Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1917-11-15

soldier or sailor has never yet been
known TO yield the ground or give up
the ship.
The German government has Off
cially ordered womon's skirts must
be shorter. This, too, when the de-
creasing food supply is noticeably
affecting the visible means of support.
What is really needed in this
country is higher educational sys-
tenn that will encourage people, at all
times, to do their own thinking"
says the Sioux City Tribune. What
is really needed is something with
which the people can do their own
thinking.
Mexicans are very punctillious in
the matter of military titles. The
bandit chieftains are always referred
to as general" or Colonel This
is probably because no general or
colonel knows when he may turn
bandit himself and must conserve
his dignity even in outlawry.
The Des Moines Register suggests
that, since the price of collars has
gone up, we ought to have a collar
less day every week. This is fair
proposition, but while it would work
no hardship on Des Moines citizens
there are other cities where people
are used to wearing collars regularly.
Fresh milk is one of the luxuries
of camp life. Many soldiers in the
various camps have requested the
privilege of keeping cow and buy
ing feed for it out of their ration
savings. The matter was put up to
the judge advocate general Of the
army, who has ruled that they may
do so.
The coal miners of southern Mis-
souri, have gone out on strike, the
principal object of which is to secure
a recognition of their union. This
strike is similar to every other strike
ever waged in this one respect. 1t
has ever been the object of organized
labor to secure recognition of the
union and some Of the bitterest labor
wars have been waged over that
single issue.
The early American colonies made
several attempts to grow alfalfa, but
without great success. George Wash
ington grew trial plats of alfalfa on
his Virginia farm and Thomas Jeffer-
son gave considerable attention and
care to its cultivation. Their efforts
however. proved unsatisfactory,
since they did not understand all of
the requirements for the successful
growth of the plant.
Appleton, Wis, after six years of
commission government that cleared
the city of debt, has gone back to
the old aldermanic plan. New York
City has repudiated Mitchell and
gone back to Tammany. Which goes
to prove that the American people
don't want good municipal govern
ment. They are more comfortable
in the kitchen with their shoes off
than in the parIor with company.
Henry Ford will build no more
pleasure automobiles until the war is
over. He will devote his entire plant
10 the production of war necessities
such as tractors, ambulancea, air
craft engines and shells. Through
his representative, G. H. Wills, he
has offered to discontinue all the or
dinary runabouts, tonring cars and
small commercial trucks which his
plant is turning out by the thousands.
Songs of the soldiers must be SIM
pie, almost to the point of being cru de
in order to win success Not every
soldier is musician and not all Of
them can remember complicated
tunes. No matter how beautiful a
melody may be. if it has too many
variations to be easily remembered
1t will not appeal to the soldier. He
wants his music to have plenty of
swing to it, but it must be something
of chant, of small range to suit his
voice. and fitted with simple words
that are easily remembered.