News and Miscellany

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Tacoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Sep 1, 1910

News and Miscellany

— According to a life-insurance journal, 12,500 persons committed suicide in the United States last year.

— A statement issued at Washington shows that during the past year 316 arrests have been made for counterfeiting.

— Only $100,000 was appropriated by Congress to inaugurate the new system of postal banks. It is proposed to select one city of moderate size in each State for a trial of the system. The Post-office Department is besieged by requests for these banks from all parts of the country.

— Ten and one-half miles of the Panama Canal are now open to navigation, — five miles at the Pacific entrance, and 5½ miles just opened on the Atlantic side.

— Half of the work for a bachelor's degree in a well-known Western university may be done by correspondence; and it is stated that no fewer than 10,000 students have taken advantage of this permission.

— An illicit whisky still, having a capacity of 100 gallons a day, was discovered last week in Washington, D. C., almost within sight of the national Capitol. It is claimed that the still has been in operation for some time.

— A serious wreck occurred shortly before midnight on August 24, on the Grand Trunk, at Duffield, near Durand, Mich., when train No. 4 ran into the Montreal express, which had stopped to make repairs to its engine. The wreckage immediately caught fire, which added greatly to the difficulty of rescue. Eight scalded and burned bodies have been recovered, three persons are missing, and eight received injuries that may prove fatal.

— By a ruling of the Internal Revenue Bureau, druggists will be allowed to sell any one of two hundred or more named articles — perfumes, essences, drugs, and medicines — only on the payment of the government liquor tax. This is because these articles have been examined by chemists, “and have been found to be so little medicated as to leave them in the class of alcoholic beverages.” Their sale has been large in prohibition communities.

— During the fiscal year 1910, ending June 30, there were imported into the United States $250,000,000 worth of articles classed as luxuries. This is $25,000,000 more than the record for 1907 — the former high-record year — and twice that for 1900. Diamonds, jewelry, laces, embroidery, furs, feathers, perfumery, beads, cigars, liquors, wines, automobiles, toys, orchids, palms, etc., are classed as luxuries in the statistics issued by the Department of Commerce and Labor.

— A new music hall, twenty stories high, and costing $3,000,000, is to be erected in Chicago. A woman's smoking-room, in which all kinds of cigarettes will be provided for patrons free, and where liquid refreshments will be served to those who desire them, is a much-talked-of feature. It has long been recognized that the hope of the temperance cause lies largely in the education of the children; but what shall avail the most earnest efforts when the mothers of children thus let down the bars, and welcome the allies of intemperance?

— The “White City” of the Belgians' world fair at Brussels, was almost totally destroyed by fire during the second week in August. One hundred thousand persons were in the grounds at the time of the outbreak of the flames, which, carried by a high wind, spread rapidly in all directions. The property loss is estimated at $10,000,000. Priceless treasures of jewels, tapestries, furniture, paintings, and sculpture were destroyed. The small loss of life — so far as is known, only 2 persons were killed, and 30 injured — was considered marvelous under the circumstances.

— The most extensive and serious forest fires known in the history of the West, have raged for weeks in Washington, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Northern California. The State troops, United States troops, and hundreds of volunteers have engaged in an almost hopeless fight against the flames, which, carried by high winds, sometimes jump five miles at a time. New fires are constantly breaking out. Several towns have been destroyed, and more than 200 persons killed. Last week an official order was sent out by the surviving foresters to “save the men, and let the timber go.” No attempt has been made to estimate the financial loss.