SNOWS OF PAST WINTER PROV
ED IMPERATIVE NEED OF
OPEN THOROUGH FARES.
MUST HE OPEN ALL YEAR.
Short-Haul Freight That Cannot Ho
Handled by Railways t an l>o
Transported to Advantage in Ve
hicles of Various Kinds.
WASHINGTON, D. CM April 6.—
Snows of the past winter have shown
the imperative need of a nation-wide
effort to keep the highways open ev
ery day of the year. Storms of un
precedented severity have frequently
killed travel over urgently needed
roads and thereby isolated a great
percentage of farms.
This interruption of travel struck
serious blows at the nation s war pre
parations. It added to the food short
age. It deranged business. It was
the direct cause of hardship' and ma
terial financial loss.
Short-haul freight that could not be
handled by already overtaxed rail
roads. but which could have been di
verted to clear highways, was piled
up to aggravate the already immense
congestion.
r
Becomes National Peril.
Such a condition would he economic
folly at any time, hut with the nation
at war it becomes a national peril.
“Speeding up’’ is vital to every war
activity and to keep all roads open
for the increasing traffic they must
hear, is now virtually a patriotic obli
gation. The highways transport com
mittee, working in Washington to
aid the government in solving prob
lems of freight congestion, is giving
active consideration to this subject. It
has succeeded through the efforts of
it.-, chairman. It. I). Chapin, in getting
considerable emergency assistance.
There was a special need of help in
making pa. able these roads tra
versed by convoys of motor trucks
delivered over the road by govern
ment direction. But, according to Mr.
Chapin, the problem is one that calls
for more than isolated, emergency ef
fort. It must be dealt with compre
hensively and preparation be made in
advance so that there can bo assur
ance that roads will be open at all
times.
Concentration of Effort.
State, municipal, county, and town
ship organizations, together with
highway associations and good road
affiliations of all kinds, should now
he concentrating on plans. Such plans
should not alone be directed to assur
ing clear roads against snow falls,
but also to making sure that traffic
ne: t winter shall be safeguarded
against the interruption it has just
met.
Much has already been done in this
direction. Pennsylvania is keeping
many of her most important roads
free of snow. Ohio, in addition to
maintaining a route across the state,
is keeping many other important
roads clear. Michigan has made a
large appropriation from its $5,000,
000 war fund to remove snow from all
the main routes within its borders.
Immense Traffic This Year.
Every indication points to an im
mense development of highway traffic
in 1018.
From the standpoint of economy it
is good practice to keep the roads
clear all year. This practice means a
big saving in maintenance costs. It
especially unfortunate that the
Jhrrmer should allow himself to be
blockaded, for in most cases no need
exists for it. There is nearly always
at hand the equipment to keep the
? roads clear, providing a start be made
| in time, and proper energy be applied.
In the past there has seldom been an
? organization or facilities to deal
| with a heavy snowfall. Yet the hor
ses and machinery are all at hand.
IJjad drags and road graders are to
be found in nearly every township and
there are at hand the men who know
I how to operate them. Horses would be
much better off used in this work than
permitted to idle in the stalls. The
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r
main essential is to get started quick
ly. Just as soon as the snow begins
to fall the forces hould be put at work.
They should be kept at it night and
day, if need be. This very much sim
plifies the problem, for it eliminates
the accumulation so hard to deal
with.
Plan in Pennsylvania.
The standard plan for keeping
roads clear as applied in Pennsylvania
has proved to be very efficient. As
soon as snow reaches a depth of two
inches the motor-truck snowplow, mo
tor trucks pulling standard road
scrapers, and road scrapers pulled by
horses are put to work. Road drags
are also used to advantage.
In case of heavy drifts it is neces
sary to send drags drawn by horses
to break a track to enable motor
plows to work. In extremely heavy
drifts, hand work is sometimes neces
1 sary. The number of machines, hor
1 ses and men is entirely dependent up
on the extent of the storm. Day and
night shifts are used where need be.
Through the weather bureau at
Pittsburg the Pennsylvania highway
department is warned of the approach
of a storm. It, in turn, through the
maintenance division, notifies district
engineers whose district the state
highway traverses. They arrange to
have been and equipment ready, so
, that no time be lost in fighting the
: storm.
The war has magnified transporta
tion into an importance greater than
ever before. Keeping the roads clear
every day in the year is virtually part
of the war program. It is an obliga
tion on everv citizen.
PRESIDENT GIVES
TERM OT FRANK M. RYAN, IN
MATE OF LEAVENWORTH
IM11SON, IS (OMMI TE1).
WASHINGTON, D. C\, April 6.—
| President Wilson has decided to com
: nute the prison term of Frank M.
