THE WEEK.

Otago Witness, Issue 2809, 15 January 1908, Page 51

THE WEEK.

" Wiaqnui *llad nature, altad »p£«ntll dlxl t, M — Jutim. _ , -_ "Good unnnt jt«d leuio men ot« joio.* r — P»r». j The reported release of Eugene . Schmitz j -- ~ , and: - his, coadjutor . Rnef,~ , Theßolense upon an. appeal, 'against * «f the z their ' 7 conviction -in K July J Archrgraften. lost" for bribery and officials c "" c , - ~ ~ "lawlessness, " comes as~ an - "unpleasant -shock to those who believed. * - that - the, moral atmosphere in America '■'was clearing, and that following' the sub- ' siding- in. the r States', -of the- financial c -panic a- brighter an<l more; righteous era - r * was-dawningVfor the people; of that .great c-i obntiheiitv -V-It -will > be>rein_embered that ' when in cJulylast'Schniitz^" was -sentenced t~ ' to five -years' .imptisonment in _ the ISW" .. Quentin ."Penitentiary on ~ a conviction" » based upon 'charges- ofe extortion", v :wh"iie ■» • holding :office.as; t May6ri of -San Franeisep,- ''-- Judge .Dunne „ sfcathhiglj;- -iwidressed the j s prisoner.inT tbe\ foilojvingNWor4s i~" X OU F- - career ~\ of /-'hypocrisy, r_" "duplicity, - and/dis^' honour has been exposed," and -you' stand. - before -.those .-who -believed -in you" and » j honoured you^ morally -naked/ shame,d, -and ! disgraced."-: But Schmitz , declined to -rear -ceive - these remarks . in : r any - chastened •-- " spirit., "While sentence .was' being pro- } nouhced "Ec fre^uentlj^interropted; with- '• iprdteits and' contradictions", untiL Judge It .-Dume "was^lm6yed?to"'declarellthat^" Such 1 brazen' r was probably:'. n& more" " than "should ."-be"' jßxpe'cted,* "and^ itWs -the duty of. the court" 1 to - bear -At jwith ■ patience. " - - Even -after - hie sentence ' had . '"- ■ been, 'pronounced, " Schmitz. . persisted ,. in *- .asserting.'^thafc court" entertained ''' -r animus ; against him/ -and-- that the ' higher a ' ; court, would -do -him justice.- And -he j ■ " Tvebund up with what' at -th& time appeared f -a piece of impertinent bravado — >viz., -that s "he would again -be' a candidate for "the ] j^Mayorship-of' San "Francisco, and, that he , [, ['would -appeal tor the~ -people .to justify-him t f at v the.-! polls. ..Since * the " trial, 1 - Schmitz - '/.{•was released; on" bail,-- pending .the- result , j of. the rappeal, which'" has -nojw been- def * cided in" his favour.- And notwithstandingjr the multiplicity, of other .charges still \ ipendhtg -against them, it appears "as if. 4 both Schmitz'. and. Buef would regain their" 5 liberty and' go. scot freeV ' - c T" ~" ~ — : ~~^. a "An v illuminating sidelight iipon.the chatacy - ' --- - '_ - _ ter ; of the. men _ primarily A Character -responsible for the San !' Skttcli of ", Francisco scandals is -ton-". i! tamed .in an -article penned' ,1" _ lMOßgert.^ ,by a. well-known American .I ".* ,i '.<-.''" -writer 1 "'-who wa§_ presentduring the" trial- , The' article appeared, in 1 a New York^ournaT in August last,-? and^ "-" "in ihe-co^se^of-it,ine{wjiter^remarked:,--' - '' Buef "and SchmitzV the. arch gTafters,are 1 yoiing, "and ; in- many respects companion- * able,- men.." Ruef , a French Jew, educai^d r - in- the State -University; a*:Berkely, isj a c : .clever lawyer, a "fundamental 1 liar, .vain, 4" ! unscrupulous, emotional,- ff&j daring in "I all hisschemes; with.a thrifty. Tespiect, for, i'-j'the--almightyvdollar i ' : m-, smalU-orJ large -'sums. Since- he confessed, and seems to r • be "in" a- rhopeless ■ predicament,- 'his' co : ■ 5 j workers ' in-- 'successful.-- bobdling - have'j " hastened to wash. themselves, white; in ihe~ i '"blood of this scapegoat, who - t has , beep x led to "the sacrifice- by the incomparable c ": Burns. [Burns was the detective in . charge of the case.]' At the. time of hie s' confession; Ruef was nervously worn out; i, let ,nd one- think- him •a" coward or a 9 crushedl and broken - man ; on the " oon'l trary, he is full of -vim,, with his clever '» i mind, teeming with- -resourceful ideas' ."as J ' to what is" best, to be done for himself or the city. „I am not- sure but he couTd i have helped! his old friend and .co-briber" I in, his first trial better- than .did- the half dozen lawyers who managed, the" case, nor r - that he might not now- ably" help to pull jthe city government out of ,its hole of; - '.corruption... His personal .-yanity perks I sup5 up. his Spirits, and he Jinds compensation ? -in the title "Xhe-- Napoleon-:of Graftere,'and - in. .being ' constantly* V before. ;,the j •' public — ' human natitfe^does- suck comfort 3 from the most unlikely 'things.'.. Ruef "is i' in the ' comfortable " confinement of" a . private house, -where- lie with .dte- ■' -bonnair. ease;'-' Come" in to dinner with us some .day.' Us being hie guards, f ' formerly eight, - now . six- • It has been 1 "figured- that he will have" to live fifteen 1 hundred, years- or "so longer^ to cover- the ' true bills brought against "him by -.the: ' ;6randl_ Jury, and; one can- scarcely, blame . , him"; for trying to remit a few. years" by a [ ' sweeping confession." -- - " Eugene Schmitz ' is ." a * tall, striking . _- ';. '. ~ figure, with, the . deadest- ,- i.-Pen Portrait- black hair an^d- beard ever - "of'Scfiinitz.* seen— Tather ianV Italian-. '. , -"i;.- • .'"type" of face,, which shows^ ' no distinctive bnes' ;of cnaracter," either good" or bad. : Of /the tw.o men he- has been, the most gro^ly material and coldblooded in the use of his official position to promote'eorruptidni and- the ability to hdjt everyone make saax; money" aj&kim

