p. 14 | Domestic | AdventAI

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Feb 1, 1899

Domestic

Domestic.—During the year 1898 the exports of the United States amounted to $1,254,925,169, the largest amount ever exported during the history of the country. The imports amounted to $633,664,634, or about one-half the amount of the exports. This gives America an immense trade balance against the rest of the world, and has resulted in large importations of gold to pay the balance. These importations during the past year were the largest ever recorded. A veritable boom has thus been occasioned in the New York stock market, resulting in enormous purchases of shares of stock in American enterprises......Dr. F. S. Kolle, of New York, reports the discovery of a new process of printing, in which the X-ray is the all-important factor. The copy is clamped down over a block of one hundred sheets of sensitized paper, and the flash of the X-ray reproduces the copy on each of the one hundred sheets. A number of these blocks may be exposed at the same time, which would make it possible to print as many as 6,000 copies a minute. It is stated that ten men could print, develop, fix, wash, and dry 7,500,000 copies in one day of eight hours......The Federal Grand Jury has just closed its session in Alaska, with indictments against 277 persons for infractions of the laws of the territory, most of which were for violations of the liquor law. The jury reports that the present prohibitive liquor law in the Territory is a farce, and advises that it be replaced by a high-license law. It would seem that in the eyes of the jury there was some unseen power going with a high-license law which would compel inefficient officers to enforce it, while a prohibitive law must necessarily lack this occult support.....There has been introduced in the California State Legislature a bill "to Prevent Sabbath Desecration, and to Secure a Weekly Day of Rest."......August 10 is set as the day for the Chilcat and Wrangel tribes of Indians in Alaska to officially bury the hatchet. These two tribes have nominally been at war for the last 600 years. On the day mentioned there will be a grand peace conference between the two tribes on the Chilcat River......A bill has been introduced in the New York Legislature the object of which is to make Sunday a day of recreation, and to allow the operation of theaters and circuses, and the playing of baseball......A general court-martial has been ordered by the President for the trial of Commissary-General C. P. Eagan, on account of his recent attack upon Major-General Miles. The court-martial is ordered to convene on January 25 or as soon thereafter as practicable.

On January 20 the Senate passed the Nicaragua Canal Bill with only six dissenting votes. This is the Morgan Bill, but it has many amendments. It provides that the Government of the United States shall build the canal under contract with citizens at a cost of not to exceed $115,000,000. The canal is to be completed within six years. One of its amendments empowers the President to negotiate with any other Central American power for a canal route, in case of obstinacy on the part of Nicaragua or Costa Rica. Another provides for the abrogation of the Clayton-Bulwer treaty between this country and England, by the provisions of which England was to have a part in any canal across Central America. Not more than $20,000,000 are to be expended in any year upon the construction of the canal......The government has advertised for bids for returning to Spain the Spanish soldiers still in the Philippines......Arrangements are now under way for the establishment of a large military instruction camp in the Hawaiian Islands. The idea is to make it a permanent camp, to accommodate 12,000 men, where the regulars will be inured to service in tropical countries......Senator Caffery estimates that the expense of the imperial policy of the United States will amount to over $221,000,000 per year, $200,000,000 of which would have to be raised by direct taxation of the people of this country......A forcible reminder of the grim meaning of war is seen in the shipment of 500 coffins to Manila on the transport Ohio, which is soon to sail. The coffins will be used in shipping to America the remains of soldiers who have already died in the Philippines, as well as those who will fall hereafter in the battles with the natives which are confidently expected.

Foreign.—An act to prohibit aliens from owning placer mines in British Columbia passed the Provincial Parliament on January 19 and received the formal assent of the Lieutenant-Governor. The act goes into effect at once......The Duke of Abruzzi, nephew of the king of Italy, is preparing an expedition to the North Pole, which place he expects to reach in August, 1900......Two Italian cruisers are to sail within a few days for Chinese waters. It is reported that Italy intends to seize a Chinese port. The government denies such intention, but it is evident that Italy means to be on the ground when the spoils of empire are parceled out, if China should ultimately be divided among the powers......The revolutionary forces in Bolivia are still victorious, and have captured a considerable portion of the government forces. They are in possession of the capital, La Paz, where it is said that great enthusiasm prevails in view of the prospect of the success of the revolution......There is serious trouble in Colon, Colombia, over a strike of dock laborers, and considerable rioting has taken place......There has been more fighting in the Kongo Free State, Africa, between the Belgians and natives. The former have been defeated. The government troops are said to fear the rebels, and the prestige of the whites has been much impaired......The sultan of Turkey is much perturbed over the rapid growth of the Young Turks party, which is winning recruits from the best Turkish families......It is reported that in the event of the death of the ameer of Afghanistan, the Russian governor of the Transcaucasian district has direct instructions to capture the city of Herat, an Afghan city of great military importance......Russia has ordered the construction of six more war vessels, three of which will be battle-ships of the first class......The French steamer Cashemiro reached Barcelona, Spain, from the Philippines, on January 18 with 1,170 repatriated troops. Three hundred of these were sick, and there were forty-four deaths during the voyage......Fresh rumors of a Carlist rising are agitating Spain, and repressive measures are being adopted against the Carlists.

