p. 22 | Current Mention

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · May 27, 1909

Current Mention

— At Gori, Transcaucasia, Russia, on May 18, a band of armed men attacked the estate of Prince Dzhavakoff, and killed him, his wife, his mother and daughter, and a servant, and then made their escape.

— On May 17 Governor Hughes of New York signed a bill increasing the penalty for extortion or blackmail in that State from five to fifteen years. This measure is aimed at the “black hand” and other similar organizations.

— A terrible hail-storm visited Uvalde County, Texas, on May 17. Some of the hailstones are declared to have been several pounds in weight. Eight persons who were caught out in the storm were killed by the stones. Crops and farm property have been damaged to the amount of more than two hundred thousand dollars. Large numbers of domestic animals were killed by the hailstones.

— In carrying out his policy of retrenchment in the various executive departments, President Taft has informed the military establishments that he looks to the Navy Department and the War Department to economize to the extent of $10,000,000 each during the present year. The heads of these departments are now conferring with their associates to devise means for bringing about this reduction in expenses.

— May 17 the English House of Commons passed the income tax bill by a vote of 299 to 96. This places a tax of twenty-eight cents in the pound on unearned incomes exceeding $15,000; also a super tax of twelve cents in the pound on incomes exceeding $25,000, levied on the amount by which they exceed $15,000. The premier stated that the people might expect a further increase in the income tax, which he considered to be the fairest of all taxes, and capable of very wide expansion in times of public emergency. He also stated that the people must be prepared to give a very large definition to the term “emergency,” not only applying to an outbreak of war, but also to the preparation for war.

— The banks of the United States show a great increase in capital and business during the past year over that preceding it. The total loans and discounts have increased during the year by $434,764,000, and during the same time the total resources of these institutions have increased by $774,261,000. On April 28, 1909, the aggregate resources of all the banks is shown to have been $9,368,883,843, the individual deposits amounting to $4,826,069,384. The increase in the number of national banks during the year was 115.

— A summary of the work of the New York City Evangelistic Committee for the past year shows that in the tent, open-air, and shop meetings conducted under that committee’s auspices, 1,162 meetings were held, with an aggregate attendance of 271,900. These meetings were held at thirty-six centers. The committee is enlarging its plans, and expects to hold meetings during the present season at fifty centers. By means of these services a very large class is reached who seldom or never attend a church. The committee reports a large number of converts as a result of these meetings.

— In the Statistical Abstract of the United States, about to be issued by the Bureau of Statistics of the Department of Commerce and Labor, it is shown that the world’s stock of gold has increased about one half in the last ten years, and has doubled in the last quarter of a century. The stock of gold money has meantime grown in even greater proportions, being more than fifty per cent greater than it was ten years ago. The amount of gold now in the possession of man is placed at eleven billion dollars, the value of gold coin alone aggregating seven billion dollars. The United States has a greater supply of gold money than any other nation, the total amount being $1,613,000,000. This country occupies second place in the list of the world’s gold producers, South Africa standing first.

— Something of a sensation was developed in the British House of Commons on May 18, when Field Marshal Lord Roberts exclaimed, “Our army is a sham; we have no army.” He further declared that he was amazed at the manner in which both houses of Parliament treated the army as a party question; also at the apathy of the nation in regard to the danger of invasion. He said: “Unless you cease telling the people they are living in safety, and get an army ready to deal with any enemy, we shall one day come to such utter grief that you will bitterly regret your inaction.” Says a London despatch of the same date: “The German scare grows apace, and no sooner is one wild rumor laid to rest than another arises.” One member of the Commons made a declaration that the Germans have a depot of 50,000 Mauser rifles stored in the center of London, with 7,500,000 rounds of ammunition, for the use of 66,000 trained German soldiers now employed in various capacities in England. This may or may not be true; but it shows the excitability of the populace, the prevalence of war rumors, and the fear and dread that are upon the people.