Evening Star Newspaper, February 22, 1898, Page 11

[ THE EVENING STAR. PUBLISHED DAILY EXCEPT SUNDAY. AT THE STAR BUILDINGS, 1161 Pennsylvania Avaans, Gor. 11th 8t, by The Evening Star Ne Com; 8S. H. KAUPFMANN P Preetl Few York Office. 40 Potter Building, city by carriers, on their own e:count, at 10 cents per week, o- 44 certs per monta. at the eounter 2 cents each. By mail—anywi in the United States or Canada—postage conts month. [asturday Qointgple, Meet Star, $1 per rear, with (Entered at the Poat Office at Wasbingtm. D. C.. as second-cin. + mail matter.) 7 All mail subscriptions mast be pald ip advance. Rates of advertising made known on appifeation. & ar —== Part 2. Che F pening Stat. Pages 11-14, WASHINGTON, D. C., TUESDAY, FEBR€ARY 22, 1898-FOURTEEN PAGES. ON THE PUNCH BOWL! es Views From the Height lulu. at Hono- POSSIBILITIES OF THE ISLANDS Work Being Done by the New Railway. RECENT "BIG LAND SALE Special Correspendence of The Evening Star. HONOLULU, February 3, 1898. This city has an advantage over most towns in that, while mainly built on leve! er gentle grades, an abrupt height of 500 feet rises just behind its central point. This is familiar to all 4 the punch bowl, so called from its holloWed top. It consti- tutes a tower of observation, an Eiffel, in the heart of the town. Yesterday fore- noon, the mercury at 67 degreees, the air inviting to a waik, I spent a couple of hours in strolling to the summit, and tak- ing in the magnificent prospect. of which one never wearies. Included in this land- cape are samples of most of the leading elements which contribute to make this Ha- waiian croup now and prospectively valua- ble its possessors. Let me describe some of thes Looking due westward, are immediately be- business blocks of the city, the wharves and the shipping in the narrow harbor, where lie the United States cruiser Baltimore, the smaller Ben- nington and for a few days the French eruiser Duguay-Trouin, calling here for coal. Her heavy spars contrast with the hght military m: of the Baltimore. More to the right ts the railway station. Whence the morning passenger train was leaving for Waianae. That point the present terminus of the road. It lies be- yond a picturesque ridge of mountain, 3,000 low the crowded feet high and tw ¥ miles long. One flat- topp-d height of that ridge rises to 4,030 feet. Though not lofty. the Waianae range is an interesting one. Its nearest peak be- ing fiften miles away, it stands a little dim in the morning haze. In an hour or so. the fly’ train will have swung around its western flank and be nearing Widemann’s sugar mill. seven miles beyona and behind the ridge. That is thirt ee miles from town. Eefore May twenty-five miles more ef track along shore to Waialua will be pened for traffic. On the hither side of that Waianae range w several objects of particular ir terest. One more to the right is Pearl! Marbor. like an inland lake, with several divisions cr reaches of water. It is from X to twelve miles away, its eastern side «1 by the two peaks of the “Salt e. of ab @ same height arl locks have been y cribed. Beyond them to the and a little north of west, are con- the broad, green cane fields of ion, covering five square miles 1 all our plantations with Trop of 1897, over 15,000 tons. t mill chimney is pouring the the damp trash used as fuel tons of sugar daily, je to the right may i daily from thirt wells to irrigate the to not yet g are the the left, are more broad n, but of a ruddy brown fields of the new Oahu 1 aeres lately planted. is just leafing out, but only the bright re: own of the left, near the adjuining } would show the smo whose plows hav tation—1,200 young cane read ¥ opened many hendred acri for the planting of next summer a . They hope to get 7,0 tons for t 1 erop of ‘0, for suce or 1900, years. and 20,000 1 Sanguine stockh ng €rs would add one-third more to thes« fig- ures. On the nearer and lower edge of the ation is conspict a large Village of cottages for the laberers, together with r dwellings for the numerous white oves and overseers. On a rise abov> mansion of the manager, who heavy sale and arns it, he oug to, if he iat 2,000,000 Invest- ment pay well nter of the village will soon be mill works for manufacturing The mill will be the largest special interest t it will be Works Honolulu sos works will d in the mill, here. Until this rgest sugar mil!s m the United have now de- y cultivat of the plan- 4). thoroughly country. The Ewa ma ma tour in Loui ls as entirely behind ise ne: a large just the times as 4 with ours in Ha- waii Our splendid pumps will continue to come from United States. u plantation as yet has only one pair at work, drawing e ten-inch wells and supplying These pumps force the wate: ing from 150 to feet, y-inch pipe. which is carried uely up the steep side of the gulch or n fn which the wells are located near vel. On the other side of the same a of wells are being te sir of pumps. From t ill ascend the preci- water to the t side of »w being plowed. There ted to go up 450 feet. Two miles track from the Oahu railway nect with the wells and the miil another year many more miles iN wind up the broad slopes new cane fields for the trans- on of cane to the mill. Work for the Ratlway. The rail y draws a noble revenue from these plantations. $1 ton is charged for their freight. Besides their sugar thousand tons of coal are carried to pumps. The mills burn no coal, nly the trash or refuse of the crush- stalks, which passes direct from rs into the furnaces. Then, of there are large quantities-of lum- ber, machinery, provisions and supplies of all sorts to transported. These two be mammoth plantations owe their existence absolutely and entirely to the enterprise f the railway manager, Dillingham, whose Planning has thus caused the creation of millions of new property where was Previously gn arid desert which no one thought of attempting to cultivate. The government draws $30,000 in taxes from them. Of course, these plantations could not have been created without the skillful development of artesian wells, nor with- out the recent encrmous {improvements in pumps, which reduce cost of irrigation. A fourth object visible from Punchbowl is In the rear of and continuous with Oahu plantation, which lies on its lower slope. It is the wide plateau lying between the two mountain