Passing Events

PASSING EVENTS 493 variance with the traditional policy of the United States. The resolution asking for information was passed by the senate Jan. 21, 1925. The Child Labor Amendment was rejected by the Utah legislature, Feb. 2, with overwhelming majority. In the house the four women and four other representatives, including the speaker, opposed rejection. The senate was unamious, but senator Westphal, who was of the opinion that the question should be submitted to the people, was excused from voting. Personally, he said, he was not in favor of the amendment. The Rt. Rev. Wm. Montgomery Brown was deprived of his priesthood. for heresy, by the board of review affirming the action of the trial court, some time ago. Mr. Brown is a retired bishop of the Protestant Episcopal diocese of Arkansas, and the charge against him is heresy. He rejects the supernatural features of religion and claims, contrary to the doctrines of the Episcopal church, that the Bible must be understood "symbolically." Poland ratifies the debt funding agreement with the United States, which provides for the payment of $178,000,000, due to the United Slates for food credits given Poland in 1919 and 1920. The Polish diet took occasion to express the gratitude of the country to the United States, in a spontaneous demonstration, which was witnessed by Albert J. Pearson. U. S. minister to Poland, who was present in the diplomatic gallery. Dr. Murray Rockwell Stewart passed away, Feb. 5, 1925, at his resi- dence in Salt Lake City, after an illness of two weeks, caused by kidney and heart trouble. He was a city commissioner at the time of his death. He was born at Spencer, Indianola Co., Ind., Sept. 8, 1868, and came to Salt Lake City in 1898. His wife was Nellie Walker, of this City. He held the office of city physician under the so-called "American party" administration. Robert Newton Dunn, chief justice of the supreme court of Idaho died Jan. 17, following a prolonged illness. He was in his sixty-eighth year, and had just completed his fourth year as a member of the state's highest judicial tribunal. Justice Dunn was born March 10, 1857, in Warsaw, Mo., and came to Idaho in 1891. His first home was in Wallace, where he served as postmaster, aided his brother, A. J. Dunn, in the establishment of a newspaper, practiced law and served two terms as prosecuting attorney. General Kuropatkin died at Shemshurino, Pskov district, Russia, Jan. 23 1925, at the age of 80 years. He was supreme commander of the czars land forces in the Russo-Japanese war, but he was held responsible fot Russia's loss of the war when he met disastrous defeat in the crucial battle of Mukden in 1905. In 1917, when Kerensky's provisional govern- ment replaced the monarchy, he was arrested and sent to Petrograd, and virtually nothing was heard of him until 1920, when he appeared in the role of a soviet administrator. Human voice was carried nine thousand miles, by radio, on Jan 27, when a message sent at Pittsburg was heard at Sydney Australia, and at Bazaul, British New Guinea. The messages put on the air for the Australians were from Frank B. Noyes, president of the Associated Press; J^ A. M. Elder, Australian commissioner to the United States Herbert Bayard Swope executive editor of the New York World; Arthur Brisbane, editona writer of the New York American, and Frank Munsey, publisher of the New York Evening Telegram-Mail and the New York Sun. A new L. D. S. Psalmody is about to be published, according to an

494 IMPROVEMENT ERA announcement by Elder Melvin J. Ballard, chairman of the Music Com- mittee. The committee has been working for more than a year and a half preparing the new edition of the psalmody. A careful examination of both words and music in the hymn book and the pslamody has been made resulting in the elimination of some of the words and music that did not appeal to singers of Church songs. The work of the committee has been reviewed and passed upon by Elders Orson F. Whitney, Joseph Fielding Smith and John A. Widtsoe, a committee appointed for that purpose by President Heber J. Grant. There will be no impeachment proceedings against Judge Thomas H. Burton of the Utah Fifth district court, the judiciary committee of the house having reported, on Feb. 12, that there was no sufficient evidence for the complaint made some time ago by Attorney William B. Higgins. At the outset the committee had to outline a course of action inasmuch as no impeachment has ever before been brought before a Utah legislature session. Eventually it came to the conclusion its acts would be those of a grand jury and its investigation was accordingly limited to determining whether the charges and the evidence behind them were sufficient to warrant im- peachment proceedings. Ruth Shaw Croft Coombs died Sunday, Jan. 11, at her home in Richfield. She was born at Derbyshire, England, Dec. 21, 1851; emi- grated, at twelve years of age, landing in New York, passing through Canada, owing to the Civil War, and across the plains by ox team, walking the entire distance from Omaha to Salt Lake City. She married Ephraim Coombs, Dec. 19. 