Conservative 13
the Philippines will bo fit for statehood.
Detroit Free Press ( Itid. Dam. ) .
One-tenth of the sum needed for the
conquest of the Malays of the Philip
pines would create a great merchant
marine , which could be protected by
naval stations all over the world , to be
had almosb for the asking. The talk
about "destiny , " of course , is an insult
to a great nation , which up to the pres
ent time has been powerful enough to
dictate her own destiny. It may do for
such crumbling nations as Turkey or
Spain ; but when the American people
become content to whine tearfully that
they are "powerless to oppose the
march of destiny , " the last glorious
achievement of this great republic will
have been recorded. Boston Adver
tiser ( Rep. ) .
SLEEPING-CAR KATES IN AMEKICA
AND EUROPE.
Consul Benjamin H. Ridgely. writing
from Geneva to the Railway Age , com
paring sleeping-car rates in America and
Europe , says in part :
"The more a citizen of the United
States lives and travels abroad , the more
does he learn to respect and appreciate
many American institutions ; and partic
ularly he learns to respect and appreci
ate American railroads. When ho be
gins to study the comparative conditions
under which the railroads of the United
States and Europe are operated , the
more is he impressed with the fact that
the railroads of the United States give
the people infinitely more for their
money , and yet work under many dis
advantages that no railway corporation
of Europe would even remotely think of
tolerating.
"When I told a great French railway
director of the difficulties the American
railroad managers were having to pro
tect themselves against scalpers , he was
astounded.
" 'Why , ' said he , 'here in France , the
first juge d'instruction to whom they
might be presented , would regard them
as common knaves and punish them ac
cordingly. I am amazed that the laws
of the United States do not deal with
such pests as with ordinary rogues. '
"I know what it is to leave Geneva at
8:37 : at night and pay just a little less
than $5 for a berth in the sleeper to
Paris , from which I am forced to de
scend at half-past six the next morning.
In the United States I1 would pay the
Pullman company $2 for the same ser
vice , and would have a more comfort
able bed. Hence I write more or less
feelingly on the subject.
"From Paris to Constantinople , a
journey consuming a little less than
three days by the oriental express , the
sleeping-car fare is $21.50 , or about $7 a
day. This is considerably cheaper than
the charges for similar accommodation
on the French lines but it is still much
higher than in the United States. For
example , the regular sleeping-car rate
from Now York to Chicago , a distance
of 080 miles is $5 ; from Chicago to Mis
souri river , 500 miles the rate is $2.50 ;
from Chicago to Louisville , 824 miles ,
$2 ; from Cincinnati to St. Louis , about
the same distance , $2.
"A thing that at once astounds the
American traveler and impresses him as
a tremendous imposition , is the rule on
nearly all the roads ( outside of Ger
many ) that requires not only a berth
faro for each person who goes to bed in
the sleeper but exacts a first-class rail
way ticket for every berth occupied.
"Probably the most expensive fares
paid anywhere in the world are from
Paris to Nice a distance of 675 miles
for which the sleeping-car fare on the
limited trains is $20 , and $24 for the rail
road ticket. This train runs at only 44
miles an hour , and a passenger is al
lowed only 60 pounds of free baggage.
"Between Geneva and Genoa a ride
of 16 hours there is no sleeper run.
Also none in winter between Geneva
and Paris. If you ask a railway official
why this is , he simply shrugs his should
ers , and answers briefly that it doesn't
pay.
" 'Besides , ' he adds , 'there is but one
railway line , as monsieur knows very
well. Consequently persons who must
go will do so , whether their are sleepers
or not , is it not so ? The company works
only for money , is it not ? ' he adds ,
naively. "
Consul Ridgely gives two elaborate
tables , showing distance , railroad fare
and sleeper fare between Berlin and
prominent European points , and also be
tween Paris and the same. In conclu
sion he says :
"I declare it to be my opinion that no
where in the world does one in a single
night get so much luxury and comfort ,
and , I may add safety , for $2 , as on the
Pullman sleeping cars in the United
States. When we consider , moreover ,
that our railroads supply them at an ex
pense to themselves , instead of exacting
pay for them , and thereby necessarily
making the rates for berths much
higher , as the European roads do , the
spirit of liberality in which they do it
ought to be much more appreciated than
it is. "
EPOCH-MAKING DISCOVERY.
"All students of the problems of Mal-
thus and all lovers of their kind will be
deeply interested in the discoveries of
the Garton brothers of England. What
Darwin did for speculation these agri
culturists have done for the world's
food supply. Their discoveries seem to
be epoch-making and promise a new era
for agriculture. A century ago by a
system of cross-breeding Bakewell in
creased the weight of the average
bullock by 450 pounds. Similar methods
increased the size , strength and speed of
horses. In the orchard also , by cross-
grafting , horticulturists took the apple
and pear that were small and acrid and
lent them size and sweetness. During
the last fifteen years the Gartons have
been experimenting upon cereals.
Bitherto fanners have increased the
yield of grain by fertilization or irriga
tion , but the Gartons double the harvest
by cross-breeding. Farmers know that
the spelt of Asia holds the grains of
wheat so tightly that the heads break
off , but will not thrash , while the ripe
Fife wheat shells out in the field unless
cut immediately. After many years of
experiment the Gartons have produced
a variety of wheat that after ripening
will stand for thirty days without shell
ing. The stalk also is so strong that it
stands up against all wind and rain
s arms , while the yield per ac e is near
ly doubled. Working with barley , they
have changed the barley head with two
rows into a head with six rows. By
crossing the English and Japanese oat
they have produced a huskless oat , and
made the bushel to weigh , not thirty-
two pounds , but fifty , while at the same
time increasing the yield. The red and
white clovers have also been successfully
crossed , and the red clover has been
made perennial. Knowing that if they
sell a few bushels to individuals in a few
years their cereals will seed the world ,
without any recompense for fifteen
years of costly experiments , the Garton
brothers are trying to sell their seeds to
the agricultural departments of govern
ments. Our own government now has
a representative upon the Garton farm ,
investigating the new grains there so
successfully grown. Scientists and
practical farmers who have investigated
their work believe that the food supply
of the world is very shortly to be
doubled. If < he who makes 'two blades
of grass to grow where one was is a
philanthropist , ' how much more is he
who doubles the harvests , halving man's
labor and sorrow ? "
THE CONSERVATIVE of Nebraska City ,
edited by J. Sterling Morton , says :
"There is need of apolitical party in the
United states which can live without
traditions and promulgate policies and
principles without fear of running
amuck with its own precedents and plat
forms. The objections to a new party
are not insuperable. The republican
party was organized in 1854. It ran
Fremont for the Presidency in 1856. It
elected Lincoln because of a divided
democracy in 1860. " Whether the time
has come for a new party or not it is not
for us to decide , but that there are new
issues and high causes waiting for study
and solution , issues and causes that run
across existing party lines and that are
not adequately represented by the tra
ditions or present spirit of any party in
this country , wo have persistently in
sisted. The New Unity , Chicago , No
vember 24.
THE CONSERVATIVE received twenty
yearly subscriptions from Omaha alone
during the past week.
" *
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