Golden Age, September 24, 1924
Download: PDF — Golden Age, September 24, 1924
Contents of the Golden Age
Wi ... ■■ - -
L
1 Labob and Economics *
A- Digut or World News ....
Women Workers ,.............’
Social and Educational
Millions Wasted Foolishly, Educational Items
Good and Bad Convicts, Other Social Burdens ........ 804
Athletic Notes
’ Finance—Commzbcb—Tbansfobtation
Chance for Woolen Men
Automobile Items, Important U.S. Porst, Railroad Profits . . . . 305
Air Mail and Finance......;
Agricultural Items
SUGAR AND THZ ShYXOCXS
Political—Domestic and Foreign
Political Platforms and Hopes
U. S. Most Lawless Country
Ecclesiastical Bone-Rattllngs
Canada, Mexico, Honduras, Brazil.....’. . . . . . . 809
Brporrs non Fomas Correspondents
A Glimpsb ar What Was Really Is........., . . 827
Thz Gray Wolves and the Golden Eggs
Science and Intention
Sundry Items >
New Use for Volcanoes
' Travel and Miscellant
- The Tumbleweed............... . . . 810
1 ' Religion and Philosophy
The Prater or a Consecrated Heabt (Poem)
The Columbus Convention or i. r. s. a.
Civilization Doomed
The One Rule—The Golden Rule..... .
Wondebtully Made
The Houb Has Struck (Poem)
Studies in "the Harp or God”.................
Published every other Wednesday at 18 Coneord Street, Brooklyn, N. Y., U. & A., by WOODWORTH, HUDGING3 4 MARTIN
copartner* and proprietor* Addree*.- It Concord Street, Brooklyn, N. T., £7.11. CLAXTON J. WOODWORTH . . . Editor ROBERT J. MARTIN . Bualn^a Manuor F HUDGINGS . . Sec-y and Treat.
FITS CENTS A Corr—81.00 A Yrab Maks BsiOTTAXcaa To TSB GO LDSN AG It Fobsion Orrtcsa: BritUh.....34 Craven Terrace, Loncaiter Cate. London W, 3
Canadian.....«... 38-40 Irwin Avenue Toronto. Ontario
Auatralarian ....... 408 Collina Street, Melbourne. Australia SoatA A/rirrw......6 Ledo Street. Cape Town. South Africa
■stared aa aeeoad-claae Bette at Brooklyn, N. Y- under the Act of March 3, 187#
: ^GoldenAge
Volume V Brooklyn, N. T„ Wednesday, September 24, 1924 N amber 131
A Digest of World News
(Radio-cast from WATCHTOWER WBBR on a wave length of 273 meters, by the Editor.]
Biff and Little Incomes
THE returns of the Bureau of Internal Revenue shows that last year there were sixtyseven individuals who reported that their net incomes were $1,000,000 or more per year. However, this does not at all fairly represent the number of men whose incomes are over $1,000,000 per year; for it is well known that most rich men in the country have been investing their wealth, in tax-exempt securities.
It does not appear that the Franklin National Bank of Philadelphia can be righteously accused of overpaying its employes. The fact has just been brought to light that after fifteen years, one of its employes, a man with a wife and six children, had worked his way up to a salary of $135 a month, or about what a good mechanic now gets for two weeks' work. The man’s wife worked in a mill. The wages of the people who do the hard work seem to be rising constantly, while the wages of those employed at office work rise slowly, if at all.
Millions Wasted Foolishly
TO- SAY nothing of the fires which destroyed much valuable property, the July Fourth celebration of this year cost 200 youngsters the sight of either one eye or both eyes. We do not see that there is anything gained by this annual carnival of foolishness, and it seems to us that such restrictions should be put upon the sale of fireworks and explosives as would make it impossible for these accidents to happen to the little folks.
Forty-five million pounds of powder were destroyed by fire recently at the Old Hickory Powder plant near Nashville, Tenn. It belonged to the Government, and it’s estimated cost was over $22,000,000. It was manufactured during the war at a cost of fifty cents a pound The present market price is one cent a pound.
Making allowance for the fact that the dollar of 1912 shrank about forty-two percent in value during the suceeding ten years, it transpires that whereas, if all the property in the country had been equally divided in 1912, each person would have received $1,950 of wealth; while if all the wealth of the country had been divided in 1922, each person would have received $257 less. In short, the actual wealth of the nation due to the wastage of the World War was $10,000,000,000 less in 1922 than it was ten years previous. ,
Women Workers
OF THE 572 occupations listed in the United States Census there are only thirty-five in which no women are employed. There are over a million women farm-workers; over a million women servants; over six hundred thousand teachers; and over 560,000 stenographers and typists. In one factory in Indiana is a woman who has been making gingham aprons in the same factory for more than forty years. In 1920 there were little less than 2,000,000 women who were working for wages, and at the same time were filling their place as wives and mothers, because their husbands could not earn enough money to maintain their homes.
Educational Items
WITH a great deal of satisfaction we record the fact that the wages of teachers in 1922 were a little more than four times as much as they were in 1890. Even now the average wages are but $1,166 per year, and this is certainly none too much. California has the largest cost per capita for schools, $25.30 per child per year; and her wealth is also the highest, $4,007 per capita, fifty percent higher than the average for the United States. Statistics show that a child with a high school education has a two-to-one better chance of success in life than has a child with a lesser education.
Records which have been kept of 20,000 cases of school children, classified as backward, mentally deficient, or stupid, show that after these children had been fitted with glasses to correct defective vision, seventy to eighty percent of them took their places without difficulty in classes with the normal average child.
IT IS reported that at the Eastern State Pen- TNVESTIGATION of the counters of the cus- -itentiary of Pennsylvania a message was re- tom tailors in several cities of the United
Good and Bad Convicts ceived over radio by the convicts that a rubber ball would be tossed over the wall containing narcotics. A visitor to the prison had been asked to do some repairing on a receiving set, and being acquainted with the telegraphic code read the message and reported the matter to the officials, whose vigilance was rewarded by seeing the ball tossed over the wall during the day. An immediate ban was issued on all receiving sets in possession of the prisoners.