ranges of the island, whose ridges cre sixteen miles apart at their nearest points. This plateau is approxi- mately ten miles square on its more level areas, and mostly little over 800 feet above the sea, but varying from 500 to 1,000. It is all extremely smooth land, without fcrest or bush, with a few narrow ravines traversing it. There must be not less than 50.000 acres im it of smooth, arable land. There are little or no means of irrigation, which would be negessary for sugar sul- ture, and only small portions enjoy enough moisture for coffee—our two great staples for export. It is, however, well adapted for miscellaneous farming and dairying. The rainfall during six months, from No- vember to May. is usually ample for the production of all crops, such as corn, po- tatoes, vegetables and hay, which would be needed for feed of cows in dry weather. Hay Would also be an important crop for the market. With deep ploughing alfalfa would grew the year round, also sorghum. Sugmer rains average two inches a month. Soil of the Plateau. The soil of this beautiful plateau is mod- erately good. It needs the addition of lime. Abundance of this fertilizer is near at hand on the shores below. The chief drawback NOT TO BE FEARED ie Competi on of the Hawaiian Sugar Growers, VIEWS OF EXPERT H. §. STODNICZKA Exhaustive Letter to Senator Mor- to such farming has been the prevalence of gan. an army worm, which appears soon after —— the fall rains Rave hatched out the millers. e imported birds have greatl. ed | a the numbers of the millers, ESS GRRE ANOS HO) Tae Teste) our great insecticide, Prof. Koebele, will ee soon discover abroad the parasite or fungus which will prove fatal to the caterpillars. He has nearly every other insect pest here In process of extermination. The near vi- cinity of this-fine farming district to Peart Harbor will afford the farmers a good mar- ket for produce whenever the opening of the harbor creates the prospective town there. This plateau ought to support one thousand white families in the most de- lightful of climates. ¢ I have recounted these objects in sight from my morning outlook westward, in or- der to illustrate both the present and the Prospective resources of these islands gen- erally. This group is beyond question ca- pable of supporting in comfort a popuia- tion of half a million, as it once fed that number of peopl2. With the added re- sources of the immense commerce of the Pacifle centering here, a population of at least one million is to be expected. The cof- fee culture is in its incipient stage. The moist upland regions of Hawaii and Maul, so admirably adapted to coffee, are only beginning to be opened to its cuiture. The production of sugar, now n00 tons, may possibly yet be increased 50 per cent by the use of wells end pumps. The Evening Star very lately contained an estimate of a pessible 400,000 tons yet to be produced here. This seems rather beyond possibility. I know of very few possibly available sugar tracts of any siz> remaining. Something may still be done by improved application of fertilizers. Improved extraction of sugar has nearly reached its possible maximum. A Big Land Sule. This is a: good place to mention an im- pertant land sale this week, of what has been one of the most valuable cattle anches in the islands. It was offered at auction at the upset price of $150,000, but unexpectedly sold for $251,000, under a sharp competition, going to a Boston syn- dicate. For cuttle, the upset price was about its full value. The enhanced price was in hope of finding room for a large sugar plantation among its 70,000 acres, including much excellent but arid soil. It has lately been found on Maui that ar: sian wells produced abundant water at sea level, and some thousands of acres there are already being irrigated by means of pumps. It is quite certain that like or better conditions exist on Molokal. There are probably three or four thousand acres of the tract sold not too high up for the pumps to reach; and a five or ten thou- sand ton plantativn is not unlikely to be created there. This will be on the south ide of the island, and eight miles from the leper settlement, from which the rancit is separated by a lofty and difficult preci- pice, the one Miss Kate Field climbed. Hawait is so prominently before the American public as suddenly to thrust a of tourists and business visitors upon us. There is an outery made about our lack of hotel accommodations. Enlarge- nt of size and increase of number of 1s had already been planned and some- thing begun to be done toward accom- plishment. At the same time our city pop- ulation has been fecling the lack of habi- tations e have been sensible of no great influx; but somehow, no dwellings are unoccupied for hire, although several hundred have been erected the past year, and a very large number are now going up. With such active city growth now, hat may we expect when annexation be to get In its work, and when the flood of trans-Pacific commerce rolls in? few years more will see here a telligent Ameri- ady Americanized Mr. Henry 8. Studniczka, who has had twenty years of practical connection with the production, manufacture and refining of sugar, has written an interesting let- ter to Senator Morgan demonstrating that the annexation of Hawaii cannot injure the beet sugar industry of this country. That he is highly regarded by sugar plant- ers is shown by the terms used in a let- ter to the friends of the sugar industries of Louisiana, written by S. D. McEnery, then governor of Louisiana, and indorsed by Duncan F. Kenner, president Sugar Planters’ Association; John Dymond, vice president; H. C. Warmoth, Louis Bush and Daniel Thompson, all extensive sugar planters. This recommendation said: “Gentlemen: The bearer of this letter, Henry Studniczka, esq., visits New York to lay before capitalists who aro friendly to the sugar interests of Louisiana the condition and requirements of that impor- tant industry. He is a citizen of this state, of well-known integrity and worthiness. He has had twenty years of practical con- nection with the production, manufacture and refining of sugar, and ‘he is held in great esteem as an expert among planters, refiners, machinists, builders and mer- chants on account of his scientific knowl- edge and his long an@ varied experience in all branches of this industry. I recom- mend Mr. Studniczka to your confidence and any statements he may have to pre- sent to your serious consideration.” Letter to Senator Morgan. Mr. Studniczka’s letter to Senator Mor- gan follows: “As one of your fellow citizens and a resident of the city of St. Louis since 1872, I desire to address you these few lines on behalf of the annexation of the Hawaiian Islands. “Prior to coming to St. Loufs, I had been engaged in the beet sugar industry of Aus- tria. Then I superintended large sugar re- fineries here, and for the past tw: my business has been that of manufactur- ing and selling sugar cane fertilizers and dealing in all kinds of sugar machinery, in addidition to the construction of sugar and glucose manufactories. 