The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, December 16, 1901, Page 4

THE SAN FRANCISCO CALL, MONDAY, DECEMBER 16, 1901 ....DECEMBER 16, 1901 AMONDAY. JOHN D. SPRECKELS, Proprietor. Zééress Al Commenicetions to W. 5. LEAKE, Manazer. MANAGER'S OFFICE.... .Telephone Press 204 PUBLICATION OFFICE...Market and Third, S. F. Telephone Press 201. EDITORIAL ROOMS. 7 to 221 Stevenson St. Telephone Press 202. Delivered by Carriers, 15 Cents Per Week. Singje Copies. 5 Cents. Terms by Mail, Including Postage: DAILY CALL (including Sunday), one year... DAILY CALL (including Suiday), 6 1.onths, DAILY CALL (including Sunday), 3 month DAILY y Single Month. » One Year.... CALL, One Year. All postmasters are nzuthorized to receive subscriptions. Sample coples Will be .orwarded when requested. Mail subscribers in orderirg change of address should be ar to give both NEW AND OLD ADDRESS in order insure @ prompt and correct compliance with their requef OAKLAND OFFICE. C. GEORGE KROGNESS, Xazager Foreign Advertising, Rargeette Building, Chicags. (Long Distance Teleph: *‘Central 2615."") 1118 Broadway NEW b, RK CORF C. C. CARLTON. PONDENT: ..Herald Square RESENTATIVE: 30 Tribune Building EWS STANDS: STE Waldorf- Astoria A. Brentano, 31 Union Squ y Hill Hotel CHICAGO N TANDS n House; P. O. News Co.; Great Northern Hotel; House; Auditorium Hotel. BRANCH OFFICES—52T Montgomery, corner of Clay, oper il 9:30 o'clock. 300 Hayes, open until 9:30 o'clock. 633 MeAllis open entil 9:30 o'clock. 615 Larkin, open until 9:30 o'clock. 1941 Mission, open until 10 o’ci Market, corner Sixteenth, cpen until 9 o'clock. lencia until 9 o'clock. 106 Eleventh, open until 9 o'clock corner Twenty-second and Kentucky, open until 9 o'clock. 2200 Fillmore. open until § ;. m. —— AMUSEMENTS. Tiveli—*Little Red Riding Hood.” Central—""Muldoon’s Pienic.” . Mr. Lightfoot.” A Royal Rogue.” raudeville Rip Van Winkle.” oo and Theater—\Vaudevilie every af audeville. Oakland Racetrack—Races to-day. SAlL AUCTION December 1€, Real Estate, at ABNORMAL TRADE CONDITIONS. HE condition of trade is abnormal for this time I of the year. Usually during the month of De- cember the wholesale business of the country falls off superseded by retail buying for the holidays. But this year there is not only a lively re- tail | over the country, but undiminished wholesale trading as well. This double activity is seldom seen, and accentuates the current phenomenal me of general business. Almost every section of the country and almost all lines of trade report the heavy movement in merchandise and produce. The West and Southwest are large buyers of grain. fruits and feedsiuffs, owing to the partial failure of same the crops through last summer’s long hot dry spell, d the best of it is that they seem to have plenty of money to buy with. The Atlantic and Middle States report factories in full blast with large orders runni into nexi year. and the Pacific Coast is cnjoyin, of the best years in its history as cutward shipments of its field products go. scems hardly anything produced in C: two that is not in good demand, for the East or foreign countries northern ne:ghbo: cither The general export trade of the country, however, to be diminishing. Shipments see slowly of breadstuffs, livestock. cotton and oils, while larger than at this time last year, are smaller than during October. For the calendar year to date, however, shipments of these products are 5 than during any previous year. per cent larger High prices, more than any falling off in the demand, are causing the current diminution in foreign exports. The failures are fewer than in 1900 at the moment. those last week being 233 against 247 for the same week last year. The staples, considered individually. are lively and in good condition for producers and sellers. Woolen goods are in brisk demand, dress goods especially, und raw wool continves to sell off well at all points. Shipments of boots and shoes continue to exceed those of last year and most of the factories are run- ning full time. Leather rules firm, but hides are still quoted easy. Cereals seem to have touched the crest of the current rise and the tendency is toward lower quotations again. Countrymen no longer crowd the Board of Trade of Chicago scrambling for wheat, while realizing in wheat, corn and oats has been enor- mous for a week. The decline in prices, however, is unimportant and less than might have been expected. The demand for iron and steel continues unabated | and commercial reports say that probably never be- fore was there so