The Ordway new era., 1915-01-01

with oyerstatement of income and other
financial irregularities, and suit was
brought against the Lehgh Valley road
under the charge that 1t was monopol'z-
ing the anthracite coal industry through
subsidiary companies. In this month, nlso,
the department of Justice announced that
n plan for breaking up the transportation
monopoly practired 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 us an Illegal and mOnopolis-
tic combination. On April the commit
tee appointed for the purpose announced
that IL 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 combina-
ton OF manufacturers which practically
controlled the output, forestalled the ae-
tIon 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 fx rates. and held that pipe
lines are common carriers and must carry
prod,Icts at rates fixed by the commission.
On June Is the president made public
n 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.
Z In July the commission found that the
former management OF the New Haven
road was criminalfy wastcful 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.
On the first day of August the interstate
commerce commission denied the petition
Of the eastern railroads for n general in
crease of per cent in freight rates. but
allowed certain increases in the middle
West, On August u the dissolution of the
International Harvester company, dcsig-
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 Is. The stcnm-
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 pctitioncd the interstate
commerce commission for permission to
advance freight rates per cent, and the
commission consented TO reopen the case.
The commission granted the Increase.
with certain exceptions. on December IL.
In October the court dismissed all but
one of the governments charges In Its
suit to dissolve the Atlantic steamship
trust. Final argument in the suit 10 dis-
solve the Steel trust was made at Phila-
delphia. and the discussion OF Increased
railroad freight rates was resumed betore
the Interstate commerce commission.
At the elections held on November the
Democratic majority in the house OF rep
resentntives was reduced from 1i7 TO %
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, ana
Colorado. In Missouri the so-called "full
crew. law passed by the legislature was
rejected.
Politics In Other Lands.
On January 27 Michel oreste. president
of Haiti, warned of the approach OF a
large body OF revolutionists. abdicated has.
| tily and took refuge on n German cruiser.
On February S Orestes Znmor was elected
president of Haiti, yaIa on the same day
Jose Vicente Concha. was elected presi-
dent OF Colombia.
On March II, as the finale to n bitter
political and personal controversy. the
wife of the French minister of finance
Nine. CaillauN. shot and killed the editor
| OIL flkaTO, tidstpn
band resigned his office at once and a
new cabinet was formed. The trial Of
Nine. CaiIlaux resulted in her acquittal
on July eS On March IA a treaty of peace
between Turkey and Servia was signed at
| Constantinoplc sequel to the Balkan
war On May | the new Chinese consti-
tuition was published. II abolished the
premiership and gave Increased power to
| the president. On May Prince AlcSan-
der OF Teck. onccn Mary's brother. was
appointed governor general OF Canada,
|; On May Is Colonel Bennvidcs. leader
Of the Peruvian faction which expelled
President BilllnEhurst. was elected pro-
visional president. Three days later n
group of sennto-5 and deputies declared
Roberto I.eguia provisional president. The
Peruvian supreme court, however. rccov-
nized Bsnavides. on July q Ahmed Mir
"a. sixteen years OF nRe was crowned
shah OF Persia ON August 26 the French
cabinet WAS reconstructed on n commit
tee of national defense basis. Rene VI
vianl, Socialist. remained premier.
On September 2S the Albanian senate.
| which had driven its recently elected ruler
Prince William of Wicd-out of the
country chose Il Turk for king-Princc
Burhnn- Eddln. son OF the depOsed Abdul
Hamid OF Turkey. The European powers
protested. but their wishes were dsre-
gardcd. On October =. after four months
exile, Essad Pasha. accompanied by an
armed force. entered Albania and took
possession Of the government. On the
day following tho dealt, of King Charles
of Roumanla his nephew. Ferdinand. took
the oath of ofTlo" ns sovereign.
Industrial Trials and Triumphs.
/ The Eord Motor company at the begin
ming of'the year adopted n profit sharing
plan by which $1o00D,0oO is to be distrib-
uted annually among tho 2G.001 waGc-earn-
crs OF that concern. The great South Afri-
can railroad strike came to an end. On
January ~ - strike of the Delaware and
Hudson railroad men, as a protest against
the discharge of two employees. was set
tied within sixteen hours by the federal
board OF mediation and concilation.
Two great labor controversies had been
left over from the preceding ycar--one in
the Michigan copper mines. which began
July 81 1918. and another In the Colorado
coal fields. where 1909 men had been on
strike since September q of the previous
year. Violence ensued and federal aid
was demanded. on April 20 the striking