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The Commoner.
13
Yt a, N. 38.
V.
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MWMYVWW
J e flews of the Week
Affairs in Iroland nro again attract
ing tho attention of England and it is
said that tho condition there is caus
ing "considerable anxiety." Tho land
lords have refused to attend tho pro
posed land conforonco and this is taken
as a bad sign for tho peace of Iroland.
Tho nationalists continuo their anti
govornmont campaign, and tho govern
ment retaliates by onforcing tho crimes
act and interesting complications aro
expectod.
A California report has it that J.
Piorpont Morgan is about to identify
himself with tho oil interests of that
state. A company having a capitaliza
tion of $5,000,000 has been organized
and this money is to bo dovoted to tho
construction of linos, pumping stations,
storage tanks, and tho like. It is
statod that Mr. Morgan and his asso
ciates havo also formed a separate
company, capitalized at $20,000k000,
half of which will be invested in im
proving ground and tho other half
turned into a reserve fund. It is
stated that tho Morgan syndicate will
bo prepared to handle 2,000,000 barrels
tho first year and will increase that
amount at tho rate of 1,000,000 a year
until tho whole demand for tho mar
ket is met
agreement tho wages that shall bo paid
and tho conditions of employment that
shall obtain for a specific period.
President Mitchell contends that here
tofore tho public has been misinformed
as to tho facts in tho struggle and also
makes tho claim that the miners aro
and havo been willing to arbitrate
all of tho questions raised. Ho also
presented facts and figures tending to
show that tho statement of Mr. Baer,
one of tho coal operators, that "tho
"wages paid in the anthracite coal re
gions aro, compared with tho wages
paid in like employment, fair and
just," is incorrect, and the whole re
port has excited a great deal of com
ment and discussion.
Advices from Rome, under date of
September 27, give an account of a ter
rific storm that dovasted portions of
Sicily, causing the death of hundreds
of persons and the destruction of an
immense amount of property. The cy
clono was followed 'by heavy rains,
which havo aggravated the disaster.
Military maneuvers' havo been In
progress at Fort Riley, Kansas, in
which United States troops of Kansas,
Nebraska, and other states in the mid
dle portion of the country havo taken
part.
It was reported from London on Sep
tember 27 that tho tobacco war which
has been in progress for some time
has been settled by the amalgamation
of tho American and British interests.
The negotiations have been pending
since August 19, and the combination
effected is expected to afford larger
fields for general Anglo-American com
mercial returns.
A Des Moinqs, la., dispatch of Sep
tember 27. relates that Judco A. H.
McVey rendered an opinion that chap- j
ter 29, acts of the Twenty-eighth gen
eral assembly, authorizing trust com
panies to go into voluntary liquidation,
is void because unconstitutional. The
appeal of certain stockholders of the
Homo Savings and Trust company
from the appointment of a trustee in
accordance with this statute, is sus
tained, Trustee Bremner being removed-
and a receiver being substituted.
tho assertion that the United State
will bo able to open up cable com
munication with Manila, P. I., by July
4, 1903. Mr. Ward says that the cable
is being made in London at the rate of
fifty miles a day, or 300 miles a week,
and will be finished in March. "Three
ships will lay tho cable," said Mr.
Ward. "The Silvorton, Colonia and
Anglia. Two of them will begin from
Manila and one from San Francisco.
Then they meet in midocean, the ends
will bo spliced. Already one of tho
ships has started for the Philippine isl
ands by way of the Suez canal. The
ship to lay tho San Francisco end of
the cable will go from London through
the straits of Magellan and then up
the Pacific coast"
Fifteen hundred employes of the
Now Orleans Street Railway company
struck on September 28 because of the
refusal of the company to grant their
demands for higher wages and short
er ifours, and as a result not a car was
operated in that city on the day in
question. The company has advertised
for 900 men and asked the mayor for
two policemen for eacn car, and though
it fa hoped that these radical meas
ures may not be taken, preparations
are being made on both sides for trou
ble. A later report also gives notice of
the intention of the linemen of the
light company to strike.
