p. 11 | Current Events

Pacific Press Publishing Association · Mountain View, California · Jul 11, 1911

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 38, No. 27.

Current Events

The Eighth District judges of the Federal Circuit Court of the United States declare that the Union Pacific merger is legal, for it did not constitute illegal restraint of commerce. Supreme Justice Van Devanter concurs in the opinion. A dissenting opinion was filed by Judge William C. Hook, who contends that there was active, vigorous, and substantial competition between the two roads before the Union Pacific purchased the Southern Pacific, and he further says that "under one or both of these tests the Union Pacific could probably have lawfully purchased control of all the great railroad systems in the United States."

It is a wonderful record that W. E. Johnson, a Southern Pacific passenger conductor on the Sunset Route, has made. Since November 11, 1899, he has traveled 2,104,802 miles, making 580 trips between San Francisco and Washington, and has never met with an accident. His experience ought to break some of the foolish superstitions; for he tells us that he started on 400 of these trips on Friday, and on a number of occasions has departed from either the National Capital or San Francisco on Friday the 13th.

In the reply to President Taft's message of congratulation to King George of England, the King responded: "I heartily thank you and the people of the United States for the very kind congratulations which you offer me on this great and solemn day, and for the good wishes which you express for the prosperity of the British dominion and for the welfare of myself and my family. I heartily reciprocate your wishes that the friendly relations between the United States and my country may ever continue." Signed, "George R. I."

The Rev. Franklin Baker, pastor of the First Unitarian Church in Sacramento, a news despatch declares, said in his sermon Sunday, June 25, that the fifteen million dollars spent in baseball last season was better spent than the same sum in foreign missions. His sermon was a defense of Sunday baseball. His texts were, "To the pure are all things pure," and "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy,"—neither of which had any application to the subject in hand.

It was a wonderful exhibition of naval force which greeted the newly coronated monarchs of England. There were six miles of fighting craft of various nations. 185 ships roared their congratulations to the monarchs. Eighteen nations were represented, and the biggest war-ship afloat was the Delaware, from the United States.

June 24 the great Sunday-school convention in San Francisco took pledges to the amount of $125,000. This, it is said, is about half enough for the estimates of the next three years. Quite a number of life memberships were taken at $1,000 each.