The Governor of Maine has sentenced a Scotch collie to prison for life at the State Prison at Thomaston. The reason why the Governor did this was not that he had anything against the dog, but that he believed it would be good for the inmates of the prison. It has turned out to be so. The dog has been a prisoner but a short time and it is reported that he has already become acquainted with every man in the institution. .
Other Social Burdens
TO KEEP the women beautiful requires 1,675 kinds of powder, 1,396 kinds of perfume, 752 toilet waters, 600 beauty creams, 100 special skin foods, 400 hair preparations, 453 kinds of soap, 251 breeds of lipstick, 110 eyelash outfits, and yet people wonder at the rapidly growing increase of insanity
Nine years after his death it was discovered that a supposedly wealthy and successful lawyer at Port Chester, New York, who left property worth nearly $300,000, had stolen all of that and $500,000 more from women who had trusted him to handle their financial affairs for them. It frequently happens that the very worst criminals are those who are supposed to be counselors or administrators of the law.
Some idea of the burdens which bear down upon public men may be gained from the fact that after the death of their son, President and Mrs. Coolidge received more than ten thousand telegrams of condolence; and these were followed by an immense number of letters and resolutions. It is the policy of the President to answer each of these letters and telegrams personally, necessitating the services of thirty-five . or forty employes for a period of several weeks.
Chance for Woolen Men • •
States rarely discloses any American-made goods. Tailors claim that in the American mills there is not a sufficient quantity of virgin wool used to make first-class cloth. Without doubt they are right. During the war, the manufacturers of American woolen goods were conspicuous as profiteers. It would seem as though there should be a good opening in America for some honest men in the woolen business.
Air Mail and FinanceL.
IN SPITE of a hurricane in Western Nebraska .
which compelled .one of the air men to make ' . a forced landing, the air mail service between ’ New York and San Francisco continues its . regular performance every day, and even the mail which was blown to the ground arrived in New York ready for delivery only two hours ’ late. More than a million miles have already been flown by mail planes without a fatality.
The air mail service is not sufficiently patronized to make it a financial success; yet in * point of time it averages forty hours better than the fastest trains, and has never failed to save less than thirty hours on any trip.
It is estimated that by use of the air mail service, there is an annual saving of $800,000 in interest charges on transactions between the New • York Federal Reserve Bank and eleven other Federal Reserve Banks or branches.
The Federal Reserve Bank of New York has lowered its rediscount rate to 3 percent. This is said to be the lowest not only in its history, but of the world. It is the result of large importations of gold to this country and of the slackening of business. It also means that credits are easy in the United States, and that money is seeking investment. Institutions which have surplus money must make it work. If there is -no demand for it at 3 percent, it will go even lower.
A despatch from Atlantic City shows that - bank deposits increased four million dollars as ~~ a result of the throng of visitors received at that resort over the Fourth of July.
Automobile Items
EW YORK is in the midst of a taxicab war in which the rates have fallen first from
forty to thirty cents a mile, and then from thirty to twenty cents. At the new cheap rates all the taxicabs are doing a rushing business; but it is not believed that this can last. There are said . to be about 35,000 persons directly engaged in the taxicab business in New York. It is claimed that the actual cost of operating a cab is twelve and three-fourths cents per mile, which figure includes the portion of the time when the cab is idle. It is calculated that unless the taxicabs are busy eighty percent of the time, they will not be able to get on at the low rate.
One hundred eighty-eight persons were killed by automobiles in the state of New York during July, fifty-eight of these being in New York city.
Los Angeles has 425,572 automobiles. It has forty badly crowded street intersections, three , of which have a daily movement of over 45,000 cars each.
Magistrate George Simpson of the New-York Traffic Court broke all records by trying 240 automobile cases in one hour. Those who know something about it say that the experienced automobilist always pleads guilty when arrested, knowing that if he fights the case it would likely go harder with him in the end.
At a point in New Jersey much visited by automobilists, a beautiful rippling stream comes down over the rocks looking as pure as any water could be. It was not until seventy persons had contracted typhoid fever by drinking from these waters that an investigation was made, which showed that part of the stream originated from a cemetery, and that the germs from the bodies of those who had died from typhoid were causing the death of the living. In a much more subtle way, those who died in the dark ages and earlier are stunting and poisoning the minds of people today by bequests of impossible creeds of ideas which they have made to our generation.
Important U. S. Ports
BASED upon the tonnage the following are the most important ports in the United States: New York, 28,000,000 tons per year; Los Angeles, 12,000,000; Baltimore, New Orleans and Philadelphia, 8,000,000; San Francisco, 6,000,000; Boston 4,000,000; Buffalo and Port Arthur, 3,000,000; Galveston, Norfolk, Seattle, Portland Ore., each 2,000,000; Newport News, Cleveland, Fall River, Tacoma, Mobile, Baton Rouge, Toledo and Perth Amboy, each 1,000,000 tons. •
Railroad Profits
HE farmers in their desperation to get relief from their financial hardships petitioned the Interstate Commerce Commission for lower freight rates on agricultural products; and, as might be expected, the petition was denied. The Commission had guessed at the valuation of railroad property, putting it at $20,000,000,000; and as the railroad figures did not show a profit of five and three-fourths percent, as guaranteed by the Cummins-Esch bill, the cut in freight rates could not be made.
Mr. Thomas Gibson,* a recognized authority in finance, has published a book which does not Agree with the Commission's findings. He shows that many railroads will pay from sever percent to twenty-seven percent dividends on common stocks, which in most cases are “watered”. It is pointed out that on the day when the Commission handed down its decision, which was the day that Gibson's book was reaching the investigating public, the railroads of the United States could have been purchased on the New York Exchange for $14,000,000,000, or $6,000,000,000 less than the Commission's “tentative valuation”.
Mr. Gibson further shows that the railroads conceal their earnings by increasing the expenditures for maintenance. If the expenditures in 1924 had been the same as in 1923, the profits of the railroads would have greatly exceeded the five and three-fourths percent; but as the gross income had fallen off some $80,000,000, so the maintenance cost had declined some $30,000,000. It is apparent from Mr. Gibson's figures that the profits of the roads were approximately $10,000,000 greater during the first four months of 1924 than in 1923.
