty to sixty-six and two-thirds per cent of the wages for disability. Another amendment would start the payments for disability at the end of the first seven days instead of fourteen as at present. Another bill reported by the same committee provides that the payment for medical and hospital services ghzll not exceed the prevailing rates. This alen was introduced by Repre- gentative Woodward. Under ‘he terms of a bill offered in the house by Representative Black, of ¥arrisbure, efforts will be made in the future to reconcile the contending parties in divorce suits. The messure provides for the ap- pointment of a proctor by the courts of common pleas to act as an interme. | diary in martial troubles. The prec tor may be a man or a woman, wW00 | ghall be paid $2000 a year, Assist gnt may be appointed also. } BUSY DAYS FOR |THIS STATE IS MAKERS OF LAWS LOYAL TO CORE Legislature Moves to Give { i Millions For Defense. rm—— BIG WAR FUKD SUGGESTED — Besides Contributing Financlally to State Defense and, Thereby, Uphold- ing National Government, Measures SENATE ADOPTS CLOTURE RULE AR | Gronna, Sherman and La Fol- lette Only Votas Against ACTION PLEASES PRESIDENT Two-thirds of the Senate Can Now Limit Debate on Any Subject to One Hour For Each Senator. The senate of the United States For Military Training and Other Mat- ters Pertaining to Crisis Under Way. | Harrisburg, Pa. April Pennsylvania will be no laggard in the matter of assisting the national gov- ernment in the war with Germany was shown by the introduction of a bill in the senate and house calling fer an appropriation of $2,000.000 for state defense. Senator Buckman sponsored the measure in the senate and Repre- ! sentative Woodward in the house. SENATOR CLARENCE J. BUCKMAN Senate Chairman of Appropriation Committee. It is known that the amount speci fied in this bill does not represent the exact financial contribution from Pennsylvania. Within a few weeks bills aggregating as high as $5,000, 000 will be presented for the same purpose and probably passed without any difficulty. The bill as originally drawn gave the governor discretionary power in expending the war fund, but the plan now is to create a board consisting of the governor, auditor general, state treasurer’ and, probably, representa tives: from the two branches of the legislature. They will supervise the fund and take executive charge of the work of placing Pennsylvania in the front as an auxiliary to the govern- ment at Washington. Military Tralning In Schools. Coincident with the offering of the fund bills, committees were named to investigate the question of military training in the public schools. A bil’ to bring this about will shortly be pre- sented and there is but little question | of its passage. There are several bills before the legislature on physical training in the schools. The advocates of these measures believe that military train- ing is too revolutionary a step and feel that the same object can be met by physical training. Indications are however, that at this critical period military training will be given the right of way and a bill calling for it sent to the governor for his approv- In view of the probable necessity of using the highways of Pennsylva- nia for the transportation of troops and war vehicles bills for certain road appropriations are being vigorously pushed. Last week a bill appeared giving insurance companies the right to do insurance business in this state against bombardment during a war. Certain large munition plants desire to take out this kind of insurance and on account of restrictions in the law are unable to do so. So Soldiers May Vote. Senator William S. McKee, of Alle- gheny, who is colonel of the First field artillery of Pennsylvania, presented a bill which will provide a better means for soldiers to vote at elections, while In service. The bill provides that the commanding officer of each company, battery and troop unit, shall furnish to the adjutant general the names, ad- dresses and voting precincts of all sol- diers in his command. The adjutant general in turn is to transmit this in- formation to the commissioners of the respective counties. The commission- ers must then prepare the ballo{s for each election precinct in which sol- diers reside and forward them to the secretary of the commonwealth, who is to forward them to the regiment-! pommanders. Tae ballots must in elude the names of all officers to be voted for at such elections. Many legislators participated in the big patriotic meeting here on Thurs- day evening and at which James W. Gerard, former ambassador to Ger- many, was the principal speaker. He beseeched the American people to ex- ert every effort in upholding the gov- ernment and said in that way only can the present trouble be brought to a speedy and successful end. The United States must enter the war, Gerard declared, in order that the door of hope may not be swumg in the face of awakened Russia, in or- der that the might of miliicrism and despotism may not blight a movement so wide ar o potent in its possibili- | . ' : % | tles that i ney 1e most :iga.fi- cant and dramatic events in all haman history since Cavalry, 10.