Current Mention

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Mar 11, 1909

— The wireless telegraph station at Los Angeles, Cal., has succeeded in establishing wireless communication with the Hawaiian station, 2,200 miles distant.

— An effort is now being made to arrange a conference between anthracite coal-miners and coal-mine operators, with a view to forestalling a threatened strike of the miners.

— Another attempt was made on March 3 in the California Legislature to enact anti-Japanese legislation, by which all Asiatics were to be excluded from the public schools of that State. The measure was voted down.

— Within the last two years three ship-subsidy bills have been defeated in Congress. The last bill to receive this treatment was the Senate ship-subsidy bill that has claimed much of the attention of Congress during the present session. It was defeated in the House on March 2 by the narrow margin of three votes.

— One of the last speeches delivered in Congress was by Representative Tawney, chairman of the committee on appropriations. His speech consisted of a warning against the extravagant expenditures of the government. He stated that the appropriations made at this session amounted to $1,044,014,298.33, and even this was over fifty-nine millions less than the estimated expenditures. It stands, however, more than thirty-five millions above the appropriations of the last session. The present appropriations are an increase of sixty-three per cent over those of 1902.

— On March 4 William Howard Taft, in the Senate room of the national Capitol, took the oath of office as President of the United States, the second of the twenty-seven presidents to be inaugurated in that room. Extensive and elaborate arrangements had been made for conducting the ceremony in the open. The whole east front of the Capitol building from wing to wing had been formed into an immense amphitheater in which a small portion of the great throng was to be seated during the ceremonies. This and other portions of the day’s program was completely disarranged by one of the worst storms which Washington has ever experienced. During that and the following day Washington was almost completely cut off from the rest of the world so far as telegraphic communication was concerned. After the conclusion of the inaugural ceremonies, the retiring President took a train for his New York home, and the incoming President and Vice-President, with their wives, led an imposing procession from the Capitol to the White House. The procession included the governors of fourteen States, with troops or escorts; West Point cadets; soldiers of the regular army; State militia; sailors from the fleet, which had recently completed its voyage around the world; and the members of civic bodies and clubs, liberally interspersed with bands. The President reviewed the entire parade at the entrance to the White House grounds. The inaugural program was concluded in the evening with an extensive display of fireworks, and a brilliant ball in the Pension Building Hall.

— A report from Belgrade, Servia, states that in spite of all denials, the mobilization of Servian troops continues.

— A representative of the merchants of Manila, P. I., is now in Washington, D. C., on a special mission to induce the government of the United States to grant relief to the Philippines in the matter of free trade with the United States.

— The 1907 census of Cuba, an abstract of which is now published, shows a gain of thirty per cent in population since the close of the war. The population is now 2,048,980. A large proportion of the children are in the schools, and illiteracy is rapidly declining.

— The Commercial Cable Company has made arrangements for a new Atlantic cable from Europe to Newfoundland and thence to New York. This means the laying of 1,700 miles of new cable, and the abandonment of 900 miles of cable now in use, which will be picked up and put in service in some other part of the world. It is claimed that this arrangement will increase the speed of the service about thirty-five per cent.

— The joint commission on immigration appointed by Congress on Feb. 20, 1907, has issued a preliminary report of its findings. In this preliminary report it is declared that the present immigration laws, though severe in theory, are lax in application, and that great numbers of the undesirable class from foreign lands are annually brought into this country. The commission asks for a further appropriation of $250,000 to enable the immigration officials to deal adequately with the situation.

— The storm which ushered in President Taft’s inauguration caused great damage throughout the Central Atlantic States to public service corporations, such as telephone, telegraph, electric light and power, and railway companies. Some telephone and telegraph lines of large capacity have to be entirely reconstructed. Baltimore alone suffered in this respect to the extent of about one million dollars; and both Baltimore and Washington were practically isolated from the rest of the world for several days, save for wireless communication. The Postal and Western Union Telegraph companies each estimate their losses at a million dollars, and railroads in the storm-stricken area, up to March 7, were running without the use of the telegraph.

— The Interstate Commerce Commission has had before it for a year and a half the suit instituted by the city of Spokane, Wash., against the Great Northern and the Union Pacific railroads, and has finally rendered its decision in the matter. Spokane complained of unjust discrimination in freight rates, the rates to points much farther west being considerably less. The commission decided that it was not unlawful for the companies to charge a higher rate to an interior destination than to a seaport destination at a greater distance; but held also that the rate charged to Spokane was unreasonably high. What applies to Spokane applies also to other interior cities. It is, therefore, believed that this decision will have a marked effect in reducing freight rates between Eastern cities and cities of the West that are not situated on the coast.