The Black Dispatch (Oklahoma City, Okla.), Vol. 4, No. 50, Ed. 1 Friday, January 4, 1918 Page: 3 of 8
This newspaper is part of the collection entitled: Oklahoma Digital Newspaper Program and was provided to The Gateway to Oklahoma History by the Oklahoma Historical Society.
Extracted Text
The following text was automatically extracted from the image on this page using optical character recognition software:
THE, BLACK DISPATCH
\ *
HEWS OF THE
STATE CAPITAL
FREELING TELLS ASSESS-
ORS ALL FARM PROD-
UCTS ARE TAXABLE
HEWS FROM STATE OFFICES
What the Stats Officials and Depart-
ment* Are Doing—Item* of In-
teract About the Stat*
Government
Oklahoma City.—All farm products,
Whether in the raw state or otherwise,
are held to be taxable in an opinion
given by Attorney General S. P. Free-
ling, before the conference of the Ok-
lahoma county assessors. For two
years raw farm products have not
been assessed in Oklahoma.
iMr. Freeling declared that he be-
lieved the law enacted by the 1915
legislature exmpting raw farm prod-
ucts from taxation was unconstitu-
tional and also that the law was re-
pealed by the same legislature which
passed it. The law was passed early
in the European war when cotton was
at such a low price that a buy-a-bale
movement had to bo started to take
care of the cotton and wheat also was
-at a comparatively low figure.
Bill to Help Farmers.
The bill to make raw farm products
non-taxable was enacted ostensibly to
relieve the farmer and also those who1
bought cotton to help the farmer, Mr.
Freeling contends that by an act of
In the compress and wheat in the ele-
vator non-taxable and if enforced
would work more to the advantage of
the elevator men and ginners than to
the farmer as the products are as-
sessed on January 1 when little wheat,
cotton or other farm products are in
the hands of the farmer.
It was on February 15, 1915 that the
legislature enacted the law freeing
farm products from taxation. Mr.
Freeling contends that by an act of
the legislature the following month,
bouse bill No. 107, the measure was
repealed.
$75,000,000 RUded To Rolls.
Probably $75,000,000 In taxable prop-
«rty will be added to the tax rolls as
a result of the attorney general's op-
inion that farm products may be levied
upon. The great part of this tax will
be paid by elevators where wheat is
stored, and compresses, where cot-
ton is held as at the time of assess-
ment, January 1, few farm products
are in the hands of the farmer.
Co-operative telephone systems,
where the lines are not subject to hire
and where each user provides his own
instrument and constructs that part of
the line and plant on his land, are not
subject to taxation By tho slate board
of equalization, but should be assessed
by the county assessor, Mr. Freeling
held.
War Objector "Stung."
John Coward, county assessor of
Major county, reported at the assess-
or's meeting that a number of fann-
ers, whom he styled "conscientious ob
jectors" to the war were holding their
■wheat and refusing to sell it because
they did not want to help carry on the
war. Mr. Coward asked the attorney
general what should be done with this
■wheat.
"Put it on the tax rolls and assess
It," Mr. Freeling advised.
Practically every county in the state
was represented at the meeting of the
assessors. E. B. Howard, state au-
ditor, who called the meeting, pre-
sided. An address of welcome was
made by Governor Williams.
Is An Indian a Citizen?
An Indian uprising that differs from
tt.ose of olden days only in that it
promises to be bloodless has broken
out in Blaine coud'v among the Chey-
ettnes and Arapahoes in connection
with the questionaire.
"Are you an American citizen?" is
one of the questions being propounded
to all men of the selective service age.
"No," Is the invariable answer which
the Cheyennes and Arapahoes hare
given to the question.
All efforts of exemption board mem-
bers and others to convince the In-
dians that they are native born Ameri-
can citizens have been futile, accord-
ing to word which has reached Major
Eugene Kerr, national army rttache
of the adjutant general's office. The
Indians take the position that they aro
wards of the government, have been
treated as Incompetents and civil
rights have been withheld from them,
and this, they assert, proves that they
are not American citizens.
