davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1918-01-12
BUILDING MORE GOOD ROADS
Enormous Increase in Total Expendi-
lures for Highways and Con-
struction of Bridges

There has been an enormous in
crease in the total expenditures for
road building and bridge construction
marking the development Of highway
work in the United States during the
past u months" said ]. A ROuntree,
secretary OF the United States Good
Roads association
statistics compiled and reports re-
ceived at the headquarters OF the Unit
ed States Good Roads association show
that the expenditures for the building
Of good roads and bridges for the year
1915 were S2S2. 600. 900, or an increase
OF go per cent over the amount spent
for similar purposes in 1914 In adj
ditiOn, more than s2T,OOO.OOO OF local
funds were spent under state super
vision In 1915, bringing the total road
and bridge expenditures managed by
the states to SSO.514699. This amount
is greater than the total expenditures
for roads and bridges from all sources
in 1904"
The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1918-01-12
;oRyEight. lslI. Westera Newspaper Unioa

Copyright. 1911. Western Newspaper Union }
In all the years that interviewed since
the mortgage was first used in ancient
Babylon, practically but one change
has been made in mortgage financing.
That change was made by a Prussian |!
Frederick the Great, who founded
Prussian militarism, gave the first
mortgage bond its start. While the
world holds much against this man for
sowing the seeds OF the present world
conflict, we must give him credit for
his astuteness in recognizing the adj
vantages of first mortgage bonds. Here
is how it happened:
In 1859, Frederick, after his seven
year war with Hungary, France, Rus
STA and SaxOny, found himself and his
country in financial embarrassment.
Indeed, previous to the war, the fnan-
cial system had proven inadequate for
even ordinary needs, and the strain
caused by the seven years of fighting
made the situation extremely serious.
German agricultural conditions in par
ticular were deplOrable. insufficient
funds and outrageous interest rates on
the part of money lenders greatly ham,
pered the proper filling of the soil.
Frederick realized that the future of
Germany was at stake and that fur
ther progress with existing conditions
was impossible.
In the necessity, a Berlin merchant
by the name Of Buhring conceived the
idea OF mOrtgaging the agricultural do
main Mortgages, OF course, were
nothing new, having been originated
by the Babylonians more than two
thousand years previous But mort
gage financing to this extent had never
before been practicable, because Of
the impossibility of finding investors
able or willing to absorb mortgages OF
such gigantic size. Buhring said, "Why
not divide the mortgages into frac-
tonal parts, and call these parts
bonds? Then, If the bonds are issued
In comparatively small denominations,
large numbers of investors will parti-
cipate, and in addition, the bonds
themselves can be used in payment of
debts during the emergency, in lieu of
cash."
The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1918-01-12

mating the term bank" It is sup
posed to be derived from "banco,"
meaning bench. The LOmbards in Italy
exchanged money and bills in the mar
ket place over a bench. When a bank
er failed the bench was destroyed by
the people and he was called ''bank-
rupt." Some authorities claim this de
rivation Of bank is wrong. 1t is stated
by them that "banco' is a heap OF
mound and that the resemblance If
bore to a common fund formed by the
contributions of many persons led to
the term bank
Which of these is the true derivation
does not matter. The word bank IN
doubtedly comes to US from Venice, at
one time the center of the worlds
financial activities.
The same Lombards later settled in
London and led TO the naming of Lom-
bard street. Subsequently they gave
way to the goldsmiths, who finally de
velOped into the modern English bank.
At first the gOIdsmiths, owing to
their superior facilities for safekeep-
ing, were intrusted with gold and 9TH
II u
The receipts the goldsmiths gave
acknowledging delivery Of the gold, es-
peciaIly in the case Of weIl-knoWn and
responsible gOldsmiths, began TO be
traded.
An idea occurred to the goldsmiths
that the money in their vaults could
be loaned out. They reasoned that if
they were allowed to do this depositOrs
might not only be relieved Of the fee
they paid, but be paid interest OF
course, the goldsmiths did not loan all
Of the gold in their possession. A GER
tain amount only Of il was used. Sup
pose a safe proportion OF deposits TO
loans is % per cent; the goldsmith, for
every $1,000 in his Golfers, could issue
$4,000 in notes (as the receipts be
came knOwn). As long as there was a
continual inflow as we'll as outflow of
gold, all demands for return OF depos-
it's were easily met Besides, the Sc.
curity required Of borrowers made the
bank" perfectly solvent As will read
lily be seen, the procedure was essen
tally the same as in modern banking.
This practice was kept up until 1871.
when checkbooks came into use. They
were substituted for the notes which
the gOldsmiths used Thus, when a
borrower desired a loan and furnished
the proper security, he would be given
q cheekbOok and authorized TO issue
checks TO the amount Of his loan.
The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1918-01-12

