Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 19, Number 22, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 19 November 1897 — WASHINGTON. [ARTICLE]

WASHINGTON.

Gen. Wade Hampton, who has just been succeeded by Gen. Longstreet as commissioner of railroads, has submitted to the interior department at Washington his report for the last fiscal year. He says that the year marked the low-water mark of railway construction. During the year thirty-four companies, with 5,441 miles of road, passed into the hands of the courts, and fifty-eight others previously placed in receivership were sold at foreclosure. A steady improvement in railroad earnings during the first six months of the current year is noted, an improvement particularly apparent in tiu? bond-aided Pacific railroads. The outlook in the West generally for the present year is reported encouraging. In an interview in Washington Congressman Hopkins of Illinois says that he is of the opinion that the next session of Congress will be of short duration, not lasting beyond May. With a free silver majority in the Senate he does not see any hope forcurrency legislation during the life of the present Congress, and a knowledge of the uselessness of attempting it will, in his opinion, keep Congress off the subject. The feeling that undue agitation under existing conditions would be a waste of time will grow’ and tend to turn discussion into other channels. Mr. Hopkins expresses the belief that Hawaii will be duly annexed without delay or serious opposition. Touching Cuba, Mr. Hopkins has this to say: "My opinion about Cuba is that unless we are absolutely compelled to interfere from motives of humanity, it were better for us to maintain an attitude of neutrality. The quarrels of other nations are not our affairs.” . The first annual report of Ellis H. Roberts, treasurer of the United States, has just been completed. It shows, among other things, that money is much easier than it was a year ago. At the end of the fiscal year of 1896 the aggregate currency and specie in circulation was $1,507,467,531, while at the close of the fiscal twelve months of 1897 this amount increased to $1,641,190,097, while during the same period the total stock of money in circulation and in the treasury mints increased from $2,348,338.571 to $2,500,371,978. A gratifying improvement in the condition of the stock of money has occurred in the increased proportion of gold which has entered into circulation. The estimated gain of gold to the country in the fifteen months ending Oct. 1 is placed at $112,511,570, of which about $43,000,000 came from abroad. The redemption of national bank notes during the period covered by the treasurer's-report entailed an expenditure of $125,061.73, which the national banks had to pay at the rate of $1.07 per SI,OOO of notes redeemed. A special deposit of $70,000 of United States 4 per cent, bonds is held in the name of the comptroller of the currency for the benefit of the unfortunate Fidelity National frank of Cincinnati.