The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1912-03-11

questered in the city who are living
in social o~bscurity. Many aspirants
to social honors possess all the re-
quirements with the exception of man.
ner. Those who lack this one essen
ttal have been placed in a secret wait
ing list, out OF which they may step
into the full glory of the new peer
age" provided they undergo a tedious
apprenticeship.
The ann in which Humanitarian
laws may occasionally work consider
BILE expense to the city undreamed Of
by their trainers was illustrated here
this week in a novel manner in a case
involving a cost of something like $40
to put to death one small mouse. The
mouse In question had been captured
in a trap by a resident OF Brooklyn
who had heard vaguely that it was
unlawful to put such rodents to death
in certain ways. Lacking exact knowl-
edge on the subject he wrote to a local
newspaper asking that the Society for
the Prevention Of Cruelty to Animals
be notified that he had a live mouse in
his possession which he wanted killed,
adding I want some one to come in
and take him away. 1 read it is
against the law to put rats or mice to
death by feeding them to dogs, etc.
and / am a law-abiding citizen. I
don't want to commit an unlawful act
by drowning the said mouse The
letter was turned over to the society
and an agent assigned to take care
OF the mouse. Before it could be re-
moved 1t was necessary to sign a
document authorizing him to put the
mouse to death, after which it was
transported to the gas chamber and
subsequently asphyxiated. Figuring
IN all the items involved, the cost to
the city amounted to nearly SO. In
cidentafly the agent assigned to the
job stated that while he had been CALI
ed out to kill a bear, several lions, one
tiger and any number OF mad dogs and
oats, hat this was the first mouse
that either he or the society had aver
been asked to put to death.
AS a result OF the recommendation
that ell private cab stands in the city
be abolished there bids fair to be a
very considerable reduction In the
tarin now charged by public
ances, hi incidentally an addition OF
several hundred thousand dollars to
the income of the city. Not only out
Of town visitors, but many New York;
ers themselves. are OF the
fact that carriage and taxicab com-
panies pay yearly large sums to no.
tells and restaurants for the privilege
of having the exclusive right to fur
nish vehicles to their patrons. So gen.
eral has this practice becorne that the
amount paid last year to the cab COM
panies to the ca~ravansaries amounted
to $4,000, paid for the use OF space
belonging exclusively to the city. One
hotel is said to receive $4,000 annu
ally from the company which it al
lows to serve its patrons, another $780,
600 and the revenues of the leading
clubs and restaurants from this source
are placed at an average of from $4,000
to $4,000. Naturally all this must
eventually come out Of the pockets Of
the users OF vehicles and as a result
the legal maximum rate is violated
with IMMUNITY by almost every taxi
cab In New York. To say nothing OF
the abuses which have grown up un-
der this system it Is against the prin-
ciple to grant the use Of streets FOR
special privileges, OF course the pro-
posal to do away with these privileges
has caused loud cries of protest from
the benenciaries, but In view Of the
fact that 1t will increase the citysE
revenue n decrease the cost to users
OF taxis n horse drawn cabs it
seems probable that something may
result. At n rate the public VIII
welconis any step which will cut down
the present tariffs by 40 per cent even
though that will leave them hirha,.
than those Of foreign cities.
In spite of the talk OF race suicida
the st@rk was buster here last wear
than ever before in the history Of the
city. according to the latest Official
figures According to the oficiaI sta
tistfcs just given out, he made no less
than 1S9,b49 trips during the twelve
months. that being the number Of ba-
bies born here during that period. This
iS the largest number Of births on rec
ord for q single year according to the
department OF health by which the
figures are compiled, and according to
the statisticians Of the department the
largest percentage OF births. since ac-
curate records have been kept. Az
the present method Of recording births
is said to be almost 100 per cent per.
feet, II is evident that race suicide
has not obtained mi strong foothold
here