—That | has overthrown the traditions of mor | than a century and voted to adopt | hmitation on senate debate. By a | { vote of 76 to 3 the senate adopted a rule imposing a modified form : of cloture on the upper house. x | The rule will clear the way for ac- tion on President Wilson's demand ! for legislation authoriziag him to in- stitute armed neutrality if the presi- dent calls an extra session of con- . gress. Recently the president de- { clared that unlimited debate rule in | the senate would make the calling of an extra session on the question of | armed neutrality futile. : The three senators who voted | against the cloture rule were La Fol- lette of Wisconsin, Gronna of North Dakots and Sherman of Illinois, all Republicans. The rule as adopted will enable two-thirds of the senate to limit debate on any measure to one hour for each senator. : The result of the vote was com- municated to President Wilson at the White House. He expressed his gratii- fication, but no immediate announce: ment as to the calling of an extra- ordinary session was made. Senator La Follette declared tL when the power to free debate in the senate is taken away “you let loose forces that will be heard elsewhere if not here.” He said congress in the last three years had become a rubber stamp for the executive. “With this sort of rule and an iron hand laid on this body from outside,” he said, “with congress reduced in the last three years to little less than a rubber stamp, do you not think this sort of cldoture would be pretty effee- tive? Believing that I stand for dem- ocracy, for the liberty of the people of this country, I shall stand while I am a member of this body against any cloture that imposes a limitation on debate in this body.” Lf Senator Martin, majority leader, in asking unanimous consent said that bs so doing he had no desire to shut off full debate. Senator Lodge, rapi ing Republican of the foreign “rela tions committee, said he hoped there would be no objection. Senator Sherman said he opposed the cloture rule because it would be only a question of time, if the one proposed is adopted, until the power of two-thirds to force cloture would be so changed so it may be forced by a majority vote. He read extracts from President Wilson’s writings de- claring that the unlimited debate in the senate was of great importance to its usefulness ag a legislative body. Senator Owen, an advocate of abso- lute cloture, said he would support the change although he felt the ma- jority should be able to pass legisla- tion when it desired. The change proposed, he said, is desired to pass the armed neutrality bill and provide for the existing “national exigency.” MILLION DOLLARS BAIL That Sum Demanded For Release of Cuban General Gomez. Bail for General Gomez, captured Cuban rebel leader, was set at a round million dollars. No one has yet come forward with this staggering amount of money to permit release of the rebel chieftain, and the prospect is he will remain in Principe penitentiary pending trial. Carlos Miguel Cespedes, a promi- nent lawyer of Havana, who was re- ported to have been killed in battle at Placetas when ex-President Gomez, the rebel leader, was captured, ar- rived in Havana a prisoner. He was wounded in the head. He has beer placed in the Dragones prison. Easter Fires. 3 The early Saxons used to light Easte er fires on the hills in expression’ of their joy. This custom only died out in the early part of the nineteenth century. It is only observed up to this day in the “Woods of Teutobure gum,” where on the eve of Easter Sums day the fires are lit as of old. Making Home Comfortable, An eastern woman lecturer on intes rior decoration says that imitation lace curtains are in bad taste and rocking chairs should be done away with. She sounds like a woman who'd throw her husband’s carpet slippers away and make him smoke his pipe on the kitchen porch.—Detroit Free Press. An Honest Label. A cynical minded gentleman was standing in front of an exhibition of local talent labeled “Art Objects.” “Well,” be announced to the attend- ant in charge, “I should think Art would object, and I can’t say that I blame her.”