Since the Government guarantees the rail* roads five and three-fourths percent on property value, the “property value'* has increased enormously; and hundreds of millions have been added during the past year. Also, if one road pays well, so that surplus earnings will be turned back to the Government, it will be consolidated with a road that loses, so that the losing road will absorb the profits of the winning road instead of permitting Uncle Sam to have any of the money.
Financial writers find out that during the six months just ended, more money was paid out in dividends by industrial anl railroad companies than in any other half-year in America’s history. These facts should be given due weight when considering the following:
Same Interesting Railroad Facts
DURING the first ten months of 1923 the
Detroit, Toledo and Ironton railroad, owned ed by Henry Ford, made a loss of $168,000. We do not know the reason for this. The last previous datum we had regarded this road was that Mr. Ford desired to obtain permission from the Government to reduce the rates, as he considered that he was making too much money. We merely present what are said to be the facts, without at this time attempting to offer any explanation. If any of our readers can give a reason for this changed situation, we would be glad to have it. We believe that the diverting of the passenger and freight traffic from the railroads to the highways is the correct explanation.
For the three years 1920-1922 inclusive, the average dividend on railroad stock in the United States was considerably less than one and one-half percent. In 1908 the stock of the Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul was $199.62 per share. It is quoted in recent stock quotations at $16.50 per share. On this railroad there has not been a dividend in five years. •
The bonded indebtedness of the railroads of the country is $11,420,000,000. These bonds are largely held by the great insurance companies and the trustees of educational and philanthropic institutions, so that to a large extent the owners of the bonds are the people who have taken out life insurance or who are’ sending their children to college. Thus every million of automobiles put into use by the American people works toward higher passenger and
Biookltk, • 1*
freight charge?, higher educational costs, and more expensive life and fire insurance.
The following is a statement of the relative costs of certain railroad items before and since the World War made us “safe for democracy”: Cost of Equipment, etc. Before the War After the War
Freight cars ' $ 800 > 1,800
Refrigerator cars 1,200 . 2,700 •
Passenger coaches 8,000 ’ 20,500
Engines 24,000 54,000
Annual payroll (millions) 1,739 3,698
During the year 1922, 44.4 percent of the railroad • revenue was spent for labor, 10 percent for fuel, 19.9 percent for materials and supplies, 6.5 percent for leases, losses, damages and miscellaneous items, 5.4 percent for taxes, 11.9 percent for interest and fixed charges, and 1.9 percent for dividends and improvements. .
During the last five years there have been 5,684 miles of unprofitable railway track abandoned. Ever since the war the Chicago, Peoria and St. Louis railway, 234 miles long, has had an annual operating deficit of $605,000. It is now in a state of complete collapse.
At this writing the railroad outlook does not seem rosy.
Political Platforms and Hopes
THE Republican platform most enthusiastically declares that the League of Nations
is all wrong, but that the Republican party purposes in the future, as in the past, to do all possible to cooperate with it and to join its world court. •
The Democratic platform, with equal enthusiasm, declares that the League of Nations is all right, but that nobody can be sure that it is right until it is submitted to the people on a referendum vote; and that meanwhile, in the future as in the past, the Democratic party purposes to do all possible to cooperate with it and to join its world court.
The only thing sure about the matter, in the minds of these politicians, is that the American people as a whole want nothing to do with the League; but this they both carefully refrain from emphasizing.
The candidacy of Robert M. La Follette for President has been endorsed by the Socialists. The thing which caused the Socialists to endorse Mr. La Follette’s candidacy was his statement that the supreme issue is whether the wealth of the nation shall remain in the hands of a privileged few. The official name of Senator La Fol-
lette’s new party is The Conference for Progressive Political Action. _
If Mr. La Follette should succeed in beating the Republican and Democratic parties, it would be good news to hosts of true Americans who are disgusted with both of the old parties. Those who nominated Senator La Follette contend that they represented at least 5,000,000 voters. They insist that he will carry all of the Northwestern states; while Senator La Follette himself is reported as believing that he will be the country's next President.
U. S. Most Lawless Country
AT THE installation of Judge William Allen in the Court of General Sessions of New York City, Judge Alfred J. Talley made an address in which he stated to Judge Allen that the United States must plead guilty to the indictment of being the most lawless country on earth. In Judge Talley’s address he said:
"Most of the desperate criminals are mere boys. You will be heartbroken at the discovery that the vast majority of defendants are under nineteen or twenty years.”
On the night of July 29, in the rum war which is being constantly waged between the United States Government and the fleet of liquor-laden vessels lying off the Jersey coast, three rum boats were captured as they were bringing their cargoes into New York. All three of the vessels were heavily loaded with whisky;
At the summer school of statesmen at Wil» liamstown, Mass., Dr. Tyler Dennett of Washington, D. C., who is studying President Roosevelt’s private correspondence, announced that during the Russian-Japanese war President Roosevelt had a secret agreement that Japan would keep out of the Philippines and that the United States would not interfere with their having their own way in Korea. At the same time, President Roosevelt warned France and Germany that they must not go into war on the side of Russia, for if they did, he would put the United States into war on the side of Japan.
Sundry Political Items
THE president of the American Bar Association in an address before that body stated that in the Federal Government alone there are more than 750,000 employes; and that there are more than 3,400,000 people employed by national, state and municipal governments, so that every twelve workers in the United States support one government employe.
Under the new immigration law, the number of Germans that can be admitted into the country next year is 51,227; residents of Great Britain 34,000; Irish Free State 28,557. Only, 3,845 may come from Italy.
Athletic Notes ~ ■
AT INNEAPOLIS has a policeman by the ■k’-L name of John Ward who has been on the staff thirty-five years, and. is now seventy years of age. He was told that he must retire on a fifty-dollar per month pension, but refused to quit. He took a new civil service examination and passed one hundred percent, including the physical test He was leader in a field of twenty-five applicants, all younger than himself.
Out of twenty-seven events in .the Olympic games held at Paris in July, the American representatives obtained first place in twelve events, and the representatives of Finland obtained first place in ten events; Great Britain obtained honors in three events; and Australia and Italy one each. The running high jump was won by H. S. Osborne of the United States. The jump was 6 feet 6 inches. In one of the events, R. Le Gendre of the United States made a world’s record of 25 feet 6 inches on a running broad jump. In the pole vault, L. Barnes of the United States scaled 12 feet iiy2 inches.