1, therefore, can safely claim to be an expert in the sugar business; but, as regards this, I take the liberty of inclosing you a copy of a letter which will speak for itseif. This letter w given me by the present senator, S. D. Me Enery, when it was thought expedient for me to visit the city of New York on behalf of the Louisiana sugar interests, so that New York capitalists might be 4iformea of my capacity. ‘All of my business interests are directly with the sugar and glucose producers of this country. I have no business relations with Hawall or the Hawalian sugar plan- tations, and expect to have none. I am most intensely interested in the success of the beet sugar industry of the United States, first, because I believe that it will be beneficial to my own business interests, and, second, because I believe it will be beneficial to this country as a whole—espe- cially to the laboring interests. As evi dence of my interest in this subject I have written much and often concerning the beet sugar industry, urging that measures be adopted to promote its establishment in this country. As a delegate to the last trans-Mississipp! congress, held in July, 1887, at Sult Lake City, Utah, I presented to the congress an address upon the beet sugar industry of this country, which is printed in their proceedings. “I make this preliminary statement in order that it may demonstrate to you that all of my personal interests are to aid and support the beet sugar Industry and the promotion of the domestic production of sugar in general. “I have no personal irterests in Hawaii or Hawatian annexation. I have taken a ereat interest in the subject on simply patriotic grounds, believing that the pro- tection of our Pacific coast and the ex- tension ef our foreign commerce, with a ccaling station for our ships, demands the control of this vantage point, and every patriotic American should set aside all per- sonal motives when a question of such great significance to the future of the United States is discussed... “IT have noted with suroris tide A very plendid body of activ ans at home in this jand To be much maligned is the common lot of all who do good work. But it is ¢ forting to get apprect words. last paras st letter lately found i is pleasant to us to read, a s us: coiony of Amer} from barba state of The ph of General Schofield’s earn- n The Star columns nd justly char- and uous inteliigent, ns have rescues rism and raised ivilization to and prosperity, ural course of events the try high until in the government of tirely into their ni country has fallen en- nds.’" men who ought to guard ineautiously lend ear to us proceeding from cor- simply from malignant are deeply grateful for like those of General Some gocd against injusti slanders again: iupt motives, dispositio sympathetic or We word e that one of jently | the principal reasons which appear to be and exercised | Ursed against anrexation is that it will in- in this key | Jure the beet sugar industry in the United Beer ura aeen earned a| States, and have Sueretares ee a pcint of cific. ie gation as to the facts and conditions in Place in the hearts of true Americans. any | ard concerning Hawall, with a view to de- a share in the grea KAMEHAMEHA ciding in my own mind whether this ob- states. OO * Section were valid. As a result of my in- Se PLES = vestigations, I was unhesitatingly con- CHILE'S HANDS ARE FULL. vinced that the annexation of Hawait will not be in any way injurious to either the domestic cane or beet sugar of this coun- try. Sugar .Consumption of the United Staten. “The United States government records show ‘that the United States consumed during 1896 2,263,000 tons of sugar of 2,000 pounds each. Of this amount 26¥tons were produced from cane grown in the United States, and 44,500 tons from keets produced in the United States, and 176,000 tons were produced in Hawaii. Hawaii and the United States together, therefore, produced only 459,000 tons, requiring 1,773,000 tons to be Imported from other countries. “The official statistics of the United States government show that for twenty- three years the average annual increase of sugar consumed in the United States has been 12 per cent over that of the previvus year. Even in these comparatively dull times the increased consumption for 1807 over that of 1896 was 136,000 tons. It is estimated by Mr. Willett of Willett & Gray, scgar. brokers of New York, one of the best informed and most conservative sugar authorities of the world, that the con- sumption of sugar in the United States within fifteen years from now will not be less than 4,000,000 tons per annum. I con- sider this an entirely safe and conservative estimate. Limit of Hawaiian Sugar Production. “I have made myself familiar with the facts and figures concerning Hawatiian pro- duction of sugar. Hawaii has had a free ‘and protected mar- ket in the United States for its raw sugar. Under this stimulating influence, practical- ly all of its lands available for cane cul- ture have been brought into cultivation. The total area so in cultivation is less than 100,000 acres. A few thousand more acres can possibly be brought under cultivation by pumping water to an elevation of from 150 to 600 feet. Even the area which this very expensive cultivation can bring into use is limited, not to exceed from 15,000 to 20,000 acres. 