Cheyenne record., 1914-12-31

! financial Irregularities, and suit was
| brought against the Lehigh valley road
under the charge that 1t was monopoliz-
| ing the anthracite coal industry through
| subsidiary companies. In this month. also,
| the department of justice announced that
| a plan for breaking up the transportation
monopoly practiced by the New York,
| New Haven and Hartford had been ar
| ranged satisfactory to all parties.
| Early In April the government met with
defeat in its attempt to prove that the
| Delaware, Lackawanna and Western road
and the coal-mining company of the same
name existed as an illegal and monopolis-
| tic combination. On April the commit
tee appointed for the purpose announced
| that 1t had selected twelve federal re-
| serve. districts, with their central bank
ing cities, under the new currency law.
| On June the American Thread COM
pany, which was proved to be a combina-
| ton Of manufacturers which practically
| controlled the output, forestalled the ac-
| ton contemplated by the department of
justice by dissolving. In June. also. the
| United States supreme court affirmed the
| power of the interstate commerce COM
| mission to fix rates, and held that pipe
lines are common carriers and must carry
| products at rates fixed by the commission.
On June Is the president made public
| a charge that big business interests had
| been trying to force congress to adjourn.
| He declared that he should do everything
| in his power to keep congress In session
| until the proper business legislation had
been enacted.
In July the commission found that the
| former management of the New Haven
| road was criminally wasteful and negli-
gent. President Wilson directed the at
| torney general. July q. to begin civil and
criminal proceedings against the New
York, New Haven and Hartford road. and
| two days later the suit was begun in the
United States district court at New York.
81, RrSf n Of AIp fhf inf IA TO
commerce commission denied the petition
| of the eastern railroads for general in
crease of s per cent in freight rates. but
allowed certain increases In the middle
West. On August - the dissolution of the
| International Harvester company. desig-
mated as a monopoly in restraint of trade.
was ordered by the United States district
court at st. Paul. MINI.
The Panama Canal was formally opened
for world traffic on August 15. The steam
| er Ancon, belonging to the Panama rail-
road, passed from ocean to ocean in ten
hours. In September the railroad rate
case showed increased activity. The roads
east of the Mississippi and north of the
Potomac again petitioned the interstate
commerce commission for permission to
advance freight rates 5 per cent and the
commission consented to reopen the case.
The commission granted the increase.
with certain exceptions. on December lS.
In October the court dismissed all but
| one Of the governments charges In It's
| suit to dissolve the Atlantic steamship
| trust. Final argument in the suit to dis
solve the Steel trust was made at Phila-
| delphia. and the discussion of increased
| railroad freight rates was resumed before
the interstate commerce commission.
At the elections held on November the
Democratic majority in the house of rep
| resentatives was reduced from 141 to 25.
| although the Democratic majority in the
| senate was increased from 10 to 16. Con-
| stitutional amendments giving the suf-
| frage to women were carried in Nevada
and Montana and prohibition triumphed
| in Washington. Oregon. Arizona, and
Colorado In Missouri the so-called "full
crew" law passed by the legislature was
| rejected.
| Politics In Other Lands.
| On January 81 Michel Oreste. president
| of Haiti. warned of the approach of a
| large body of revolutionists. abdicated has
| tily and took refuge on a German cruiser.
| On February Qrestes Zamor was elected
president of Haiti, and on the same day
| Jose Vicente Concha was elected presl-
| dent OF Colombia.
| On March IT. as the finale to a bitter
political and personal controversy the
wife of the French minister of finance,
| Nine. Caillaux. shot and killed the editor
| OF Figaro, CASTOR Calmette. Her hus-
| band resigned his office at once and n
new cabinet was formed. The trial Of
| Nine. CailauX resulted in her acquittal
on July 2S. On March II a treaty of peace
between Turkey and Servia was signed at
| Constantinople. a sequel to the Balkan
| war. On May l the new Chinese consti-
tuition was published. 1t abolished the
premiership and gave increased power to
the president. On May Prince AleXan-
der of Teck, Queen Marys brother was
appointed governor-general of Canada.
On May Is Colonel Benavides. leader
Of the Peruvian faction which expelled
| President Billinghurst was elected pro-
| visional president. Three days later a
group of senators and deputies declared
Roberto Leguia provisional president The
Peruvian supreme court. however. recog-
nized Benavides. On July 81 Ahmed Mir
"a, sixteen years of age, was crowned
shah Of Persia. On August % the French
cabinet was reconstructed on a commit :
tee of national defense basis. Rene vi
viani. Socialist, remained premier.
| On September 2S the Albanian senate,
which had driven its recently elected ruler
Prince William of Wied-out of the
country, chose a Turk for king-Prince
Burhan-Eddin. son of the deposed Abdul
EIamid of Turkey. The European powers
protested. but their wishes were disre-
garded. On October I. after four months
exile. Essad Pasha. accompanied by an
armed force. entered Albania and took
possession of the government. On the
day following the death of King Charles
of Roumania his nephew. Ferdinand, took
the oath of office as sovereign
Industrial Trials and Triumphs.
The Ford Motor company at the begin
ming of the year adopted a profit Sharing
plan by which $4,000. 900 Is to be distrib-
uted annually among the 26OoO wage-earn-
ers OF that concern. The great South Afri-
can railroad strike came to an end On