about well balanced political condi-
lions; one is as much needed as the
other.
Since the road supervisors at their
last annual meeting took the stand
they were not in favor OF paving coun-
try roads at the present at least, they
have been rather severely censured
by the daily press and told that they
are behind the times, trailing in the
dust. That hard roads Of some kind
will be built throughout the country
some time cannot be questioned, and
the supervisors recognized that fact
when they said that they were not in
favor of loading the counties down
with road debts at the present time.
We are inclined to commend the SUI
peTvisOrs for the stand they took, be-
cause there is danger of going too fast
with expensive methods OF conStruc-
ton until the different kinds OF roads
that are practicable for different 10
calities have been more fully tested,
says Farmer and Breeder Mistakes
made in permanent road construction
are liable to be rather expensive.
Iowa has made rapid progress in
road Improvement during the past two
years, and while no permanent roads
have been built the work Of grading
and draining at least two principal
roads through each county and the
construction OF cement culverts and
bridges is something that viii have TO
be done everywhere before permanent
roads can possibly be built. Then too,
in many sections at least, when our
roads are brought to a grade, are well
drained. and then properly cared for
with the road drag, they become very
passable indeed. We believe that il is
not a bad plan to use them for a few
years in that condition and give the
drag a good chance TO show what it
Will do for them when used as fire.
quently as il should be-
The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1918-01-12

frederick was faTOrably impressed
with the suggestion He ordered tina:
the nobility mortgage their property,
so the financial stringency might be
relieved. Whether OF a borrowing turn
or not, the owners of great landed
estates were compelled to organize an
association which they called the
Landschaft Gland society,", in Silesia,
in 1770. 1t was a cooperative Organi-
zation, the Individual members guar
anteeing the obligations of the body.
and mortgages made the security for
debenture bonds. The experiment was
great success. Other states OF what
is now the German empire followed
the lead of Prussia. Thus was started
the famous Landschaften OF Germany.
Applied at first to only the property Of
the nobility, the idea was made avail
able, later, to the peasants.
Today, the Landschaften in improv-
ed and modified form are the basis Of
similar societies in almost every civil
lized country on the globe. In France,
the Credit Foncier and its subsidiaries
enjoy practically a monopoly in land
financing. Russia, Italy, ROumania,
Austria-Hungary, Ireland, Japan, Can
ada, Egypt and other countries have
similar societies. These societies not
only finance the agriculturist, but
also city buildings, and even irrigation
projects
An important feature which was
added to the plan shortly after its in
auguratiOn was amortization Of the
principal. This means ''tO kill off," and
provides for the payment each year of
an amount which is used to reduce the
loan. The size of this payment de
ponds upon the length of/the mortgage.
for it is intended eventually to extin-
guish the debt. The interest rate is
quite low, and the borrowers principal
and interest payments usually will not
aggregate more than the usual interest
rate alone in this country.
Notwithstanding their moderate re
turn, the bonds are very popular with
| investors in Europe, and billions OF dol
lars in them are outstanding at the
present time. Foreclosures are al
most negligible. So safe is this form
of investment that in critical times the
land credit has been more stable than
that Of the state. In 1SOS-1SO9 Prussia
called upon the East Prussian Land
schaften to raise part of its military
funds by an issue of mortgages on its
forests and domain.
And here is a peculiar fact: While
the rest Of the world has long ago dis
carded the straight mortgage as being
obsolete and cumbersome, the United
| States began to realize the advantage
of mortgage bond issues only about q
| years ago.
In a subsequent article I shall de
scribe the Introduction of mortgage
bonds in America.
The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1918-01-12
Government Loan
Without Interest
Issued I'm Venice, 1905 Origin
OF "BaaIS," Checks
By S. ". STRAUS
PTOminent New York and Chicago BankE1