1870. and with him moved to Colorado in 1884, settling in Richfield, Conejos Co., Colorado, living there until she died. They had ten children, five boys and five girls. Eight children survive her and forty-six grandchildren, and thirteen great-grandchildren. She was a highly respected character, much loved by many friends and relatives scattered throughout Utah, Arizona and Colorado. A total eclipse of the sun was observed Jan. 24. in the north-eastern section of the country. Observations at New Haven, Ithaca. Poughkeepsie. and Buffalo reported successful observations. In New York, too, condi- tions were reported favorable. Ascensions were made to great heights in air- planes by astronomers, who took photographs. Aviators on board the dirigible Los Angeles reported successful observations. In some places along the path of the moon's shadow, clouds and overcast skies interfered with the observations and caused disappointment. Much of Minnesota missed the phenomenon altogether. The total eclipse occurred at 9:10 a. m. At 10.20 the disc of the great luminary was again clear. The entire passage of the moon had lasted 2 hours 20 minutes. It is said to be 119 years since a total eclipse of the sun was visible in that region. It will be over two centuries before the next. A conference on limitation of armaments will be held in Washington, if President Coolidge acts on a provision of the Naval bill before the U. S. senate. On Jan. 21 the senate, without opposition, accepted an amendment to the bill, offered by Senator Wm. H. King, authorizing and requesting the President to call an international conference on armaments. to formulate an agreement by which armaments shall be reduced, and limited "in the interest of the peace of nations and the relief of all nations from the burdens of inordinate and unnecessary expenditures for the provision of armaments and the preparation for war." Rey L. Pratt, president of the Mexican mission, was chosen a member of the First Council of Seventy, at a meeting of the First Presidency and Council of the Twelve, on January 29, 1925, to fill the vacancy caused

PASSING EVENTS 495 by the death of President Seymour B. Young. Elder Pratt was born in Salt Lake City, October 11. 1878. a son of Heleman and Emmeline Billingsly Pratt. While yet young, he moved with his parents to Mexico and imbibed a love for the people of that country. Afterwards they resided in Manassa, Colorado, and from that place was called October 24, 1906, to labor as a missionary in Mexico. He became president of the Mexican mission on the 29th of September. 1907, and has been in the field ever since. Norway sets a splendid example in the matter of international law observation, according to a dispatch from Oslo, Jan. 17. The dispatch says: "The Norwegian Government is considering legislation to prevent the participation of Norwegian vessels in the rum-running trade to the United States, which is characterized here as a discredit to the flag. The foreign office through its legation in Washington has obtained the names of 10 Norwegian vessels identified as among those on rum row, and the list has been sent to the Shipowners' Associations and Ministry of Justice for further action. The Shipowners' Association already had cautioned masters against rum running, warning that it would refuse assistance to vessels running foul of the American laws, and the Government has also issued a warning that vessels caught in American waters would not receive the support of this country's official representatives." New stake presidency was appointed in the Yellowstone stake, at the quarterly conference Jan. 10 and 11. Elder George F. Richards, of the Council of the Twelve, was present. President Daniel G. Miller, with his first counselor, Marion J. Kerr, who have served in the presidency since the stake was reorganized, Jan. 10, 1909, and his second counselor, Charles E. Lloyd who has served eleven years, was honorably released