Omaha daily bee., 1908-03-28

money, too" the British experts declare
the present type Of Dreadnaught battle
ships possess in themselves their own de-
struction. The idea dominant in their con-
struction is capacity for sending the great
est weight of metal against the enemy's
ships. Hence the batteries consist mainly
Of twelve-inch guns Secondary, batteries
are eliminated Basing their opinions on re-
cent gun practice on the first of the Dread
naughts the experts declare the conclusion
! of the batteries fired simultaneously Is
more dangerous to the lives of the crew
than the fire of an enemy. Scores of men
were stunned. others suffered from vertigo,
some had their vision so affected as to be
practically useless The experts conclusion
is that hgh-power guns which destroy or
| incapacitate the crews renders battleship
floating sham and puts it at the mercy
Of the enemy. To save the Dreadnausht
from such fate the experts urge replacing
some Of the big guns with secondary bat
teries,
The French senate has agreed, after a
! prolonged deadlock to a modified form of
The old age pension bill passed by the
Chamber Of Deputies in 1906. The compro-
mise measure, which will soon become a
law, supplements the present law, which
grants state pension to persons over 20
| years Of age who are infiTm, incapacitated
or incurable, and by which 10000 persons
were benefited last year, entailing an ex-
pendture of S12OOO.OOO. Under the new act
the age limit is lowered to 60 years, and
there are to be no conditions as to in
trinity, incapacity or disease. On the
other hand, II embodies the contribution
principle, which is repudiated by British
| socialists and laborites, but which forms
! the basis of the old age pension law oper-
ative in the German empire. Like the Ger
man precedent, the French bill when 1t
| is in full operation will require workmen,
II they are to qualify themselves for the
receipt of pensions at the age of 60 and
thereafter, to contribute 2 per cent of their
wages annually during a period Of thirty
! years. Again, In accordance with the Ger
man pattern, a precisely equivalent con-
! tribution is imposed upon the employers OF
| labor. SO long as the compulsory savings
of the workmen and the compulsory con-
tribution Of the employers do not create
fund large enough to furnish pension
of at least $72 year. the state must make
good the deficit. In order, however, that
the old age pension law may become opera
tive speedily, Instead of being applicable
only after three decades from the date,
of its enactment shall have elapsed, there
is clause granting pensions smaller than
S72 to all existing workmen over 80 years
old who can prove that they have worked
continuously thirty years.
Those who believe Japan is ready to
fight "at the drop of the hat" are led by
| H. DO 20 r,ntaf lra q
staggering burden of war taxes for chip
on the shoulder Congressman DENLY of
Michigan, son of a former American min
lister to China, in recent address before a
| Massachusetts audience. presented some
striking facts about Japan's financial con-
dition. He referred to the staggering debt
of the empire, amounting to $25 per capita,
| which has doubled since 1905; the meager
resources of the country, the searching
and crushing system of taxation, the huge
standing army and the feversh energy of
the country is increasing it's naval and
military strength. He concludes that Japan
foresees war, and he reasons that war with
| China, and not with the United States, is
the next step to be taken by Japan. A
deficit of 100000 yen is admitted for the
year 1908-09. Even with ithe help of in
creased taxation, the estimated deficit of
|
100000 yen. The budget committee of the
\ House of Peers promises, however, that
| surpluses will be forthcoming after that
time. Where will the tax be placed? The
people are already heavily burdened The
wealth earners of Japan pay about p per
cent of their earnings to the government in
one form or another. They pay less per
capita, of course than the workers of
Europe or America, but this Is because
their earnings are less. The average Amer
ican income is 500, while that of the Jap
anese is $50. The American worker earns
nearly six times more an hour than the
Japanese. So, while the American con-
tributes 80 per cent OF his money in taxes
the Japanese must give p per cent
Pierce oMahony. brother of the ousted
custodian of the Dublin castle jewels OF
n the Order of St. Patrick. the disappearance
of which caused official furore last year,
boldly affirms the charge, heretofore hinted
at, that the custodian of the jewels was
} sacrificed for the purpose of suppressing
one of the scandals with which Dublin cas-
tie reeks. In a published letter Pierce
t O'Mahony challenges all concerned TO come
, into court in these warm words: II have
accused the police of wilfully, Withholding
evidence in their possession that is favor
able to my brother. ! now go further and
4 / state deliberately that the government
t does not wish to find the thief because one
suspected man, and one of his associates
3 also suspected, are known to the people az
4 men OF unclean lives, and have threatened
to involve society in scandal; and so. in this
I twentieth century under the enlightened
rule of constitutional monarch. an official
n of unblemished character and name is TO be
. dismissed and ruined, and denied the oppoT-
( tunity OF meeting his accusers In the oper
4 "a right accorded to the manest criminal
because a few members of what are SO
I falsely called the upper ten and who
n circle round the throne. possess characters
so absolutely degraded that they fear tC
= face the threats of two men whom Right
, Hon. A. Birrell has described as abandoned
l ruffians My brothers honor is OF no account
to them-titled corruption must be shielded
> from the public gaze. Not thus however
: can they stem the fetid tide"
!: OrneeaOil