The agreement to refuse to declare
their American citizenship seems to
have been general among the Chey-
ennes and Arapahoes. The superln-
An opinion given by the department
of the interior at the time of the first
draft held that all Indians in Okla-
homa are American citizens and sub-
ject to selective service. This opinion
was given as a result of an appeal
from Wagoner county by an Indian
who asserted that he was not subject
to call. Many Indians since have been
Inducted into the service under the
draft.
IfSTATE NEWS NOTES)
EXPLOSIONS AND BLAZES
ARE DECLARED TO BE
INCENDIARY
THREE KILLED; SCORE INJURED
Five Men Are Under Arrest, Two Who
Poeeea* German Names Being
Held By Federal Of-
ficers.
Norfolk, Va.—Nearly two blocks In
the heart, of Norfolk's business dls-
trlct, including the Montlcello hotel,
were destroyed, three men wore killed
and a score more injured in a series of
explosions and fires which both the
police and naval authorities believe
were incendiary. The loss is roughly
estimated at more than $2,000,000
Rev. j. t. Daniels, pastor of the Bap-
tist church at Frederick has been
called to the pastorate of the Ringling
church.
Dlrectora of the Oklahoma City
Chamber of Commerce declared them-
selves in favor of a smaller legislature
to sit continually.
James Lyhene, a tool dresser, and
Jack Hubbard, oil driller, are dead as
the result of an automobile accident
at Garber on Christmas day.
Washington county taxpayers are
going to decide finally on the kind of
hard surfaced highways to be bulit In
the county, at a meeting to be held
early next month.
Driven crazy over the draft ques-
tionnaire, Chas. E. Logan, a Mus-
kogee county farmer, killed his wlf$
and baby, committed suicide and
burned his home.
A reward of $2,000 will be offered by
the business men of Watonga for the
arrest and conviction of the person
Three distinct explosions in as many I who burned the Farmers' elevator at
buildings, one after the fire once vir-1 M"ls Place recently.
Deposits Gain.
An increase of more that 50 percent
in state bank deposits in Oklahoma in
the last year in shown hy the consoli-
dated bank report issued by J. D.
Lankford, state bank commissioner,
covering report from 566 banks.
The statement is based on reports
made under date of November 20. The
Increase in total deposits shown over
a report made on November 17, 1916,
is $63,685,905.29. An Increase of
$40,648,707.37 is shown over the last
report, made September 11 of this
year. The average reserve is forty-two
per cent.
The report follows:
RESOURCES.
Loans and Discounts $ 64,198,385.76
Overdrafts 509,908.34
Securities with Banking
Hoard 844,796.00
Stocks, bonds and warrants 9,439.946.73
Banking liout,e, furniture
and fixtures 2.207,619.10
Other real estate 606,381.24
Due from banks 53,708,815.25
Checks and other cash Items 998,898.09
Exchange for clearing house 614,580.39
RIMs of exchange 13,249,767.39
Cash 4,310,614.43
tually had been brought under con-
trol, led to the general belief that en-
emy agents were at work.
Bluejackets Patrol Streets.
Mayor Mayo virtually placed the
city under martial' law by turnlug the
aituation over to naval officers, and
some 2,500 marines and bluejackets
from nearby naval stations assisted
the police and home guards in main-
taining order and preventing vandal-
lam.
Naval patrols rounded up suspicious
persons and five men were arrested as
Suspects. Two of these, Hugo Schmidt
and H. K. Lessing, Germans, were
turned over to the department of jus-
tice agents.
The Are started before dawn in the
old Granby theater on Granby street
and gained rapid headway as the fire-
men were handicapped by frozen fire
hydrants, low water pressure and
near zero temperature. It quickly
apread to the Montlcello hotel and
other nearby buildings in the block.
0KLAH0MANS PROMOTED
Training Camp Officers Are Given
Higher Rank.
Total 1150,689,692.72
LIABILITIES.
Capital stock $ 9,280,550.00 , , „ . ,
Surplus i^si,032.97 and four of the five to Oklahoma City
Undivided profits 1,761,133.38 j men. There Were 280 promotions an-
Little Rock.—In promotions an-
nounced at Camp Pike, five of the ma-
jority appontees went to Oklahomans.
Due to banks 19,468,620.71
Reserved for taxes :i7,8l>fi.n5
individual and time deposits 116,1 S9.133.23
Cashier's chccks 1,734,084.32
Ue-discounts 25.1,822.06
Bills payable 83.450.00
Total $150,689,692.72
nounced, most of the officers receiving
them being graduates of the first train-
ing camp at Fort Lo««n H. Root, here.