much forward business baoked as at present. If this industry were not hampered by a chronic scarcity of cars its showing would surprise the public; but many furnaces are being driven out of blast owing to their sheer inability to obtain the cars to move iron to and their product from the mill. It would seem as if this dearth of rolling stock would make a material decrease in the earnings of the rail- roads, but they actually show a gain of 11.5 in No- vember over the same month last year. The fecling in Wall. street continues nervous and unsettled_and the bankers and other conservative financiers are warning the public to go slowly and with caution. They say that we are in an era of ex- travagance, not economy; that the current activity in trade is more in luxuries than in necessi s; that we are spending money when we should be saving it; that our exports are fzlling off and the foreign trade balance is beginning to point against us; that scar- city and high prices of farm products do not mean prosperity; that the present phenomenal commercial acti t wave of ty cannot last forever, and so on, These bankers are shrewd and careful men. They generally know what they are talking about. They say that there are certain signs in the sky which only the willfully blind will not see and are advising a slower and more conservative pace. The advice is good, even if we-are doing a “land office” business. ust about this time a good many society men hav, y (3 come to the conclusion that the grand opera season and the Christinas season have been brought a little bit too close together for geod form. Call. | FIGHTING THE ELEMENTS. the State are 1o the effect that despite the se- verity of the frost there is reason to believe the loss of fruit will be much less than might have been feared. . The orchardists have resorted exten- sively to smudging and are sanguine the results will show the ecfficacy of that system of fighting frost. It is to be hoped the results will not only be bene- ficial but will be conciusive on the subject. A good many orchardists are skeptical of the claims made for smudging as a protection against frost. Some have tried it without achieving success and have con- { cluded it is of little value. Others have argued that the smudge smoke has no other effect than that of a thin blanket which tends to prevent the radiation of the heat of the eariii during the night and also to prevent the ill effects of the morning sun streaming directly through a clear sky upon the frosted fruit. They argue, therefore, that it can be of no advantage { where the earth has been chilled by prolonged frost | or when there are winds that blow the smoke away. | By reason of these differences of opinion it has been difficult in some parts of the State to get the orchard proprietors to engage in such universal smudging as would cover the entire district with smoke, and as a consequence in those districts the | experiment has never been given a full and fair trial. If, now, after these repeated frosts and prolonged cold weather, the orange orchards where smudging has been extensively resorted to are saved, there will be something like a convincing demonstration of “the value of smudges. We may then expect that here- | after the practice will be more generally adopted and every fruit-growing district in the State will be com- paratively safe from danger of frost. It is worth noting in this connection that the vine REPORTS from the orange-growing districts of growers of Austria and of France continue to assert |a confidence in the efficacy of cahnonading hail- | storms, despite the skepticism of scientific men. The criticisms of the Chief of the Weather Bureau and other authorities this country have been tele- graphed to France, and in commenting upon them Consul Covert, who represents the United States at | Lyons, says in a recent report to the State Depart- “The individual opinion of any one is worth nothing upon a question that is being tested cxperiments conducted on a large scale by sev- 1 thousand people in two great nations. It is not the uneducated peasantry, but the wealthy. well edu- cted th phatic in in ed proprietors. who have d nts and who are | them. e experi- indorsing I have interviewed all classes of people, s tists and laymen, and find only one, Dr. Paul Caze- neuve, who does not accept the cannonading theory. He insists that the experiments have not yet been conducted under sufficiently diverse circumstances to clearly prove the theory. In answer to this the large proprietors and the peasants