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The Commoner.
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Current topics
SOME OF THE LARGER CITIES ARE CON
fronted with the problem of overcrowding
in the public schools. The portable school house
has been suggested as a solution. This plan if?
described by Harper's Weekly in this way: "The
idea of portable school buildings first came from
Paris. Then the idea reached th United States,
about five years ago, and Milwaukee was the first
to adopt it. In St. Louis, which next adopted the
portable school house, the plan was a great suc
cess. Several large eastern cities have within the
last year or so commenced on a small scale to
have portable school houses as a part of the edu
cational facilities. In St. Louis there has been a
great influx of people on account of the world's
fair. When the city schools-opened a few weeks'
ago "the increase was enormous, but the schools
were well able to care for them. The portable
school building, however, is all that saves them,
and when in any neighborhood there is a likeli
hood of an overcrowding, a portable school biiild
ing is at once moved in. At present there are
twenty-seven school houses of this kind in the
world's fair city, and all of i .n are in use."
3fJ fT
ALTHOUGH IN MANY INSTANCES CON
gressmen who opposed Mr. Roosevelt's reci
procity treaty were re-hominated and re-elected the
administration seems to have accepted the result
of the election as an indorsement of the Roosevelt
plans,, particularly with reference to Cuban reci
procity. On isovember 12 a conference "was held
between Secretary of State Hay, Secretary of War
Root and General Bliss. The Cuban reciprocity
treaty was under consideration at this conference.
The dispatches say that the objection of President
Palma to the treaty as it stands isthe insufficient
rebate of 20 per cent proposed to be allowed on
Cuban imports in the United States, rt is stated
that Secretary Hay is anxious to ascertain if pos
sible how far, he may yield to President Palma'a
..wishes in this respect and yet rely upon the sup
port of congress when the treaty is submitted. In
spite of the administration claim that the results
of the election is the complete indorsement of the
"-president's polic es, Secretary Hay does not ap
pear to be at all confident of his ability to per
suade congress to make any concessions on the line
of the objection raised by the president of the Cu
ban republic. On" the contrary, it is asserted that,
members of congress nave bluntly told Mr. Hay '
., that under no condition will congress submit to
' any substantial increase in the' rebate to be al
lowed on Cuban imports into the United States.
THAT SERIOUS DIFFICULTIES WILL ARISE
with relation to the Cuban question cannot
be doubted when it is generally understood as it
- is known in Washington circles that the Cubans
are not willing to accept an immaterial increase.
An Associated press dispatch referring to the con
ference held on November 12 conveys the informa
tion that in the face of the great shortage in the
European Tjrops and a rising market the Cubans
have acquired confidence in their ability to get
along for an indefinite period wituout reciprocity
with the United States, and this report declares
that it is generally understood that the Cubans
are displaying the indifference in the prosecution
of the treaty negotiations. It is pointed out that
President Palma makes the point that conditions
have changed in Cua so that whereas the 20 per
cent rebate might have served when it was first
proposed, it would at present afford so little relief
as not to warrant the sacrifice of Cuban revenues
' that would be involved in .its acceptance. Accord
ing to these same dispatches Secretary Hay has
determined to clear up that point and at the con
. fercnce it was decided that General Bliss should
visit Cuba and make a personal investigation of
the Industrial situation and the fiscal possibilities
Df the island.
A HIGH OFFICIAL OF THE GOVERNMENT,
is quoted by a representative of the Asso
ciated press with respect to this interesting ques
tion. It may not be doubted that the statement
made by this "high official" is a statement author
ized by the administration. This "high official"
explains: "The mission of General Bliss will be
to clear up in the minds of the Cubans some appre
hensions which they have regarding the effect of
the concession offered by the United States and
the various concessions which the United States
demands from Cuba. It seems apparent that the , .