The following promotions of Okla-
homa men were announced:
Captain to major, infantry: Wlnfield
Scott, Enid; James T. Dortch, Okla-
homa City. First Lieutenant to cap-
County Court Gets $61,317.
The county clerk's office In Okla-
homa county took in from ail sourcej
$61 ,317 during the past year, accord-
ing to the yearly report compiled by
Chief Clerk Earl Wallace. Three hun-
dred and forty probate cases were
handled In the county court, 165 civil
cases, 174 criminal cases, 204 juvenile
caaee, 146 widows' pension cases, and
312 appeals from the municipal court.
Of the 174 criminal cases, the county
attorney's office obtained 103 convic-
tions, an unusually high average.
Registered Men Claim Exemption.
Approximately 85 percent of the rep
lstrants who have returned their ques-
tionnaires to the district exemption
boards of Oklahoma county, placed
themselves in deferred classification,
according to the clerks of the boards.
The clerks said that nearly all of the
registered men who placed themselves
In deferred classifications did so be-
cause of dependent relatives. Under
the questionnaire system, deferred
classification is similar to claiming ex-
emption in the previous system of se-
lective drart.
The interurban electric railway sys-
tems in Oklahoma are not affected by
the proclamation of the president In
which the government takes control ot
all general railroad transportation
systems.
Beginning with the New Year, a
Santa Fe order, issued at the request
of the food admlnistrut'uu, abolishes
white bread from all dining wars. Gra-
ham or rye bread will be offered as
substitutes.
Overjoyed and excited at the sudden
appearance of his 19-year-old brother
for a holiday visit, Webster Tiery, 12
years old, of Okmulgee, accidentally
discharged a shot gun, Instantly kill-
ing his brother, Robert.
Arrested at Bixby, by City Marshal
Pinion and Constable McGulle ot that
place, Pat Kelly, charged with tho
murder of Fandy Smoin, an Assyrian
peddler, In this county, November 3
last, was lodged in jail at Ft. Smith,
Ark., on a charge of first degree mur-
der.
Are you a bricklayer? If you are,
the government wants you to volun-
teer for service in France. Your ago,
if It isn't too excessive, does not mat-
ter particularly—Pershing will put you
at work. State Adjutant General Gip-
son would like to have you volunteer
at once. Oklahoma must furnish at
least thirty-five men and wants one
hundred.
Unable to master the intrlacies of a
questionnaire, and not having time to
spend with an attorney in going over
it, John Rush, an employe of the
Aaron Produce Company of Enid,
wrote across the face of his questloA
blank: "Rearin' to Go." signed it and
sent it in to the exemption board. He
was listed in Classification A, and will
go in the first call.
Cato Sells, commissioner of Indian
affairs, has made public a telegram
GERMAN HONOR
DRAGGED IN DUST
Solemn Promises Made to Bel-
gians Proved to Be Worse
Than Worthless.
ALL APPEALS WERE FLOUTED
40,000 Autoists To Pay Extra Tax.
Forty thousand Oklahoma motorists
must pay a tax of 10 cents more a taln' ,nfantry; Paul v- Beck- Hunter;
horsepower for the 1918 registration of 0scar T" Webster, Lester II. Gillis, Eu-
their automobiles than they had ex-| ffne. L'..CalhounJ. T.ghar.fi.nger' 110 Bent ,0 a Prominent Cherokee
pected, as a result of an opinion of At-
trney General S. P. Freeling.
The state highway department,
which has begun the collection of the
1918 tax, has announced that on Free-
ling's advice it will collect the full rate
of 50 cents per horsepower for 1918
on all motor cars registered after
April 1, 1917. Motor cars registered
Martin Murray, M. H. Taylor, Mason
G. Fitzhugh and James K. Cleary,
Tulsa; Asa Caldwell, Durant. Second
lieutenant to first lieutenant, infantry:
John D. Brown, Anadarko; J. Boyd
Best, Tar River; Wm. T. Upshaw, Ok-
lahoma City; Kd L. Battaile, Calera;
C. Pendleton, Durant; Grady C. Lewis,
Durant; Harry H. Chaney, McAlester;
Maurice R. Bebb, Muskogee; David M.
the second year pay a tax of only 40 ; Raymond and E^ne sharGuthrio.-
cents per horsepower, but it is the at- | Roland G Bell> Ellc clty. Freeman P.
torney general's interpretation that
this applies only on cars which have
paid one full year at 50 cents a horse-
power.
