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About The commoner. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-1923 | View Entire Issue (Nov. 13, 1903)
7 NOVEMBER Zt 1003. teo forth'; deposits,, as, In the case of the Aldrlch bill. Representative' Fowler aaya that had this scheme been In operation for the last twenty-five years, the government Tfouldhave -mado . $50,- 000,000 and neTwrlost a cent' . t 10 jC THE THIRD FEATURE OP THE NEW FOWL er bill -will bo a provision for asset or credit currency. On this, point the Times' correspondent says: "National banks will be permitted to iBsue such ..currency by depositing in the United States treasury gold coin or government bonds equal to 6 per cent, pi the amount so issued, and this 5 per cent, together with the 2 per cent interest upon government deposits and a 1 per cent tax on the notes' thus issued, would constitute a 'guar antee fund.' When this guarantee fund amounted to more than $10,000,000 the excess over this amount wpuld bo utilized in purchasing gold bul lion to t3 placed in the issue and redemption di vision of thG irp&Lury for the purpose, of convert ing the grppntacltij into gold certificates. This last feature will, therefore, supplement the first features foi; the 'Impounding' of the greenbacks." Mr. Fowler expresses the opinion that his bill will very soon be enacted into law because It has been so rearranged as to meet the approval of bankers generally. KARL VON BOECHMAN, FORMERLY OF Johannesburg, South Africa, and now trav eling in this country, expressed, in an Interview 1 with a representative of the Chicago Chronicle, the opinion that South Africa will not be under British dominion for more than ton years at the most. Mr. 'Von Boechman said: "The Trans vaal, Natal, the Orange Free State, as It was called of yore, and Cape Colony, will at no dis tant day form a federation and become as free of English control as Canada Is now. I spent most of my life in South Africa, but after the War with England could never be content to live there. It Is a good land naturally, and would become populous and rich but for the way the capitalistic combine which owns the Kimberley diamond field and the gold mines contrives to shut off develop ment of native resources and to exclude foreigners who might come in and build up the country. The selfish and grasping combine does not look to the general welfare, but seeks only its private ends. It does all it can to keep the outside world from coming Into any of this territory, 'which It now dominates and hopes to dominate fdr all time." WHILE THE SHIP SUBSIDY 'BILL IS LIKE ly to be revived at the coming session of congress, the Washington correspondent for the Philadelphia Public Ledger says that no final ac tion is expected. This correspondent explains: "It is understood that it has been. tacitly agreed by the republican leaders In congress not to enact any legislation this winter which will react upon the party In the presidential campaign of 1904. The ship subsidy measure is one of those, It is understood, .which Is regarded as a dangerous law upon which to go before the country. "While the bill is likely to be renewed this winter and pushed to a certain stage, final action is not probable un til the session of 1904. No measure will be al lowed to progress to the voting r age at the first session of- the Fifty-eighth congress which might require explanation and defense before the people in the campaign. Measures of this character will be carefully nursed, however, with the approaching session and be ready for action at the session which will begin December, 1904, following the election of the next president and of the lower branch of the Fifty-ninth congress." IN THE ANNUAL REPORT OF W. A. RICH ards of the general land office, which report as recently made public, it is shown that during the past year a large increase has been made in the total number of supposedly fraudulent land entries. Mr. Richards attributes the discovery of these frauds largely to an order given by the sec retary of the interior November 2, 1902, directing an investigation of entries made under the timber and stone act in tile states of California, Oregon and Washington. Under Us order alone 10,000 entries were suspended and there are now fifteen special land agents of the land office fn the field engaged in ferreting out fraudulent entries. Ac cording to Commissioner Richards, during the year there were reported 12& unlawful enclosures of public land, covering an a-ea of 2,605,390 cres. Seventy-nine of these