Jasper County Democrat, Volume 4, Number 16, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 27 July 1901 — WASHINGTON GOSSIP [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

WASHINGTON GOSSIP

la proportioa to its size the United States military establishment la the most expensive in the world. According to the official notea of military interest prepared by Lieut. Col. Simpson it is shown that the cost of maintaining one 'soldier in the American army for one year la $1,104. The nearest approach to this is Germany w.ith $2Ol, while Russia pays less than any other government with $155 for each man. A comparative statement is made which shows the effective* ness of, the different armies, the cost of maintaining them for a year, and the cost of one soldier for the same period. It is as follows: Cost one soldier Effectives. Cost a year. year. Italy 221,388 $ 45,640,664 I 192 kustrla 350,037 78,717,600 194 Germany 562,187 142,077,225 201 France 580,215 124,491|600 197 Russia 732,605 141,802,825 155 United States ... 76,200 114,220,000 1,014 An analysis of this table shows that the American army, which fs conceded by military authorities to be the best in the world for its size, costs $114,220,000 for 76,000 men, while the military establishment of France costs a little over $10,000,000 more, or $12,491,500, sos maintaining an army of 589,215, or nearly eight times as large as that of the United States. For only $27,072,800 more than is paid by the United States Russia maintains an army nearly ten times larger than the American establishment, ths number of men being 732,605, costing $141,392,825. For a great deal less than half its costs to maintain the American army Italy has an establishment nearly three times as large, and for a little more than half of the expenses of keeping the United States army in fighting shaße Austria has an establishment more than four times larger. Postmaster General Smith's long deferred executive order, intended to abolish the abuses of the second-class mail matter system, has at last been issued, and it undoubtedly makes sweeping changes in the entire system. Summed up, the order of the Postmaster General bars from the maila at the pound rate paper backed novels and similar publications; secondly, it deprives of the pound rates newspapers and periodicals which have no bona fide subscription lists, but which are mainly thrown in to the purchaser of sonfe more or riexs attractive premium. /Finally, the order prescribes that unsold copies of newspapers cannot be returned at the pound rate, either to the publishers or to central news agencies. The order is believed to be sufficiently sweeping to effect a saving of many millions of dollars in the expenditures of the Poskoffice Department, while at the same time it is claimed that It will not do any injustice to legitimate newspapers and periodicals, for whose benefit alone the law was passed originally. With the large increase in the postal revenues, which will come as the result of the execution of this order, it is believed that the first step will be taken toward the establishment of penny postage.

During the fiscal year just ended the foreign trade of the United States aggregated in value $2,310,413,077, being an Increase of $65,988,811, compared with that of the previous year. Of this the exports amounted Jo $1,487,056,544. which exceeded those of the previous year by $93,173,462. and the imports aggregated $822,756,533, being $27,184,631 less than those for the fischl year 1900. The balance of trade in favor of the United States for that period reached a total of $664,900,011, being an increase of $120,359,113 over the balance tor the previous year. Of the principal articles of domestic export breadstuff* showed an increase of $14,032,536, provisions an increase of $18,487,458, and cotton, $71,617,413, while mineral oils fell off $4,448,971. The imports of gold during tho year aggregated $64,571,653, an increase of $19,998,668, and the exports, $53,239,520, an increase of $4,962,761, leaving a balance in favor of the United States of $11,342,332. For the month of June tho Imports, with a total of $67 9871895, showed an increase of $5,986,588, compared with the lime month last "year, nad the exports, which aggregated $102,664,357, showed a falling off of $5,987,600.

United States and Italy again have become seriously involved over an in Ident somewhat similar to the lynching of the Mafia assassins at New Orleans during President Harrison's administra tion, which resulted in the withdrawal of Baron Fava, the Italian minister, from Washington. The Italian embassy. for its government, has filed with the State Department a formal protest against the lynching of two Italians and the serious wounding of another by a mob at Erwin, Miss., recently, and asked for redress. The State Department has communicated with the Governor of Mississippi on the subject, asking him to report the facts and take measures to puuish the lynchers. Secretary Long admitted he did not believe Ad th Ir al Schley issued the order for executed by the Brooklyn at the drftle of Santiago. While the Secretary " not willing to give Admiral Schl y credit for the victory, he does him the justice to exonerate the naval officer fr.mi the charge of cowardice which has hung over him for three years, on account of being accused by Sampson’s friends of issuing the jrder for the loop to avo:d being run down by one of Cervera’s ships. The Commissioner of Internal Revenue has prepared a statement showing the total receipts under the war revenue act from the date It went into effect, June 13, 1808, until May 31, 1901. The total Is $310,053,563. The table Includes these Items: Beer, $97,717,971; tobacco, $47,274,780: snuff, $2,607,818; cigars, $», 180,027; cigarettes, $3,818,001; additional takes on tobacco and beer, $082,385. Mulberry creek, Tennessee, rose tenfeet In forty minutes and played tbs dickens with houses, stock and crops.