Approximately 40,000 automobiles
have been registered since April 1 in
Oklahoma, according to figures in the
state highway department, and there-
fore will be. liable to the full tax for
1918.
State Council Wants Priaonera.
The state council of defense as a
meeting here considered plans to alle-
viate the threatened shortage of la-
bor, devising schemes that ranged
from the employment of German pris-
oners in Oklahoma wheat fields to the
Gault, Ardmore; Alexander M. Wil-
son. Duncan; Daniel P. Hinton, Wil-
burton; William O. Johnson, Bearden;
Olan Lane, Stillwater; S. M. Wynn,
Tulsa; R. B. Laing, Kingfisher; Ilarry
W. Lloyd, Shawnee; Edwin H. Roll-
stone, Bristow; C. C. Regan, Hobart;
Russell Ballard, Oklahoma City; Law-
rence D. Hinman, Oklahoma City; C.
b. Shapard, Pawnee.
Captain to major, artillery: Otto H.
Lee, Milton H. Taulbee, and Seward
A. Shelden, all of Oklahoma City. Sec-
ond lieutenant to first lieutenant, ar-
tillery: Herman H. Grimes, Prague;
Roy W. Kenny, Stillwater; Frank D.
Smlglesky, Oklahoma City; J. Gayle,
Windsor, Oklahoma City; Michael S.
Tulsa; William C. Weaver, Stillwater;
James C. Jackson, Muskogee.
forcing of pool room employes Into ' "K
productive labor. | "Ie"0^ T \ Hasten-
Tho u„. . dirk, Collinsville; Jack A. Porter,
The suggest on that prisoners of war Tll1„'0. w„„.m P
be employed in the wheat fields was
made by George Milfer of Bliss. He
said army transports returning to
America could be loaded with German
pilsoners and brought here to be plac-
ed in fields where they would help
supply food to feed Europe, The pris-
oners of war have to be fed and Mr.
Miller suggested that it would be
South Haa Plenty of Corn.
Washington —A review of buslnesa
conditions made public by a commit-
tee of statistical experts of the United
States chamber of commerce, saya
that with the exception of Texas and
Howard Helps In Oil Tax Fight.
State Auditor E. B. Howard has gone
to Washington where he will be a
cheaper to feed them in America than Oklahoma, Southern states have
it would be to transport the food to j raised more than enough corn for
Europe. If the returning transports | their own needs and are in position
carried German prisoners it was point-1 to help ship it. Taking up the
ed out that they probably would be im- ; changed conditions in the south, tho
mune from attack by German sub- \ review points to the conditions caused
marines. j in certain sections a year ago, "by
it is probable that the couneil will boll weevil, excessive rains and the j
recommcnd to the war department | fact that negroes, the staple agrlcul- I
that action toward bringing some of j tural laborers, were leaving by thou- ;
the hundreds of thousands of German j sands for the east."
prisoners now Interned In Europe be !
taken at once. > Eight Are Killed In Indiana Wreck. !
A census of the unemployed in each ' North Vernon, Ind.—Eight are
count, of .the state, to be taken under |ta°W°l ,0 ^ dead and a«>out twenty
member of the committee of the Mid- j the direction of the countv council of f J.U kT ' / h®adon co1"
Continent Oil and Gas Association to 'defense, was ordered bv the sUtecouJ"
go into the excess profit tax levied by,CI. This census will classif, aTof ThS * *
congress on the oil industry. It is the [the men who are not working and also
contention of the oil men that the tax | those who are engaged in labor that
* works unfairly to the oil interests be-, is not productive, such as attending
cause the levy is made on a bas s of pool halls. The names of these men
American Commission Credited.
London—It is reported that the
men Boisheviki have arrested the members
rai al ,nv , n,>,uri,s < who are of military ag- will be fur-J of tho American Railway mission at
for a short period and then th< total .ed th- local exonptloa boards with j Irkutsk, Siberia, says a dispatch to
e r. «; <t that they be plic. . in class j tbe Exchange Telegraph from Petro
a*. 1 under '.he qu«s'ic.na;re and taken «ra&
estella. j lot* military service immediately.