repose the most implicit faith in cannon and laugh at the learned doubter.” In matters of this kind it is always worth while to | make experiments wherever one has the means to af- | ford the risk. Our science is still a long way from | understanding all the forces of nature. In the civil- ized world the soil has been fairly subdued and man | knows how to manage it. We have now to fight most e ien- weather. The battle is difficult. but within certain limits man may hope to achieve victory. The ten- frosts and hail- dency of the weather to produce storms v cventually be counteracted by human skill as efficiently as the same skill can now counter- act the tendency of the soil to produce weeds and generate discases among trees and vines. s Representative Robertson of Louisiana is a Demo- cratic member of the V and Means Committee, and yet when the Philippine tariff was under consid- cration in the committee Mr. Robertson voted with the Republicans instead of the Democrats. Evidently protection to home industries is appreciated in Lou- ays isiana when Louisiana happens to be the home of the induostry. BILLS BEFORE CONGRESS. of the session | { 3 | URING the first weel | D W introduced into the Senate 1104 | i and into the House 4355. That breaks During the first week of the there bills the last Congress the bills introduced into the Senate amounted to 1050 and those in the House to 3300, so that the total of both houses in the Fifty-sixth Congress was I, than the number introduczd this time in the House alone. | record. | The [bills range of course from measures upon which the increasing welfare of the nation depends to those designed to win favor in Buncombe. Pen- sion bills of one kind or another are more numerous than any other class. Some of them are for the pur- pose of providing a pension for a particular person whose claim cannot be allowed under the general laws, while others are designed to so amend the laws crease” the list of persons eligible for pen- An interesting bill intended to give govern- mental recognition 1o the veterans of the Civil War has been introduced by Senator Burrows. It as to i sions served ninety days in the Civil War with a badge or button as a testimonial of his service for the preser- cation of the Union. It also prescribes a penalty of $500 fine and six months’ imprisonment for falsely wearing the badge. There are a considerable number of bills for es- tablishing national parks. Such measures have now become one of the favorite means of getting appro- priations for districts which have no claim for river or harbor improvements, or for Federal buildings. Many of the parks are to be established upon sites rendered historic by war and are to be of 2 memorial nature. Pennsylvania has two bills of this kind, one for a park at Valley Forge and the other at Brandy- wine. Kentucky wishes one at Perryville*and Geor- gia wishes one at Atlanta. The most important of this class of ‘bills is that providing for a grand na- tional park of upward of 2,000,000 acres in the Ap- palachian Mountains. This park would be one of national benefit, and will doubtless be established. The fate of the others will depend largely upon the skill with which their promoters can practice the art of log-rolling. To this great mass of bills presented in the first week of the session cthers will be added as the ses- as a body to attend to them all. The mere reading of them would take up about all the time the houses are in session. two They will be sent to com- mittees and there the slaughtering will begin. Some will go into pigeonholes, some into waste-baskets. There will emerge from the committees, however, a much larger number than the House can attend to, and the Committee on Rules will have to make a further diminution. | Of the despotic power of the Rules Committee many complaints have been made. and yet it is clear | that such power must be lodged somewhere or Con- srress would never be able to get along with its work. It is safe to say that many of the bills introduced are sion goes on. It is utterly impossible for Congress not supported earnestly even by the men who pre- sented them. They are designed to please certain clements of a Congressman’s constituents and to en- able him to show that he is “doing something” at Washington. The killing' of the great mass of the bills, therefore, is not going to hurt anybody. Any measure of genuine importance is sure to have a hear- ing sooner or later, and its chances are helped rather than hurt by the authority given to the Committee on