' An Associated press London cable
gram of September 27 Bays: A special
from Rome, after confirming the re
ports from Rome that Stromboli has
been in full eruption for some time,
says: Tho night scene was grand, but
terrifying. Lava streamed down tho
mountain sides seaward, while huge
boulders were hurled from the crater
to a great height, falling into the sea
fully two and. a half miles from the.
mount Tno director of the observatory
at Mount Etna says there has been no
earthquake in Sicily, but that; prob
ably, there has been a submarine erup
tion between Stromboli and Sicily,
One hundred and fifty corpses havo
been reported at Mardica. One hun
dred victims were drowned in-the open
country.
The progress of the coal strike con
tinues on aggressive linos. t On Septem
ber 28 President Mitchell issued a
frank statement as. to tho .demands of
tho coal miners as-followB: First, an
increase in wages for men employed
on piece "work. Second, a reduction in
the hours of labor for men employed
by the day. Third, payment for a le
gal ton of coal. Fourth, that the coal
w,e mine shalL bo. honestly weighed
ahd. correctly recorded, and, fifth; wo
favor, incorporating- in the form of an
A committee of Boston citizens
sought relief in tho courts from the
present coal shortage and high prices
on September 27 by asking for a receiver-
for the coal companies and coal
carrying roads. The Associated press
report says: ""A bill in equity was
filed in the supreme court against the
following named corporations: The
Philadelphia & Reading Railroad com
pany, the Central Railroad of New
Jersey, the Lehigh Valley Railroad
company, the Delaware, Lackwanna
& Western Railroad company, the Del
aware & Hudson company, the New
York, Ontario & Western railroad, the
Erie Railroad company, tho Pennsyl
vania Coal company, and the Phila
delphia & Reading Iron & Coal com
pany. The petitioners ask that a re
ceiver be appointed for the benefit of
all concerned upon such terms and in
such manner, and with such agents
and servants, and with such rates of
wages and other conditions of employ
ment and at such prices for goods pro
duced and sold, as the court shall from
time to time adjudge proper. The bill
is based upon the legal theory of the
coal situation, given by H. W. Chaplin,
a lawyer. Mr. Chaplin says in support,
of his position: "Since the public has
a right in the mines, a right to have
coal forthwith mined for immediate
consumption, and have a right to have
that coal immediately transported out
of the mine regions, by the coal carry
ing roads, a court of equity, if no other
solution of the difficulty is open, has
authority to, and upon the application
of a. TYnrfiSP.TitiHvn tinrUnn nf fha nun.
- pie- undoubtedly would appoint a re
. coiver or receivers to take into his or
their hands the wholri business now
in the hands bf tho anthracite com
bine, and to run it in their place." A
subpoenae to serve on the defendants,
giving notice of the bringing of the
suit, is to bo taken out on Monday
by the plaintiffs lawyer, and it will
probably be returnable in November.
Reports from Salina Cruz., the Pa
cific terminus of the Tehauntepec Na
tional railway in Mexico, confirm the
rumor of seventy earthquakes oh Sep
tember 23. To add to tho disaster a
huge tidal wave swept in from the
sea, invading part of the town, de
stroying houses and damaging the port
works. The dispatch says in conclu
sion: The case was one absolutely
impossible to foresee and provide
against, its occurrence being one that
scarcely happens in a generation. Tho
loss from the breaking down of the
new sea wall and the sweeping away of
the huge crane will be 500,000.
The death of Emile Zola, the novel
ist, was reported from Paris on Sep
tember 29. It is said that his death
was accidental and was caused by
asphyxiation. Emile Zola was one of
tho most celehrated Frenchmen of the
age. Ho was born in 1840, and although
a noted novelist and writer, he gained
much of his fame by his defense of
Dreyfiis, a letter of his on the case
causing' it to be reopened and the
eventual release of the prisoner.
A life' size statue of the Hungarian
patriot, Louis Kossuth, was unveiled
in Cleveland, O., on September 28.
Addresses wero made by Mayor John
son, Senator Hanna, Congressman
Burton and Governor Nash.