1 largest amount of sugar ever produced in Hawaii in one year was about 240,000 tons The largest amount that it ever can produce will probably not exceed about 300,000 tons. The area avail- able for cane culture in Hawaii is so small that it requires‘almost.continuous cultiva- tion, which is extremely exhausting to the Support Spain Against the United States. A special to New York Herald from Valparaiso, Chile, says: Barring certain surprise felt in official and diplomatic circles over the former Spanish minister's imprudence, I can safely state that the De Lome incident passéd unnoticed and even uncommented upon. Tne general press, which is limited, publishes telegrams on the subject, but these Chileans are so deep- ly engrossed in averting a financial crisis that many delicate questions pending in neighboring republics are not pondered. The blowing up of the Maine, while not attributed here to foul play on the part of the Spanish, created the greatest sensation, awakening sympathy for the great sister republic. The newspapers throughout the republic publish articles deploring the catastrophe and deeply lamenting the loss of many precious lives. The news that Spanish diplomatists in the South American republics are working to obtain support against the United States causes surprise, and so far as Chile is con- cerned, it is absolutely unfounded. True, Chileans, in spite of the old quarrel with the mother country, are deeply attached to Spain. Spanish residents of Chile are nu- merous and respected. The Chilean gentry are proud to trace ancestors to the old country, but the fact that Chilean states- men are of tried prudence is a guarantee that Chile would never embark in a dan- gerous enterprise, such as an alliance against the United States. for which they have sincere friendship. Besides, Cnile has her hands too full in the settlement of the Peru-Bolivian-Argentina questions to give ear to such propositions from the Spanish representatives, if made, which most em: phatically I can vouch on the best authori- ty they have not. Return of Lieut. Devore. Lieut. Devore, military ald to Secretary Alger, has just returned to Washington from Norway, where he went to bring on the reindeer purchased by Dr. Jackson for use in the Alaskan relief expedition. He reports that the animals were all safely shipped on the steamer Manitoban, which sailed directly from Norway. for New York across the North sea. He is doubtful, ow- ing to the severe winter weather on the ocean and the predictions of the natives that the moss food taken on shipboard will spoil, how the animals will bear the voyage. Would Not possible only by reeson of the use of enor- mous amounts of high grade and expensive fertilizers. For example, Hawail imported For twenty-three years | “The present production of Hawail 1s | curing 1896 fertilizers to the amount cf nearly $350,000, besides which there were used of domestic fertilmers about the same amount. As they have no crép which they cén rotate with cane, the exhaustion of the soil steadily continues; amd can only be kept up by increasingly high fertiliza- tion. We can, therefore, be certain that the Hawaiian limit of protuction will be atout 300,000 tons of suga® per annum. Future of Beet Sugar in!Thés Country. “The beet svgar industry eangI firmly be- lieve, be developed until it’eam furnish all the sugar which this country fequires; but it will take many years to accemplish this. Some idea of what will have tovbe done be- {cre domestic beet sugar can «supply this country with all the sugar it cansumes can be derived from the following rtigures: An average-sized beet sugar fastory, producing 3,508 tons of sugar per amnum. will cost, say, $350,000. It would have nequired 506 beet sugar factories, costing’ $17,000,000, to have produecd the sugar imported into this country in i896 from countries; other than Hawati. “If the annual increase in-consumption of the United States ts omly,-say, 150,000 tons per annum, instead of 12 per cent, as it has been for twenty-three years past, it would require each year forty-two additional fac- tories, costing each year $14,700,000; or, within ten years from now, it would require 420 additional factories, costing $147,000,000, to supply the increase in consumption alone. ‘That is to say, by 1908, it will require in reund numbers 1,000 beet sugar factories, each capable of an annual product of 3,; tens, and ccsting $325,000,000 to supply the sugar, which will otherwise be imported frcm some other country to supply the needs of the United States. There are now only seven beet sugar factories in opera- tion in the United States. “Even though the highest expectations of the friends cf beet sugar are realized, do they believe that 1,000 beet sugar factories will be established in this country within the next ten years? Until. the domestic beet sugar industry is able to supply the market of the United States the sugar from Hawaii cannot injure the beet sugar pro- ducers of the United States; besides, there will be an unsupplied market with the price fixed by the price of sugar throughout the world. The only way in which the domestic beet sugar producer can be injured by Ha- watian sugar is that the Hawaiian producer should undersell him. But the Hawaiian planter will rot sell his sugar below the murket price unless there is some reason for so doing, and there can be no reason so lcng as there is a market in which both he and the American planter will be protected by the American tariff. “Therefore, neitrer Hawaiian nor do- mestic United States producers will be obliged to lower their prices in order to ob- tain a market. No Cheaper in Hawaii Than Here. “The beet sugar produc>rs of this country do rot consider the cane sugar planters of Louisiana a menace to their industry. Why shculd they ccnsider the sugar raised in Hawaii a menace to them? If Hawali be- comes American territory, the cane sugar of Loulsiina and the cane sugar of Hawaii will both stand in the same relation to the beet sugar producers. Both will continue to produce a limited amount, while the great field for expansion will be occupied by the beet sigar industry, with opportu- nity to expand for many years to come, far more rapidly than capital seems likely to be available. With every personal reason to oppose Hawaiian annexation, if it would in fa be injurious to the domestie sugar busi- ness 5f the United States, and looking at the question from a purely selfish aspect, I cen see no reason for believing that the annexation of Hawai! will in any manner whatsoever injure