Copyright. 1917. Western Newspaper Union
The subscribers to one of the first
government bond issues ever put out
were not so fortunate as Liberty bond
investors. Notwithstanding the fact
that bonds were new and probably IN
tried at that time, the loan bore no in
tereSt. The success with which the
loan met under these conditions should
be an inspiration to US in our present
war financing.
1t happened in Venice, in 1160. The
Doge 8IichieH found himself that year
in acute financial embarrassment. It
was necessary to raise a large sum of
money Immediately, and the state hit
upon the plan of borrowing in its namc
from a number of prosperous Venetian
merchants One hundred and fifty
thousand marks Of silver was the
amount of the loan and the DOge Mich
fell himself was one of the subscrib-
ers. The loan was secured by a mort
gage on the RiaIto and all the reYen-
ues arising from it. During its life
eleven years, the loan bore no interest.
In 1173 the public treasury was again
nearly empty, it having been found
that the revenues derived from the
first loan were not sufficient. Accord
ingly, the Doge Ziani fioated a loan
amounting to one per cent of the val
uatiOn of the aggregate property in ev-
cry household This paid interest at
4 per cent, payable half yearly, as in
most of our modern bond issues. II
was to be repaid in more prosperous
times
There was no paper or other mate
rial available for distributing evidences
OF the indebtedness. So the state en-
tered the records into books and three
commissioners were appointed to levy
and collect the loan. They were called
Public Chamberlafns and the bureau
where the business was transacted,
The Chamber Of Imposts. The citi-
zens soon began to sell the credits
among one another. This was done in
the Chamber Of Imposts. where the
claims were transferred. 1t Is stated
that the trading was the beginning OF
the modern stock exchange. At any
rate, 400 years later the Chamber OF
Imposts became the Bank Of Venice
which is generally supposed to be the
first modern bank
Another interesting public loan, even
earlier, was proposed by Xenophon, IN
Athens His plan was to establish q
joint stock bank to which all Athenian
people were invited to subscribe. The
proceeds were to be expended in i'm
proving the ports OF Athens, erecting
halls, warehouses, docks. exchanges
market houses, etc
Italy is also distinguished for OrIH.
The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1918-01-12
KANSAS FOOD PRICES FIXED
Step for Regulating Charges by
Wholesalers and Retailers.

The initial step Of the federal food
administration toward regulating food
charges in Kansas was made recently
when forty representatives Of whole
sale and retail food distributors in
Kansas City, Kan, met at the Cham
Der Of Commerce and adopted a maxi
mum charge schedule for several food
stuffs. The action was ordered by
Walter P. lines of Wichita. state food
administrator R. o. Mccormack, dep
uty state food administrator, presided
at the conference
A schedule termed flair food prices"
was arranged and adopted and will be
effective Immediately. The schedule
includes charges to be made to the re-
tailers and to consumers. Efforts by
wholesalers to evade the schedule are
to be reported to the federal food ad-
ministration, and, as wholesalers op-
crate under federal licenses in selling
sixteen of the leading food necessities,
little difficulty is anticipated in en-
forcing the schedule
Representative of the retailers were
informed that all grocers will be re-
quired to post the schedules in their
stores and that patrons will be urged
to report overcharges to the local food
administration officials. A price fix
ing commission was named and this
body will meet on Monday and Thurs
day nights to issue revised price
schedules when necessary. The fol-
lowing prices were fixed:
The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1918-01-12
BOOSTER FOR BETTER ROADS
Danger of Going Too Fast In Con-
struction of ighwsys-Mistakes
Liable to Sc Costly.

The automobile is becoming a very
important factor in the movement for
better roads. Every auto owner, be he
farmer or city man, is 8 booster for
better roads, but the city man is prob
ably more impatient with our present
roads than the farmer. In our polit-
ical life the farmer has always been
the conservative while the city man
has been the radical. the progressive.
It takes the two factions to bring
The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1918-01-12
AMPLE PROOF OF ATROCITIES
Committee Appointed by the Belgian
Government Collected Facts as
to German War Practices.