Ryan, formerly president of the Inter
nationa! Union of Structural Iron
Workers, now in Leavenworth peni
tentiary. Ryan will be released im
mediately.
The former labor leader was con
victed several years ago for conspir
The president’s action in the commu
tation of Ryan’s sentence is due to re
quests from organized labor bodies
! in all parts of the United States,
acy in connection with the dynamiting
of the Los Angeles Times building,
when a score of persons lost their
lives.
HARVEST E M E R < i E X CIE S.
Colorado Will Open Farm Labor
Bureau in Order to (let Workers.
DENVER, Colo., April G.—To cope
with harvest emergencies this summer
and autumn, W. L. Morrissv, state
labor commissioner, is arranging to
open a farm labor bureau. Tim
bureau’s work will be to induce Ne
braska and Kansas farm laborers to
come to Colorado when the harvest
work in these states has been com
pleted.
A phase of the work will be to ob
tain, if possible, free transportation
for the laborers, as their work, AT.
.Morrissv holds, is a war measure and
entitled to aid at the hands of the go\
ern ment-controlled ra i 1 ways.
FARMERS TO HOLD RALLY.
_
BERKELEY, Cal., April 6.—What
is expected to take on the aspect of a
! farmers’ patriotic rally will be held
at tiie University of California tomor
row evening. Dean Thomas F. Hunt
of the college of agriculture will make
| an address in the auditorium of the
Wheeler hall on Canada’s patriotic
I achievements in the great war both in
the matter of men she has offered to
the cause and her accomplishments in
j the matter of producing foodstuffs.
| For several months past, Dean Hunt
has made a personal study of the way
in which Canada has, for three years,
maintained an immense army in the
held, almost doubled her food produc
tion, and suffered sacrifices which are
yet to be felt by the American people.
Dean Hunt states that heretofore Can
ada has done the work which must
fall, largely on the United States ir
the future.
SECOND WAR RELIEF FUND TO
BE COMPRISED OF SUM
OF $100,000,000.
FIRST CAMPAIGN SUCCESSFUL
Money Mas Been Expended in Both
Local and Foreign Relief Work,
France Receiving Material Share
from Americans.
WASHINGTON, D. C., April 6.—
The war council of the American Red
Cross has announced that the cam
paign to raise a second war relief
fund of $100,000,000 would be post
poned until the week of May 20.
It was the original intention to
begin the raising of this money for
Red Cross work on May (>, hut fear
that it might detract even slightly
from the forthcoming Liberty loan
campaign prompted the war council
to postpone the date for two weeks.
This action fixes the date of the sec
ond war fund campaign of the Amer
ican Red Cross eleven months after
the first, which was carried on the
week of June 18, 1017.
Work of First Campaign.
The war council had been appointed
by President Wilson and the first
great task was to provide the means
! of carrying on ’relief work on a scale
commensurate with the military oper
j ations.
More than $100,000,000 was contrib
uted in response to the first call for
! financial aid and the contributions,
plus interest, brought, the total re
ceipts from the first drive to $105,
090,257. Of this amount $17,006,121
was refunded to chapters for local
relief work. Of the balance $77,721,
,918 has been appropriated, leaving a
balance available for appropriations
of $10,371,217. France has been the
beneficiary of American Red Cross ap
propriations in the sum of more than
thirty millions.
Christmas Membership Drive.
During the week preceding Christ
mas the American Red Cross conduct
ed a membership drive which resulted
in the enrollment of approximately
22,000.000 new members. This was
followed last month by a campaign
conducted by the junior membership
i-f the American Red Cross which re
sulted in the enrollment in that col
lateral organization of virtually all
the school children in America.
DENVER LIQUOR LICENSES.
Wettest Month of Year in 1917 in
Denver Mas in January.
DENVER, Colo., April 6.—Denvei
citizens under the state prohibition
law applied for 59,339 permits to have
liquor shipped to them from othei
states during 1917, according tc
figures just compiled by F. D. Stack
house, city auditor. They paid the cit\
, $12,332 for the permits.
The most thirsty or wettest month
| of the year was January when 7,69t
; permits were issued. December was
; next with 5,569 permits, and accord
; ing to Auditor Stackhouse this indi
I cates Denver's thirst was greatest fol
i lowing the merriment of holidays. The
lowest number of permits was issued
in July, 1395.
Under the Colorado law citizens are
permitted to import two quarts of
whisky, twenty-four quai'ts of beer or
two quarts of wine each month for
medicine purposes. A permit is re
quired for each importation.
FAMOUS BALLS.
Golf
Billiard
Base
Rubber
High
Moth
Three.
CONSOLATORY.
“They say men of brains live longer
than others.”
“Don’t worry; you may be one of
the exceptions to the others.”—Balti
more American.
