News and Miscellany

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Tacoma Park Station, Washington, D.C. · Nov 2, 1911

News and Miscellany

Notes and clippings from the daily and weekly press

— Securities which had lain in an old trunk in San Francisco for thirty-two years and were considered worthless, have been found to be worth nearly $1,000,000.

— Fourteen persons, members of four families and all related, have been murdered during the last few weeks in Colorado and Kansas. The slayer is supposed to be an ex-convict for whom the authorities are in search.

— The American Sugar Refining Company has just purchased 1,500,000 bags of sugar of the Louisiana planters at a cost of about $20,000,000. This is said to be the largest sugar sale in the history of the Louisiana sugar industry.

— It is claimed by Alpine climbers that the unusual heat of the present season has caused several ancient glaciers to disappear entirely. Beds of boulders are found where the ice has been. Ice that is supposed to be centuries old has been brought to light, and marked changes have come to many ice-fields. The geographical summit of Mount Blanc is said to be lowered several yards.

— Benjamin Franklin Hamilton, the first merchant in this country to introduce saleswomen in a store, has recently died, at the age of ninety-two years. In 1855 Mr. Hamilton’s dry-goods store was one of the largest in the East, and he created a great sensation that year by employing comely young women as clerks. The women of Saco, Maine, were so shocked over the matter that they inaugurated a boycott and refused to patronize that store. The plan could not be thwarted in that way, however, and in spite of the boycott it grew in favor, and Mr. Hamilton soon established similar stores in Portland and Biddeford which proved successful.

— The District Supreme Court, October 19, ruled that debts contracted in faro-banks were not legal, as faro was gambling and not innocent sport.

— At St. Louis, October 19, Howard W. Gill in a biplane broke the American endurance record by remaining in the air 4 hours, 16 minutes, and 35 seconds. The longest previous record was 4 hours and 1 minute.

— In New Zealand there are 552,168 males and 490,829 females. These were the figures of Dec. 31, 1909. Yet there were 67 daily papers for that population, and also 32 triweekly, 26 semi-weekly, 68 weekly, 4 fortnightly, 1 three-weekly, 1 four-weekly, and 34 monthly publications in the dominion. All signs indicate that Australia and New Zealand will grow to a wonderful extent. New Zealand is thought by an astonishing number of persons to be part of Australia, whereas it is 1,200 miles from Australia. It is, however, a part of Australasia.

— The per capita debt of the United States is decreasing steadily. In 1880 it amounted to $15.62, in 1895 it was $76.98, and in 1911 but $10.83. The interest charge per capita, which amounted to 64 cents in 1800, and $4.12 in 1866, was 33 cents in 1911; and the total annual interest, which in 1866 was $146,000,000, was $21,333,333 in 1911. The above figures are taken from “Statistical Record of the Progress of the United States, 1800-1911,” a small document just issued by the Bureau of Statistics, Department of Commerce and Labor. It pictures in statistical form conditions in the commercial, financial, industrial, and transportation systems of the United States at brief intervals since the year 1800, down to, and in many instances including, the year 1911. Copies of the publication can be obtained by applying to the Bureau of Statistics, Department of Commerce and Labor.

— Attention is being called to the character of our polling-places by the Survey. It seems strange to one writer “that in a republic the supreme act of self-rule should be performed in a manner haphazard and in places unfit.” In most cities of the country polling-places are dingy and disreputable. They are usually pool-rooms or cigar stores. In Pittsburg the residents of a prosperous district voted in a stable. These surroundings lend no impressiveness to the exercise of suffrage, upon which our form of government depends. An additional objection to the present custom is its cost. In each election the State of Indiana pays $100,000 for the rent of polling-places. Ohio uses portable booths, but these cost about $230 each, and in addition they have to be transported to and from the precincts, and must be provided with caretakers. It has been suggested that public buildings, particularly school buildings, should be used as polling-places, and that election officials should be appointed by the Civil Service Commission on the basis of examination. Objections to the use of school buildings are the expense of cleaning and the inconvenience of location. It is not improbable, however, that the use of dignified quarters would have a wholesome influence upon both election officials and voters.

— The House of Commons has voted to pay its members. Heretofore the members have not had any pay whatever. They are now scheduled to receive $2,000 per annum.

— In one week recently 50,000 Americans left European ports for home. Half a century ago the “Persia,” then called “the greyhound of the sea,” could at her best go from New York to Liverpool in eleven days. She could not always make two trips within a month. Now the “Lusitania” is able, when she chooses, to complete four trips within a month. There is also another difference. The “Lusitania” is nearly fifteen times as large as the “Persia.”

