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
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