Rules. In'fact, the present system of dealing with legislation has been developed by the conditions under which legislation is carried on, and is not likely to be changed until the conditions change. While the Pan-American delegates at the City of Mexico were uttering their first expressions of de- light at mecting .one another Colombia and Venezuela were threatening war and now at the end of the Con- gress ‘Chile and Argentina are preparing to fight. The Pan-American, therefore, is another proof added to that of The Hague conference that as soon as na- tions begin to talk of peaceful arbitration there is bound to be a fight. UR London dispatches inform us that every- WAITING FOR KOSEBERY. O Pndy in Great Britain who takes any interest in public affairs has been for a week waiting impatiently to hear what Lord Rosebery will say in his speech at Chesterfield to-day. The impatience is due to pqpular discontent with the present Govern- | ment, disgust with the incapacity of the Liberals and the hope that Rosebery will by his speech reawaken i public. confidence and prove himself to be fitted to take charge of the affairs of the nation. Rarely hive a great people been in such urgent need of a leader as are the British people now. The war in Sguth Africa, which was expected to be “trou- blcscfr_ue but not dangérous,” as General Buller said, jis now. more troublesome than ever, and, moreover, very graphically described it by saying that at first it was like an open wound where the blood flowed freely,’but now it has become a festering wound and threatens to poison- the empire.” which it has been waged has possibly been not more | but it has had the effect of exciting against Great Britain a large number of persons in all parts of the civilized world. That popular hos ility is not to be ignored. It constitutes a very serious menace to ;Brirkh interests and may weaken alliances where | Britain needs them most. In addition to the gloomy outlook abroad, the do- mestic situation is anything but reassuring. The pub- lic debt is rapidly augmenting, taxes are heavier than ever, and, moreover, a formidable competition with jitse. The Ministry seems utterly incompetent to deal with the situation. Salisbury is old and has be- come something like a pessimist, having no word of cheer other than that of the utterance of a dogged determination to see the war through. Chamberlain has been found incompetent. His speeches have the misfortune to make enemies for Great Britain instead of making friends. No one else in the Ministry has any strength at all. The Liberals are equally deficient in leadership. It is, therefore, Rosebery or nothing. The man from whom the empire is expecting so much and whose words to-day are waited for. with such anxiety is one of those children of fortune who seem to have been born with every good-gift except that of making a great use of it. His tutor at Eton described him as a man who could easily win the laurels if he would, but who would shrink from the struggle and the dust of the arena. Were he ani- mated by any of Roosevelt's delight in the “strenuous life” 'he would be a leader indeed. ever, that he has none of it. It happens, how- He has more than once expressed his dislike of government by party. He has recently declared he would like to see the affairs of Great Britain managed by business mén like Car- i negie and Lipton. Some time ago he announced that { he would ally himself with no party, but would “plow his own furrow and stay in it.” Now it is to be seen what he has to offer in the way of leadership to the nation, The dispatches state that the desire to hear him is | so great that the hotels of Chesterfield began to fill up with strangers last week, notwithstanding it was announced that every seat in the hall where the speech is to be made had been already taken. Prob- ably it is the intention to give him a grand ovation on the streets should he speak “like one having authority.” All things being taken into considera- tion, Rosebery has before him the greatest opportu- nity that has been enjoyed by an orator in this gener- ation. If he be equal to the occasion he may be Prime Minister of Great Britain before the coming year closes. If he fail, his political career will end in a worse fiasco than that of Bryan. —— THE SOUTH AND THE TARIFF, 5 ; pro- Y the report of the Democratic minority of the vides that the Government shall furnish each hon- L Ways and Means Committee of the House on orably discharged soldier, sailor or marine who the Philippine bill it appears the