Newark evening star and Newark advertiser., 1910-08-29

"A HA Nn1AN--. 49, u - NJ
The explanatory statement issued by
Erie railroad authorities relative to the
Paterson grade-crossing tragedy, in
which two persons lost their lives and
three others were seriously injured,
would be funny If it were not for the
grim seriousness Of the outrage which
prompted 1t. Anyone, even though he
be unconversant with the details OF the
fatal accident, has but to read the
opening paragraph of the railroads
statement to understand what would
be the testimony of eye-witnesses other
than railway employees: "The gates
were lowered for train No. Al to pass
over Broadway crossing. After the de-
parture of train No. Al gates were
raised ana gateman looked west and
saw No. approaching. AS he
started to lower the gates he saw an
automobile approaching from the north
side. Before the gates were all the way
down the automobile passed under
the north gate. ETC."
Evidently Moissant, the American
amateur aviator who carried a passen-
ger across the English channel in
monoplane on what was but his sixth
journey into the azure, is man who
is not easily discouraged. After three
disastrous attempts to complete his
journey from Paris to London, in the
last of which he narrowly escaped
death, he is yet thirty miles from the
metropolis The new parts for his
wrecked "Bleriot" have been assembled
after long delay, and he is prepared
to make the final dash for his goal
when the weather gives him the slight
est encouragement. His feat in Cross
ing the channel with a mechanician
has accomplished that near miracle Of
arousing the imagination of the Eng
lish and he is hero. His reception
when he lands near the Crystal Palace
viii be hearty one.
The first gun-a verbal one-in the
campaign which will, it is hoped, make
such hardy mosquitoes as survive OBJ
jects of curiosity Will be fired Septem-
Der Z, when representatives of numerous
health boards in this section of the
State are to be in convention assem-
bled in Newark. While a great many
persons find themselves regretting that
1t was not this years crop of the
swamp birds which was exterminated,
in the anti-mosquito con-
vention proceedings will be general and
intense. If the citizens of North Jersey
were asked to nominate that feature of
the good old summertime they could
spare with least inconvenience to them
selves, the mosquito. would be unani-
chosen and there might be some
ballot-box stuffing.
vice-President Sherman, in the face
Of his rebuff, rises to say with all of the
show of sincerity he can muster that
the President is a patriot. HE has"
man from Utica, courage, stability
and the fir1nness to meet any contin-
gency" Mr.. Sherman did not attempt
TO illustrate this statement with ref
erence to the Griscom letter, and 1t
was probably not his intention that
anyone should read such proof Of his
praise between the lines of his speech.
That a great many persons have done
so is strictly their own affair. The
Vice President is a man who knows
when he has nothing to say and
how to be agreeable when avoiding
subjects which he feels do not admit
of discussion.
In his campaign letter President Taft
says Of the tariff: "Some Of the criti-
cisms are just and some are wide Of
the mark and most unjust. The charge
that the present tariff is responsible
for the increase in the prices Of necessi-
ties is demonstrably false. because the
high prices with very few exceptions
affect articles in the tariff upon which
there was no increase in rates or in
respect to which there was a substan-
tial reduction" But Mr.. Taft should
have remembered that the cost of liv-
ing is not discriminating and needs only
a little general encouragement to go
up all the line.