Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 21, Number 18, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 24 November 1899 — WASHINGTON GOSSIP [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

WASHINGTON GOSSIP

The advance sheets of a portion of the .annual report which Comptroller Dawesis puting out contain facts of interest not only to bankers but to the public as well. The tables relating to the accounts and business of the several classes of banks are especially instructive. By them it is shown that during the last ten years the national banks have increased in number from 3,329 to 3,585 and depositort from 1,650,044 to 2,744,459; savings banks from 849 to 942 and depositors from 3,811,059 to 5,207,653; State and private banks from 2,995 to 4.947 and depositors from 1,071,260 to 2,838,326;. loan and trust companies from 120 to 260 and depositors from 177,601 to 624,198. The total number of banks of all kinds increased 2,429, or 34 per cent, while the increase in depositors tyas 70 per cent. Loan and trust companies show the largest increase in point of percentage, and also in percentage of business secured. It is in deposits, however, that the full extent of the financial growth of the country is best reflected. Deposits in national banks increased from $1,442,137,979 to $2,522,157,500 in ten years; in savings banks from $1,444,391,325 to $2,182,006,424; State and private banks from "$590,268,199 to $1,228,995,364 ; loan and trust companies from $299,612,899 to $835,499,064; total increase from $3,776,410,402 to $6,768,658,361, or $2,992,237,989. The total percentage of increase in deposits in the ten years was 83. National banks increased 8. per cent, savings banks 51 per cent, State and private banks 109 per cent and trust companies 178 per cent. Some idea of the difficulties Uncle Sam will encounter when he begins tb educate his new Spanish-American wards may be obtained from the report of the Commissioner of Education. .This shows that the enrollment of scholars of all ages in the United States is now 16,687,643, or nearly 20 per cent of the population. In Cuba last year, with a population ofl,4 5,771, the enrollment was only 67,473, or only a trifle over 5 per cent, and in addition It must be remembered that most of the schools are such’ in name only. In Porto Rico the figures show an enrollment of only 27,936, with a population of about 890,000, showing that the wretched schools of the island are attended by only a little over 3 per cent of the total population. The percentage of illiteracy is about 87 per cent for both whites and colored. Thus far, under military rule, it has been possible only to encourage and protect the native schools. Hereafter it will be necessary to inaugurate an American system in Porto Rico and to lay the foundations at least in Cuba. President McKinley is busy preparing his annual message, and this requires a large share of his time. A great part of the message consists of the summarizing of official reports, and these portions the President dictates to a stenographer. But whenever he comes to a place where he wishes to express hisown opinion or ideas, he drops dictation and writes by hand. As soon fs he gets to such a place he leaves his stenographer and goes to Mrs. McKinley’s sitting room. All his writing is done there, so that he may be in her company every moment of the time that the monotonous repetition of dictation and correction will not annoy the invalid. It is said that in his message the President will urge retention of Philippines, immediate stable territorial government for Hawaii and Porto Rico. The Cuban question will be left open.

Secretary of the Treasury Gage issued an order to purchase $25,000,000 worth of bonds, the primary object of the purchase being the immediate relief of the New York money market. There is a plethora of cash in the treasury, and the Secretary decided it was a good time to give the people an opportunity ,40 sell their bonds back to the Government. The order for the bond purchase indicates two things: That Uncle Sam has plenty of cash in his strong box, and that the business of the country is remarkably large arid requires considerable cash in its handling. The bonds that are asked for are those maturing in 1904 and 1907. Secretary Root will ask Congress to make a deficiency estimate for caring for and housing the military balloon plant, which at present is neglected. The idea of an army balloon has not been abandoned despite the unsatisfactory results of the trial of the apparatus used in the Santiago campaign. The reasons of partial failure are attributed to the antiquated outfit which the army used on that occasion. • Admiral Dewey to-day is subjected to as great annoyance by persons who wish to satisfy their curiosity and pay him homage as when he first returned to this country after the victory of Manila Bay. For the ten months of 1899, ending Oct. 31, the balance of trade in favor of the United States whs $370,867,157. This is $89,302,069 less than the balance for the same time last year, due to the fact that,- although exports jumped $41,344,579, the imports of merchandise also increased by the large amount of $130,646,648. It is proposed to use monster search lights in the military operations around Manila, and a portable device of that character will be shipped to the signal officers for trial in actual service. The tests with the light at home have suggested its value in the field, especially in night marches and operations. A claim for bounty for’Admiral Dewey and his men growing out of the battle of Manila bay has been filed with the court of claims by their attorneys. \ They demand S2OO for each man in the enemy’s fleet on the ground that Americans attacked a superior force. If the court decides that Dewey attacked an inferior force, he and his men wjll get only SIOO for each man on the enemy’s fleet. The