opposi- tion is to attack the Administration on general prin- ciples and not upon specific policies. There was a time when Democrats would have objected to the proposed tariff because it would interfere with free- dom of trade. That they now evade that issue as far as possible is an evidence they have learned some- thing. In fact, a Louisiana member of the commit- tee, who is as much a Democrat as any other in Con- gress, is in favor of imposing tariff duties upon im- | ports from the Philippines. He is not going to sac- rifice the agricultural interests of his State for the sake of making a Democratic platform. There are other Democratic States as well as Lou- isiana that would be injuriously affected by the com- petition of cheap labor were full freedom of trade granted to the Philippines. It is for that reason more than any other, perhaps, that fl:e minority of the Ways and Means Committee denounce the so- called “imperial policy” as a whole instead of making a straight fight for the free admission of Philippine products. The demand of the minority is that the Filipinos be fitted for self government and indepen- dence, and about all their report has to say of the proposed tariff is: “We do not believe the trade we are now obtaining or that we dre likely to obtain under our operations in the Philippines is worth what we are paying for it.” The delicate way in which the Democrats have han- dled this issue may be significant of what would hap- pen should the Northern wing of the Democratic party take up the free trade issue again. It seems clear they could no longer rely upon the support of the solid South. A free trade campaign'might split the party in that section as deeply as free silver split it in the North. At the Massachusetts banquet the other day Henry Watterson said Kentucky might yet be a champion of protection when Pennsylvania is for free trade, and the saying is not without reason. The South is no longer unanimous for free trade or , for anything that tends to it | has become decidedly dangerous. Winston Churchill | The manner in | severe than is necessary in dealing with guerrillas, | British industries is appearing in the home market | QUEER GUIANA REPTILE |GRIEVANCES IS SENTINEL LIZARD ped meat and young birds. ANSWERS TO QUERIES. A GOLDPIECE—Subscriber, Alameda, Cal. There is no premium for a five-dollar piece of 1835. POLISH CATHOLIC CHURCH-J. H.. City. There is no Polish Catholic church in San Francisco. BY MONTGOMERY—Reader, City. The lines To gather round an aching breast The curtain of repose Are from “The Time for Rest,” by James Montgomery, first verse. AN OLD BIBLE—H., Oakland, Cal. A Bible printed in Massachusetts in 1803 15 worth just what a person desiring to be possessed of the same would be willing to give for It. There is no market price for such a book. GOLD QUARTERS—H. H. F., Granite- ville, Cal. What are called octagonal halves and quarters, gold, are not United States coins, but jewelers’ tokens, that were issued in California in the early days. Such do not command a premium. They are offered for sale in this eity for % cents for quarters and & cents for halves. A DEED—A., Exeter, Cal. In California the husband has absolute control of the commumity property with the right of dis- position (except testamentary) the same as of his own separat. property, there- fore he can dispose of the same without the signature of the wife, but cautious buyers always insist on the wife signing the deed. RATLROAD EUCHRE—A. O. S., City. In railroad euchre it the blank card or “joker” is turned for trump, the dealer has the right of immediately naming any suit for trumps, but this does not debar him from the privilege of turning it down when his turn comes to announce what he will do. as in the regular game. PROPERTY—C. E. 8. H.. Oakland, Cal. Community property is that which is ac- quired by husband and wife after mar- riage, except such as either may acquire by gift or inheritance, which is separate property. The property which either hus- band or wife was possessed of at the time of marriage is not community property, but the separate property of each. THE CROCKER BUILDING FIRE— Subseriber, City. The fire in the Crocker building, on Bush street, near Sansome, in which Martin Hanan, assistant fore. man, and Peter F. Healey, hoseman of Engine No. 4, lost thelr lives, occurred on the Sth of October, 1885, the alarm being sounded at 2:08 a. m. The fire in the Ban- croft building, on Market street, between Third and Fourth, occurred on the 30th of April, 1886, the alarm being