Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1904-12-19

ton to saw that ne is the most thor
ouch people's man VINO ever sat in the
executive mansion. That correct UNI
Outstanding of the popular thought and
of the needs of the masses, psycho-
logical faculty which is not common 10
all statesmen. seems to be inherent
with the President. ana It's exercise mas
given him the extraordinary hold he
has upon the American people. Unless
| am greatly in error, he will be great
force-and for good-in this nation long
after he goes forth from his present
great Office"
Senator Knox Of Pennsylvania. ap-
pointed by the governor to fill the UNI
expired term of the late Senator quay
must be good or he may lose his job
In the credentials furnished by Cover
nor Pennypacker it is declared that Mr.
Knox us to have and to hold" the said
office. together with ali the rights. pow
ers and privileges thereunto belonging.
or by law in any wise appertalning, UNI
til the next meeting of the legislature
of the commonwealth Of Pennsylvania
if he shall so long behave himself we'll. :"
Several of Mr. knox's more intimate
friends in the Senate smiled broadly
when this quaint prOvisO was read and
made haste to remind the new member
that he is a senator merely Ion proba-
ton
Before taking his oath as senator,
Hon. Murray Crane of Massachusetts
disposed of his interest in the mill
which for the last twenty-five years
has made all the paper used by the
government in the manufacture of
money. The business will not go out
of the family, however, for Mr.. Crane
has merely turned his interests over to
his son, Murray Crane. Jr.
This is one of the best contracts made
by the Treasury department, and the
annual profit in it is far greater than
the salary which the senior Crane will
receive as a senator. The government
buys about $275,OC0 worth of peculiar
kind of paper for the manufacture of
money every year, and every sheet OF
it comes from the little mill in Dalton.
For this sum of money the Cranes have
furnished about 100000 or 5O.00O. geo
sheets of paper annually. 1t is of I'M
usual texture, heavier than the best
writing paper, with tiny silk fibres run
ming through it. Silk is employed as
Distinguishing mark and also to give
more toughness and durability to the
paper.
The Cranes have had a monopoly of
the business of manufacturing this pa
per for the last quarter of a century.
Many years ago rival paper makers
sought to underbid the Dalton firm, but
they were unsuccessful. The govern
ment was ssozWell satisfied with the
work of the paper that bids from other
contractors were rejected. The latter
have become so discouraged that they
no longer bid, and the Cranes get the
work at their own figures.
Every sheet of paper that is manu-
featured at the mill is watched and ac-
counted for with as much strictness as
is observed at the bureau of engravir"
and printing at Washington. where the
money is printed. The government has
a large force of employees at the plant.
The superintendent and Watchmen are
all on the government pay roll. while
other agents keep track of the paper
that is manufactured and Of the dam
aged scraps as well. The contractor
furnishes the rags. silk fibre and other
materials, but he has no control of
them after they enter into the finished
product. All the paper securities is
sued by the government, including
United States notes, silver certificates,
gold certificates. national bank notes,
bonds etc. are printed on sheets man
ufactured at the Crane mill. The paper
tod
kind used by the government for cur
rency purposes that does not come
from Dalton.
The investigation undertaken by the
Department of Commerce and Labor Is
expected to clear up one of the nys-
teries Of tine American Tobacco COM
pany-namely, the relation of the COM
mon stock of the corporation to the
personal fortunes of it's officials AMI
their friends.
When the company was recently re-
organized the committee having in
charge the work of reorganization laid
great stress upon its generosity in
offering for public subscription nearly
$200. 000. 900 worth of per cent preferred
stock and preferred certificates. 1t also
agreed upon an issue of common stock
to the amount of about $40, 600. The
public was not asked TO subscribe for
this.
Obviously the public believed that the
reorganization committee was seeking
to put out only the most attractive of
the companys securities and has been
absorbing them in great volume. Mo-
body knows what became of the COM
mon stock. but there is a widespread
suspicion in well informed quarters
that it Is in the hands Of officers of the
corporations and their friends.
Senator Cullom says he has been rich
only once during his public career. which
is something like fifty years. 1T hap
pened last summer" said the Illinois