The Benson signal., 1919-02-01

are held for investigation
With an estimated loss of approx
imately $1,000,0O0, the Masonic tenn
pie and other property was destroyed
by fire at Sioux City, Iowa.
BY unanimous vote the Senate of
The Idaho Legislature passed bill,
which makes it a felony punishable
by Imprisonment up to ten years to
hoist or display the red flag in this
state.
The Montana lStockgrowers' Asso-
citation, in session at Helena, went on
record against government ownership
and operation of livestock facilities as
proposed by the Simms bill now be-
fore Congress.
An effort to get the minimum wage
bill, making $40 a week the mini
mum to be paid women employees, up
for passage in the Arizona Legisla-
ture, by the House failed and the
measure went over for one week, to
be the special order of business in
the House.
A sack of flour sold for $134,-
512.84, John D. McGilvray, potentate
of Islam temple, San Francisco, has
announced, making public advices
from North Carolina where shriners
collected $37O at Sudan temple,
Newbern, in the twenty-sixth sale of
the "Shriners Red Cross sack of
flour" All proceeds of the sale go
to the American Red Cross. Started
from San Francisco by Clarence F.
Pratt, historian of the temple, the
sack has been sold in Honolulu and
fifteen states since May, 1917.
California's gold production for 1913
was $17,207, 900, her nearest competi-
tor being Colorado, whose production
approximated $12,853, 800, according
to communication from the geologi-
cal survey in Washington received by
Charles G.. Yale of the local branch.
Of the survey. Alaska produced $9,-
1O9,50O, and no other state produced
more than $7,OOO,OOO Montana led in
the production of silver, the amount
being $15,341, ,793; Utah produced $13,-
439,81i, Idaho $1O,18S,O56, Nevada
$1O,113, ,405, Colorado $6,982,313, Ari-
iona $6,771 ,49O and. California ST.
555,417. The total production of gold
in 1918 was $68 ,493 500, and of silver
1879 ,2O6, representing the smallest
output of gold in twenty years and
the smallest output Of silver since
1918.
WASHINGTON
Speaker Champ Clark declared in
the House during debate on the dip
lomatic appropriation bill, in favor OF
every American soldier being with
drawn from Russia and the rest of
Europe.
A bill to appropriate $40, 100000
for enlarging hospitals to be conduct
cd by the public health service was
reported favorably to the House by
the buildings committee. A minority
report. presented by representatives
Kreider, Pennsylvania; Mansfield,
Texas, and Elliott and Barnhart, In
diana, opposed the program as un-
necessary if abandoned army posts
were converted into hospitals.
War profits and all government con-
tracts of the Bethlehem Steel Co. will
be investigated by the War Labor
Board. I.a
The hog price agreement made dur
ing the war between the Food Admin
istration and hog producers will be
continued in the face of the present
large surplus, it was officially an
nounced.
Commercial stocks of wheat, 191,-
775,417 bushels, held by 9,303 firms
Jan. 1, were more than twice as large
as reported year ago. There was
reduction in the amount of corn and
oats, and an increase in rye and bar
ley. The figures refer to stock ac-
tually reported and do not represent
the total commercial stock of the
country or stocks on farms.
Savings Of more than SIS, O,000,-
900 in the contemplated war expen-
ditures of the War and Navy Depart
ments were reported to Congress in
a bill framed by the House appropri
alton committee. The measure pro-
vides for the return to the treasury
of $7,179, 9,156,944 in cash and for
the cancellation of authority for the
departments 10 obligate the govern
ment for 1921, ,029,294 additional
Increase of the limit of cost of
roads to be built with federal aid
from $4,000 to $4,000 a mile is
provided by a bill ordered favorably
reported by the House roads commit
tee. The change does not increase
the amount available for various
states. Higher costs of materials
made the change necessary.
Director General Hines said that
there was no foundation for the re-
ports that the Railroad Administra-
ton is giving consideration to 'any
increase in the present basis of rates"