The rebellion in the Chinese province of Nganhwui is spreading rapidly and is being increased by rebels from the neighboring province of Honan. They have captured the city of Ku Yung and ordered the execution of all its civil and military officials. An entire battalion of the imperial troops were massacred by the rebels when the city was taken. Other cities have fallen into their hands, and the rebels are threatening the provinces of Kwangtung and Kiansi.

A decree has been signed appointing General Lord Kitchener Governor-General of the Soudan......An army of 20,000 Dervishes, belonging to the command of Ahmed Fedil, surrendered to the British on the Blue Nile, January 18......Under the new Irish local government John Daly has been unanimously elected mayor of Dublin. Daly was the political prisoner who was released from Portland prison in 1896 after having been sentenced to penal servitude for life in 1884 for complicity in the plan to blow up the House of Commons while in session, by throwing dynamite bombs from the strangers' gallery.

......There are strong indications of an agreement or understanding being arranged between France and England for the purpose of averting such unpleasant incidents as the Fashoda affair......There has been a bloody battle between the two rivals for the throne of Samoa. The forces of Malietoa Lanua (who was declared by the American Chief Justice to be the rightful king) were defeated by Mataafa, seventy-three men having been killed or wounded in the fight. Trouble also occurred between the American and British consuls on the one side and the German on the other, which resulted in the latter being thrown out of the Supreme Court building, in which he had locked himself. The three powers are negotiating for a settlement of the trouble. The American cruiser Philadelphia has been ordered to the islands......An all-day's battle occurred in Ecuador on January 23, between the government troops and the forces of the insurgents. The latter was routed at nightfall, and fled toward Bolivar, followed by the government troops. The losses in killed and wounded on both sides are placed at 800.

Casualties and Calamities.—The great six-story store of A. J. Cammeyer, on Sixth Avenue, New York, was almost completely destroyed by fire on January 18. The loss is placed at $750,000......A very severe earthquake visited Port Antonio, Jamaica, on January 21, but the amount of damage is not yet known......A strong earthquake shock was felt throughout Southern Greece on January 22. Many villages were practically destroyed, and the people are camping in the suburbs. The shocks were repeated on the following day, and a large number of buildings which had been damaged on the previous day were demolished, injuring many people......A British first-class battle-ship collided with a third-class cruiser at Devonport, England, on January 23, driving a hole in the cruiser below the water line. A repetition of the collision of the Victoria and Camperdown, with the terrible loss of life which resulted, was narrowly averted......Smallpox is raging in the Zuni Indian reservation, in New Mexico, and is reported to be rapidly thinning out the tribe, despite the efforts of a government physician and trained nurses to prevent it.

New Trusts.—The Virginia Coal, Iron, and Railway Company, with a capitalization of $15,000,000, consummated a deal on January 22, by which it comes into possession of all the immense blast furnaces of Max Meadows, Pulaski, and Roanoke, Va., and Bristol, Tenn. The company has purchased 185,000 acres of coking coal lands and ore lands, two railroads, and nine furnaces......The American Zinc Company, with a capital of $5,000,000, has been organized at Toledo, Ohio, and all the leading zinc manufacturers of the country are said to be in the deal......One of the largest trusts in the history of the trust business is being organized in New York by representatives of the great copper mining companies of this country. The capital invested by the companies which are entering the deal is said to be at least $100,000,000.

The Philippines.—The force of American troops which was despatched to Iloilo, on the island of Panay, has landed on an island near that city to await developments......Aguinaldo has issued a third declaration of Philippine independence, and is working to secure the recognition of independence from other powers. Word comes from Spain to the effect that Aguinaldo has made the liberation of Spanish prisoners conditional upon Spain recognizing the Philippine republic and allying herself therewith. It is also reported that he has sought a similar favor of the pope on similar conditions. No outbreak has yet occurred between the two opposing forces in the islands, but disquieting rumors are continually reaching the press of the country.

Cuba.—There is much dissatisfaction throughout the island on account of the collection of taxes through the Bank of Spain, which proceeding was authorized by the United States. A strong effort is being made to have the taxes collected through some other means......In the province of Santiago 2,000 men are employed in making roads, and General Wood, military governor of that province, reports that many schools have been established. He also reports that the people there are anxious for the separation of the Church and State in educational matters......It is reported that General Rabi has fortified himself in the hills of Santa Clara Province, with a force of 1,500, setting at defiance both American and Cuban authority.

Porto Rico.—An amended custom tariff for Porto Rico has been promulgated by the Secretary of War at the direction of the President. Three ports of entry are recognized, San Juan, Ponce, and Mayaguez. Traffic between these ports and the United States must be carried on in American vessels.