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Show NEWS REVIEW OF CURRENTEVENTS Inland Waterway Projects Are Being Pushed to Give Work to Unemployed. By EDWARD W. PICKARD WORK for the unemployed was the thought in the minds of the thousand or more members .of the Mississippi Valley association when they gathered in St. Louis for their annual convention. Consequently (he speakers urged that the inland waterways water-ways program be speeded up by the government so that the projects In the valley now authorized might be completed com-pleted in five years instead of fifteen. This would mean the expenditure on them of $100,000,000 a year for the Dext five years. Secretary of War Hurley, who was present, agreed with others that quick completion of the Illinois waterway was vital to the progress of the program pro-gram and said the War- department would include in the deficiency bill in congress next month an item that would permit work on that link to start this winter. "President Hoover," said Secretary Hurley, "has given me permission to ask congress for a $22,500,000 deficiency de-ficiency appropriation to carry on the increased work on waterways this year. It will enable speeding up for the winter months. "As to the Illinois waterway, I am anxious to get the shovels rolling and to get going. When we get that project proj-ect completed, connecting the Great Lakes with the Mississippi, it will be a tremendous tep in the 9,000 miles of inland waterways so long talked about." - It developed that if the government goes ahead speedily,' as Mr. Hurley wishes, the state government of Illinois Illi-nois must get busy with the construction construc-tion of five bridges at Joliet and seven sev-en below that city, for the water could not be turned in before those bridges are built. Maj. Gen. Lytle Brown, chief of engineers en-gineers in charge of the valley projects, proj-ects, thus set forth the attitude of the federal engineers: : "Here is what we have in view now In the valley : "1. To drive the Illinois waterway to completion with all speed. "2. To prosecute with vigor the improvement im-provement of the Missouri from its mouth to Sioux City. "3. To execute the flood control work on the lower Mississippi as the law contemplates, looking all the time for more perfection In the plans. "4. To push the Ohio improvement out from the main stem as rapidly as the means available will permit. "I believe in the St. Lawrence waterway wa-terway to the sea, hut I am convinced that the Illinois waterway Is more vital to our prosperity than is even the St. Lawrence waterway. Chicago Is the most important place on the lakes, and there is on the lakes an aggregation of industrial and population popula-tion centers such as even now is not matched on any other trade route on earth." PRESIDENT HOOVER is anxious to have the government do what it can, under existing laws, to help state anc! local authorities in their war on gangs and racketeers, but he vigorously vigorous-ly cenies the published report that he will propose to congress any extension of the federal criminal laws for this purpose. "very single state," said Mr. Hoover, Hoo-ver, "has ample laws that cover such criminality. What is needed is the enforcement of those laws, and not more laws. Any suggestion of increasing in-creasing the federal criminal laws in general is a reflection on the sovereignty sover-eignty and the stamina of state government. gov-ernment. "The federal government is assisting assist-ing local authorities to overcome a hideous gangster ami corrupt control of some local governments, but I get no satisfaction from the reflection that the only way that this can be done is for the federal government to convict men for failinj to pay income taxes on the - financial product of crime against stale laws. "What we need is a more widespread wide-spread public awakening to the failure of some local governments to protect their citizens from murder, racketeering, racketeer-ing, corruption and other crimes, and their rallying of support to the men of these localities that are today making mak-ing a courageous battle to clean up these places." CENTRAL and western Europe were, swept by disastrous gales that were followed by serious floods of scores of rivers. Thousands of persons per-sons were rendered homeless and there was widespread suffering, but the loss of life was -not great. The worst fatality was the foundering of the German steamer Louise Leonhardt In the estuary of the ICIbe. Its entire crew of thirty-one men was lost. All over France, Belgium, Germany and Holland the lowlands were Hooded, river boats were sunk,, winter crops were ruined and rail and telegraph communications were interrupted. The swollen river Seine Wireatened much of Paris with inundation and troops were called on to build sandbag parapets. para-pets. Great Britain suffered almost as much from the storms as did the continental con-tinental countries. Overflowing rivers flooded the countryside and the coasts were lashed by terrific gales which imperiled im-periled the fishing fleets and all other shipping. JAPAN had another earthquake early Wednesday morning that rocked an area of some 600 square miles in the central region and took several hundred hun-dred lives. Probably a thousand or more persons were injured. Following the temblor there were landslides and tidal waves that added to the disaster. dis-aster. The village of Nirayama was wiped out, G9 persons being killed there. Nagoka, a hot springs resort, also was destroyed, 22 having perished there. A group of small villages in the southern south-ern part of the stricken area reported SO dead. EIGnT of the 2,000 persons arrested in Moscow for participation in the alleged international plot to overthrow the Soviet Union were put on trial for treason while a million men. women and children, paraded the streets demanding de-manding the death penalty. All the defendants pleaded guilty, and their leader, Prof. L. K. Itnmsin, repeated