GREAT RELIEF ORGANIZATION
IS RECOGNIZED BY LAW AND
ITS HELP WELCOMED.
PERFORMS NUMEROUS DUTIES.
Military Authorities Are Anxious and
Delighted to Make Use of Every
Agency* That Makes for Comfort
and Welfare of Troops.
WASHINGTON, I). C., April 6.—
! As a result of conferences called bv I
!
the secretary of war between repre- j
. sentatives of the surgeon general’s of- |
fice and the Red Cross, the United j
States war office has issued an order
defining the status of the Red Cross
: in the army. The order reads:
i “It is the desire of the secretary of j
war, as it should be of all officers of
the army, to do everything possible j
for the comfort and welfare of the !
soldiers, and to make use of such <
agencies as are authorized and are in
a position to contribute to that end
in addition to the provisions made by ;
the government. The American Red
Cross is a body authorized by law to
render services of this character. Th'e
following general statement outlining
certain approved activities of the
Red Cross, and methods for carrying
them on, is published for the informa
tion and guidance of all concerned:
I’ unctions ol Ken t. ross.
“1. To distribute sweaters, muf
flers, helmets, socks, comfort kits,
etc., and to receive the'assistance and
co-operation of all officers in making
the distribution fair, equal, and where
most needed.
“2. To render emergency relief of
every kind upon the request or sug
gestion of an officer in charge. All
officers are instructed to avail them
selves of this assistance whenever, in
their opinion, advisable. Officers
should be none the less diligent in
attempting- to foresee the needs of
their department in Older that they
may be supplied through regular gov
ernment channels. All such requests
must be approved by the commanding
officer, who will cause a record to be
kept of all such articles.
Sustaining Army’s Morale.
“M. To relieve the anxiety and to
sustain the morale of soldiers who
are worried about their families at
home and to promote the comfort and
well-being of these families, authority
is given to the American Red Cross to
place one or more representatives of
the home sendee bureau of the de
partment of civilian relief at the
service of the men of each division of
the army wherever located. The sol
diers should be informed through of
, ficial orders of the presence of such
representative or representatives and
that the Red Cross is able and willing
to serve both soldiers and the families
when in need of any helpful service.
This representative and his assistants
will he accredited to the division com
mander and will be subject to his au
thority and to military laws and regu
lations. This representative of the
Red Cross will have the status of an
officer in the army and will be' pro
vided quarters when available. Such
assistants and clerks as may be neces
sary will be provided by the Ameri
can Red Cross and must be males.
These assistants and clerks, if any,
will have the status of non-commis
sioned officers. All reports and cor
respondence of this officer will be sub
ject to censorship of the commanding
officer.
Canteen and Other Service.
“4. To conduct canteen service sta
tions for furnishing refreshments to
soldiers when traveling through the
country, to furnish emergency relief
to the sick and wounded when en
route and to see that they are con
veyed to a hospital when necessary
and requested by the commanding of
ficer. All commanders of troop trains
are advised of this emergency service
and are authorized to avail them
selves of it whenever, in their opin
ion, advisable.
“5. A representative of the Amer
can Red Cross may be attached to
each base hospital to furnish emer
gency supplies when called upon, to
communicate with the families of pa
tients, to render home service to pa
tients and such other assistants as
pertains to Red Cross work. The rep
resentative of the Red Cross so as
signed, together with his assistants,
will be accredited to the commanding
officer of the base hospital and will
be subject to the same regulations as
to status, privileges, assistants, and
censorship as provided in preceding
paragraph applying to the representa
tives of the Red Cross assigned.to di
visions.
Chief Officer “Field Director.”
“6. In order to render the above
outlined service to the best advantage
the accredited chief officer represent
ing the American Red Cross at divi
sion headquarters will be a field di
rector.
“7. Officials of the Red Cross as
signed on duty1 with the military es
tablishment, as outlined above, will
be required to wear the regulation
uniform of the American Red Cross.,
together with the insignia, etc., as ap
proved by the secretary of war.
“8. The commanding generals of
all cantonments and national guard
encampments and the commanding of
ficers of all other encampments or or
ganizations to which Red Cross repre
sentatives may be assigned in accord
ance with this order are authorized to
furnish the American Red Cross any
thing that they may request within
reason, such as warehouses, offices,
light, heat, telephones, etc., in order
to enable them to properly carry on
the work for which they are as
signed.”
JUSTICE OF PEACE REFUSES TO
ISSUE PAPERS FOR ALLEG
ED MEMBERS OF MOB.
COLLINSVILLE, ill., April G.~
Warrants for the arrest of five me?
who participated in the lynching o
Robert Prager, a coal miner, here yes
terday have been applied for by tin
county coroner.
Four justices of peace had previous
I ly refused to issue warrants for tht
arrest of any alleged members of the
mob.