Agricultural Items. '
IN THE latter part of July Georgia peachgrowers are estimated to have thrown away four million bushels of peaches for which they could not obtain more than eight cents a basket or forty cents a crate, hardly enough to pay for the crates and baskets. At the same identical time peaches were selling at 65c a basket at Scranton, Pa., and could not be obtained for less.
The world’s wheat crop for this year is only about eighty-seven percent of what it was last year. This is giving American and Canadian farmers better prices for their products at a time when a little encouragement of the farming industry is greatly needed.
A new factor has become apparent in the cotton business. Less cotton is actually being used than before. Bags that used to be made of coc-Cotton towels in
ton are now made of jute.
public places have been replaced by paper towels. Thousands of table cloths have been succeeded by marble slabs. Most important of all is the fact that it is claimed that the weight of clothing worn by the modern woman is only about thirty-five percent of what it used to be. Sleeves and skirts are short, and many of them are made of silk. The petticoat, once an important part of women’s clothing, has almost ceased to exist.
In the cotton fields of Texas' cotton picking continues throughout September, October, and November, in temperatures ranging from 99* to 20° above zero. Cotton picking is hard on the hands of inexperienced pickers. In some of the Texas fields, babies three years old have been found working. In one field a six-year-old girl was found who had begun field work at the age of four, and by working twelve hours a day managed to pick eighty pounds a day. The wages given the pickers average 2c per pound.
Science and Invention
BY MEANS of moving picture apparatus, 40,000 pictures have been taken of atoms in collision with other atoms. A professor of > Chicago University, when showing some of these photographs in a lecture, made the astounding statement that the nuclei of these atoms are only one ten-thousandth the diameter of the atoms themselves; and that if these nuclei could be separated from their electrons and packed tightly together, the weight of one cubic inch of such material would be one hundred million tons, or enough to construct 2,000 of the largest battleships afloat.
Fifty feet below the surface of the ocean at Atlantic City one Thursday afternoon, a diver with a microphone placed in the helmet of his diving apparatus, connected with one of the radiocasting stations at Philadelphia, described the appearance of two wrecks which lay near him; and his description went out all over the eastern part of the United States. He explained that in the bright sunlight at a distance of fifty feet below the surface, everything looks green.
Hebrew scholars have just called attention to the fact that the word radio is not a new word. It appears in the Talmud; and the rabbis have associated it with the flash of lightning that burned up the sacrifices offered on Mount Carmel when Elijah called down fire from heaven.
It is believed that a new era is dawning in the study and practice of music through a device by means of which any sound can now be photographed and a permanent record made of the sound waves produced. This invention is by; Professor Seashore, of the State University of Iowa, and is being used in the University, of Iowa in the study of music.
Science and Health
fPHE Johns Hopkins Hospital has discovered -*• a new and successful method for treating ' persons whose; bodies have been covered with burns. Heretofore, if one-third of a person’s body was burned the case was considered hopeless. Now the burned person is put into a tub of water, and kept there for six days, day and night, and meantime is compelled to drink large quantities of water. The water in the tub is changed frequently. This method has proven remarkably successful; and persons whose bodies were nearly covered with burns have regained their health by this method.
Scientists in New York who examined the white Indian children brought from Panama acknowledge that -these children are really white, but claim that their condition is due to a tropical disease called leucodermia, which is quite prevalent in the West Indies, but ordinarily manifests itself only in white patches on the skin. While the discoverer of these Indians was in Panama, he saw and photographed, about 400 of all ages.
It is a favorable sign, for the health of the American peqple that their annual per capita consumption of citrus fruits is over 30 pounds per year; 21.9 of this is in oranges, 6.1 in grapefruit, and 3.7 pounds in lemons.
Ecclesiastical Bone-Rattlings
IN DENVER the other day, a Baptist minister made the statement that the church is an ash heap and a junk pile; that five percent of the church members do not exist; ten percent can not be found; twenty-five percent do not go to church; fifty percent never contribute a cent toward Christian work; seventy-five percent never go to a week-day service; ninety percent do not have family altars in their homes; and ninety-five percent never attempt to win a new recruit for the church.
An Atlanta pastor has criticized President
Coolidge because in his radio address to the
• Boy Scouts the President advised the boys first • to reverence nature, second to reverence law, / - third to reverence God. We suggest as an alibi ‘ for President Coolidge that in mentioning God . last he meant it as a climax; but in any event, in mentioning God at all he was far ahead of the writers of the covenant of the League of Nations, who did not give Him any place whatever. Yet strange to say, there were ministers ’’r’sss jwMtW sama “the political
expression o£ God’s kingdom on earth”.
Reverend Dr. George Elliot, editor of the Methodist Review, New York city, in an address at Bridgeport, Conn., asked the preachers of the • city on Monday, July 7, who had caused the war and then answered the question by saying, "We all did, all Christians who did not cry out their Christianity, all narrow nationalists, all militarists.” He added: “It is cheaper to buy peace than make war. If we spent four billions a year for humanity instead of for war, no nation would dare to fight us.”
Dr. Wirt, a Presbyterian pastor of Los Angeles, recently returned from Europe, believes that Europe is turning toward another world war which will destroy civilization. He quotes a prominent German citizen as saying that the despairing peoples of Europe are everywhere be,*rirning to look upon another war as the only me,.ns of rectifying intolerable conditions; and Dr. Wirt himself made the pungent statemenf that the late war settled nothing, but rather unsettled everybody and everything.
The Canadian Minister of Immigration is at present in England endeavoring to speed up immigration, but many Canadian people oppose further immigration at this time.
Mexico -
THE already strained relations between Mexico and Britain have been augmented by the robbery and murder of Mrs. Rosalie Evans, the American wife of a British citizen. Mrs. ' wraa ^rocfteding to her estate along a -road where numerous robberies have occurred. She had with her at the time a large sum of money for meeting the weekly pay-roll on her estate.
