The Press., 1913-02-05

Napoleon Pero, Jr., has gone to New York and Philadelphia on a business trip.
 Charles Gary and Dana Gary have been in Philadelphia. They were called there by the serious illness of their brother, Wm. Gary, who has blood poisoning.
 o. W. Dewey of the Valparaiso Ind. college is substituting at the high school during the illness of Prin- cipal James R. Tucker. MT. DeWey's home is in Mapping.
 A merry party of old and young people celebrated the end of the social season last evening at St. Edward hall, knowing that no entertainment except of a sacred nature could be held in the hall during Lent.
 Assistant Postmaster Perry enter tained the employees of the post office and the R. F. D. carriers at his home on Brown avenue last Saturday even- ing. Cards and refreshments were features of very pleasant evening.
 The regular meeting of the Wom- an sChristian Temperance Union will be held Friday at 3 o'clock in the chapel of the Methodist church. O. B. Ryther of Hartford will deliver an address on ''What women can do for Christ in the temperance cause. An invitation is extended to all to at- tend this meeting.
 An interesting service is being planned for next Sunday afternoon to be held at the Orcuttvil1e schoolhouse. Short talks will be given by several laymen active in the work of the federation of churches, including Messrs, Parkhurst, Robinson, Mel bourne, Hamilton, Plumb and others. .hea leetings are becoming of more Ssfan local interest.
 The garment workers strike in New York city is having a depressing effect on the wOolen business, and the local manufacturing concerns are beginning to feel it. All of the local concerns have plenty of orders, but New York deliveries are impossible except in limited quantities. Several of the local anufacturers are shortening sail and if the strike continues there will he still further reduction of out put.
 Stafford.
 Herbert Knox Smith, speaking for the federation of churches, drew an audience that filled Memorial hall at the Hollow last Sunday afternoon. He spoke with first hand knowledge for the conservation of our national resources, along the lines recently developed by the leader of the nation al conservation movement. No refer ences were made to political platforms or parties, but the address was illumi- hating on the subject of conservation, as the speaker dwelt at length on many phases of our national wealth, now lost, or rapidly passing from governmental control. A chorus of 25 choir singers rendered two selec- tions with pleasing effect and led the audience with singing of hymns. Judge J. H. Reed presided and in- troduced the speaker in a spicy man. ner, saying "there are wide political differences between men, but all men present are united on the matter of good Christian citizenship. After Rev. J. W. Ballantine had read the scripture from Matt. XXI and offered prayer, MT. Smith spoke as follows: "Our country is growing so rapidly that in speaking of our common wealth l refer to it as a nation. II have worked for nine years in the power house at Washington, and so have had wide view of the country. As relinquished my work under the federal government it seemed to me as though our national structure was be- ginning to totter, that business, so- eiety, politics, etc., were not of that degree of purity which keeps nation strong. My first work as chief of the bureau of corporations was an inves- tigation. of laws pertaining to our steamship service = laws lamentably weak. Then an investigation was made of our timber resources. Thirty years ago three-fourths of our wood lands were owned by the federal gov ernment; now four-fifths are in the hands of private individuals. Our homestead laws allowed the sale of 160 acres at $2. 50 per acre; this law was then applied to forest lands. Un- der this law our timber resources have passed from the hands of many small homesteaders' to few owners of immense forest areas, some 12, 900, 900 acres at the present time. Tim Der concerns have built railroads through the forests, set up saw-mills with huge band saws, and have reaped enormous fortunes on timber that should now be owned and conserved by the federal government. Of forest lands patented to railroads, our gov-