either the beet or the ane sugar industry of the United States, while there seems every reason to believe that it will be beneficial to every business class in the country. As a broad measure ef national policy, and as an American cit- izen, I sincerely hope that your honorable body will set aside all claims that personal interests may bring before you ngainst the annexation of Hawaii, and keep in mind only the great strategic advantage to our nation and our flag, and that the annexa- tion of Hawaii may be consummated at an early date. THE DUKE NEEDS MQNE Manchester Will Seek an American Heiress to Supply Cash. A dispatch from London to the New York Journal seys: The Duke of Manchester has announced his intention of visiting New York early this spring. He will also visit Newport in the summer, not returning here until late in September. His Intimate friends confidentially express the belief that before the summer is over he will have married Miss May Goelet. He has for more than two years been anxious to marry her, and at one time an- nounced his engagement. This was denied by Ogden Goelet, her father, then in Eng- land, who positively stated that his daugh- ter would not vender any circumstance marry the Duke of Manchester. The friend of the latter now say that Ogden Goelet was the only obstacle to the marriage, and that Mrs. Goelet and young Goelet offered no objection, but were, in fact, favorable to the match. The death of Ogden Goelet, say the friends of the Duke of Manchester, has thus cleared the ground for him, and that he is anxious to emulate, if not excel, the Duke of Marlborough, The Duke of Manchester makes no con- cealment that he aims to marry a large fortune. He says {t is absolutely necessary to rejuvenate his family, refurnish Kimbol- ton Castle and give him his proper stand- ing. At the present time he has an income of two thousand pounds a year. He is un- able to live within this sum, and only with- in the past two weeks has he been able to pay off a judgment against him for a livery bill of $150. This judgment has been hang- ing over him for three months, during which time he has been pqying it in in- stallments. The management of his prop- erty is entirely out of his hands and in those of tne Duke of Abercorn, his trustee. His receipts are barely sufficient’ to enable him to pay the expenses of the maintenance of Kimbolton Castle on a very reduced scale. At the present time Kimbolton Castle is stripped of its furniture, pictures and car- pets. Only three rooms are habitable and the roof 1s leaky. The Duchess of Manchester, formerly Consuelo Yznaga, is a paralytic, and de- votes but little attention to her son. She lives on a small jointure, but is hopeful that he may make a rich marriage, and in- cessantly urged on him the chances in America, instancing the Duke of Maribo- rough, and saying he can do 4s well if not better, saying there are no‘ heiresses in England comparable to Amerfcan heiresses of the first rank, and that New York in winter and Newport in summer are his natural hunting grounds. She, however, does net control the Duke of Manchester, although he gives more attention to her ad- vice than that of any other,)person. She will accompany him to America. ‘The Duke of Manchester tits winter has been paying a great deal of attentian to Miss Muriel Wilson, one of the Wilsons of Tranby Croft, where the Gordon-Cum- ming scandal originated. ge is a great heiress, but is not comparable ‘to Miss Goe- Jet personally. The Duke of Manchester says he has in- herited a great position and that a great fortune is necessary to keep it up. He also Says that Miss Goelet and Miss Wilson are as charming und attractive as any young women he has ever met. He is especially bitter against thé Duchesg of De’ . bis grandmother, caring thet she took £10,- 000 per annum from him end insistz on keeping it, although she is now wealthy. The Duke of Manchester is a clever young fellow, but easily Lab vel He lives among strangers and has no e in- ——_+2___ ‘The Southem Relief Seciety, at ite regu- tions, beaten expressing profound ship Maine and ext sympathy to the ives of thé bray bereaved families men lost and the wounded survivors, MEET AND PROTEST Telephone Subscribers Take Action for Reduction of Rates. A MEMORIAL 10 CONGRESS ADOPTED Demand Made for Legislation to Authorize Competition. THE OFFICERS ELECTED a President Bryan of the Cheaspeake and Potomac Telephone Company is reported to have stated yesterday, to a committee rep- resenting the association organized to se- cure lower rates for telephone subscribers in the District, that the associatiun only represented about 100 subscribers. Had President Bryan chanced to enter Willard Hall it evening he would unquestionably have changed his mind. In the neighbor- hood of 600 representative business at.d professional men of the national capital as- sembled in the hall in mass meeting and expressed themselves in a manner that wis conciusive of their purpose. These six hun- dred subscribers, it was evident, mean to secure relief or know the reason why. Prior to adjournment they gave evicence by a rising vote of their intention to crder the removal of their telephones, unless re- lief is secured. When Mr. O. G. Staples called the meet- ing to order, shortly after 8 o'clock, it was impossible to locate an unoccupied seat, and there was by no means a surplus of standing room in the hall. The first busi- ness of the evening was the reading of the minutes of the preceding meetings, by the temporary secretary, Mr. Henry F. Wood- ard. The minutes were promptly approved, and next the secretary read the letter re- lating to telephone rates and the success of the automatic company in Detroit, Mich- igan, received from Gov. H. S. Pingree of Michigan. The reading of the letter, which was published in full in yesterday's Star, evoked great enthusiasm. The secretary read letters expressing hearty sympathy with the movement from Z. B. Babbitt, Marvin A. Custis, the trained nurses of Washington, George A. and William B. King, F. H. Walker & Co., William Mueh- leisen, George W. Merriam & Co., Louis P. Shoemaker, B. B. Earnshaw & Bro., vohn W. Jennings, Benjamin C. McQuade, the Elphonso Youngs Company and William F. Mattingly & Son. Business First in Order. The presiding officer stated that the first business in