enclosures 'were removed and proceedings are pending to compel the re moval of the remaining n mber, Mr. Richards says that the number mentioned are only a frac tion of the enclosures in violation of the law, spe cial agents having found it Impossible to give at- The Commoner tontlon to many others because of the-order for a special investigation of the entries- 'under the timber and stone act. SIR ALFRED JONES, A LEADING LIVER pool merchant and the president of the chamber of commerce of that town, recently mado a very interesting statement with respect to cot ton. The London correspondent for tho Now York Herald quotes Sir Alfred Jones as having said that after a thorough study of cotton produc tion, ho had come to tho conclusion that America soon would want all the cotton sho grows and would in a short- time even be required to buy cotton. Sir Alfred Jones pointed out that ten years ago America produced 7,000,000 bales of cotton and that Great Britain took one-half of tll6m, but now Amorica produces 11,000,000 bales and Britain tanes no more than she did ten years ago. These facta indicated to him that, it was absolutely necessary that England make some effort to provide a supply of cotton from other sources. ac jc SOME INTERESTING STATISTICS AS TO THE accidents that happened this season in mountain climbing were recently issued from Ber lin. Tho figures include Switzerland, tho Tyrol, Italy and Germany. It is said that altogether 148 serious accidents are recorded, involving 190 persons. One hundred and thirty-six persons have been killed either by falls, lightning, frost, or other causes. Sixty have been Injured, and of these several subsequently succumbed to their in juries. The fate of ten persons who disappeared In the mountains hag still to bo discovered. July is accountable for 37 accidents, August 44, Septem ber 30, tho others being spread over tho remaining months of the year. Geneva authorities put tho number killed at 300. THE MEASURE KNOWN AS THE IRISH land act went Into effect on November 1, and to many people the success of the measuro which will moan so much to the Irish people soems already assured. One of the first transac tions under tho new law is tho salo of the Leinster , estate, which -will involve an advance of over ?5, 000i000 to tho trustees of the estate. This advance is .to be repaid by the tenants in yearly Install ments, and It, la said that in sixty-eight years the tenants will hold their holdings in fee simple, free of rent forever. Tho much discussed question of home rule as pertaining to tho Irish people, is In . a fair way to be settled If this land question adjusts itself satisfactorily, according to the opin ion of many people in England and Ireland. THE AIM OF THE LAND ACT, ACCORDING to the London correspondent of the Brook lyn Eagle, is "the general extinction of dual own ership, by buying' out tho landlords. Existing pur chases will continue only on the mutual agree ment of landlord and tenant. In order to hasten the transfer of land by purchase the government will give a tree grant of $60,000,000, to be used in making it worth the landlords' while to sell. Tho purchasing tenant is promised a reduction of his purchase installments, as compared with his act ual rent, of from 10 to 30 per cent on second term holdings, and from 20 to 40 per cent on judicial rents fixed before 1890, When landlords and ten ants come to a; bargain the advance must be made, if within the limitations sot, or, in the absence of any bargain, the commissioners may purchase, with power to resell to tenants in occupation or to other claimants, in accordance with tho terms of the act." JC A TREATY BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES and Hong Kong, China, relating to the par cels post system, was agreed upon October 31 and the treaty is to be formally drafted at once. Ac cording to the Washington correspondent of tho Now York ximes, this treaty "provides a maxi mum weight limit of four pounds six ounces. The policy of the United States in extending the par cels post system Is now to allow a maximum of four pounds. six ounces in the eastern hemisphere. Charge Ralkes of tho British embassy and Post master General Payne discussed the question of two-cent postage between the United States and Hong Kong, and Mr. Ralkes will refer the matter to his government" AN INTERESTING DECISION WAS MADE by Second Assistant Postmacfer General Madden recently. Not long ago four tin canisters containing ashes of cremated persons, addressed from New York to San Francisco, were sent to the