sounded at 8:56 p. m. THE SHIP EDWARD EVERETT-M. H., Safita Cruz, Cal. J. W. Davis of Sac- ramento has kindly furnished the depart- ment of Answers to Correspondents the following account of the pioneer ship Ed- ward Everett: The Edward Everett sailed from Boston Jan- wary 12, 1819, with 152 passengers, and arrived at San Francisco, via Cape Horn, Friday, July 6, 1919, Among the passengers was Rev. J. A. Benton, a pioneer Congresationalist minis- ter. and for many years pastor of the church of that denomination in Sacramento. In an anniversary sernion delivered July 12, 1574, | speaking of the voyage of the Everett, Mr. Benton said: ““We left the harbor of Boston early the morning of the 12th of January, 1843, a brizht, clear, winter day. the thermometer having fallen below zero the preceding night. The voyage was not a swift one nor were Incidents striking. We fell In with very few vessels on the ocean. We did not see land ex- cept during our passage through the Straits ot ‘Le Maire. We made only one port on the way, that of Valparaiso, early in May. We were there about a week. The Gold-hunter's Log. a weekly, was published on board of the ship. The most tedious part of the voyage was from Valparalso up, because it was protracted by calms and head winds and because our anxfety to have it end speedily added to our sense of tedium. When our anchor dropped In San Francisco Bay we had been six months on the way, lacking one week. During the days we | remained at the bay our home was still on the ship, and in her we ran up as far as Beni- cia on the 10th of July, salling slowly enough to enjoy all the beauty of the fine scenery, the islands. the rocks, the biue water, the San Pablo ~expanse, the Carquinez opening, the lifting up of the hills, the towering head of Mount Diablo. We were two days in Benlcia. The ship was to remain there. We left her on the morning of the 12th and few of us ha ever seen her since, though the imoression 1s that she is still afloat somewhere.”" The last record that there is of the ves- sel in San Francisco is furnished by A. J. Coolidge, formerly secretary of the Mer- chants'’ Exchange, which is that she sailed from this port for Callao April 12, 1850. Willard B. Farwell, who was one of the passengers on the vessel in '49, one of the few still living, has no informa- tion of what became of her after the date last given. EESREEE S ., Postage on Christmas Edition. The great Christmas edition of The Call, issued December 15, 1901, con- taing 70 pages and will weigh 17 ounces. The rates of postage on this edition will be as follows: Foreign. 9 cents | ———————————— HOTEL DEL CORONADO, choicest Winter Resort In the world, offers best living, climate, ‘boating. bathing, fishing and most amuse- ever it discovers a rattlesnake or a crocodile. Museumof Natural History in Paris were extremely delighted when they received word some time ago that M. Merwaert, French Guiana, was sending them a fine specimen. and were correspondingly disappointed on opening the box to find the lizard dead. This lizard was more than four feet in length. seum alive it is thought likely that it would have survived for several years, as it could easily have been supplied with appropriate food, such as eggs, chop- : CURIOUS REPTILE OF GUIANA, KNOWN AS THE SENTINEL LIZ_- ARD, IS GIVEN ITS NAME BECAUSE IT HISSES LOUDLY WHEN- EVER IT DISCOVERS A RATTLESNAKE OR A CROCODILE. ard of Guiana, this name being given to it because it hisses loudly when- The ‘authorities of the ONE of the most curious reptiles in the world is the so-called sentinel liz- a leading official in If it had reached the mu- The natives of Guiana say that the flesh of the sentinel lizard is very savory, and the few Europeans who have tasted it agree with them. Their eggs, which are oval in shape and quite large, are also regarded as a great dellcacy. The scientific name of this lizard is “Tupinamble nigropunctatus,” and “Teju- guacua,” or simply “Teju,” is the native name for it. PERSONAL MENTION. \ Ex-State Senator E. C. Voorhies is at the Palace. J. F. Parks, a mining man of Jackson, is located at the Palace. J. H. Corcoran, an attorney of Mari- posa, is staying at the Lick. C. 8. Fitch, a mining man of Salmon River, is a guest at the Lick. George E. Church, an attorney of Fresno, is registered at the California. W. T. Summers, a banker of Juneau, Alaska, is a late arrival at the Califor- nia. D.” McM. Ross, a well-known mining man of Virginia City, is at the Occi- dental. F. I. Plowden, an insurance man of Portland, is making a brief stay at the Occidental. Domingo Salinas, a wealthy planter of Leon, Nicaragua, is at the Occidental with his wife. P. Glasgow, a prominent merchant of Los Angeles, is at the Lick, accompanied by his daughter. B. F. Brooks, largely interested in oil properties, is registered at the Palace from Bakersfield. —_— Choice candies. Townsend’s Palace Hotel.