The bandits who robbed and killed her have been identified; confessions have been obtained; and within a week after the crime was committed the trial was in progress. We see nothing in this for the British Government or the American Government to get excited about. Hardly a week passes in the United States without one or more pay-roll robberies. They are frequent . in New York city, where'the banks and express companies now use.armored cars exclusively in transporting funds.' •
Since the world was made safe for democracy robberies are so frequent in the United States . that it is impossible to take a through train of importance anywhere, without having to run the gauntlet of from two to six hard-visaged, hardvoiced, heavily-built and heavily-armed men. The world is in a bad way in more places than Mexico.
Canada
THE highest mountain in the Canadian Rockies, Mount Robson, 13,068 feet high, has just been scaled by a party which contained two women, both of whom succeeded in making the summit. In one place the party had to climb up 100 feet of ice cliff by hand-holes cut into the ice.
One of the railroads of Canada recently advertised in Toronto for 500 men at 25c per hour, with a deduction for board of $5.50 per week. In answer to the advertisement 1,500 men presented themselves, and in their eagerness for work became so demonstrative that it was necessary to call out the police. With prices of all commodities at their present level, it is practically impossible for a man to maintain a home on any such earnings.
Honduras
HONDURAS seems to be in a state of chronic revolt now-a-days. The troubles that were fixed up in May by the treaty of peace signed on the United States cruiser “Milwaukee” have broken out afresh. The Minister of War, who is a Liberal, has decamped from the capital, taking with him many of the troops and all the arms and ammunition he could seize. War has broken out afresh; two Americans are reported slain; and the American marines are again at* tempting to restore order. .
Brazil
THE civil war in Brazil, which broke out in the large city of Sao Paulo, is virtually at an end. After the seizure of the city by the in- ’ surgent forces, federal airplanes dropped papers with, a notice of their intention to bomb ‘ the city. As a result 250,000 people fled into the wilderness, and the rebel forces left the city in order to prevent the threat from being carried out. This is an advanced picture of what will happen when Armageddon is world-wide.
The Prophet states the matter thus: “He hath broken the covenant [Treaties are not worth the paper they are written on}, he hath despised the cities [rendered uninhabitable by foes without and within], he regardeth no man [Every man’s hand is against his neighbor]. The earth moumeth and languisheth: Lebanon is ashamed and hewn down [The forests disappear before the onslaughts of the multitude needing warmth and shelter]; Sharon is like a wilderness [The fields are stripped of their crops]; and Bashan and Carmel shake off their fruits [The orchards are robbed by those whose necessities know no law].”—Isaiah 33:8,9.
Bolivia
LITTLE while ago a volcano was generally considered one of the most useless things
in the world, but new uses for them are being continually discovered. Volcanic dust in the air tempers the climate and promotes rainfall. Volcanic ash promotes vegetation. Volcanic sulphur has produced thousands of tons of this commodity; and now the tapping of volcanic flanks so that the steam from the volcano can be used for the generation of electricity for light, heat, and power purposes is quite common. The latest mountain which it is purposed to use in this way is Mount Tatio, on the boundary between Bolivia and Chile. It is stated that the steam from Mount Tatio is so pure that it does not have to be first cleansed, as is necessary where volcanic steam is used in Italy and Cali-' fomia. Engineers have figured that the power obtainable annually from Mount Tatio would require half a million tons of coal in an ordinary steam plant.
The Tumbleweed By J. A. Bohnet
EVERY farmer from Dakota to Texas knows the tumbleweed, and knows it to his sorrow.
It is the curse of agriculture throughout the western plains, and causes as much trouble as any other weed.
The tumbleweed is known as the Russian thistle. It grows spherical in shape, about two feet in diameter usually.
It has numerous stems thickly covered with short thorns; and it starts growing when summer is well advanced. Its density makes it a pest. Its color is bluish green.
Late in the fall the tumbleweed dies, and is broken off close to the ground. Then it is sent scurrying across the level stretches by the high winds, bouncing along in leaps sometimes as high as the telegraph lines, on which it oftentimes lodges, and is blown along on the wire till halted by the pole. Often the telegraph pole is a grizzly sight by reason of the multitudinous tumbleweeds clinging to it.
As this weed hits the ground in its bouncings, it shells out its seed for the next year's croppage. The fences very often are so weighted with the .weeds that they give way under the strain. On a windy day the tumbleweeds resemble a flock of sheep scudding across the prairie wastes, seemingly racing with each other and vying as to which can bounce the high.:?, Gullies are quickly filled with the tumbling weeds. One day the tumbleweeds go rushing along in one direction; and the next day the same weeds may be seen hurrying back towards where they came from, driven at the impulse of the winds.
As one undertakes to capture the tumbleweed in its flight, it seems possessed of life in its seemingly persistent efforts to keep just out of arm’s reach. It goes as though it had-been sent for. It is as elusive as a butterfly or as a straw hat on a windy afternoon.
The Russian thistle is not the real tumbleweed, which is thornless and less offensive; but it makes an excellent substitute. The real tumbleweed behaves better, and grows more generally on waste places and along the wayside and not so much among the fanners’ croprows. It is partial to railroad trackage, as is likewise the Russian thistle. In the Millennium we may expect both gradually to disappear, as will other noxious growths.
The Prayer of a Consecrated Heart By Frederick J. Falkiner, (Ireland )
My gracious Father and my God, I praise and magnify Thy name, As in the way my Savior trod
I walk, devoid of wealth or fame.
I know that I have but to plead, ' According to Thy sacred will, In Jesus’ name, for all I need;
And Thou Thy promise wilt fulfil.
Grant that Thy love may fill my heart, That thus I may be more like Thee, My loving Father, Thou who art Custodian of my destiny.
Oh, keep me ever at Thy side,
- And sanctify me through Thy Word; Eemit my sins through Him who died, My living Head, my heavenlyLord!
Oh, keep me ever clean and free From all impurity and sin,
And grant that I may unto Thee Be found acceptable in Him.
Oh, let Thy work rejoice my heart, And give me grace from day to day
Faithfully to perform my part, Throughout this long and narrow way!
Thy workmanship in me complete, That thus I may be soon prepared
For glory; when I then shall meet The Christ of God, whose death I shared.
The glories of my future state, Revealed within Thy Sacred Word,
Will truly more than compensate For all my sufferings, gracious Lord.
Help Thou Thy child to tread Thy ways;
Lord, glorify Thyself in me;
Accept my worship and my praise: Oh, hear me^ as I pray to Thee!
The Columbus Convention of the I. B. S. A.
THE greatest convention of Bible Students held during the ages is past. It began Sunday morning, July 20th, 1924. It closed Sunday night, one "week later, with thousands of consecrated followers of Jesus standing, waving their handkerchiefs while they sang together, "God be with you till we meet again.” That convention was a blessed season never to be forgotten. In all there were probably 20,000 who attended the convention during the week. In this wicked world, filled with sorrow, perplexity and distress, think of 15,000 or more gathered together in one body, all of one mind, the heart of each one devoted to the Lord, with no murmurings, no complaining, no faultfinding, no controversies, no strife, and with their countenances beaming with the spirit of the Master.
Some were from far-away Australia; some from Switzerland, Germany, Poland, Scandinavia, and from Great Britain; and many came from Canada, and every state in America. They journeyed by steamship, by railway, by electric cars; thousands came by automobiles; and some even walked many long weary miles. Friends provided for these latter to return home by convenient conveyance. They came for no idle purpose, but to receive a blessing and to be a blessing.
Great numbers of children came with their parents. Blessed are the children. Thrice blessed are those whose parents are devoted to the Lord. And blessed is the privilege to teach these young minds concerning the Lord and His kingdom, and to lead them in the right way. In the near future these shall shine forth, reflecting the glory of the Lord’in the earth. Ample provision was made to care for these little ones during the meetings, and at the proper time the parents brought them into the great assembly and publicly consecrated them to the Lord. Let the parents look well to the interest of their children now. This old world and its desires are rapidly passing from the earth, but the kingdom of Christ and its blessings will abide forever. Teach and lead your children now in the right way, and the rich emoluments of the kingdom of righteousness may be their portion to all eternity.
The convention opened with an address of welcome from the Mayor of Columbus, who spoke words of good cheer to the Bible Students; and this kind spirit was manifested by the people of Columbus and vicinity to those who attended the convention. Discourses were given in the English language every day in the main auditorium, according to program, while at the same time meetings were being addressed by competent brethren in Arabic, French, German, Greek, Hungarian, Italian, Lithuanian, Polish, Russian, Scandinavian and Ukrainian.
With the aid of an electric voice amplifier erected on the platform, and one also below the platform, every word of the speakers could be heard by the vast audience. Those who testified at the testimony meetings formed a line, and at the proper time stepped before the amplifier below the main platform and gave their testimonies, all of which could be heard by all present. This added greatly to the blessings enjoyed. It would have been impossible for such an assembly to carry on Bible study intelligently without the aid of these great inventions. '
Each evening a public meeting was addressed by one on the speakers in Memorial Hall, seating 3,000. The hall was packed out on each occasion. At the noon hour each day a public meeting was addressed by some competent speaker at the Keith Theatre for the benefit of the business men.
The Avery-Loeb Company,Station W P AL, placed their radio station at the disposal of the convention; and each evening a splendid program was rendered, to the edification of thousands of people in Ohio and adjoining states. Hundreds of the conventioners were camped at Indianola Park, where receiving sets were installed and the radio programs enjoyed.
The public press carried good reports each day of the convention. They did the best they could. The Ohio State Journal had promised to handle all subscriptions sent in, expecting of course only a few thousand; but when the subscription list for the convention edition reached 20,000 the management announced that ‘ it was utterly impossible for them to take care of any more.
Service Day
THURSDAY was service day. Discourses on the preceding day emphasizing the privilege enjoyed by the Christian to meet the requirements laid down by the Lord, to proclaim the message of His kingdom. Those present 'caught the spirit and inspiration, and appreciated the privilege they would have of giving a personal witness to the people of Columbus and vicinity. The result was that 5,051 engaged in the field service work. Automobiles to the number of 359 carried those who visited the country towns. No meetings were held during the day until 7 o’clock in the evening.
It is easy to see how this was the happiest part of the convention; for it served as an opportunity for each one individually to preach the gospel to some hungry soul and to comfort some sorrowful heart. The vicinity within a radius of sixty miles of Columbus was canvassed by this little army.
The report of books placed in the hands of the people as a result of service day totaled 29,367 volumes. It would be impossible to preach so many sermons to so many people in any other way. We may easily multiply this number of books by five, which would amount to more than 100,000 discourses. As the average members of a family are five, it would not be out of the • way to say that this little service day resulted in preaching to practically 500,000 people.
Reflections '
WE GIVE here a few interesting items concerning the convention:
Italian Bible Students visited Marble Cliff, an Italian section, and placed 251 volumes ill the hands of Italians.
A lady remarked: f^You Bible Students look so happy. Your religion must be wonderfuL ' Columbus ought to appreciate you.”
One lady who was canvassed said that she was disgusted with the preachers of the nominal churches; that she had found one preacher intoxicated, and that an investigation disclosed a still in his cellar.
A young man who delivered refreshments to the grounds reported that a preacher had warned him against the Bible Students. This young man replied to the preacher in these words: “I smoke cigarettes, and have never been ashamed to smoke in front of you. But when I go to the Fair Grounds I throw my . cigarette away; for I am ashamed to be the only one smoking in that large gathering.”
A man living near the Fair Grounds had taken in eight Bible Students. His neighbor had taken four. At the instance of a clergyman the latter turned the four out in the streets. The gentleman who had eight provided extra beds, and took them in. In that little home he fed an average of 105 Bible Students per day. On the Monday following he sent his automobile truck to help clear the Fair Grounds, and could not do enough to show his appreciation of the Bible Students.
The Postmaster of Columbus stated to a Golden Age representative that the Bible Students
looked after their people better than any other convention that had ever attended Columbus. From the post office at the Fair Grounds had been sold 18,000 wrappers besides 186,000 wrappers sold and mailed from the main post office; and when some had not attached sufficient postage others who heard of it came to the post office and supplied the money to pay the postage. Every paper went out On time. The Postmaster said: “And we hope that you will hold your next convention in Columbus.”
The business men of Columbus were highly pleased with their contact with the Bible Students; and many of them in their advertisements spoke kindly concerning them. On Monday following the close of the convention the following appeared in the Ohio State Journal, published at Columbus: —
“Well, the Russellites have come and gone, and this and the Billy Sunday revival are the two biggest 'jolts on religion’ that Columbus ever had, and this is the way I compare the two:
“Billy preached hell fire, damination, torture and brimstone, after making his enterprise safe from any chance of financial failure by raising money in advance and, after raising huge sums of money from all classes, rich and poor, left our city in a financial panic, the merchant’s trade being ruined during his stay and for some time afterwards. On the other hand, the Russellites preached a more wholesome religion and scattered money all over our city in homes where a little money is a 'new stake' as many people are out of work and needed the cash. Furthermore, every Russellite had the very sweetest manner toward every one.
“Russellites, call again. You’ll find us at home. Many would say Billy left a bad taste. The Russellites were much better.”
The writer just quoted speaks of the Bible Students as Russellites. Of course he means no disrespect. We merely correct him by saying that we are Christians, followers of Jesus Christ and followers of no man; and that we recognize Charles T. Russell as the servant of the Lord, and our brother in Christ.
Music Notable Feature
ONE of the happiest features of the convention was the music. Friends from different parts of the country brought their instruments, and under the supervision of B. M. Rice of Chicago, and E. G. Walters of Tamaqua, Pa., an orchestra of sixty pieces was organized, which played for all meetings. This instrumental music, added to the thousands of voices harmoniously united in praise, was inspiring and edifying to all that were present, "
Immersion '
THE i-mmersinn service was held at the swim
ming pool of the Indianola Park, where 485 persons were immersed. An enterprising moving-picture concern made pictures of this immersion service, which they have exhibited throughout the country, calling attention to the great number of Christians observing the baptism of our Lord.
Public Meeting . -
THE meeting for the public was held in the
Ohio State University Stadium. Considering the population of Columbus, which, is less than 300,000, and the extremely warm day, the attendance of this meeting was unusual for its size. The gentleman having charge of the gate receipts at all functions at the Stadium estimated the crowd at 35,000.
By the use of a Western Electric voice amplifier every person in the vast Stadium could hear distinctly the words of Judge Rutherford’s address. The discourse was received with splendid attention; and while it is a pointed exposition of the fallacies of Christendom, it was received with enthusiasm and applause by the great audience. On the Monday following the Ohio State Journal carried the lecture in fulL
Judge Rutherford, President of the Society, delivered the keynote address, following which an indictment was read which was unanimously approved by the rising vote of this mighty throng of Christians. An indictment is a formal statement of offenses presented and charged against a certain class of persons. The indictment herein is laid chiefly against the clergy, showing that they have fallen before the temptations of Satan, proved unfaithful to the Lord and to the responsibility resting upon them; and that this is the chief cause of the world’s present deplorable state. We give the substance of Judge Rutherford’s address. The formal indictment follows;
Civilization Doomed By J. F. Rutherford
Reason'for Wcrld Crisis—Blessing of the People to Follow
TRUE civilization is the very antithesis of barbarism. It can be builded only upon truth, justice and righteousness, with love as the moving cause. It stands for education, culture, refinement, and truth. Present civilization is veneered, underneath which exists barbarism in its most malignant form.
Commerce and politics have both played their part in present civilization. Greed for gain and power has turned legitimate commerce into wicked profiteering. The commercial giants traffic in human blood as they do in the inanimate products of the earth.
Ambition for power and influence has caused politicians to juggle with the rights of the people, to prove unfaithful to their constituency, and to use public office for private gain.
The desire for bodily ease and comfort; the desire to be approved by men rather than to have the approval of God; ambition for the establishment of the Lord’s kingdom on earth before due time, and contrary to His way, has caused the clergy to fall to the seductive influence of Satan, to become disloyal to God and to the Lord Jesus Christ, and to form a part of present unrighteous civilization.
Had the clergy been faithful to their trust in representing the Lord, the world today would not be facing the greatest crisis of all time.
The sayings of some of the greatest thinkers of the world are here given in proof of the near collapse of civilization:
“Before the war people often supposed that ours was a Christian culture. The war has revealed us to ourselves. Civilization is Pagan.”—Dr. Bernard I. Bell.
“The future is very dark. We have reached the twilight of civilization.”—Dr. H. L. Brailsford.
“No man unless he is drunk with optimism can deny that the world is very sick, and. it may be a sickness unto death.”—Sir Philip Gibbs.
“The United States is preparing for war that would tax us to the utmost in man-power resources.”'—Secretary of War Weeks.
“You responded to Europe’s need in 1917. The work is only half done; and if not completed, civilization is doomed within this generation to a catastrophe such as the world has
never known.” “Force is the only thing that rules in the world. Unless you stamp out that conviction civilization is doomed upon this earth.”—Lloyd George.
Reason
THESE great men of the world see the storm of fire and blood irresistibly sweeping on to the destruction of human institutions; but they assign no cause, and are at a loss for an adequate remedy. Hence their perplexity and distress. Jehovah, knowing the end from the beginning, foresaw and through His prophets foretold this dreadful day thus: “Come near, ye nations, to hear; and hearken, ye people. ... For the indignation of the Lord is upon all nations.... For it is the day of the Lord’s vengeance.”—Isaiah 34:1, 2, 8.
Those composing the nations within the meaning of the Scriptures are financiers, politicians, and clergy, because combined they rule the people. They are the chief ones of the world, of which world Satan is the god, or invisible ruler.
In what manner have the clergy of the churches become a part of the world? The answer is that they have fallen to the temptation of Satan, and have willingly joined with profiteers and politicians to rule the people contrary to the plain teachings of the Word of God, whom they claim to represent. The indignation of the Lord is not against the common people, but against those in authority who have claimed to represent Him but who have been unfaithful to Him. After the expression of His indignation the Lord, through His kingdom of righteousness, will bless with liberty, life and happiness all the people who hear and obey.
In the Catholic and the Protestant churches there are millions of honest people who desire to know and to do God’s will; but they are blinded to the truth by reason of the unrighteous course of the clergy. The Lord will open the minds of these honest souls by drastic measures against the false prophets and their allies.
These words are spoken not in vindictiveness but in love in order that the people might .know the truth. I have no personal animosity 814 v ■
against the clergy. My hope is that this may serve to enable some of them to awaken to the importance of the hour and to aid the people and themselves by preaching the truth of God's Word.
Temptation
OW have the clergy been overreached by Satan T God has permitted the devil to tempt and test all who claim to be His representatives in order to prove their loyalty or disloyalty to Him. There are three cardinal points upon which such are tempted; namely, the desire of the flesh, the desire of the eyes, and the pride of life.
Adam and Eve, the parents of the human race, when in Eden were in harmony with God, therefore His representatives. God commanded them to refrain from eating certain fruit lest they die. To induce disloyalty to God Satan presented the temptation to Eve from the three standpoints, to wit: (1) To her flesh, by inducing her to believe that the food would be good for her body; (2) that the fruit was beautiful and she should possess it and eat it; and (3) that it would make her as wise as God. She yielded to all these temptations, and became disloyal to God. Adam then voluntarily joined her in the transgression.
Temptation of Jesus
estts, the Son of God, was Jehovah’s special representative on earth. Satan knew that in due time Jesus was to be the king of the earth. Hoping to induce Jesus to be disloyal to His Father and thereby cause His destruction, Satan presented the temptation to Jesus similar to that which had caused Eve and Adam to fall. (1) The temptation was presented to the body of Jesus, in this, that he suggested that Jesus use His power selfishly to create from the stones bread that He might eat when He was hungry. This was contrary to God’s will; and Jesus replied: “It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God,” thus proving that loyalty to God is essential to life. (2) The temptation was presented to the eyes of Jesus, in this, that Satan showed Jesus the possibility of establishing His kingdom before God’s time by immediately taking over all the world and blessing the people and making them beautiful. The only condition which Satan added was that Jesus should worship him. This was contrary to God’s will; and to this temptation Jesus replied: “Get thee hence, Satan; for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him only thalt thou serve.” (3) The temptation was presented to Jesus' pride in this, that Satan pointed out that Jesus must do something spectacular in order to convince the people that He was sent from heaven; that . therefore He should go- up on the top of the temple and jump off; that Jehovah would preserve Him, and that this would prove that He was superior to all other men and the people would flock to Him. To this temptation Jesus answered: “Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.”
These tests show that no one can be pleasing to the heavenly Father, and have His final approval, unless that one is absolutely loyal to God. To be loyal means to do that which the x divine law requires. . .
Ecclesiastics
esus Chbist organized His church in purity, * providing it with elders, designating them .
as shepherds of the flock. These were com- ' manded to feed the flock of God, not to lord it over them, and faithfully to represent the Lord ■ and keep themselves separate from the world. After the death of the apostles the elders in the church began to yield to Satan’s temptations. They organized councils, synods, presbyteries, etc., elected their own members to the high offices of popes, cardinals, bishops, doctors of divinity, pastors, reverends, etc., and thus formed ecclesiasticism, themselves being the ecclesiastics, otherwise called the clergy. They laid themselves open- to the three great temptations and Satan promptly presented them:
(1) To the flesh or body: These clergymen saw that it was to their bodily advantage to use their powers selfishly to feed themselves. This they did, neglecting to feed the flock of God, just as the prophet had foretold. (Ezekiel 34:8) They made themselves important in the church, . ' withheld the truth from the people, and thus created a famine for the hearing of the Word of God.—Amos 8:11.
(2) To the lust of the eyes: These eccle- •
siastics, otherwise termed clergymen, desiring . to possess the seductive things of this evil world and to be admired of men rather than to be approved of God, yielded to the lust of the eyes, clothed themselves in scarlet and long flowing robes, decked themselves with jewels, and have arrogantly assumed a form of godliness while denying the power thereof.
(3) The pride of life: The clergy, as the Lord's representatives, were commanded by . Him to keep themselves separate from politics and other worldly entanglements, to teach the people concerning God’s kingdom, and to await that kingdom which would relieve the people of their afflictions and sufferings and establish righteousness on earth. Satan appealed to the pride of the clergy, induced them to believe that they could establish a kingdom on earth which they would call God’s kingdom and which would rule the people. Yielding to his temptation, the clergy sought and brought into the church the big commercial giants, the great politicians and other men of worldly influence, and made them the principal of their flock. These were already under the control of Satan. i The clergy had become the allies of these worldlings, and claimed that this combination of rulers is a rule by divine right.
Jesus refused to worship the devil in consideration of establishing His kingdom on earth before due time. Anxious to run ahead of the Lord, and thus appear great, the clergy yielded to the devil’s condition, and have worshiped him by conforming themselves to his order. To this end they have sanctified war and hailed it as a holy thing, have turned their church edifices into recruiting stations, have recruited men for the armies, and have preached them into the trenches. The clergy boast of having the rich and the mighty and the strong of this world in their churches; and, as Jesus foretold, they boast: ‘We are rich and have need of nothing,’ when in truth and in fact, they are wretched, and miserable, poor, blind and naked. (Revelation 3:17) No one can gainsay the fact that the clergy have by joining hands with profiteers, politicians and other worldlings, attempted to make the people believe that their government is God’s kingdom on earth, thereby directly proving their disloyalty to the Lord Jesus Christ.
False Doctrines ■
THE ecclesiastics, to wit: popes, cardinals, bishops, reverends, doctors of divinity, theological professors, claim the exclusive right and authority to interpret the Scriptures and to tell the people what they should believe. They deny the right of any one to preach the gospel unless ordained by them. They have set aside the pure doctrines of the Word of God and have substituted their own doctrines. For many centuries they kept the people in ignorance of the contents of the Bible by discouraging them from studying it; and now in this day of greater advancement they destroy faith in the Bible by flippantly denying that it is the Word of God. They have proven disloyal to God by. yielding to the temptations above mentioned, and have repudiated the Lord’s Word by teaching contrary thereto. In proof of this the following is cited:
The Bible teaches that man was created perfect and, because of sin, was sentenced to death, thereby losing perfection of organism and the right to life.
Ecclesiastics teach that man is a creature of evolution; that he never fell, and never lost the right to life by reason of sin.
The Bible plainly states that man is mortal; that because of Adam’s sin, all are born sinners and subject to death.
Ecclesiastics teach that all men have immortal souls, which cannot, die, which doctrine is supported only by Satan’s great lie.—Genesis 3:16; John 8:44.
…