—Harper’s Magazine. - An Exchange of Courtesies. “You farmers buy a good many gold bricks, eh?” “Yes, and you city fellows buy a good deal of swamp land. I guess things are about even.” Kansas City Journal WORLDS IN THE MAKING. What Is Taking Place In the Great Nebula In Andromeda. We look today on the things of a century, a millennium, ago. Light trav- eling at the rate of 186,300 miles a sec- ond requires more than four years to come from the nearest star, perhaps thousands and tens of thousands of ears from the farthest; hence in every case they are not what is, but what was. Thousands of nebulae have been dis- covered in the heavens. The spiral pat- tern of some few nebulae has long been confirmation of the theory that they are the real beginners of a solar gystem. But there has recently come in much evidence of the spiral charac- ter of other nebulae that the conclu- sion seems forced upon us that practi- cally all are in a state of rotation and are hence supplying the centrifugal force to throw off the rings which roll themselves up into planets revolving about central suns. When opportunity is given to look di- bo] rectly down upon a nebula there re- sults startling evidence of its being in rotation. There is no other way of explaining its remarkable details of structure. Some look like the propeller blades of a motorboat; some are actu- ally caught in the act of throwing off rings which are seen condensing at certain centers, rolling themselves into planets, henceforth to travel around their suns. The great nebula in An- 1 dromeda gives striking evidence that it is working out another and a greater solar system than our own. ‘ In short, it seems that in studying the nebulae we are being admitted to are permitted to watch the actual proc- ess of turning out worlds. Nothing in the heavens is better fitted to fill the very soul with awe. As in the case of the “fixed stars,” our lives are too brief, too feeble our eyes, to detect the actual motion.—Frederick Campbell's “Suns and Worlds In the Making.” : WAR CORRESPONDENTS. : They Don't Have the Liberty Now They Had In Former Times. In his book, “Over the Front In an Aeroplane,” the author, Ralph Pulitzer, tells of the experiences and the treat- ment of the press representatives in the great European war. He says: “The war correspondent does not buy himself a motor, because if he did he would not be allowed to use it. All he buys himself is a railway ticket. When it comes to motoring he is packed with an assortment of fellow correspondents into military autos specially assigned by the army authorities. “He does not buy a shelter tent or a sleeping bag, because at a certain scheduled hour every evening the staff officer who has him and his colleagues in tow: will lead him into an excellent assign him to a comfortable bedroom engaged ahead. He does not buy can- ned provisions, because before going to bed the officer buys him an appetizing dinner, follows it up with a good break- fast the next morning and at lunch time introduces him to a courteous general or at a pinch to another hotel keeper, by one or the other of whom he is supplied with a prearranged and ex- cellent lunch. “He does not buy a revolver, because it would be gently but firmly taken away from him if he did. “If he is sensible he does not even buy himself binoculars, for the officers by whom he.will find himself uninter- ruptedly accompanied will be glad to let him use theirs, and, though he may not look so picturesque without them, he will be much more comfortable if he has any hands and knees work to do. “Finally he will not have a word to say as to where he wants £0 go or what he wants to see, for that has all been settled in advance.” KEYSTONE PARAGRAPHS Governor Martin G. Brumbaugh of Pennsylvania has wired President Wil- son urging the enactment of prohi- bition for the duration of the war. The governor's office announced that the action was taken at the suggestion of Dr. Irving Fisher, a member of the National Council of Defense. The telegram was as follows: “I earnestly suggest the enactment of a law declar- ing prohibition during the war. Every consideration of health and economy warrant my making the suggestion.” A call for all high school authorities and colleges in the state to release all students who have attained an aver- age of 70 in their studies for service in [the state agricultural army, was issued in Philadelphia by the executive com- mittee of the state committee on pub- lic safety. It is recommended that all students so released be given ad- vanced standing when they return to the institutions at the opening of the {fall term. Two persons were Kkilied and twenty others injured, when an engine pulling another engine and a flat car, got be- yond control of the engineer at the top of a steep grade on the Kingsley branch of the Sheffield and Tionesta railway near Warren, Pa. The dead are: Harry Fiffer, aged thirty-three, of Hastings, fireman, and Burton Brink, aged eighteen, of Mayburg, a spectator. A miners’ strike in the district be- tween Kiskiminetds Junction .and Blairsville which had been in prog- ress since April 1, 1916, and which is estimated to have resulted in a loss of at least $300,000 to miners and op- erators, has been settled, according to announcement made by Louis Hicks, manager of the Hicks coal interests. More