?al
mr.re or 1-
Invested beeo ne ■
li-^s, t'le oil rr-rn
dlan of Oklahoma City, stating that no
one will be named to succoed W. C.
Rogers, former principal chief of the
Cherokees, who died a short time ago.
Settlement of tho tribal affairs of the
Cherokees has progressed to the point
where the services of a principal chief
are no longer needed, according to Mr.
Soils.
The Cherokee schools have been put
on a war basis. At the suggestion of
Superintendent Howell, tbe school will
be in session six days in the week
rather than the regular five, as the
saving of fuel over the week-end will
be a matter of economy, and the days
thus advanced will shorten the Bchool
year and leave the boys and girls at
liberty to repair to their homes to as-
sist with the spring and early summer
work.
An "adopt a soldier's baby" move-
ment has been started by an Okla-
homa woman In a letter to Governor
Williams. Mother of two children,
this woman, Mrs. Grace Thayer of
Weleetka, would help her country by
caring for a soldier's baby during the
period of the war.
Wm. Koona, a Woodward county
prisoner, pardoned by Gov. Williams,
waa re-arrasted at the prison gates and
taken before federal judge Cotteral at
Oklahoma City where he received a
two-year sentence at Leavenworth,af
ter pleading guilty to robbing a post
office in Woodward county.
"Muskogee," world's champion An-
gus steer which will be sold at the live
stock show in Oklahoma City next
March, will enrich the Red Cross In
'he amount of at least $7,000. L. R.
Kershaw, of Muskogee, owner of the
steer, said that half the proceeds de-
rived from the sale will go to the Mus-
kogee Red Cross chapter. Last year's
champion brought eight dollars a
pound in a sale to Henry Ford. Bas-
ing his estimate on these figures, .Mr.
Kershaw expects "Muskogee" to
bring $15,000.
Charged with being implicated in the
aati-draft movement In Oklahoma last
June and with furthering the move-
ment even after tho registration day,
'"harles Kraiger was arraigned before
United States Commissioner J. II.
Wilklns. at Tulsa, and held undef
M.POfl bond for the federal grand jury.
It is charted that Kraiger has l?een ac-
tive lately in the oil fields around
Hristow where it is said he had be -n
for several weeks. When taken into
"stody Krai per had on his person a
of I W W. literature. The charge
:s obstructing the draft law.
Pathetic and Dignified Supplications of
Municipal Governments Anawered
by Rebuke and Heavy Fins
Imposed by General Hopfer,
Over the earnest protest of Cardi-
nal Merrier, heroic head of the
church in Belgium, the terrible
plans of the kaiser's high officers
concerning the deportation of the
people were carried out. The sol-
emnly pledged word of the German
governor general of Belgium count-
ed as nothing in the malignant hate
shown by the kaiser's creatures.
Cardinal Morder attempted to per-
suade the German nuthorltles to abun-
don their terrible plans for the selzuro
| of Belgians tu assist in the prosecu-
I tion of the war, reminding them of
tlielr solemn promises In the past:
"Mullnes, 10th October, 11)10.
"Mr. Governor Generul:
"Tho day after the surrender of Ant-
i werp the frightened population asked
) Itself what would become of the Bel-
gians of age to beur arms or who would
reach that age before the end of the
occupation. The entreaties of the fa-
thers and mothera of famlllea deter-
mined me to question the governor of
Antwerp, Baron von Huene, who had
the kindness to reassure mo and to
authorise me in his nume to reassure
the agonized parents. The rumor hud
spread at Antwerp, nevertheless, that
ut Liege, Nnmur, and Charlerol young
men had been seized and taken by
force to Germany. i therefore beg-
ged Governor von Huene to be good,
enough to confirm to me in writing the
guurantee which he hud given to me
orally, to the effect that nothing sim-
ilar would happen at Antwerp. He
said to me Immediately that the ru-
mors concerning deportations were
without busts, and unhesitatingly he
sent me In writing, umoug other state-
ments, the following: 'Young men have
no reason to fear that they will be ta-
ken to Germany, either to be there en-
rolled in the urmy or employed for
forced labor.'
