Waterbury evening Democrat., 1908-05-04
HEARD IN PASSING.

The Massachusetts legislators de- feated the salary bill on Thursday, but reeonsidered the vote yesterday and passed the measure. The bill increases their salary from $750 to $1,000. Acting Governor ' raper is said to be opposed to the measure, New Britain Herald.
 One good thing about this Postal Progress league which is upon the eve of holding a meeting at Wash ington, is that it's secretary, James l.. Cowles of Connecticut, is an in defatigable worker in its behalf, as the editors of most newspapers can stify.--NeW Haven Palladium.
 The Black Hand has no business in this country and the king of Italy says there is no such thing there. It is only a bogy behind which crim- inals hide when they wish to make their threats the more terrifying. The old saying that you might just as well kill man as to scare him to death" seems to arply.-Bridge- port Standard.
 With all this fuss over the ques- tion of two or four battleships and with Admiral Evans's fleet arousing the enthusiasm of all nations, it will be interesting to observe whether the opponents of naval policy like others will force the Lake Mohonk conference at its coming meeting to break it's silence of last year on the question of limitation of armaments. Norwich Record.
 Senator Knox cannot fail to ap- preciate the honor which his native state has given him. when he was indorsed for the presidency. Of course, the chances of Senator Knox receiving the nomination are as re mote as the possibility of growing roses on onion stalks, but it is pleas, ant for a man to be thus remembered and honored by his own state.- Bridgeport Telegram.
 Higher freight rates? Forbid. Further increases along this line must mean higher costs of living, at time when majority of people are having about all they can do to make their receipts meet prudent ex- penditures. And as for New Eng land manufacturers it is hard to see how they can stand an extra taxa tion on their already heavily bur dened ndustries.-Ansonial Senti- nel.
 Now that d German ship has ar rived at Philadelphia bringing 420 monkeys, 30 boa constructors. 20 an acondas, leopards, 3 tigers, 2 tapirs, l orang outang, 12 sacred COWS, 6 white swans, 24 beautiful tropical birds called minas, 2S thama thrushes and cassowaries, 1t wouldn't be surprising if the mem- berships of the local temperance so- cieties were considerably increased. New Haven Union
 The fact that the daughter of our ambassador at St James is engaged to an English gentleman of some distinction is not a matter for great surprise, nor is it a proper subject for criticism. If heredity counts for anything. the daughter of Mhitelaw Reid should be predisposed to marry in England. And there is no title of nobility involved. so the case is taken out of certain class highly condemned by high authority New Haven Register.
 Preventing cruelty to animals as far as possible and punishing those who treat beasts in an inhuman way is a work worthy of the highest com mendatlon. The need for organiza- tion to look after that sort of thing is very evident. Rhode Island Is not very biE state and the people there not more inclined to inhuman- ity than in other cOmmonwealths. but according to the report present. ed tO the annual meeting of the So- ciety for the Prevention of Cruelty 10 Animals 4.59S complaints were made during the year and were in- yestigated. During the same period i2S cases were prosecuted in the district courts and IF convictions secured in the lower eourts.-New i nwHnW