order was the matter of perma- nent organization. He called on Mr. W. W. Danenhower, who presented a plan of organization, which was also published yesterday in The Star. The question was put to vote and the plan was adopted unan- imously and without loss of time. The election of permanent officers was next taken up. Mr. Staples was nominated for pgesident, from all sections of the hall. He attempted to say that he really did not have time to attend to the duties of the office, when he was declared to be out of order. Seeretary Woodard was thereupon directed to take a vote. Without prelim- inaries of any sort, the secretary arose and announced that it gave him great pleasure to state that Mr. Staples was unanimously elected. . “I don’t see how TIT can do very muc! President Staples began to say, when a vaice from the rear of the hall shouted: “Get another ‘phone!” Mr. Thomas W. Smith was unanimously elected first vice president, and for second ‘e president Messrs. W. W. Danerhower, J. Ford Thompson, H. L. E. Johnson, Fred C. Gieseking and others were nominated. It was decided to leave the selection of second vice president and the remainder of the officers to a nominating committee, and the chair named Messrs. Fred L. Sid- dons, W. W. Danenhower and W. M. Har- per to serve as such. Pending the report of the committee, on invitation of President Staples all partook of refreshments served in an adjoining room in unlimited quantities. The recess was also taken advantage of by many pres- ent, who acted without invitation, to sign the plan of organization and contribute $5 each. Approve of the Plan. Those who attached their names to the paper were George W. Linkins, Ralph W. Lee, A. F. A. King, George Byrd Harrison, Charles R. Talbert, E. A. French & Co., J. 8. Stone, W. P. Carr, Hendrickson & Co. G. W. Merrill, Howard L. Wilkins, J. Ber- man, Wilton J. Lambert, W. H. H. Cis- sell & Son, P. Mann, Cramer & Bligh, Tyree & Fitch, Cameron & Chandler, Wil- bert Clarey, H. M. Schneider, J. T. Walker & Sons, F. A. Dennison & Co., Hutton & Hilton, R. H. Graham, C. J. McArthur, Frank Leech, D. B. Street, George W. Wise, B. B. Earnshaw & Bros., W. H. Cole- man, A. EB. Beitzell, Marshall & Ball, Wea- ver, Kengla & Co., R. H. Walker & Co.., R. Marshall, Collins & Gaddis, H. P. P. Thcmpson, M. D., Church & Stevens, At- well & Stubblefield, Miller & Roller, F. T. Chamberlain, M. D., Richardson & Burger, W. J. Dillenback, M. D., R. L. Cooper, J. W.. Harper, Robert N. Harper, J. D. Rob- inson, E. L. Frederick, M. Coleman. Oo. G._ Staples, Henry F. Woodard, George W. Knox Express Company, Hart- man & Cadick, Union Central Life In- surance Company, V. Baldwin Johnson, Fred C, Gieseking, E. M. Miller, George E. Shehan, T, R. Marshall, Davis Brothers, W. 8S. Hoge and Brother, J. L. Newbold, Fred_ 8S. Smith, W. T. Galliher & Co., A. A. Birney, W. M. Galt & Co., C. A. Schneider, W. W. Danenhower, Brice & Lipscomb, William B. Creecy, Wescott, Wilcox &-.Heiston, J. Louis Loose, Wood- ward & Lothrop, W. B. Moses & Son, John Miller, Thomas W. Smith, W. M. Harper, Julius Lansburgh Furniture and Carpet Company, G. H. Baughman, Al- fred Terry, Christian Moerlein, J. P. Har- rington, K. T. Berry, Charles Schneider, Columbia Lithograph Company, Julius Baumgarten, J. H. Kuehling, Samuel Ben- singer, F. G. Swain & Son, L. B. Lattimer, J. M. Strassburger, J. L. Redman & Son, Haller & Haller, McDowell & Son, N. Mc- Kay, P. C. Gerden, Owen Owen, E. G. Bentley, Ralph L. Galt, M. Dyrenforth & Co. and Tyler & Rutherford. és Report of Nominating Committee. The nominating committee, when the meeting was again called to order, pro- posed officers as follows, and the selections were unanimously approved: President, O. G. Staples; vice presidents, Thomas W. Smith and Dr. H. L. E. Johnson; secretary, Henry F, Woodard; assistant secretary, Forrest P. Tralles; board of managers, A. M. Lothrop, W. H: Moses, F. B. Noyes, J. Louis Loose, Arthur A. Birney, E. H. Thomas, V. Baldwin Johnson, Horatio Browning, T. R. Marshall, T. J. Meyer, W. B. Davis, J. M. Hoge, F. K. Raymond, F. C. Gieseking, R. M. Barber, J. L. Newbold, G. A. Shehan, W. 8. Thompson, C. G. Stott, Joseph Richardson, R. G. Rutherford, W. M. Harper, J. Ford Thompson and T. B. Babbitt. The Yemorial. Mr. Arthur A. Birney, chairman cf the committee previously appointed td prepare @ memorial to Congress, suggested the fol- lowing: To the Senate and House of Representa- tives of the United States in Congress As- sembled: The memorial of the undersigned, res’- dents of the District of Columbia, respect- fully represents:” ‘That they are professional and busines: men, and in the conduct of their affairs it a NR Hi is indispensable or important to them that they should use the most approved meth- ods of communication with each other and with other persons, as well in the city of | Washington as the other cities, and to this end, that they shall have efficient telephone service at a reasonable cost for unlimited use by such subscribers. Your memorialists further show that. through the action of Congress, the Chesa- peake and Potomac Telephone Company, @ New York corporation, exercises the ex- clusive privitege to maintain a telephone service in the District of Columbia, and to lay its wires in and across the public streets and ways, and that such exercise of these exclusive privileges must continue until relief be granted by Congress. And that, in reliance upon its supposed ability to exclude all competitors, the said com- pany has most oppressively exacted anu does now exact from the citizens of Wash ington the most exorbitant rates for tele- phone service, which rates are farin excess of the rates imposed in other cities of sir lar size or greater size, and afford to the said company a profit far above a just and reasonable return upon the cost of the plant and the maintenance of its business. And your memorialists further show that notwithstanding the exorbitant rates ex- acted as rentals as aforesaid, the sald cor- poration has also imposed upon all sub- seribers the most arbitrary, unreasonable and oppressive limitations upon the right to use their telephones, and has exacted and constantly exacts the most extortion- ate charges for any extra use of such ma- chines by such subscribers, all of which is to their manifest injury and