The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1925-02-20

| amendment to the resolution was
adopted calling for an investigation OF
| the American Tobacco company and
the Imperial Tobacco company Of
Great Britain and" their alleged eff
forts to hamper tobacco co-Operatives.
| G IT'LL another investigation was de-
- manded in the senate by Senator
Howell Of Nebraska, the subject of
the proposed inquiry being the Van
| Sweringen- Nickel Plate merger of the
Nickel Plate, Erie, Pere Marquette.
Chesapeake & Ohio and Hooking VAL
ley lines, and the acquisition of the
Gulf Coast lines by the Missouri Pa
| cific. Mr.. Howell said the Van Swer-
ingen merger was being financed by ].
P. Morgan & Co. and the First Nation
al bank of New York. a
ID AILROADS will continue to impose
IN surcharges on passengers using
Pullman facilities, the practice hav-
| ing been approved by the interstate
commerce commission. The majority
Z. opinion says "there is less warrant
for eliminating the surcharge than for
reducing the basic passenger fare
which applies even to travel in mixed
trains of freight and passenger cars"
REAT BRITAIN, through Cham
| NJ cellor of the ExcheQuer Church
i'll, has made an informal proposal to
4 France concerning the Anglo French
debt. Briefly, Britain repeats Bal
four's offer to make a heavy reduc-
tion in the debt provided France
agrees to make fixed annual payments
from the Dawes annuities. Finance
Minister Clementel and other officials
in Paris considered the British plan
fair in. principle and offering salts
factory basis for negotiations. The
i government press In France agreed
with this view, but the proposal was
bitterly attacked by the nationalist
and reactionary papers, which blamed
America. for forcing Britain to demand
reimbursement. The finance commit
tee of the French chamber of deputies
has named subcommittee to study
the matter, and it is believed a con-
ference will be held in London within
few weeks.
FOLLOWING the withdrawal Of the
T. United States and China because Of
dissatisfaction, the international opium
conference at, Geneva adopted a
protocol and convention and adjourned
sine die. Japan had threatened to
| quit but was placated by the insertion
of clause reafirming the obligations
of The Hague convention and making
it clear that opium smoking is permit
ted only temporarily. The signers
were Great Britain, India, France, ia
pan, Holland, Portugal and Siam.
INNE Of the greatest disasters in
in the Stein mine at Dortmund where
IA men were entombed by an explo-
sion, and at least 1873 of them per
ished. The tragedy aroused the peo-
pie to a state of anger that threatened
revolution, for the mine owners were
accused of failing to safeguard their
employees and also of paying them
starvation wages while selling coal at
higher prices than the British and
Americans.
MORE than 1926 hours after Floyd
1V1 Collins became entombed in Sand
cave, Kentucky, by the fall of a
bowlder on his foot, the rescuers who
were sinking a shaft from the top Of
the hill had reached the limestone
roof of the cavern near which the
young man was trapped. He had been
without food for eight days and for
two days those who listened with a
microphone outfit for sounds of his
heartbeats and breathing had heard
nothing.
During the week the state military
board conducted an investigation into
the efforts at rescue that had been
made and also into persistent reports
that the whole affair started in pub
LEFTY scheme to attract visitors to the
cave. There had even been stories
that Collins was not in the cavern at
all, but these and other wild tales
were discredited by the testimony Of
most of the witnesses. However, the
idea was held by many persons that
Collins was the victim Of hoax. and
the county attorney announced that
there would be a grand jury inquiry
and that charges Of homicide might be
| lodged.