BUSIEST MAN IN FRANCE.
Army Captain Has Examined 4.000
Documents in Bolo Cases in 3 Years
PARIS, April 6.—Captain Bouchar
don, the officer charged by the third
counmartial of Paris with the investi
gation of cases coming within the jur
< isdiction of that court, including tlu
Caillaux case, is said to be the busiest
man in France. He has just disposed
of the Bolo case with its 4,000 docu
ments, and has examined an average
of a case a day, Sunday excepted foi
; three years. They were mostly smal'
j affairs of desertion, insubordination
j swindling and secondary espionage.
With 1917 opened the series of hie
j cases, beginning with that of Bolo
Pasha, followed by the affair of the
■ Bonnet Rouge, involving eight per
| sons, the Caillaux affair and the Lous
ttilot-Combv and the Routier cases.
[
SUNSET SERVICE CLUBS.
Women Relatives of Men in Sunset
Division in Western States Organize.
SPOKANE, Wash., April 6.—Plans
for organizing clubs of the Sunset Di
vision Service league, membership of
which includes women relatives of men
in the Sunset division of the United
States army, throughtout Washington.
Montana, Oregon and Idaho, are being
considered by the local league, which
holds weekly meetings to exchange in
formation regarding their soldier rela
tives and read letters received from
them.
The organization also assists in car
ing for families of soldiers who may
be in need.
Inquiries already have been received
from towns in Montana and Idaho tc
starting such organizations there.
GOOD DOPE.
Cheer up, old man! A grin endures
And gives a grouch no room;
You’ll find that Dr. Sunshine cures
More ills than Dr. Gloom.
AIR COOLED MACHINE RIFLE.;
WILL REACH PEAK PRODUC
TION NEXT JUNE.
ARE AHEAD OF CONTRACT NOW
Weapons Are to Ee Used Principally
in Offensive Warfare and Assure to
United States Soldiers Superior
Equipment.
WASHINGTON, D. C., April 6.—
The Browning machine rifle, model
of 1918, air-cooled, familiarly called
the “light Browning rifle,” to be is
sued to the United States army chief
ly as an offensive weapon and pos
sessing remarkable advantages which
have been fully demonstrated, is now
i being manufactured on a quantity
j basis by machine processes.
The ordnance department is advised
I of the completion of more than 100
| of these guns, and that deliveries will
! continue regularly and in increasing
'volume as shop machines are multi
; plied and manufacturing personnel
j developed. It is estimated that peak
; production will be reached in June,
I when several thousand guns of this
type will be turned out each week for
the army.
Ahead of Promises.
In this accomplishment the manu
: facturers are ahead of their contract
I promises to the ordnance department.
This is gratifying, as it has been the
experience of the government hereto
fore that machine-gun production has
rarely met pre-determined schedules,
I
owing to the tendency to make con
i tract promises upon the most favor
| able estimates of the manufacturing
i situation, which in the case of new
i machine-gun production is particular
| !y intricate. It is a matter of satis
faction that there has been no delay
in bringing the quantity manufacture
of the Browning rifle to a point which
promises adequate supplies for the
j trench warfare of the expeditionary
! force and ample opportunity to give
■ the necessary training in the use of
| these guns to the mobilized army.
Attention to Problems.
The board which tested the Brown
ing rifle last May, prior to its adop
tion by the war department, called
particular attention to the manufac
turing problems involved, and one of
its recommendations in favor of the
; rifle was that the inventor had ap
! preached tire subject with a full know
; ledge and comprehensive program to
j meet the problems of manufacture.
The Browning machine rifle is now
j in process of manufacture in three
i gun factories.
Production of the Colt-Browning
| machine gun, model of 1918, water
! cooled, familiarly called the “Brown
! ing heavy machine gun,” and intend
! ed more as a defensive weapon, will
i begin within a few weeks in four fac
| tories on a quantity basis by machine
! processes. The ordnance department
j is in receipt of assurances that man
ufacture of this type will progress on
terms favorably comparing with ine
production now in view for the
Browning rifle.
Supplement Each Other.
These two types of machine guns,
the inventions of John M. Browning,
whose achievements as a fire-arms de
signer have given him world renown,
supplement each other in their re
spective fields. The official tests that
have been made by the ordnance de
partment of the Browning guns, tak
en in connection with general ma
chine-gun equipment and plans, as
sure to the United States army su
premacy in this field of equipment.
The other day at Washington, there
was a public demonstration of the
Browning machine guns, the firing
being done by twenty enlisted men.
BECOMING.
“Isn’t my new dress becoming to
me?” asked the delighted wife.
“Yes,” replied the head of the es
tablishment, “and I suppose the bill
for it will soon be coming to me.”