tilings comfortable all round gave linat" a. popularity made him feel entirely. ~ 6ecure. , The .thing ,that grinds is to think that -a man with music in his eouV should not be .above thtJ lowest forms .0$ vicious' villainies tnaV destroy, the idealv) and the "blooms'Jin^ youth-^-a man whfr. was- • not": - even true * -to ' his ' oompanioA 1 thieves;- The -familiarity -with the_ etags -in ■ his woric filled his min<B' with/ideas- of the effectiveness of dramatic scenes^ and -the^ planning -of theatrical poses, .as veil as the sustaining encourage.. m«ttt;" giyeh^him by the hea3s- of corpora*- - ,tions )a - helped him to .'maintain his oonv posure '. during * the . trials.'^ .- . ". - TKis convicted "and sentenced criminal occupies? a suite" ~of three roomV-at the county jai]^ "_ -and -in" a- stunning .red "automobile dashes"~-to."-his lawyers ;6r the courts when he is needed for other trials— -trials^ which creep - on more slowly than time, and make on« "well believe that Buef will have served his fifteen hundred years before their conclusion. - I .;' ' . Nothing is more' impres- ' ' sive 4n-these bribery, cases than the "way innocent men are raiding heaven • and 'earth, in- law and-dut" <jf-it?,"to* show how - innocent they are. . The most baleful . p influence "of the Schmitz regime shows m j" the -lack of cb_-ordin»tion in the police deI 'partmeni, • where a .few faithful and-em-rcienV-.offiberis" are jverbalanced by th© - more" powerful - numbers of "corrupt men, ,?whd.'use crime; as a.means of revenue, and I act "against- it .only, in revenge, or when 1-so'toj.ct is for the best self-interest."