8olemn German Promises Broken.
"Upon the arrival of your predeces-
sor, the late Baron von der Goltz, at
Brussels I had the honor of presenting
myself ut his house und requested him
to be good enough to ratify for the en-
tire country, without time limit, the
guarantees which Generul von Hueno
hud given me for the province of Ant-
werp. The governor general retained
this request In his possession In order
to examine it at his leisure. The fol-
lowing dny he was good enough to
come In pe/son to Mullnes to bring me
his approval, and confirmed to me, In
the presence of two aides-de-camp und
of my private secretury, the promise
thut the liberty of Belglun citizens
would be respected.
"Notwithstanding all this, your gov-
ernment now teurij l'roin their homes
workmen reduced In spite of their ef-
forts to u stnte of unemployment, sep-
arates them by force from their wives
and children and deports them to en-
emy territory. Numerous workmen
have already undergone this unhuppy
lot; more numerous are those who are
threatened with the same acts of vio-
lence.
Mercier1* Moving Appeal.
"In the nume of the liberty of domi-
cile and the liberty of work of Belglun
citizens; In the name of the inviola-
bility of families; In the nume of mor-
al Interests which the meusures of de-
portation would gravely compromise;
In the name of the word given by the
governor of the Province of Antwerp
and bj the governor generul, the Im-
mediate representative of the highest
authority of the German empire, I re-
spectfully beg your excellency to be
good enough to withdraw the measures
of forced labor and of deportation an-
nounced to the Belgian workmen, and
to be good enough to reinstate In their
homes those who have already been
deported.
"Your excellency will appreciate how
painful for me would be the weight of
tbe responsibility that I would have
to bear as regards these families, If
the confidence which they have given
you through my agency und at my re-
quest were lamentably deceived.
"I persist In believing that this will
■ot be the case.
"Accept, Mr. Governor General, the
assurance of my very high considera-
tion.
"D. J. CARDINAL MERCIER,
"Arch, of Mallnes."
Municipal governments In Belgium
appealed to the German authorities to
observe their promises. The two doc-
uments which follow Illustrate Belgian
nppenls and German answers.
"In the mutters of I lie requisition
innde by the German authorities on Oc-
tober 'JO. 11)10 (requisition of u list of
workmen to be drawn up by the mu-
nicipality) . . .
"The munlclpnl council resolves to
maintain Its uttltude of refusal.
"It further feels It Its duty to plan
on record the following:
"The city of Tournal Is prepared to *
submit unreservedly to all the exlgert*
cles authorized by the laws and cus-
toms of war. Its sincerity canuot be
questioned. For more than two year*
It has submitted to the German occu-
pation, during which time it has lodged
and lived at close quarters with tha
German troops, yet it has displayed
perfect composure and has refrained
from any act of hostility, proving
thereby that it la animated by no idle
spirit of bravado.
"In his declaration dated September
2, 1014, the Gerinun governor geueral
of Belgium declared: 'I ask none to
renounce his patriotic sentiments.*
"The city of Tournal reposes con-
fidence In this dccurutlon, which It la
bound to consider us the sentiment of
the German emperor, In whose name
the governor generul was speaking. In
accepting the Inspiration of houor and
patriotism, the city Is loyal to a funda-
mental duty, the loftiness of which
must be apparent to any German offlt
cer.
Answer Is Lecture and Fine.
"Tournal, 23rd October, 1010.
"In permitting Itself, through tha
medium of municipal resolutions, to
oppose the orders of the German mill*
tary authorities In the occupied ter«
rltory, the city is guilty of an unexum-
pled arrogance and of a complete mis-
understanding of the sltuutlou creuted
by the state of war.
"The 'clear and simple aituation' ia
In reality the following;
"The military uuthorltlea order tno
city to obey. Otherwise the city must
benr the heavy consequences, as I havo
pointed out in my previous explaua<
tlons.
"The general commanding the army
has Inflicted on the city—on account
of Its refusal, up to date, to furnish
the lists demanded—a punitive con-
tributlon of 200,000 marks, which musk
be pnld within the next six days, bo-
ginning with today. The general also
adds that until auch time us all tho
llBta demanded are In his hands, for
every day In arrears, beginning with
December 81, 1910, a sum of 20,000
murks will be paid by the city.