oppression. The premises considered, your memorial- ists hereby pray that such legislation be enacted as will permit and promote compe- tition in telephonic service in the District of Columbia, and enable other companies to establish themselves therein, or that such lawful conditions may be imposed upon the Chesapeake and Potomac Tele- phone Company as will prevent the exor- bitant and extortionate charges and unjust ana oppressive limitations hereinbefore re- cited. Mr. Birney Explains. In presenting the proposed memorial Mr. Birney explained that the committee had stated only in sharply defined words the grievances of the telephone subscribers. “We have not said anything we cannot substantiate,” said Mr. Birney. “I under- stand the same company that is operat- ing here makes a charge of only $3 per month in Baltimore. In a section of West Virginia I 2m informed the subscribers objected to paying $25 a year for ‘phones in business houses and $15 a year for ‘phones Inf residences. They organized a new telephone company and are now pay- ing dividends, while the annual rental of “phones in business houses is $15 and those in residences $10. “The object of this meeting,” conclud- ed Mr. Birney “is to protest against op- pression, the Same as our forefathers pro- tested one hundred and twenty-live years ago. All we want is fair play. If the Chesapeake and Potomac Telephone Com- pany won't act fair, then we must take steps to make the company do so.” The memorial was adopted, After Pres- jent Staples explained that a new elec- tric lighting company in this city has fourteen miles of conduit that it is will- ing to rent for telephone purposes, Mr. Thomas R. Marsball, chairman of the committee appointed to wait on President Bryan, was called on for a report. Mr. rshali stated that President Bryan de- clined to list-n to any proposition from the committee unless it was presented in writing. The proposition was prompt put in writing, and President Bryan was requested to give an answer. He replied that he would think about it. “Up to this time,” Mr. Marshall went on to say, “no answer has been received. President Bryan took occasion to remark that our committee represented only about one hundred subseribers. If he were here to witness this gathering and should re- peat that remark, I think he would be hooted from the hall.” A general discussion followed, during which President Staples announced that in the event a new telephone company was organized he would take $5,000 worth of stock. Advocates Removal of *Phon: Mr. George E. Emmons, in a spirited ad- the organization of a new the tearing up of the streets of this city. company or “If there is not a reduction in rates,” urged Mr. Emmons, “let us remove our telephones. We should impress on the Che apeake and Potomac Company that we mean business and are not mcrely ta!k' The company may withhold action b gress, but it cannot say that we withdraw our ‘phones.” In keeping with Mr. R. N. Harper presented a resolution which stggested the fixing of telephone rates at $50 a year for one subscriber on a line, $40 for two sul and ) for three or more on a line. Capt. Tyler took the stand that a competition is wanted, adc that the coming of a new company will be the only substantial way of securing relief. Mr. Birney explained the methods of the Automatic Telephone Company in carrying en its business at Augusta, Ga., where. ac- cording to Mr. Birney, it drove the Beil Company entirely out of the field. A Prior Protest. Mr. John S. Miller, who followed Mr. Bir- ney, said that he was one of the original subscribers in this city when the telephones were introduced. The rate then was $25 per year. The amount was soon raised to $50) and an indignation meeting of subscribers was heid in Lincoln Hall. The speaker was among the number who agreed to dis- continue the use of the "phone if the rental was not reduced. He ordered his ‘phone out and has never used one since. In urg- ing that the association endeavor to have a law passed limiting the price charged for the telephone, Mr. Miller stated that there is no assurance that a new company, if chartered, would not also raise its rates. Nothing further of importance was done, and the meeeting adjournd to meet at the call of the president. On motion of Mr. Emmons, just prior to adjournment, a unanimous vote of thanks was tendered the newspapers of the city for their hearty co-operation in the move- ment and to Mr. Staples for the interest manifested by him. Mr. Danenhower was thanked, on motion of Mr. Lee B. Latimer, for inaugurating the war against the tele- phone company. ———_—_ MRS. W. C. WHITNEY INJURED. Struck on Head by. Bridge Beam White Oat Riding. A special dispatch to the Baltimore Sun from Columbia, 8. C., yesterday said: Mrs. William C. Whitney was accidentally struck on the forehead and knocked from her horse this morning two miles from Aitken, where the Whitneys are spending the winter. She was picked up uncon- scious, a carriage was gotten, and she was taken to’her home. ‘The blood poured from a gash six inches long and extended across the upper part of her forehead. She regained conscious- ness in half an hour. Mrs. Whitney, in a large company, among whom were her husband, Mrs. Valentine Mott, Mr. and Mrs. Hitchcock, Sir and Lady Colebrook, Mr. and Mrs. Duncan El- Hott and Mr. and Mrs. C. T. Havemeyer, left the Whitney mansion on a fox hunt, but first went to breakfast at a cottage by Robinson’s creek. The creek is crossed by a covered bridge, and in cantering un- der it Mrs. Whitney's head struck a beam. She had frequently passed under the bridge, but heretofore had been riding a small horse. The morning being cold she wearing a heavy vell, which interfer? with her vision. It was supposed for some time that Mrs. Whitney's skull was fractured, but sub- sequent examinations showed the bones to be intact, although the gash is deep. The accident throws gloom over the little town, 0 many persons have gathered fcr season. The regular permanent family circulation of The Evening Star in Washington is more than double that of any other paper, whether pubiished in the morn- ing or in the afternoon. As a medium for unobjec- tionable advertisements it there- fore stands unequaled and un- approachable. PROPOSED COURTESIES IVEN UP, The Spai hk Craixer Vire: nian Few Day: The