than 3,000 miners will return to work. | the very workshop of the universe and | hotel in some large town or othel and FORGE TO FRANCE UP TO PRESIDENT Congressmen Enthused Over Sending Army at Once WILSON SAID TO FAVOR PLAN J French Commissioners Want Ameri- can Soldiers at Front at Once, Be- cause of Moral Force. The issue is now ‘believed to be squarely before President Wilson as to whether he will heed the appeal from allied quarters that American troops be sent at once to France or whether, as members of the American general staff would prefer, he waits i illion men has : mail 9a ory of 2 million | wounded and prisoners, and constitute been organized. Although the conference which took place at the White House between President®ilson and M. Viviani, head of the French mission, has been sur- rounded with safeguards of secrecy, it is believed that the matter was con- sidered at some length. Not only does there appear to be at present a wide divergence of view between members of the army gen- eral staff and many of the visiting commissioners from abroad, but opin jon is divided at the war department itself. Officers of the line and younger of- ficers generally are understood to urge that units be sent at once, if for than to im- press upon ile people a realization of the fact that their coun- try is at war and to inspire enthus- iasm among recruits. Older men of the general staff, it is said, believing that modern war is a matter of such tremendous complex- ity, feel that no move should be made until thorough preparation has been made in advance, even though these preparations may take a year. That a demand in congress is likely to develop at any time for the early dispatch of an expeditionary force to France is forecast from conferences which members of the house and sen ate are known to have had with mem- pers of the French®commission. Most of these members of congress, it can bas stated, were decidedly op- posed at first to sending a force across in less than a year. When they left the conference practically all of them were enthusiastically in, favor of such a course. Marshal Joffre in an interview in Washington said that France cherish- ess the confidenjphope- that the flag of the United States soon will fiy on her battle lines. Victories sure to be won by the sol- diers of the two republics, once more fighting shoulder to shoulder for lib- eray, declared that hero of the Marne, will “hasten the end of the war and tighten the lines of affection and es- teem which have ever united France and the United States.” It was just before the marshal and other members of the French war mis- sion started for a visit to the tomb of George Washington at Mount Ver- non that the marshal gave the inter- view. : At the grave of George Washington at Mount Vernon the three great democracies of the world united in a pilgrimage of love and respect to the shrine of the man who made democ- racy possible. Attended by ceremonies that were magnificent in their simplicity, the French and British war missions on behalf of their governments, placed memorial wreaths on the tomb of the great American, which forever will serve as a reminder to the American people of the deep respect and admira- tion which they hold for the father of America. The French war mission has in- formed the American government that the things France needs most from the United States are money, food, fertil- izers, coal, steel, oil and transporta- tion equipment, especially ships in which to carry goods from the new to the old world. One of the foremost purposes of the French mission, revealed authorita- tively for the first time, is to impress upon the American government and people the sericus food situation in Europe. Members of the economic section of the mission believe there is serious danger of a world famine. no other practical reason Alnericdail MEN TRAPPED IN MINE 117 Colorado Coal Diggers Entombed In Fire-Swept Workings. Fire in the Victor American Fuel company mine No. 2 at Hastings, near Trinidad, Col., trapped 117 coal min- ers. Twenty-one bodies have been re- covered. : ; Reports were in circulation that the fire was the result of a war plot. A company of troops*has been guarding the property for some weeks. A num- ber of Austrian miners are employed in the district. Mobbed For Advocating Peace. Nicholas Lenine, leader of the group of Russian Socialists working for a separate peace with Germany, was mobbed while making a speech, says a dispatch from Petrograd. Rioting followed. : “Liberty Loan of 1917.” Secretary McAdoo announced that the loan which the United States soon will raise by its $5,000,000,000 bond is sue will be officially designated “the Liberty Loan of 1917.” Li OF ik wAR | PR AGL. Heavy fighting continues along the front in France, with the French and English taking turns in pounding Le erman lines. London and Paris re- port slow but