In the hope OF arousing the SYM
pathy and securing the aid Of the neu-
trail nations, the Belgian government
appointed a committee to ascertain
the facts about German war practices.
The evidence collected by the Belgian
commissioners is detailed and explicit,
and their reports give names, places,
The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1918-01-12

nothing. amid nothing. These requisi-
tons in the earlier days had a more
or less official seeming in that quarter
masters bOns were given for the
things taken The bons were written
in the German language In German
script, ilIegible and beyond the under
standing Of the simple natives. A bon
might be given for a chicken when 1t
was pair OF horses that was taken.
But later, when these jests palled on
the German soldiers, the requisftionin9
was ssmplifed by the omission OF bon
giving"
The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1918-01-12
MADE MockERY OF SUFFERING
German CaIIousness and Brutality
shown in Their Dealings With
Belgian. Noneombafants.

The following statement OF United
States Minister Whitlock is fIlustra-
tive of the German character:
'SThe reQuisitioning OF everything
from food TO furniture, from farm ami
mails to the blankets and mattresses
from the beds. has been carried to
such an extent that the people live on
The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1918-01-12
Much Coal Wasted-

OF the worlds coal mined 1,235. co.,
600 tons are wasted IN heat radiation
and other losses, according to L G.
Harvey, an expert on fuel economy.
In 1910 the amount OF coal mined In
the world was about 100. 0OO, coo tons,
md, according to Mr.. Harvey, It was
improbable that anything like 5 Per
,ent was ever turned into actual useful
york
The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1918-01-12
cuIverts Too Short.

Do not get your culvert too short
Be sure that il extends the full dis
lance OF the road embankment- It
should be placed as near as possible
in the direction OF the flow Of water
It is intended TO carry.
The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1918-01-12

and dates. The following is a sum-
mary OF the charges made:
THAT thousands of unoffending civil
Iians, including women and children.
were murdered by the Germans.
THAT women had been outraged.
''That the custom of the German SOL
diers Immediately on entering a town
was to break into wineshops and the
cellars of private houses and madden
themselves with drink
''That pillage had been accompanied
by wanton destruction and by besffaI
and sacrilegious practices"
The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1918-01-12
GALVANIZED Iron cuIxerts

The cost Of high-grade. pure iron
galvanized culverts is not more than
10 per cent higher than ordinary steel,
and experts claim the life OF the pure
iron to be many times that OF ordinary
steel.
The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1918-01-12

which pays out correctly the difference
between one dollar and the amount Of
purchase, is being used in banks,
stores, ct cetera- The new change
maker saves time as well as mistakes
for the change IS paid directly to the
customer. The cashier merely presses
q key marked with the amount Of
purchase.
The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1918-01-12
"COMMANDANT
Lille, April, 1916"
Notice Distributed in Lille.

Notice Distributed in Lille.
Gail the inhabitants of the houses,
with the exception of children under
fourteen and their mothers, and also
of old people, must prepare themselves
for transportation in an hour and a
half's time.
"An officer will decide definitely
what persons will be taken to the
concentration camps. For this pur-
pose all the inhabitants of the house
must assemble in front of it; in case
of bad weather they may remain in
the passage. The door of the house
must remain open. All protests will
be useless. No inmate of the house,
even those who are not to be trans
ported, may leave the house before
a. m. German tfme).
Each person will be permitted to
take 80 Kilograms of baggage; if any
ones baggage exceeds that weight, 1t
will all be rejected, without further
consideration. Packages must be sep
arately made up for each person and
must bear an address legibly written
and firmly affixed. This address must
contain the surname and the Christian
name and the number of the identity
card.
''ETAPPEN-KOdAIA
(Lille, April, 1850
Belgian Address to French President.
ITO Monsieur Raymond Poincare,
President of the French Republic,
Paris.
"Sir: We have the honor to ex-
press again our most sincere graft
tude to $ou for your most kind recep-
ton, a few days ago. of the deputa-
ton which went with feelings of Iegft-
innate emotion to inform you of the
deportation Of lads and girls, which
the German authorities have just car
ried out in the invaded districts.
1--WE have collected some details on
the subject from the lips of an honor
able and trustworthy person. who sue
ceeded in leaving Tourcoing about ten
The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1918-01-12