'.The traffic, returns for" the tramways foi the ; fortnight - ended -December 21,-1907, and January 4, 1908, as compared with th« corresponding periods-- a year - previously, are' - as ' follow:—D ecember ~21, ' 1907— Re - peipte, £2305 os'Bd~is 'Bd~i mileage, 42,126 mil-H 43 chains. December "21, 1906— Receipts, £2205 183 sd; mileage, -42,054 miles 2fi chains. January 4,- ' 1908-^Receipts, £2971 -14s lid; mileage, 43,568 : miles- 76 chains; January^ 4, ' 1907— Receipts, £2739 8s 9dj>--mileage, 43,002 miles- 48 ohains. • jlTwo "deaths occurred rin - the Dunedin, "Hospital last week— viz., Mary Latta and Elizabeth . Hemsley. .'The number of "patients admitted^ during- the week was 31, =and t>a : number: discharged .19, the total remaining in the institution at. the end of the 1 week being ' 114. . . ;~ - -The influence of a forceful ■ character and a masterful^ mind was distinctly cvi* .dent: at "Saturday morning's sitting of tha - Primitive".- -_ Methodist Tha "union , debate-on the -previous day and it* abrupt termination by _the adoption of a, closure motion,", combined " with a sense o£ soreness over] a "number of remarks -mads by one- of" the 1 speakers,- had aroused feeLT" ings^of indignation and "resentment in a " '-number "of membeifs, . These feelings" found • vent" 1 to 1 ' some.- 'extend on <the 1 reassembling^ in, the , morning, and .some speakers went, so far as'% state that they, intended- to., sever their membership witl( the connexion.- ■ -A discussion "which lasted 6ome~ jime , gave indications of continued soreness, but at an -opportune junotura .the Rev.- J. FJanagan (the English evangelist" at present -in Dunedin) - rose and asked to be allowed to say a word or two.. The request - was granted, -and the effect -was- magical. _ In a .few ; quiet, measured, ' forceful- sentences, full of , earnestness and fortified, with sound- logic, and, carefully* -compiled fabts; Mr Flanagan, ■ who is * reasoner , rather; -. than a\ rhetorician,' a pleader . rather "than-* an,- orator, subdued the. .rising storm by dealing, witli^the.ques-^ tion "of union, on_ a ,broad."and'iiomprehen,live basis, '.lifting jtvout; of the jiarrow rut into which it had. drifted; -and at the con-"olusipn'-of hi6-"remarkß - the whole aspect of the situation seemed- to be altered. Some" explanations and" some "retraction* followed, „a broader spirit- dominated the proceedings," arid an incipient disruption inoident was brought, to '< , a peaceful ter* mination -

z 'The. Electric Power* and -Lighting Com< nnttee of the ICity- Council that tb« ' following, changes. "in the. electric powef and" light staff have beea J ipproyeH :_— Resigna.tion*.o£ Mr W. Craw< .ford; first engineer at converter- station, has been accepted; Mr Scott, second engineer, to be,first engineer, with increase of salary" from £4 18s "to £5 5s per week;, Mr Blaekwood, - third engineer,, to be second engineer, with increase of wagef from £4 " lls to " £4. "18s per week ; Mt Aldridge; ~: switchboard attendant, to be third engineer on trial, at a salary of £3 per week; Mr "Fulton to. be appointed, permanently third.' engineer at Waipor{_ Falls, with increase of. salary from £?,- to" £3 10s per .week; Mr Eyes, switchboa^ attendant, left the service, and Mr Millai appointed to fill the position teroporariljrv On Saturday morning William * Hallorany who 'with his .brother was -«amped on Mf Boyd's . run beyond^. Outram, , engaged is.' - peat-ouf ting, - attempted to -cut his- throafc with a razor. His brother, on- discovering whaf had bedurred, rode into Outram and", reported the. matter to. the local constable and ~Dr CJattan. " When assistance, reached the camp.it' was- found that the^- unfortunate -man had increased the "extent of. th«l wound. -After the wound . had" beeifc attended to and bandaged the, sufferer waf brought to putram/and on Saturday ttight at a late hour was admitted ~to the Dunedin Hospital. / "Halloran - iad not, . apparently, beea _- drinking, and it is not known* what ,hae led/up to' the r,ash' act.