social courtesies which the govern- Ment intended to extend to the officers of the Vizcaya have been abandoned on account of the Maine catastrophe. As a to Leave result the stay of the Vizc New York probably will be materia ed, and she is likely to sail within next three days, probably Thursday. The probably will proceed direct to Havan not stopping at Charleston or any other pert, as had been suggested during earlier preparatiors. The Vizcaya will not coal at New York according to the understanding he will it be nec ry for Vefore reaching Havana. This determin tion gives relief to the authorities he as the taking on of coal in of publ ritement is attended with more or less k, the coal affording an opportunity to extremists for the secretion of explosives. = spite the utmost precaution that vet her to tu may Seer Long has sent a telegram to ulate, commanding officer of the er Vizcaya, saying the honor to knowledge the receipt of your telegram the loss of the Maine, and t for the expression of sympathy A similar response was made gram from Vice Admiral Spann expressive of sympathy for the ee for hank you the Maine. More Divers Sent to H Admiral Sicard telegraphed from Key West yesterday afternoon that he i sent five divers to Captain Sigsbee and asked f that was sufficient. The acting chief of the navigation bureau, Captain Dickins, at once took the sensible course of direct- ing the admiral to put himself in comy nication with Captain Sigsbee and learn his needs at first hand. The business of the Navy Department is getting kK to its nermal condition, as is evidenced by the fact that an order has been used to dis- continue the telegraph service West, and hereafter the office at that place will close at 10 o'clock at night, as formerly mander Forsythe, the commandant at West, has also asked permission of the partment to stop his daily bulletins, and this has been granted with an understanding at he will report any deaths that may occur among the suffe in the hospital there. m- Key Lieut. Commander Sobral's Canc. The State I nt after learning that Lieutenant nder Sobral was no longer recognized as an attache of the ation decided to ignore the terview attributed to him, which it at first was disposed to resent. It is now ned that Secretary Long late Saturday 4 upon Acting Secreta Department and laid bh e newspaper clippings con reporied interview. Acting Secretary I agreed with Long that ther into the of the The rant d the the matter, spanish charge, naval harge however, promptly to officer Was no longer of the legation, his successor having been ap- reinted and gazette cember 24 last He further explained that it was owing entirely to the more important and press- ing matters of business before it that the legation had overlooked the sending »per notification of the chan tate Department. It is matter of fact there are fr delays in the receipt of hanges among atta Department. SSS t CLERKS OF THE CENSUS BUREAU. Senate Favors Putting Them Under the Secretary of the Interior. The Senate devoted the latter part of the session yesterday afternoon to a bill pro- viding for the twelfth and subsequent cen- suse! Mr. Allison thought the census bureau ought not be made an independent bureau, but be placed under the Depart- ment of the Inte under the general supervision of the Secretary of the Interior, ard he proposed an amendment to that effect. The suggested amendment developed a wide divergence of opinion among senators to the direction of the census bureau, and there was considerable Ciscus in which Messrs. Teller, 2 Allen and Carter particiy in charge cf the bill, briefly replying to Mr. Allen, said that the statements of the senator from Neb (Alten) concerning the merits of the > about as wild as was his statement tha “loafers on the pay rolls ment departments in clerks.” As a matter of fact, Hale, Hoar, J ted. The latter, syed he said, only about 10,00) clerks emy in in Washington, fore, be 25,000 the dej-artments re could not, ther among them. Teller (Col.) offered an amendment to Mr. Allison's amendment providing the census bureau be placed under a sioner of lab of the work. Th nent was lost reverted to the an partment of labor and that the comy aE... ve general supervision amendment to the amend- 1 to 20. The question then sendment offered by Mr. Allison, It was adopted—39 to 8. Mr. Stewart proposed an amendment striking out all of the bill excep: sections 1 und 6, leaving to the Secretary of the Interior the work of preparing plan d making recommendations for the twelfin census. The proposition was dis- cussed until 5:10 p.m., when, without ac tion upon the bill, the Senate, on motion of Mr. Carter (Mont.), went into executive session and shortly afterward adjourned. NOT FIGHT Us. Denial of a Report of Understanding With Spai A special cable dispatch to the Philadel- phia Press from Paris yesterday says: A correspondent tonight informed M. Hano- taux, the French minister of foreien af- fairs, that it has been stated in America that in case of war between the United States and Spain, France would take the field in support of Spain. M. Hanotaux nade the following impressive and author- {tative reply: The French government has not con- templated the probability of war between the United States and Spain; therefore, the statement that France will take the fiell - against America is absurd. J prefer to think that the memories of Columbus, Washingtor and Lafayette are sufficiently entwined to make the three nations settie the present and prospective differences upon an intellectual basis.” — GRIEF LED TO DEATH. Death of a Baby Caused Two Women to Commit Suicide. » A dispatch from New York yesterday said: In a cottage at Hempstead, L. L, Annie Vollmar, a middle-aged woman, hanged herself to a beam in the cellar last night, but was cut down before life was extinct. She is in a critical condition. In the same cottage lies the body of Mrs. Charles Bedell, Mrs. Vollmar’s £:er, who killed herself Friday. The death of Mrs. Bedell’s child, eight weeks old, unsettled the reason of both women. They brooded four weeks over their sorrow and then both decided to com- mit suicide. —_-e-—_____ An alarm was sounded from box 413 this morning, about 5:45 o'clock, for a slight fire in the grocery store of I. S. Harries, 420 7th street southwest. There was no damage done.