and elaborated bis previous confession. Many loud speakers were placed In the court room and the proceedings were broadcast throughout Russia. Ramsin told in detail bow engineers had started the conspiracy because they were poorly paid and placed In the ostracized class; how he personally person-ally went to Paris and received from the French general staff and from Russian endgres there contributions of $2.S00,000 to carry on the plot. The other defendants were heard afterward, and the stories of all of them served to holster the Soviet government's accusations ac-cusations against foreign nations and individuals who were to be repaid by territory and concessions. In a copyright Interview with a United Press correspondent. Dictator Stalin is quoted as denying contemptuously contempt-uously the recent rumors of revolts and mutinies. He gave a special message mes-sage to the United States, saying: "If it cannot establish political ties with the United States the Soviet Union at least desires to strengthen , its economic ties with America. And America, being a great, wealthy, technically tech-nically progressive and developed country, must appreciate the advantages ad-vantages of such economic intercourse as much as we do." TWENTY -FIVE years ago King Haakon VII and Queen Maud were enthroned as the rulers of Norway after the dissolution of the union with Swedeti. On Tuesday they and their loving subjects celebrated the anniversary anni-versary in Oslo with a simple service in the principal church and festivities in the royal palace. Representatives of other reigning families were in attendance. at-tendance. MEMBERS of the federal farm board held a long conference with the senate committee on agriculture, agricul-ture, after which Senator McNary of Oregon, chairman of (he committee, announced that the ten members of that body In attendance seemed unanimously unani-mously in favor of supporting the policies of the farm board In its effort to stabilize grain prices. This was taken to mean that the committee members, many of whom opposed the administration farm relief legislation, will offer no obstructive tactics during the coming session of congress and will approve ull requests of the board for appropriations. It is expected that the board, which already has received $250,000,000 of the authorized au-thorized $500,000,000 for its revolving loan fund, vil ask for a large part of the remaining $250,000,000 in the coming com-ing session. TEN of the largest motion picture; corporations and thirty-two film bonrdsof trade were dealt a severe blow by the United States Supreme court in two decisions delivered by Mr. Justice Reynolds. The tribunal ruled that the concerns, which control OS per cent of the country's film output, out-put, have been conducting their business busi-ness in violation of the Sherman antitrust anti-trust law and were guilty of conspiracy con-spiracy In restraint of trade. Til charges against them were on two grounds. One referred to a standard exhibit contract under which exhibitors exhibi-tors were required to take films, the other referred to the operation of credit committees which act, it was alleged, to restrict sales arid purchases. pur-chases. The corporations Involved are the Paramount Famous Lasky corporation. First National Pictures, Inc., Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Distributing corporation. corpora-tion. Universal Film Exchanges, Inc., United Artists corporation, Fox Film corporation. Pathe Exchange, Inc., F. B. O. Pictures corporation, Vita-gfaph, Vita-gfaph, Inc., and Educational Film Exchanges, Ex-changes, Inc. EARLY next year. It Is hoped, the Wickersham law enforcement commission com-mission will have ready for submission to President Hoover the report on Its Investigation of the wet nnd dry problem. prob-lem. Last week It began drafting the document, endeavoring to co-ordinate the individual views of Its members, which were put in written form. The best guess at this time is that a majority ma-jority of the members favor some form of modification of the prohibition law, agreeing that the present system Is wrong and unworkable. Some of them believe the Eighteenth amendment should be changed, others that the Volstead act should be revised. " SEVEN hundred delegates representing represent-ing the five principal trainmen's unions of the United States and Canada, Can-ada, in session in Chicago, indorsed the six-hour day for railroad workers as a means of relieving unemployment. unemploy-ment. They want the shorter day with no reduction In pay, but falling to agree on a plan to bring this about, a second conference with fewer delegates dele-gates was arranged for December 4 in Cleveland. FINAL census figures given out by the census bureau show that the population of continental United States for 1030 Is 122,775,0)0; and for outlying possessions it Is 2,151,023; a total of 124,920,009. The increase for the decade was 10.1 per cent. In percentage increase California leads the states with 05.7 per cej't, Florida is second with 51.0 per cent, iinr Michigan's 32.0 per cent makes it third. California also led in total gains with an increase of 2,250,390 inhabitants. in-habitants. New York state gained 2.2112.859. .Michigan, Tex-s and Illinois Illi-nois were the only fuller stales to gain more than 1:000,000. CHARLES II. MARK I I..l. chairman chair-man of t he board of the .Illinois Central system, died at bis winter , home in Altadena, Calif. He rose from the position of a section laborer labor-er to become one of the most able and far-sighted railway executives in Ihe country. During his career he " did a great deal to develop better re- latious between the railroads and the public, and he Is credited with having doubled the assets of the Illinois Central Cen-tral in 15 years. John G. Price, former grand exalted ruler of the Elks and a close friend of President McKinley, passed away at his home In Columbus, Ohio. (. 1930. Western Newspaper Union. 1 |