Vice President. George. G...Ward of
the Commercial Cable, company?, makes.
Secretary of the Treasury Shaw is
making avery effort to co-operate with
the banks of the country to obtain the
necessary oredit to supply- the great
amount of business that is taxing rail
roads and steamship lines to the ut
most His plan is to allow securities
instead of cash to be deposited with
the treasury hereafter, and this plan
will increase the money circulation
about $30,000,000. The new plan may
be summed up aa follows: First, tho
release of practically $30,000,000 re
serve, which will permit the banks
to increase their volume of business
$130,000,000. Second, tho substitution
of other security for consols now held
by the government on condition that
the same shall be used as a basis for
increased circulation, which, if ac
cepted by the banks, will immediately
increase tho volume $20,000,000 or $25,
000,000 and will add thereto if needed.
Third, continuation of deposits to the
limit ahowed: by law, accepting, if nec
essary, security other than govern
ment bonds,.
all the cable lines this week. There
fore I suggest th dispatch to this point
of warships in case, communication is
interrupted." This is interpreted in
official quarters to mean that condi
tions are very unfavorable with re
spect to" the government in Venezuela.
Another Washington dispatch gives
an estimate of the expense of rural
free mail delivery for the next fiscal
year as being $12,055,800, which is
a net increase of $5,126,400 over tho
appropriation made for this year. '
A cablegram frpm San Juan, Porto
Rico, under date of September 29,
says: Twelve hundred public schools
were opened over the entire island this
morning. Tho attendance totalled
over 50,000.
Advices from Manila report -that
cholera threatens to depopulate the islr
and of Samar. It is reported that ttio
total number of cases in tho islands
is 70,222and 48,402 deaths, and owing
to the difficulty of obtaining correct
reports, it is feared that the actual
facts ih the case will show about 100,
000 cases with deaths in proportion.
During a typhoon that raged on Sep
tember 29 in Japan, p. tidal wave Bwept
tho Odawara district and five hundred
people are reported drowned. -
An organization known as tho Peo
ple's Coal league, was launched at
Springfield, JVlass., on September 29.
The platform in brief is as follows:
"We demand that the federal govern
ment own the coal mines and 'admin
ister them in the interests of the
whole people." The league will have
headquarters in Chicago, New York
arid Springfield, and tho promoters of
tno plan nope to meet with great suc
cess.
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It is reported from' London that Sir
Marcus Sampel was elepted lord mayor
of the city for the ensuing year, suc
ceeding Sir Joseph C. Dimsdale. Tho
election took place on September 29.
A Washington report says that esti
mates of the postmaster general of the
appropriations required for all the
postmasters in the United States dur
ing the next fiscal year aggregate $46,
925,220, which is an increase of $3,
614,700 over the appropriation made
.for the current year.
The proposed ship combine was in
corporated at Trenton, N. J., on Octo
ber 1 by the filing of papers amending
the certificates of incorporation of the
International Navigation company
which were filed in June, 1893, with an
authorized capital of $15,000,000. The
amended certificate changes the name
of the companysand also increased tho
capital stock to $120,000,000.
United States Minister Bowon sta-'
tioned at Caracas, on .September 28
sent tho following cablegram to Wash
ington! "Have, ben, reliably informed-
that.th government will probably cut
A special, dispatch from Waterloo,
la., under date of October 1,,'says:
The Black Hawk county grand jury to
day created a sensation by returning
ilndictments against the Illinois Cen
tral, Chicago & Great Western and
Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific rail
ways, charging them with conspiracy.
The action is brought under the state
law forbidding coroorations to com
bine for the fixing of the price of com
modities, it was Instituted to test the
new demurrage rules, which the three
companies put in force hero .August 1,
by which, they- established a charge
,to shippers of $i a day for every day a
car .was hold for unloading in -excess
of forty-eight hours. Townsend &
Merrill, lumber and coal dealers of
Cedar Falls, wore charged $5 for a car
held five days beyond, the time limit
and, they took, tha, matter,. Tsefore- tho
grand jury. .".-.'
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