"HOPFER, Mujor General.
"Etappen-Kommundant."
The Commission Syndicate of Bel-
gian worklngmeu also attempted to In-
duce the German authorities to nbarn
don their terrible plans.
Recited Wrongs of Workmen.
"Commission Syndicate of Belgium,
"Brussels, 30th Oct., 101ft.
[To the Governor General of Belgium.]
"Excellency: Tho meusures wlUcb .
aro being planned by your admlnia*^"*
(ration to force tlio' unemployed to
work for the invading power, the de«
portntion of our uuhuppy comrades
which has begun In the region of tho
etnpes, move most profoundly the en-
tire working class In Belgium.
"The undersigned, members and rep-
resentatives of the greut centrul so-
cialist and Independent syndicates of
Belgium, would consider thut they hud
not fulfilled their duty did they not ex-
press to you tho painful sentiment
which agitate the laborers and convey
to you the echo of their touching com-
plaints.
"For more than two yenrs the la-
boring class more than uny other has
been forced to undergo tho most bit-
ter trials, experiencing misery and
often hunger, while Its children far
p.wu.v fight and die, and the pureuts
of these children can never convey to
them the affection with which their
heurts are overflowing.
Pathetic Appeal Disregarded.
"Our luborlng cluss has endured
everything with the utmost calm and
the most impressive dignity, repressing
Its sufferings, Its complaints and heavy
trials, sacrificing everything to Its
Ideal of liberty and independence. But
the measures which huve been an-
nounced will make the population drain
the dregs (of the cup) of human sor-
row; the proletariat, the poor upon,
whom unemployment has been forced,
citizens of a modern stute, are to bo
condemned to forced labor without
having disobeyed any regulation on
order.
"In the name of the families of
workmen among which the most pain-
ful anxiety reigns at present, whoso
mothers, whose fiancees, and whoao
little children aro destined to shed so
many more tesrs, we beg your excel-
lency to prevent the accomplishment
of this painful act, contrary to In-
ternational law, contrary to the dig-
nity of the working classes, contrary
to everything which makes for worth
and greatness In human natrue.
"We beg your excellency to pardon
our emotloc and we offer you the hom-
age of our distinguished consideration."
(Appended are signatures of mem-
bers of the nutionnl committee and
the Commission Syndicate.)
Voii Hissing In his reply, November
3, practically admitted the truth of tho
complulnt by attempting to justify tho
measures protested against.
MUCH IN LITTLE
H. L. Llgliteap of Greensburg. Pa.,
who was unable to get sufficient help
during the day to do his threshing, ob-
tained a force from the shops and did
the work by electric light.
Rafaellta Is the ni\ine of a petroleum
found abundantly In the Argentine I
provinces of Mendoxa and Patagonia. I
It will In all probability be utilized
omsiderably in the future. The repnb- j
lie Is rl<-h in petroleum, from Salts to ,
Terra del Fuego.
The Philippine hat Industry, which
boasts hand made products akin to
those of Panama, In 1016 more than
doubled the value of Its 1915 exports
and established a new high record with
a trade exceeding $000,000 in value.
A substitute for tire clay, patented
In France, employs blue pottery rjpy,
one part; common salt, one-half partj
coal ashes, one-quarter part; fine sand,
one-quarter | art. and glass, one-eighth
part. These ingredients are well
ground together and are then mixed
with water Uj Ihe required coatluuico.
Upcoming Pages
Here’s what’s next.
Search Inside
This issue can be searched. Note: Results may vary based on the legibility of text within the document.
Tools / Downloads
Get a copy of this page or view the extracted text.
Citing and Sharing
Basic information for referencing this web page. We also provide extended guidance on usage rights, references, copying or embedding.
Reference the current page of this Newspaper.
Dunjee, Roscoe. The Black Dispatch (Oklahoma City, Okla.), Vol. 4, No. 50, Ed. 1 Friday, January 4, 1918, newspaper, January 4, 1918; (https://gateway.okhistory.org/ark:/67531/metadc152062/m1/3/: accessed March 18, 2024), The Gateway to Oklahoma History, https://gateway.okhistory.org; crediting Oklahoma Historical Society.