Connecticut western news., 1908-02-27
News of
 A Week Paragraphic Photographs of the
 Worlds Doings


 held conference in Chicago, which decided to issue a call for national convention, to be held after the Re publican and Democratic conventions, to nominate candidates for president and vice president The league is to be renamed the National party. Clar- ence J. Shearn had a platform ready, and it was adopted. It advocates di- rect nominations of all candidates, popular election of United States sen ators and judges and legislation pro htbiting the use of money at elections except for meetings, literature and the necessary travelling expenses of candl- dates. The income tax and public ownership of all public utilities when municipal, state and national govern ments are in position to undertake 1t are recommended. The platform de mands federal and state inspection ot railroads for the promotion of safety the abolition of rebates, the procuring of cheaper rates and the securing of the right to shippers to appeal to courts in case the roads fail to furnish and move freight cars. A court to review and enforce the orders of the inter- state commerce commission is suggest ed. A revision of the tariff by grad ual reduction of schedules is advocat- ed, and the project to complete ship canal from the gulf of Mexico to the great lakes and the irrigation pro gramme now contemplated by the gov ernment are approved. Drac;aant bo banu ir formed that the railroads of the coun- try are preparing to reduce wages, has started an investigation with the idea. first, of discovering whether the pro posed reduction is the result of neces- sity or of mfsmanagepent, particularly high financiering, and, second, if such wage reduction, from whatever cause, is likely to bring on strikes that will endanger life and property. Under the Erdmann act Chairman Knapp of the interstate commerce commission and Charles F. Neill, commissioner of la- bor, are the arbitrators. President Roosevelt called these two into confer ence. As a result MT. Neill started west to investigate the wage reduc- ton on the Chicago Great Western and other roads, and Chairman Knapp Is having compiled all the figures in the possession of the interstate commerce commission bearing on the question.
 Otto Kelsey's reply to the report of Matthew c. Fleming and the message of Governor Hughes of New York asking for his removal from the office of state superintendent of insurance was sent to the state senate, ordered printed and laid upon the table. Kel- sey in his reply to the senate answer ing the charges of Mir Fleming sug- gests that Fleming doesn't know q great deal about law and much less | about insurance law than about the general statutes. He says that Elem ing instead of attempting to get at facts built up case for himself or for | the governor upon the reckless, ire sponsible and speculative headlines of a newspaper"
 Representative Lilley of Connecticut offered a resolution in the house pro- viding for the appointment by the speaker of a special committee of five members to investigate the conduct of the Electric Boat Company of New Jersey and its predecessor, the Holland | Boat company. Tn justification of his resolution MT. Lilley said the Electric Boat Company of New Jersey has been obbying-lobbying most improperly. He charged in effect that the naval | affairs committee of the house was in | fuenced by the Holland company in cutting down the administration pro- gramme of naval construction.
 Secretary of the Treasury Cortelyou announced a call upon national banks | for approximately % per cent of the public funds now held in inactive de | positories having on deposits such | funds in the sum of $100,OO0 or more | and 9 per cent of the public funds now held by active depositaries where the deposit is S100,000 of such funds or I in excess thereof and where such with drawal can be made without inconven- fence to the treasury department in the transaction of public business. Under the call approximately $35,000,000 will be returned to the treasury.
 Great importance is attached by the department of justice to the decision of the supreme court of the United States in the case of the Great North. ern Railway company versus the Unit ed States, in which the court held that the Hepburn rate law does not repeal the Elkins act. Had decision against the United States been rendered in this case 1t would have seriously affected the contention of the government in several cases of large importance among them that of the Standard Oil company, in which q $29,000,G00 fine was imposed. /r
 To strengthen the basis on which emergency currency is to be issued un- der the Aldrich elastic currency bill and following the general policy of meeting all objections made in good faith an agreement has been about reached by the senators to adopt an amendment providing that the secre, tary of the treasury shall call on the interstate commerce commission for information bearing on the actual val -I,fx