* —_—— Cal. Glace Fruit 50c per Ib at Townsend's. * —_————— Best eyeglasses, specs, ¢, 40c. Look out for 81 4th st.. front barber and grocery. * —_———— Townsend's California glace fruits, 50c a pound, in fire-etched boxes or Jap. bas- kets. A nice present for Eastern friends. 639 Market street, Palace Hotel building.* ————— Special information supplied daily to business houses and public men Ly the Press Clipping Bureau (Allen’s), 510 Mont- gomery street. Telephone Main 1042, o —_—— At a rough estimate the total amount of income taxes which Americans in Eng- land are compelled to pay for John Bull's support is $5.000.000 a year. All whose in- comes are below $800 a year escape free. —_—— “The Overland Limited,” via Unlon Pacific R. R.. is the only train making connection in Chicago with the fast Express Trains leaving Chicago in the morring for New York. By this Route you can remain in San Francisco until 10 a. m., reaching Chicago six hours quicker than on any other Limited Train. This train runs Every Day in the Year. D. W. Hitchcock, Gen. Agt.. No. 1 Montgomery st., . F. ( OF WARRANT MACHINISTS —_— Engineer-in-Chief Georze W. Melville has somewhat modified his views ex- pressed two years ago in relation to tha ‘warrant machinist corps established In 1899 to take the place of the commissioned engineer officers in the engine-room, which had been transferred to the line corps. Chief Melville then said: “With the official elevation which comes with a warrant there is not unreasonable ap- prehension that these men will desire a severance from actual manual care of the machinery of our ships, and will ex- pect to act mereiy as engineering super- visors below. This, of course, would Le wholly inconsistent with the interests of the service. * * * Clear and definite regulations are needed c¢n this peint at the start, in order that no ambiguity may foster discontent with simple duty or lead to hopes of further official elevation.” On October 1 last he compiains that warrant machinists are discriminated against, anl that their advancement, open to T warrant officers, should be equal as great. As two gunners have recently been promoted to ensigns, Chief Melville's recommendation is not zlone proper and fair but indicates a decided change of opinion in two years. * o = There were four prominent naval archi« tects mentioned as possible successors (o the post of Director of Naval Construc- tion in the British admiralty, from which Sir William H. White Fas resigned, and to which Philip Watts has succeeded. There was Chief Constructor H. E. Dead- man of the navy, at present time senior chief constructor in the admiraity, receiv- ing a salary of $750; another was J. W. Shepherd of the London and Glasgow Shipbuilding Company on the Clyde; Pro= fessor J. H. Biles of the Glasgow Univer- sity, an eminent naval expert, was alsa said to be a candidate, while Philip Watts, formerly a constructor in the navy and now holding a‘similar pesition in the Els- wick Company, was not so desirous of succeeding Sir William. The regular sal- ary of the Director of Naval Construc- tion was $7500 a year, but in 1883, when Nathaniel Barnaby retired and William ‘White, then at Elswick, was selected to succeed Barnaby, an additional sum of 35000 was offered as an inducement to ac- cept the office, The present pay of $12,« 500 will therefore mos: likely be cpn- tinued. Philip Watts, the new Direfjtor of Naval Construction, is beyond adtroc the most skillful and successful naval architect and builder of warships. He shares with William White the honor of designing the first modern war vessel—the Chilean cruiser Esmeralda—the introduc- tion of which has revolutiomzed all navies and made obsolete all vessels built prior to 1883. It is just possible that his services in the admiral'y may not prove so effective and valuable as they wera with the Elswick firm owing to the red tape, rules and regulations prevailing in government affairs, and which hamper ‘rather than encourage individual efforts. Two very fast cruisers will probably be included in the next British naval es- timates. It is said that they are to be of the Novik type, built in Germany for Russia, and of which two more are