The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-05-10
FROM OTHER PENS

L
| During the month that has passed
since the Mississippi river floods began
/ their work of destruction enormous
| losses have resulted. Because the dis
astrous progress of the waters has been
| so steady and has extended over a long
period the terrors of the floods have not
been fully realized by the general pub
| lie. 1t is only the sudden calamities
| that strike the public mind with full
force.t From Cairo southwark peopisl
| living along the Mississippi have suffer
| ed from the floods. Just now most ser
ious conditions surround the section Just
south of central Louisiana, near Baton
| Rouge, the state capital. 1t is esti-
mated that 100000 persons have been
rendered homeless by the breaking Of
tthe levees. Parts of thirteen parishes
have become inland lakes There has
been some loss of life in that region,
as there was when the Ievee broke near
Beulah, Miss, and rescue work has
been undertaken with the help of
fleet of boats, many persons being re-
moved to places of safety from the
roofs of their houses. Relief is Of
course, afforded TO the scores of thous-
ands of refugees wherever possible.
Food, shelter and clothing are somehow
made available and the federal govern
ment has given it's aid In forwarding
and distributing supplies Congress is
considering a joint resolution to appro-
pirate 1929, 179 for the temporary relief
of sufferers in the Mississippi and Ohio
river valleys. bill has been intro
duced in the house to appropriate $780,
900 for seed corn and other necessities
for the farmers In the flooded sections
Prevention of future calamities of this
sort should be prime object with the
federal and state, governments Col
Townsend of the Mississippi river COM
mission, an army engineer, will soon
begin a comprehensive campaign TO
this end. The country affected is per-
haps the richest in the world and its
development as section of Innrnense
agricultural wealth is held back mainly
by the peril of foods.-Chicago News.
AS TO FRACTIONAL COINS.
The withdrawal of the opposition of
the treasury department to the COIN
age of additional denominations Of
passage of the bill introduced by Rep
resentative Buckley of Ohio providing
for the coinage of Scent and u cent
pieces. but serious opposition is likely
to come from another quarter. The
demand for the Scent coin comes
from Cleveland, Ohio, where the a.
cent carfare has beer adopted. Trac-
ton companies in other cities fear that
the coinage of a 3-cent piece will give
rise to an agitation for the 3-cent fare
in the communities they serve and II
is probable that they will exert all the
influence they are able to command
against the passage of the Buckley bin.
Whether or not this will be sufficient
to kill. the bill remains to be seen
Aside from its use in Cleveland. or in
any other city or cities that may adopt
the 3-cent fare, there does not seam
to be any demand for or need of the
proposed 3-cent piece, and so far AZ
the half-cent is concerned, in the pres
ent range of prices of various com
modities the one cent piece is sum-
GENTLY small for all purposes. II Is
said that the II cent piece is being adj.
vocated on the ground that IT would
result in many articles now selling for
a penny being reduced one-half hut
the reason for this optimism Is NOT an
parent, as the tendency mall directions
seems to be to increase rather than
reduce prices.-Springfield Union.