News and Miscellany

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Oct 20, 1910

News and Miscellany

— On her return from Europe last week, a prominent society woman of New York City paid $11,000 duty for her individual baggage—“mostly Parisian gowns.”

— During the past year, 59,485,116 barrels of beer have been sold in the United States. The brewers are jubilant, and predict that the hundred-million-barrel mark will be reached before the passing of another decade. Instead, it is to be hoped that, as a result of the growing temperance sentiment, the manufacture and sale of beer, as of all other alcoholic beverages, may soon be entirely prohibited.

— Forest fires in the Minnesota-Manitoba boundary country, October 8-10, are reported as the most destructive for years. Twelve thousand square miles of territory were burned over, several villages entirely wiped out, and a number of others partially destroyed. Two hundred bodies have been recovered, and the total death-roll is estimated at more than twice that number. Five thousand persons have been made homeless. The property loss is estimated at above $100,000,000. The fires had been smoldering for months; but on the night of the eighth, fanned by a high wind, which had been blowing for two days, they suddenly broke into walls of flame that leaped across open spaces, and swept everything in their path. Practically all the live stock in the country was burned.

— A year after the close of the Civil War, the government was paying $15,000,000 a year in pensions to disabled soldiers and their dependents. In 1874 the pension bill had increased to $31,000,000; but by 1878, from natural causes, it had fallen to $28,000,000. Since then, aided by favorable “pension legislation,” it has continued to rise. In 1889 it reached $92,000,000; in 1890 it jumped to $110,000,000; and in 1908, 43 years after the close of the war, it reached the stupendous sum of $156,000,000. This amount is equal to a tax of $10 a year for every family in the country. It is suggested by the World’s Work that, in view of these facts, and the scandalous conditions prevailing, the country’s “roll of honor” needs cleaning.

— A useful wax is now obtained as a by-product from sugar-cane.

— In spite of the utmost precautions, three cases of cholera have reached the port of New York. Rigid quarantine regulations are enforced.

— Re-enforced concrete pillars and piles are now made in Germany in rapidly whirling molds, which pack the concrete into a firm crust having a hollow center.

— Agitation over the high cost of living still continues, with but little practical results in reducing the cost of food products. It is to be hoped that some good will be accomplished by the study of the question.

— The recent decision of The Hague tribunal, called to settle the fisheries’ dispute of long standing between the United States and Newfoundland, seems to be received with equal satisfaction by Newfoundland, Canada, Great Britain, and America.

— A fine of $200 was lately imposed on the manager of the Washington branch of the firm of Armour & Co., of Chicago, on the charge of selling adulterated eggs to dealers in the city markets. This was the first case tried in an active crusade to enforce the pure-food laws in the District of Columbia.

— In twenty States, legislation is in progress to remedy the conditions that have prevailed in regard to what is called “expert testimony” in criminal courts. The bills prepared provide for having such testimony paid for by the State or county, and not by either the prosecution or the defense. This will exclude the influence of the partizan expert, so far as human laws can succeed in so doing.

— When one considers that only a few decades ago the colored population of the United States was subordinated to the rank of slavery, it must be confessed that commendable progress has been made by this once downtrodden people. In consequence of the work done by Booker T. Washington and other educators, many Negroes have made excellent advancement in technical education and in industrial employments. As to the part which the Negro plays in connection with the operation of the federal government, the United Presbyterian gives the following statistics: “It may be a matter of surprise to learn that there are at the present time fourteen thousand Negroes in the employ of the United States government—a larger number than ever before in the history of the country. There are a number who receive salaries of $2,500 to $5,000 a year, and at least one—the minister to Liberia—who receives $10,000. Nearly three hundred Negroes are postmasters, while about three thousand are connected with the post-office department. There are a number of high-grade Negro clerks in the patent office at Washington. One of these is an expert examiner, who has held his position for twenty-two years. He has traced more than one thousand patents issued to members of his race. In the government departments in Washington are 5,768 Negroes on salaries. There are forty-eight of them in the Library of Congress, and one of these has identified 6,000 works of Negroes in the library.”

— The thousands of employees of the railway systems of France went on a strike last week. The premier of France declared the strike “an insurrection purely, built upon criminal foundations.” Encouraged by their success, the leaders of the strike threaten a move to paralyze the industries of the whole country. The situation is regarded as grave. Paris, which for a time was threatened with shortage of food, received supplies by boat.

— From 5,000 to 6,000 monks and nuns have been expelled from the newly created republic of Portugal. The Jesuit monastery in Lisbon was looted by a mob, who destroyed and mutilated everything of value. This action on the part of the mob is described as an “expression of the popular hatred of the priesthood, especially the Jesuits, which was the animating cause of the revolution far more than hostility to the monarchy.”

— That tobacco using is a potent cause of crime, is the decision of a commission appointed by the Italian government to study into the effects of tobacco using upon the youth. The commission believes that the use of tobacco is responsible for a large part of the crime committed by children. It urges that measures be adopted whereby its use may be reduced on the part of the young, especially by boys and girls under the age of sixteen. The Italian government derives a large revenue from the use of tobacco, and the adoption of such a recommendation will materially affect this income. It is believed, however, that in view of the report of the commission, stringent measures will be adopted. Temperance workers have long known that the use of this narcotic, if not directly contributing to crime, leads to other evils, such as the use of strong drink. The moral degeneracy following the use of tobacco on the part of the youth, is apparent to every close observer. It is to be hoped that other states and countries will follow the way pointed out by the Italian government commission.