build- ing at St. Petersburg. This remarkable vessel, which is in reality a gigantic tor- pedoboat, is 348 feet in length, 40 feet beam and displaces 3200 tons on a draught of 16 feet. She has triple screws of 15,000 horsepower to give a speed of 25 knots. The armament consists of six 47 inch rapid firers, eight 3-pounders, two Maxims and six abecve-water torpedo tubes. The vessel was launched Augus 15, 190, and has passed through her tria the details of which kave not yet bee made public. The British cruisers Hyacinth and Mi- nerva are to have another tompetitive trial, this time to determine the relative efficiency of the engines. The former trial was held to ascertain the merits of the Belleville boiler over that of the Scotch boiler. The propellers will be removed from both ships and the engines run to ascertain the horsepower lost in friction, after which the propellers will be replaced and the vessels will, in company, pass through a series of trials at sea at vari- ous speeds. Four submarine boats building at Bar- row for the British navy will be launched before New Year. Of the seven submarine boats contracted for by the United States in August of last year only two have been launched, and they ar: now from six ta eight months behind contract time. Twenty vessels will shortly be contract- ed for by the Admiralty in conformity with the approved naval estimates for Great Britain. RIS ] United States Branch. STATEMENT ——OF THE— CONDITION AND AFFAIRS ——OF THE— BALOISE FIRE INSURANCE COMPANY F BASLE, SWITZERLAND, ON THE Blst day of December, A. D. 1900, and for the year ending on that day, as made to_the Insurance Commissioner of the St: fornia, pursuant to the provisions of sections 611 of the Political Code, condensed g as per blank furnished by the commissioner: ASSETS. Cash Market Value of all pa; Stocks and . $650,625 00 359 48 117.978 56 1,166 67 LIABILITIES. Loases adjusted and unpaid........ $15,357 88 Losses in process of Adjustment or . 3,985 o8 Groas premiums on Fire Risks run- ning one .year or less, $307,025 26; relnsurance 0 per cent.. .. 183,512 63 Gross premiums on Fire Risks run- ning_more than one year. $130, 134 17; reinsurance pro rata. 68,784 15 Due and accrued for salaries, rents, et 564 26 All other Tabfifties o 31122 40 Total Liabilitles ...............$290,520 83 INCOM Net cash actually received for fire Réostved for Interest and dividends o0t 7% on Bonds, Stocks, Loans, and from all other sources ................ Total Incoma EXPENDITURES. Net amount pald for Fire Losses {including $5,111 73, losses of pre- VIOUS Yoars) ........... Pald or allowed for Commlssi, 358,981 08 . .- 122,903 78 Paid for Salaries. Fees, “ohiarges for ‘othicers, dlerics, :;:ff 1,500 00 Fald for State, National and Local taxes ..... S 2,060 T2 All other payments and expendi- tures . 1,563 9a Losses Incurred during the ym....unu&”u Risk and Premiums. |Fire Risks| Preminme Total Expenditures . Net_amount of Risks written Aauring the| 379 8y 42.027.019| 478,544 92 26.823,700| 437,100 43 SAML. R. WEED (of Weed & Kennedy), ennedy), bscribed and S Sanaary. ieor, " '° Before me o ’ N SYZ & Co. el & 9-prd e United States Braneh. STATEMENT ——OF THE— L CONDITION AND AFFAIRS Helvtfiasr;i_s,s Fire INSURANCE COMPANY F ST. GALL, SWITZERLAND, ON TH 31st day of December, A. D. 1000, for the year ending on that day, as made the Insurance Commissioner of the State California, pursuant to the provisions of tions 610 and 611 of the Political Code, cone densed as per blank furnished by _the Come missloner. ASSETS. Cash Market Value of all Stocks and Bonds owned by Com; $712,577 80 fx 291 67 o7 i LIABILITIES. Losses adjusted and unpaid......... §12,656 29 Losses in process of Adjustment or in Suspense ..... B agesugeates .. 17.082 21 Losses resisted, Including expenses Gross premiums on Pire Risks rum- ning one year or less, reinsurance 50 per cent Total Liabliitles ... INCOME. Net cash actually received for Fire premiums Received for_interest on Bonds. Stocks, Loans and from all other sources * EXPENDITU et amount pald for Fire Losses (in- Cluding $05.922 35, losses of e VIOUS YORTB) - .ccuvesrvancoccnaoen $371,796 63 Paid or allowed for Commission or B 120913 23 erage h'h-r’tua - frogis Teris 3.000 00 te Paid for State. Nations] asd Local taxes 12,469 59 19,786 50 $33,162,147 | $616,503 52 42.457.319 | 510,705 93 SAML. R. (Of Weed & Kennedy), Subscribed and — to before me day of February, L P FISHBECK, Notary Public. SYZ & €O, Gen: fan_Fra Woekly Call,$1.00 per Year th ..o 7Y 58,364,740 | 504,653 01 \