The Mena weekly star., 1921-10-20
MUST BE RATE
 CUT AT ANY COST
Government Firm On That, Despite Present Rail Crisis--Strihe Threat Fails to Demoralize Wash
 ington As of Tore.

one tnlnK tnaL SIduuH out Tn the threatened rail strike situation so far as officialdom in Washington is con- cerned, it is the firmness of purpose of the administration to see the thing thru-strike or no strike---to one end.
 That end is a substantial reduc- tion in freight rates the country over. If another wage cut of size is absolutely necessary to bring this about, it will have to be. If it can be demonstrated the roads can reduce rates substantially enough on the basis of the 12 per cent wage cut that went into effect July 1, and over which the men threaten to walk out, fine enough.
 But the deadlock that has existed for months and months on railroad rates must be broken.
 Rate Complaints From All Sides.
 That, apparently, is the controlling factor with the administration. From every side there has come to the president and his cabinet advisers the plaint that high railroad rates have constituted the log jam holding back agricultural and industrial recovery.
 Farmers complain they would have some small profit on their commodi- ties, even at present price levels, if the carry charges were not so high. Coal operators and big manufactur- CTS of lumber and steel say they could show considerable more reduc- tions to the consumer on their bulky products, particularly, if freight charges only would defiate.
 The unemployment conference was quite unanimous in declaring that rail charges must come down, but didn't mention how 1t was to be done. Ev- erybody, in short, has taken whack at the high rates, but nothing ever was done, until the problem was laid on Mir Harding's doorstep at the White House to solve. Now he's got the job not only of getting rates down, but stopping q strike as we'll, when both union leaders and railroad presidents have made a lot of public threats that are hard to back away from.
 Administration Is Unafraid.
 Possibly the administration may weaken some about the knee joints, as strike time, October 80, draws near. This is it's first big test in an industrial crisis and only performance will tell how it stands up. The poll icy of the Wilson administration was to maintain bold front while, and then compromise the situation, gen. orally at the expense of the public. at the last moment. But if these is a note of weakness among the public officers who have to do with the question, it isn't evident as yet.
 The feeling appears prevalent, not only in the executive end, but on Capitol Hill among the congressman, that halfway compromise measure wnnldn't do and would only postpone readjustment-~tha if it is necessary to reduce wages to get rates down, 1t will have to be done, and strike ac- cepted and handled.
 l This doesn't mean Washington Is courting a strike. It doesn't want one and will do all 1t can, short of closing the door to rate reductions, to bring a settlement. But there isn't the frightened running to cover at the first suggestion of strike that formerly existed here.
 HUGE ASBESTOS SPINDLE. Stock Worth 16 Million Issued on
 Basis of Two Tons Mined. l Chicago, Oct. 18.-With the arrest of A. k. Minimum. known as the 1as- bestos king" in Globe, Ariz., and Henry N. Hansen, insurance man of Decatur, Ill.,, there was revealed what Is alleged to be a swindle Of SIG, ,160,000 in asbestos mining ssosszs and bonds, countrywide in it's scope.
 Warrants also have been issued for the arrest of Herman Hcinsius, form CT head of the Illinois Bond and Mort gage Company of Chicago. All three have been indicted, following the tesl timony of II. A. Petit of Lander Wyo., before the grand jury Iasl week. Petit was former secretary o1 the syndicate.
 The men had organized the Amerl ! can Fire Proof N Mining Company capital 10 million and 5 million bond issue; the Wyoming Asbestos Company, capital $1O0,00O, firsi mortgages $l00,000 and second mort gages S358, ,000; and the Wyoming Il Asbestos Syndicate, capital 1z mil lion dollars and S100,000 bonds. 1t is charged that only two tons o1 asbestos, valued at $3,000. have beer mined since October, 1918, the dat. of the organization. A dividend wa declared by the organization during the Notation period, to inveigl,
 more victims, according to th' charges
 Minium, well known figure in th' night cabaret life of Chicago, is iiv
 ing in Denver. Heinsius, 1t Is said served a year in the federal peniten tiary at Atlanta, according to fed eral agents.