situation is not understood in Cuba and the ne
gotiations halt on that account, 'mere is no dis
position to offer a greater concession to Cuba than
20 per cent, which will include all products of the
islands, Vhile the concessions demanded vary
from 10 to 70 per cent. This is explained by the fact
that concessions must be considered not so much
upon percentages as upon existing tariffs." The
tariu of the United States on all articles produced
in Cuba is so high that a 20 per cent reduction will
mean much to the island. This relates especiajly
to sugar and tcbacco. A single illustration is
given: The present duty on sugar is aboitt 100
per cent; a reduction of 20 per cent will give a re
bate to Cuba of $20 In every $10U worth of sugar
sent to this country. On the other hand, the duty
imposed by Cuba on cotton manufactured goods
is about 33 1-3 per cent,, and the United States
manufacturer shipping cotton goods to Cuba un
der a like 20 per cent rebate would secure an ad
vantage of only abdut $G.G6 on each $100 worth of
goods. To equalize this sacrifice it was found nec
essary to pay the rate of concession of cotton
goods going from the United States into Cuba at
GO per cent.
I. IS FURTHER POINTED OUT BY THIS Au
thorized statement that "it is thought here
tnat the Cubans have not considered the matter
from this point of view 'and that it will be in order
to inform them of the basis of the demands of the
United States. It is possible that the demands of
this country may be modified slightly on an in
vestigation of trade conditions in Cuba. It is not
likely, however, that any greater concession will
be granted Cuba as i, is held that the high rate of
duty on sugar and tobacco will, with 20 per cent
reduction, enable the Cubans to either undersell
all other foreigners or secure greater profits on
their products than people of other nations. The
reciprocity treaty is Jikely to be a separate docu
ment from any general treaty provided for under
the Piatt amendment. It makes no difference
whether or not the treaty: is negotiated with Cuba
save on the subject of the Isle of Pines. The Piatt
amendment being a part of our law and a part of
the Cuban constitution, it is held that it operates as
a binding proposition, even if the provisions of the
amendment are not embodied in a duty. The United
States will secure Ue coaling stations and Cuba
is bound to carry out the provisions . of her own
constitution. That the embodiment of the terms
of the Piatt amendment in a treaty would be well, "
it is not denied, but such action is not necessary
save to establisn closer and more friendly rela
tions between the two governments from a diplo
matic point of view."
TN BULGARIA RECENTLY A CHURCH
JL erected as a memorial to the Muscovite and
Bulgarian soldiers who fell in the storming of the
Shipka was dedicated. During the services a tele
gram was made public by the Bulgarian authori
ties which telegram purported to be a message of
congratulations from Emperor Nicholas to General
Count Ignatieff, the Russian ex-minister of state
and ex-amljassador, who, as president of the Pan
Slav community of Moscow and an active head of
the Pan-Slav movement, was a conspicuous figure
in the festivities. A writer in the Chicago Tribune
says that this telegram excited no end of attention
and comment by reason of the extravagant praise
lavished on Prince Ferdinand of Bulgaria, who
was referred to repeatedly therein as the "dear
and beloved brother" of the wruer. This writer
adds: "Now the word 'brother' is only used by
sovereigns in ceremonious reference to brother
monarchs of equal rank. For instance, King Ed
ward Would never dream of addressing the king of
Servia as 'brother,' and Napoleon III. embarked
France in the costly Crimean war because Czar
Nicholas declined to accord it to him. The fact,
therefore, that Emperqr Nicholas should have re
ferred to Prince Ferdinand,, who at the best is a
vassal of the sultan, as a 'brother,' created no end
of comment, being regarded as an intimation to
the effect that Russia regarded the prince of Bul
garia not merely as an independent sovereign, but
as a ruler of the highest ranlc. It now turns out
that the writer of the telegram was not Emperor
Nicholas of Russia, but Prince Nicholas of Monte
negro, and he Bulgarian government has ,been
forced by a peremptory demand from St. Peters
burg to publish an intimation to this effect, late
in tho day and rather humiliating to Prlnco Ferdinand."