and John M. White, bishop of the St. Anthony Second ward, was chosen president of the stake, with George H. Lowe as first counselor and Karl C. Klinger, (who served as first counselor in the Second ward bishopric) as second counselor. Severin Swenson, second counselor to Bishop White, was appointed bishop of the Second ward, with Fred H. Mason, first counselor and Orin M. Hess as second counselor. Bishop Willard W. Spiers, bishop of St. Anthony First ward, was also honorably released and E. Moroni Jorgensen, who served as first counselor to Bishop Spiers was chosen bishop, with Joseph Jensen, first counselor and James C. Rose, second counselor. Hexyl-resorcinol is the name of an antiseptic said to be fifty times as powerful as carbolic acid to destroy disease germs, and yet harmless to human beings. Ten years have been devoted to perfecting the antiseptic, according to Dr. Veador Leonard, chairman of the clinical committee on antiseptics of the national research council, who discovered the germicide and developed it in the Johns Hopkins laboratories. The researches, he explained, were started by using resorcinol, a substance similar to carbolic acid in molecular structure and also poisonous, as a base. It was found that when certain chain-like groups of atoms known as fatty acids were linked up to a resorcinol molecule, the germicidal power of the sub- stance was increased and its poisonous effect on animals was lessened^ These effects increased steadily as longer chains of atoms were used. The goal was finally reached when a chain containing six groups was successfully linked up. At this point the poisonous qualities of the antiseptic reached a minimum while its germicidal powers reached their maximum. Granite Stake Pageant Theme. A most elaborate pageant was given in the Tabernacle, Salt Lake City. Wednesday evening, Jan. 28, when the Granite, Cottonwood, and Grant stakes, combined to celebrate the 25th anniversary

496 IMPROVEMENT ERA of the founding of the original Granite stake, to which Cottonwood and Grant first belonged, Jan. 28, 1900. The great building was crowded to full capacity, not an extra place being available. There were one thousand persons who took part in the exercises. The history of the stake for a quarter of a century was depicted, each division and sub- division portrayed, as well as the activities of the various Priesthood and auxiliary organizations. The exercises were under the general direction of the recreation committee, headed by M. O. Ashton, of the Granite stake; and the pageant was written by Mrs. Josephine M. Goff of the Sugar ward, and Mrs. Erma F. Bitner of the Wasatch ward. The music was in charge of J. Spencer Cornwall. Arthur Macfarlane and W. F. Robinson, Edward P. Kimball organist; Harold Goff, reader; Arnold J. Bergener, director of the M. I. A. orchestra, and M. I. A. boys' Senior band. President Frank Y. Taylor who was the first president of the Granite stake, and is at present acting, was presented with a silver vase and flowers by 25 flower girls; also a history of Granite stake in separate chapters, each being expressions of appreciation for service rendered from each ward of the organization in the three stakes. President Frank Y. Taylor made a response declaring gratitute to all who had assisted in the upbuilding of the stake. President Heber J. Grant was present and paid a tribute to the activity of President Frank Y. Taylor and his associates and expressed delight at the progress of the stake. He closed by reading Parley P. Pratt's hymn, "The morning breaks the shadows flee." The exit march was played by the boys' Senior band, directed by Arnold J. Bergener. Life's Interludes 0 smoke-clouded sky, and snow-covered earth, What have I to do with thee? 1 sit by my fire and dream, and plan, Quite apart from thee and me: Sweet stanzas with music to wing them aloft, Ripe books, with pages of flame — Full hours of deeds in the market-place That flare and blaze with my name. Up from the snow a frost creeps in And blurs all my window-pane; Floating downward the smoke blots out The plans for my worldly gain. A child cries out for a guiding hand — A widow is sore beset. Forgotten duties come to my mind, And fill me with keen regret. Clear on the page of ancestry gleams Name-symbols that glow with Life. The mist lifts clear from the temple spires And the Future with glory is rife. So, mist, do well your blinding work. White snow still blankets the earth. For I and the souls I may help to save Shall someday mesaure your worth. Susa Young Gates