steady gains for their men with the German resistance growing more and more determined. No gains of great strategical im- portance have been made, but it is known that only a few miles more of advance by the allies will make the Germans leave the country. The extent of the Geran losses in the fighting along the Aisne is dis- closed in the reference in the official statement to the capture of 130 guns, of which a considerable number were of heavy caliber. The German losses in men are esti- mated at more than 200,000, with the probability that the total reached 235,000. These figures include killed, one of the most formidable totals of the present war. The number of Ger- man prisoners aggregates approxi- mately 20,000. It was announced by the ministry of munitions in London that the British expenditure of shells of the caliber of six inches and upwards dur- ing the first week of the offensive that opened on April 9, was nearly twice that of the first week of the Somme offensive last year, while the expen- diture of such shells during the sec- ond week was six and one-half times that of the second week on the Somme. German destroyers attacked Rams- gate, according to an official announce- ment by the London war office. A large number of shells were fired, but the destroyers were driven off by the fire from the land batteries. One man and one woman were killed during the bombardment and one man and two women were injured. : A further retirement of the Turks in Mesopotamia for a considerable distance north of Samara, recently captured by the British, is reported by General Maude. A mighty battle has developed om: the western front south of Riga and along the Dvina river, the Petrograd war office announced. The Germans have been reinforced in that sector and dispatches. from headquarters indicate that the Teu- tons have either started a big offen- sive or are planning to do so immedi- ately. RAISE FOR MINERS Central District Workers Reach Agree- ment With Opeiutors. A settlement has been reached im the wage scale differences betwnen the operators and miners working im the central Pennsylvania coal fields. Under the agreement the 10 per cent: bonus granted at the first of the year will be annulled. The miners will be grated af cont increase om all dead wer? a 5 per cent bonus on gross eal “Ope: ny, ;¢2. The drivers wilk get $3.60 per day instead of $2.77 as formerly. A sum =zlightly tn excess of sixty cents per day has been‘added to the wages of all da: ) a uniform day wage scale, for which the miners have contended for vears. Great Loss of Vessels. In the first two months of unrestrict- ed submarine warfare shipping to the amount of more than 1,600,000 tons was sunk by the Germans, Dr. Kark Helfferich, German secretary of in- terior, told the reichstag main com- mittee. Robbers Secure $14,000. Fourteen thousand dollars was stolen from the private bank of Kow- alewski brothers in Chicago when fiver robbers held up the cashier. ! Complying with orders received® from Washington, Adjutant General Stewart is again working out plans for the mobilization of the national guard. Officess are being selected for: first-call service. Similar steps are: being taken by the national guard executives in all the states. Within full view of fifty pupils of the sghool he attended, Philip Hall, the fourteen-year-old son of Mr. and Mrs. Eugene Hall, residing one mile south of Sykesville, was struck by a- trolley car of the United Traction company of Dubois and instantly” killed. “Grandmother” Hannah Dial, aged 102, Westmoreland county’s oldest WO— man, is dead at the home of John Dial,. a son, at Jacobs Creek, near Connells-- ville. Her birthday, last Jan. 3, was- observed by a family dinner. Mrs. Diall was born near Scottdale, Jan. 3, 1816- Dorsey S. Mullen, aged thirty-five. of Pitcairn, was killed at Sang HolloW.. near Johnstown, when he was struck: by the New York express on the Pennsylvania railroad. Mullen alight- ed from a freight train and stepped: in the path of the express. seriously injured when two Pennsyl vania railroad freight trains collided near Norristown. The dead are Brake- man Halvig, Fireman Gross and an unidentified railroader The injured are all railroad men. Announcement was made by Co®- gressman CO. D. Bleakley of Franklin that if nothing prevents and the weather conditions are good he eX: Pects to make another flight from Philadelphia to Washington within the mext two weeks. = men, making ° Three persons were killed and four: sitions the sa moving will no ter on ed diff book 3 The ‘hem ar date Toady Charles lehem of this Rece Thoma, deadly arms sheriff. mous § If the oll hill, week b it recei nor, ev ‘have te or a r game. -8rs and human The | last da; which 1 fre ove pow. T presents An uns Mr. Sh: May 17. A pin tre, mo: or asse: pictures o'c and pri by Rep Philadel
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers