view raw text
GENERAL NEWS NOTES OF THE DAY MONTREAL Que December 18 The Canadian government has decided to form a steamship com ¬ pany all of the stock at which is to be owned by the government to operate a mercantile marine fleet it was learned here today The plan includes the establishment of government steamship lines in the Atlantic the Pacific and the Great Lakes to cooperate with the government railway systems Later it is said another line may be established between Halifax and Vancouver via the Panama Canal with stops at ports in West Indies IndiesSPRINGFIELD SPRINGFIELD 111 December 18 The county treasurer of Cook County is perpetually enjoined from collecting 25044590 in taxes due from the Peoples Gas Light and Coke Company since 1909 by a decision handed down by the State Supreme Court today The court holds that the trx against the company was excessive because it was not in con ¬ formity with assessments of other companies in the state stateSPRINGFIELD SPRINGFIELD 111 December 18 Because of the saving effected by the state administrative code and because of the greater efficiency in col ¬ lecting revenue due the state the state tax rate fixed by the state taxing board today is fifteen cents lower than last years rate This will mean a total reduction in taxes of about 1000000 as LONDON Eng December 18 The medical cor ¬ respondent of the Times writes There seems to be reasonable grounds to believe that 0000000 per ¬ sons have died of influenza and of pneumonia in the last twelve weeks This plague therefore is five times more deadly than the war which it is estimated killed 20000000 persons in four and a half years yearsWASHINGTON WASHINGTON D C December IS No serious consideration will ever be paid by the American government to any plan looking to the cnmellitiou of the immense loans made by this government to the allies according to a statement made by a former member of President Wilsons cabinet here today todayNEW NEW YORK N Y December IS Reports reaching this country are that European nations arc planning for the reestablishment of their merchant marines It is said that France has nlaceil orders with English shipbuilders for 400000 tons of ships and Norwegians are reported in the market for 1 000000 tons tonsPARIS PARIS France December 18 President Wilson is expected to make his first statement concerning the tieace policies of America in his address to the soldiers of the American Expeditionary Forces at General Pershiugs army headquarters on Christmas Day DayNEW NEW YORK N Y December 18 AH shipping in New York harbor may be tied up tomorrow by a marine workers strike unless word is received before tonight from the federal shipping board that the demands of the unions will be arbitrated arbitratedPARIS PARIS France December 18 A general peace conference will be adopted by the American envoys and President Wilson this afternoon when he will meet all of the American delegates at a conference for the first time since his arrival in Paris ParisMADRID MADRID Spain December 18 Serious disturb ¬ ances are reported today at Balboa and Barcelona at both of which places there have been a few deaths according to advices received here The king has suspended parliament indefinitely indefinitelyNEW NEW YORK N Y December 18 The first air niail service between New York and Chicago was inaugurated at 720 oclock this morning when Lc D Smith left Bclmont Park L I in a De llaviland inafhinu with 200 pounds of mail mailSPUINGFIELI SPUINGFIELI 111 December 18 The State Su ¬ preme Court today affirmed the decision of the toik County Circuit Court in sentencing Earl Dear and Albert Johnson to hang Friday February 7 for murder murderBOSTON BOSTON Mass DecemlHr 18 The Boston Arena a brick structure built in 1909 with a seating rapacity of nearly 12000 persons was destroyed by fire today The loss is estimated at 400000 400000HAMBURG HAMBURG Germany December 18 Fifteen in ¬ terned British merchant ships have been released and sent to England EnglandBERLIN BERLIN Germany December 18 The total of Germans killed in the war was officially announced today as 049000