; i Pile-driving-Mor" the . new graving dock * at- Wellington .was commenced; on; the 10tl>. The "dopk-isTto" be of \ concrete, > ■an 3 "the : inain walls, and Bottom will bi laid down under water, the finiehing-beinr done when the water has \been pumped out. This method _ will ' necessitate tht, erection of- a large amount of temporarystaging^ wniah is estimate^ Jo. absorb okas.

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'- three-quarters of a million feet of timber. ~ Huge " bins have already been erected to carry the concrete material, and the" concrete mixers will be "worked by. electricity -The. dock has to be completed, according ".to the -in three years from Janu- - aty 29. '" "■" ■ A--, grant for the , -equipment [oi - a room -for the . instruction -of ■ -oompositors at the - Christchurch Technical x College has been _ approved by the Education Department in_ ; accordance-with the recommendations of the" , ;Special J "Committee 'appointed to consider ; the matter. An order for the equipment was -sent to England ebme months ago, .T.,but its completion -hv/i to be delayed • until the consent of the department was ; obtained. A cable message has now been een£_ ordering the immediate' .despatch of. .the consignment, so. that it should r be"^pos- . r sible to'start the class early -in March. [ It^jis .stated" that during the past, 12- ' nion&B r the , bicycle trade in most parts • of . the- Dominion/ has - sufFered ">a - great 5 clump. The "Dominion says -ttiat the de-'.-pression has ""been felt in 'Wellington and ,in mother towns, of the , It Vthafc cyclists are satisfied with *the 'machines - ' they hoxd, and Tefuse to be tempted to the" same" extent as" in former years to in- • >vest in new ones. . Tfia general excellence I xiijd durability of the machines render ■ their Jife of utility a long one. The ' • -increasing >. popularity of motor cycles has a^so had -a. good deal bo do with the decline in "the trade. - Anglers and- holiday-makers -at the "Rangitata. Mouth on the 9th (says' the Temuka Leader) had quite a. novel experience. Someone wandering along the beach noticed what appeared to be.» large raft->-wiih a sail up floating -aimlessly, aboat _ the mouth of the river. It was soon -eeu\that the_"raft was bare, -with the exception of its one mast .and sail, another mast .And ta.il: raving apparently. ' broien off.-, A " GeraJdine angler took from 'hi* hut a " •ideep-sea fishing line, .and, after repeated attempts, m hooked " fast to the derelict, which he played like, a big" fish for some - time, and eventually landed. In the landing some of the helpers were pulled into'the breakers up' to tl their waists, and afforded the." spectators considerable exciteJment^and amusement. The raft measures «nd is strongly built" of 10 x 6' kauri. - The one' remaining sail is per--fpratcd by about 60 Bullet holes as though jt"h*d been riddled by. a Maxim. It iooli ; about 20 men, women, children to , /drag the raft over the high, shingle - bank / and deposit it safely in the lagoon inside ' the niouth of the river, where "it is aowj -made Useful as a- diving. board-< ' The sup- •-, position is ", that. the. raft either made its i way down the coast from Lyttelton or was J - -cast adrift from "'a man-o'-war, ' ,■ ■r An observant traveller who "reached - ' Hongkong the other day from the interior ~" hy the* West Hiver, tel Kin the ' North" China Daily Nawsof^a great chancre • lEO lar as the use of opium 'is -concerned. ■ The-edict issued by the Throne on the sab- 1 ject has had a marvellous' effect upon* the [ "people, an 3 especially ' those/^who have; learned the seductive power of the druEj. ■ , On the river steamers and passenger boats, f where -hitherto there 'has been a free use of the pipe, there i* now a marked , diminution. -The steamers"- trading to; Chisngmen have .notices conspicuously f posted prohibiting 1 the use -of. the drug on " board, and not only ,are the notices posted, ( but_ they . are observed. The traveller de- , clares that on & voyage a passage bf>at ; , to Chiangmen-^ he did not see a single ' ,opium smoker. , This speaks, well for the Action of the Chinese -authorities. , . !