One Of the fundamental principles OF
good road building Is that OF proper
drainage. With poor drainage even
the best and most expensive roads Win
soon 90 10 pieces.
The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1918-01-12
Some Eam

Gettersby-What happened to Small
lert7 He's all battered up and Is coy
cred with bandages- explosion7
Bettersby-No; he tumbIed to his
faults
The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1918-01-12

England. France, Italy and Belgium.
taken together, import normally 20 peF
cent Of their breadstuRs. This year
they mzst import 60 per cent
The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1918-01-12
One Barrier

"When you marry my daughter, how
are you going to support herr
Il expect TO work, sir"
~WeII. you needn't expect to work
me-
The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1918-01-12

do you believe il the survival OF
the fttestE''
yes" replied Senator Sorghum. 81
have been reelected term after term.' -
The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1918-01-12

Cul7erts must necessarily be placed
on roads upon which q semblance OF =
drainage system Is maintained.
The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1918-01-12
''BARBAROUS AS
SLAVE DRIVERS"
Methods of ExponentS of German
"Kultur" in Carrying Out
Deportation Order.
ADD HYPOCRISY TO CRUELTY
Officers of "Modern AttiIa" Gave At
titude Of England as Excuse for
Repeating in France Atrocl-
ties 2racticed in Belgium.

The course of the German armies
in France waS marked with the same
brutalities that characterized the Oc-
cupatiSn of Belgium. Ample proof
has been produced that the entire
proceedings were a deliberate part
Of the calculated system of fright
fulness'
In France the German system Of
forced labor and deportations. with its
horrors, was the same as in Belgium.
In this article is shown the real iden-
tity Of German practice in both Occu-
pied regions. This can be done from
the official documents and from a sum-
mary by Ambassador Gerard. The
narrowing details may be gathered
from the scores OF dispositions which
accompany the note addressed by the
French government to the governments
Of the neutral powers July %. 1916.
These are on file in the state depart
ment, and have also been translated,
along with the official documents, in
1.-THE. Deportation of Women and
Girls From Lille" New York. DOran.)
1.-The attitude Of England makes the
provisioning of the population more
and more difficult.
ITO reduce the misery, the German
authorities have recently asked for
volunteers to 20 and work in the
country. This offer has not had the
success that was expected.
'In consequence Of this the inhab-
Itants will be deported by order and
removed into the country. Persons
deported will be sent to the interior
Of the occupied territory in France, far
behind the front where they will be
employed in agricultural labor, and
not on any military work whatever.
the opportunity of providing better
for their subsistence.
''In case of necessity, provisions can
be obtained through the German de-
pots. Every person deported will be
allowed to take with him 80 kilo-
grams of baggage (hOusehold utensils,
clothes, etc.), which it will be well to
make ready at once.
81 therefore order that no one, IN
til further orders. shall change his
place of residence. No one may alb
residence from 9 p. m. to a. m. Ger
man tfme), unless ne is in possession
of a permit In due form.
'Inasmuch as this is an irrevocabIe
measure. it is In the interest of the
population itself to remain calm and
Obedient.
The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1918-01-12

No ~sherS Change Here.
A automatic change caleuiator.
The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1918-01-12

Pipes manufactured from eouEEats9
metal make good culTGA
The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1918-01-12

The prices fixed, several distribu-
tors asserted, practically are the same
as those now charged by a majority of
the grocers. Mr.. Mccormack said that
they also are approximately the same
as those which will be adopted in all
ether centers throughout the state.
he said that the government control
rIans will provide for fluctuations due
to increased freight rates and that the
schedule will be subject to revision at
any time
The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1918-01-12

Storing of Ice Urged.-An appeal to
every patriotic Kansas man to store
ice this winter. if he possibly can, was
made recently by Walter P. lines.
food administrator for Kansas. This
applies to storekespers. farmers and
ice companies.
The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1918-01-12

Woman in Federal Service.-Miss
Agnes King. for four years head of
the school department of the State
Normal Library, has been called to q
position in the War Department at
Washington, D. c., as catalog and
index expert.