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AN INTERESTING STORY RELATES TO THE
recent resignation of John H. Baker, as
United States district judge in Indiana. About a
year ago Francis H. Baker, Judge John H. Baker's
son, was appointed judge of the federal court in
the Honsier state. The appointment of the young-
Vol. a, No. 47.
er Baker was resisted on the ground that it would
not be well to have two members of tho same
family on, the federal ben5h in the same state. It
now develops, however, that an understanding was
had that if the younger Baker should be appointed,
the older would resign. This promise has been
fulfilled.
t? &
T" -IE COURT OF APPEALS OF THE DISTRICT
of Columbia recently rendered a decision in
a cascinvolving the right to sell and dispose of
liquors at the capitol. Proceedings had been com
menced against the Capitol restaurant proprietors
charging them with violating the liquor laws of
the district, and further with ignoring the regula
tion which prohibits the sale of liquor on a gov
ernment reservation. The court of appeals holds
that congress, being a self-governing body, may
regulate the affairs of the capitol building accord
ing to its own pleasure.
AN INTERESTING STORY CONCERNING THE
Great Salt Lake at Utah is presented by a
wnter in the Chicago Record-Herald. This writer
declares that this body of water known as Amer
ica's Dead Sea is gradually passing away. It is
pointed out that a few years ago what is known as
Garfield Beach was surrounded by water which
was from four to five feet deep, Amt during the last
. summer it was necessary to walk half a mile lake
ward before water could be found of sufficient
depth for bathing. It is said by this writer that
the resort authorities are considering two
schemes to preserve the place for bathers. One
is to build an artificial lake around the present
site, and wall it in, and the other is to move
it further out into the receding body of water.
If the latter project is undertaken it may be found
necessary to "keep moving" from year to year, as
the lake is growing smaller at a phenomenal rate.
This dead sea once occupied the entire Utah Val
ley. Tho "water line," which is visible along the
mountains bordering the valley, reaches as high
as one thousand feet above the present surface of
the lake. The salt deposit on the shore extends
at some points miles inland, thus proving a re
markable recession of the water in recent years.
In 1861 a writer said of the Great Salt Lake and
vicinity: "Not a tree flourishes on its border,
nor on any of the adjacent plains.' But this his
tory ha3 been outdone, for today the adjacent
plains abound in groves, fruit trees and fields of
grain, all of which has" been niade possible through
a system of Irrigation. The discovery of the
magic influence of water on this supposedly barren
soil is causing the mountain streams to be diverted
from their accustomed paths and the lake to be
robbed of its supply. Meanwhile evaporation is
steadily reducing the level of the lake. Snow does
not fall in the mountains as heavily as in past
years, hence the streams are not fed so bountifully.
Farmers and municipalities clamor for increased
quantities of the precious fluid and the hand of
law is invoked to settle the question of ownership,
while the great lake is forgotten and is actually
dying of thirst
THE ANNUAL REPORT OF, THE COMMIS
sary general of the United States army
presents some interesting figures. This report
shows that $227,284.98 were spent for meals for re
cruiting parties and recruits and that $26,902.15
was spent for "liquid coffee for troops travelling. '
The interesting sum of $233,569.17 was spent for
ice and $366,749.72 was spent for wages to inspec
tors and "miscellaneous small employes." The
report also shows that the department sold to
officers goods to the value of $21,538.22 and to en
listed men goods to the value of $65,000.' This re
port shows that among the stock "kept on hand
for sale to officers and enlisted men,u may be
found tho following articles: Candy, can openers,
chamois skins, cheese ,cherries, chocolate, cigar3,
cinnamon, clothespins, cloves, cocoa, coffee", lob
ster, lye, macaroni, matches, needles, nutmegs,
oatmeal, pins, pipes, plum pudding, polish, pre
serves, tapioca, thread, tobacco, toilet water,
tongue, tooth powder.
AN IDEA OF THE ENORMOUS QUANTITY
of mail that is never claimed is given in the
, annual report of the dead letter office for the
last fiscal year, which report was submitted pn
October 14 by Acting Postmaster General Wynne.
This report shows total receipts 9,300,351 pieces of
mail matter pf all kinds, an increase of 9 per cent
over last year. ..The ordinary unclaimed letters
numbered 6,446,60$ ;: ordinary unclaimed returned
from foreign countries, 620,235; letters and par
cels held for postage, 156,831; domestic letters un
delivered at hotels, 306,232; letters and parcels
with .fictitious address, 150,307; bearing no address
81.068; originating iri' foreign 'countries, 838,805.
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