— The new ministry of Japan issued recently an authoritative statement of the naval policy to be followed by the island empire. The cabinet will ask the parliament for an appropriation of 350,000,000 yen, or about $175,000,000, for the construction of new vessels. Of this sum $135,000,000 will be used in building seven dreadnoughts and two armored cruisers of about 30,000 tons each. The remainder, or $40,000,000, will be devoted to the construction of smaller craft. Some of the ships are to be built in foreign shipyards, and the program is to be completed in seven years.

— Justice John Marshall Harlan, the oldest member of the United States Supreme Court, died at his home in Washington, October 14. He was born in Kentucky, June 1, 1833. His term of service as justice was exceeded by that of only two members of the court; namely, Chief Justice Marshall and Associate Justice Field. He served nearly thirty-four years. He was counted the greatest constitutional authority of the present generation. The late Justice Brewer said of him: “I believe he retires at night with one hand on the Constitution and the other on the Bible, safe and happy, with a perfect faith in justice and righteousness.” There is much speculation as to whom President Taft will appoint in his place. No choice will be made until the convening of Congress.

— The shoe-shining industry of our cities, along with the fruit business, has largely passed into the hands of the Greeks. The actual work of polishing shoes is done by boys. Recent complaints to courts, and appeals to social service workers, reveal conditions of practical slavery. The bootblacks work fifteen and sixteen hours a day, for a wage of twelve to fifteen dollars a month and board. They live in wretched quarters, on a diet consisting mostly of bread, coffee, and cheese. They have no time to learn anything. There is great difficulty in securing evidence against the men responsible for these conditions. The boys themselves are unwilling to testify, some from fear, and some because, after their experience in Greece, they regard their employers as benefactors. In that country the system of placing children out to work under contract is widely prevalent. In the cities of Greece, and in Grecian cities in the Turkish empire, hosts of boys ten or eleven years of age are working under the same conditions of hours, food, and lodging as obtain among the bootblacks here, and for a yearly wage that equals that paid here in a month. The city of Lowell, Mass., has attacked the problem of the youthful immigrant worker by requiring night-school attendance for all under twenty-one who can not speak, read, and write English.

— Italy is meeting with the most stubborn resistance in her efforts to subdue the Tripolitan state. She has gained control of several of the coast towns, but has not yet succeeded in occupying the coast region. A number of the natives have professed subjection, and are being cared for and supported by the Italian government. In the interior, however, the natives are still on the defensive, and the subjection of the interior region is one involving a large outlay of expense and consumption of time. The situation, therefore, gives promise of a long and arduous campaign unless it shall be shortened by some diplomatic settlement of the situation. The Turkish government, heretofore divided and weakened by dissensions of numerous parties, has apparently come together, and forms a united front to its common foe. Thus far there has been no intervention on the part of European powers. It is claimed that Great Britain and Italy had a secret understanding with respect to the occupancy of Tripoli, and that this stands as a bar to intervention on the part of any of the governments. Turkey thus far has not made a strong resistance, evidently cherishing the hope that appeal to the great powers of Europe will bring her relief.

— The revolution in China is continuing with varying success. Several important towns have been taken, and two more large provinces are under the control of the revolutionists. These provinces have doubled the area of influence. The latest despatches from China, at this writing, indicate an important victory of the revolutionists over General Yin, in which they slew many of the imperials, captured a war chest containing $750,000 of treasure, and 5,000 recruits from the imperial forces. This battle it is claimed now clears the way for the rebel march on Peking, as the remnants of the imperial army will not be able to oppose the advance of the republicans. Nanking, an important city, is threatened, and the revolution seems rapidly spreading along the Yangtse Valley. The early victories of the revolutionary forces over the imperial troops have brought to them a spirit of hope and courage, with depression to the government forces. The government itself seems paralyzed in dealing with the situation. Its forces are but poorly organized. There appears to be a continual conflict of authority between the leading officials. The government has been seeking to obtain a loan from foreign bankers to prosecute the war, but thus far has failed. Business is paralyzed in many sections. If the revolutionists in middle China obtain many more victories, it is feared that other sections will willingly support their cause. As it is, they are receiving many donations in support of their work. It is too early to predict the outcome of the present situation. The seriousness, however, is admitted in all quarters. The legations at Peking are taking measures to secure protection. War-ships of the various nationalities have been ordered to Chinese waters. While thus far but little difficulty has been experienced on the part of mission workers, some of them have been advised to seek safety elsewhere, as owing to the unsettled conditions it would be difficult for either the imperial government or the revolutionists, however friendly they might be, to afford them proper protection.