Omaha daily bee., 1906-12-07
AK-SAR.BEN is APPRECIATED
Commercial Club Tenders Banquet to
Board Of Governors
PROMPT RESPONSE TO WATTlEs' APPEAL
w. J. Bryan Gives some Impressions
OF Political Life Abroad and
Some Customs worthy of
Emulation.

Oue anu ully BuesAS bhA uOWh " /
the banquet rendered last evening by the .
Omaha Commercial club to the board Of .
governors Of the Knights of Ak-sar- Ben. |
The board OF governors. the special guests |
of the evening, were the following G. w. /
Wattles. c. II. Pickens, r. J, Penfold Emil
Brandeis, " b. Caldwell, Charles r. Court
ney, Gould Dietz, A. j. Love, A. Powell, /
]. c. Root and W. L. Yetter w j. Bryan
was among the speakers.
F. w. Judson acted as toastmaster and /
toasts were drank to the members and ex-
members of the board of governors
w. S, Wright delivered the address OF
welcome to the guests of honor He de-
clared that no men had performed work
Of greater self-sacrifice than that done by
the board Of governors, who had devoted
much Of their time and effort to carrying
to success the greatest event in the annual
history of the city of Omaha. He declared
that the knights Of Ak-Sar-Ben had done
and doing a work unsurpassed any
where and that the city is proud Of and
duly thankful to the men who have carried
it to so successful an issue
In responding on behalf of the board Of
governors, @. w. wattles sounded a note
Of warning to the merchants and business
men OF the city. He said
have decided that unless the business men,
the railroads and others will pledge their
support to the great annual festival in
Omaha, they will have to say. not VIII
lingly, but sorrowfuly. that the knights of
Ak-Sar-B Ben have served their purpose.
There are houses and business men in this
city who are like sponges. They absorb
benefits and refuse to contribute anything
in return. In past years 1t has been neces-
sary for the members Of the board of gov
ernors to go about soliciting among the
business men for funds to carry out this
great annual festival. And not always have
they met with ready responses.
Omaha needs a little more enterprise, a
little more enthusiasm in these matters
have ridden along I'm the parades and seen
the buildings without any decorations and
the people without cheer. We need a lit
tie more enthusiasm for this event"
Opportunity for Omaha.
Mr.. Wattles referred to the great growth
Of the city in the last few years, dwelling
especially on the establishment Of the
grain exchange, which has made Omaha
the fifth grain market in the United States
and second in corn, and has brought TO
the farmers of the state cents moro a
bushel for their grain. He pointed to
Wyoming, the great state which is Just
opening and which is richer than Okla
homa and Texas the states that have done
so much to enrich Kansas City. He won
dered whether Omaha would be blind TO
the great opportunity offered here for a
market which would make OF this city a
jobbing center of large proportions.
He also referred to the congress now in
!. session in Washington to which delegates
have been sent from Omaha to urge ap-
propriations for making the Missouri river
navgable. He declared that this was a
most important work for the city.
Representatives Of several firms were on
their feet the moment Mr.. wattles sat
down, giving notice that they would double
or treble their subscriptions TO the Ak-sar.
! Ben fund. It was announced that a meet.
ing Will be held soon where opportunity
will be given all to take such action.
Commerce" was the subject on which
A. w. Jefreris spoke. He declared tina.
Omaha should become a manufacturer,
center; that It had long enough been nav
i ing freight on raw material to mills o
It other states and freight on the finishe,
II product back to this city and had lon,
J. enough been losing the employment tha
= should come to its people in factories
n The conversion OF bristles into brushes
E hides into leather and shoes and wheat int
a that should be Omaha'a
IS Business Man in Politics.
e William J. Bryan did not conhne him
6 self closely to his subject, THE America
u Abroad" He declared that he wanted 4
d see more business men in politics and ais
made strong appeal for the absolut
r and final regulation OF railroad rates by IN
E. government. He said In part:
d lone thing which I notirad In nn.,,..
l. was that the business men put limit I
s. their accumulations. and after they hav
i certain amount Of money they enter pol
h tics and devote themselves to their cour
try and TO paying that debt which ever
citizen owes to society. In America IN
r chase Of the almighty dollar Is too Ion
continued. too selfish.
In "It has been said Of me that taL
no interest in business men. I have see
the time when It seemed to me the bus
ness men took no interest in me- But
is getting TO the place where, II you al
ry against me, you must be against Roos,
en- welt. too"
he Mr.. Bryan spoke in warm approval
the Income tax and in commendation
is the stand taken by the president for
dS In speaking OF the government regulatic
ne Of railroad rates he said:
In ."rhe time has come when the people
IN this country must say TO the railroat
a. what are just and equitable rates. Al
es after the people have expressed their W
Ites it should be out Of the power Of the RAJ
Id roads to appeal to any small body Of me
SIX who constitute a court. and have the W
ii Of the people set aside. We should ha,
~. a law, as they have In England. whe
les Parliament says what rates the railroa
nc shall charge. and there is no appeal fro
as the Parliament's decision
m. Il see with satisfaction the efforts h
Vi ing made to render the Missouri riv
navigable. This should be done pure
IS from the economic standpoint and not
compel the railroads TO lower rates becsu
to OF the competition OF river transportat ito
That would not be a sound principle. fr
even II you did compel the railroads
this way "a lower their rates they con
not make them as low n part OF The
lon business were taken from them and I
lg- verted to steamboats,. The river shou
Us he made navigabe because water tran
err portation Is always cheaper than raIl tran
sed portation. You don't need 10 60 TO the
for extremities to compel the railroads 10 low
les. their rates. Congress can do that"
en- Mr.. Bryan mentioned as an instance
unjust railroad rates that the freight