postoffice department at Washington fore! slflcatlon in rrder to determine postal charge, and according to the ruling mado by Mr. Madden .m; i 8no..R hVmn toing may be classed -ft pack d Prov,dcd tho matter is. securely tr TT IS BELIEVED THAT ANOTHER 15FFORT i. i b0. raado ftt tho coming session of co SSSL nCwatS a1coIo1n,a department With a sec- SSKJffc ,ts ih,cad. w wm b a member of ths president's cabinet. Sonntor Forakcr of Ohio has already announced his purpose to introduce a bill creating such a acpartment Col. Clarence K. Ed wards, the present head or tho insular .bureau of the war department, Is mentioned as the head of tho new department If congress can be Induced to pass such a measuro. The Washington correspon dent for tho St. Louis Post-Dispatch, writing of this now plan, says: "At present tho insular bureau hag a Jorco of 100 clerics. That is the chief nigumont In favor of tho creation of tho now de partment. As the colonel conducts the affairs of his bureau, ho oxerciscs almost as much authority as tho average member of the cabinet, which is another nrgumont for tho creation of tho now po sition. The name, Insular department, has been agreed upon by Senator Forakcr and others in terested, as being tho least objectionable, but It is not proposed to conflno tho authority of tho de partment to tho administration of affairs of tho insular part of tho national domain. The Idea is- to include Alaska in tno sphere of activities of tho department, notwithstanding It has a ter ritorial form of government." IT JC THAT IT COSTS THE UNITED STATES Gov ernment tho sum of $2,329 to carry mall from Now Yonc to "tho outer end of Its territory," Is the claim advanced by a writer in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. This "outer end" of territory is said to be Point Barrow in Alaska, a distance of. 3,452 miles from New York, and such arc the dlt-' Acuities of travel that tho journoy one way cov ers almost five months, and five different methods of transportation are used, tho cost to tho gov ernment being the samo If there Is but one letter to bo sent AFTER A COMPETITION IN WIUCH THE leading engravers of tho United States took active part, tho task of designing tho new seal of the United States government was finally awarded to a Philadelphian, Max Zeltlor by name. It will be recalled tliat tho old seal of tho government in use since 1885 had become somewhat dimmed and congress had appropriated $1,250 for a new one. Mr. Zeltler began work on the seal In tho latter part of May and was under contract to complete It by June 10, which was done. From the moment he began work on the steel die until it was given to the government tho engraver was under sur-. volllance by secret service men, because of the fear of the government that the seal might be stolen. The new seal is now In use In tho state' department and Is declared to bo much superior to the old cue. if ac THE KICKAPOO INDIANS, ONCE A POWER ' ful tribe ruling over a large section of the Missouri valley, recently left Indian Territory and will hereafter pay allegiance to the flag of Mexico. It is said that In tho days of their highest powers the tribe numbered 70,000, but now they have dwindled to less than 700. A dispatch to the 8t. Louis Post-Dispatch from South Molester, I. T., recently, said: "During tho civil war the Klcka pooa, being a peaceful people, fled to Mexico and settled In a fertile valley In the state of Coa hulla. After the war all but 176 of them returned to tho Indian 'icrrltory. The descendents of those who remained In Mexico now number 442, while of the 412 who were in the Territory 30 years ago only 184 survive. Tho last of these have gono now to join the remainder of the tribe In Mexico. In the Territory, with an advance of civilization, the tribe found Itself slowly, but surely, becom ing extinct. Finally tho death rate became so high that the tribal councillors decided the only thing left for them was to get as far away from civilization as possible. The Mexican absentee had Invited them several times to join them in Mexico and finally, at a grand pow-wow of tho whole tribe It was decided to accept the Invita tion. The Mexican government gave the tribe a grant of all tno land embraced In the valley In which they had originally settled. The Indians will farm enough for their own supply and engage in stock raising for profit This, with the Incom from their lands in the Indian Territory, will af ford them a good living." I .'. ' -&'. JerL ;Lf. iLiftiifrtlhtl . M 'SuMyKbnAl itjiat . t.tnmhi i irwin" "- -i-.aM.- i.