OUR AMERICAN LETTER.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIX, Issue 168, 15 July 1908, Page 6

OUR AMERICAN LETTER.

SFrom Onr Special Correspondent.) NEW YORK, May 30. DECORATION DAY. Deration Day, or, more properly, "Memorial' , Day, always falls upon this date, and throughout the northern states is still observed by the military organizations in the decoration of the graves of soldiers. As the memory of the Civil War gradually fades, however, and those who participated in it grow fewer, the celebration of the day loses its potent meaning, so that now it is regarded more as the opening of the summer season than on any other account. It is the holiday upon which summer excursion steamers inaugurate their routes, and summer hotels formally open and summer vacations bogin. Straw hats and the lightest of clothing are in evidence. Generally, also, the hot weather may be expected to inaugurate itself, but the spring season thus far has been beautifully protracted. There has been an occasional warm day, with the mercury at or above 90 degrees, but no hot nights as yet, and many cool foggy days to cheer "the foliage in the parks and postpone dread of drought. Reports from all over the country are that the crop indications thus far ara most promising. In the city the theatres aro gradually closing, and business is beginning to assume a midsummer character. In the residential sections the buildings have already been clothed with the window and doorway awnings which give them the appearance of having thei eyes shut for the summer somnolence. The centres of trade might almost as well adopt the same symbols, for seldom if ever has there been a duller season. In a.ll hues of business the situation seems to be the same. Even the candy stores complain that their sales are much below the normal, on account of "so many young men being out of work." Whether or bog business will pick up before the pro sidential election in November seems doubtful. Some men think it will after the nominations, but others do not. At this writing nothing more definite in regard to the nominees can be said than a month ago. The congressmen are very cautious concerning any action for whicn tlwy may be held to blame by their constituents, and for this cause the endeavour to pass a Mail Subsidy Bill as a rider to the Post Office appropriation was defeated last Friday in the House cf Representatives by 154 to 145, while 79 of those present refrained from voting. It is said the measure may be introduced asain next winter. A SILLY JOKE. Legislation of importance in either this country or Canada has been so limited that the newspaper correspondents hava had ample time to discourse upon lighter matters. One of these topics has had such headings in the dailies as: "Alice and a Tack stir up Congress." It re£2rred to an act of Mrs. Longworth, daughter of the President, and wife of a representative. It is stated that while visiting the House the other day =be deliberately placed a big tack, business end up, upon the empty chair of a middle-aged pompous Congressman, who, when he came in and sat down, got right up again, while Alice "Hocked the other way as she laughed in childish glee." Needless to say, that Congress is ever ready to do deference to the President's family. POSTAL REFORM. 'An important change has been made by the United States Post Office Department in" the regulations governing the mailing at- post , offices in the United States oi Canadian-newspapers and periodicals "issued -less frequently than daily. Hitiierto, to enjoy the privifeges of remailing foreign newspapers and periodicals, the United States regulations were to the effect that copies of a publication so mailed, in order to be accepted at the one cent per pound rate of postage, must be posted by a publisher's authorized agont, and, in accordance with which regulation it Avnuld be necessary that the Canadian publisher have an authorized agent in the place at which he desired that hispublication should receive entry into the United States mails as second-class matter. Under the modified regulations eleven United States post offices are now exempt from, requiring that the posting should be performed through a publisher's agent, and the Canadian publisher may, therefore, assign his mailings direct to the postmasters of the following offices: — Boston, Mass.; St. Alban's, Vt. Ogdenaburg> N.Y.; Buffalo, 2J.Y.; Detroit, Mich.; Sault Ste. Marie, Mica.; St. Paul, Minn ; Grand Forks, N. Dak.; Helena, Mont.; Spokane, Wash.; Seattle, Wash. From these offices they -will be distributed through the United States on prepayment of postage at the rate of one cent per pound, provided, of course, that application for second-class privileges has baen made by the publisher at the United States Post Office at which he desires to secure entry, and that such application has been accepted. The paper 3 will have to be sent by express direct to the American ofiiee, accompanied by funds sufficient to pay the postage of one cent a pound in bulk. This -will effect a substantial saving to the newspap?r publishers of the provinces, and preserve intact the "preference" to British periodicals. INTERESTING TRAMWAY STRIKE. Au interesting labour.strike was that ■which ou May Iβ tied up all the street cars in Cleveland, Ohio, necessitating ihe establishment of other of communication by almost 400,000 people. The strike had its origin in the institution of three cent fares, a subject of polit-eal cectention in Cleveland during seven years past. Following the municipal election last November, the principal issue of which was the question of municipal control of the traction companies and ultimate fare of three cents within the city limits, a 'consolidation of the street car lines came about. At that moment it developed that ilie Cleveland Electric Railway Co., the major traction corporation, had signed a ■ contract with the Amalgamated Association "b£: Street and Electric Railway Employees, whereby it was agreed that in the event of a'continuation of their franchise or its equivalent, the conductors and TOotorrnen would receive a specified increase of two cents an hour, and an adjustment of other minor alleged grievances. The merged properties having been teased to the Municipal Traction Cornpan r, the Traction "infant" took the position that the contract was not binding ♦ipoc them. The new tcompacy did. how-t-vzr. offer an increase of one cent an hour in the pay of the men, to take effect April 2Si.!s", upon which day throe c-i'Ut fares ware put into operation. The nffW ecmnanr also ordered that all employees nhould "pay car fare when riding upon the i-ompanv's oars while not tit work. Tl;.-c j,TO|ir;itions were not satisfactory to-the -employees, and the strike followed, ifventnalry a comgramise;-3?as.3nade s

THE DEADHEAD LIKE. A curious little street car failure is reported from Moncton, New Brunswick, a town of some 8000 people, where a system was started with great eclat fey tie popular sale of stock in small shares, but failed to pay expenses, much less yield dividends, because annual passes were given to all stockholders, and at last it got to be so that only strangers in the town paid fare. Even a stranger, if he stayed more than a day, was generally able to borrow a pas 3. FIRE UNDERWRITERS IS CONFERENCE. Representatives of practically all the fire insurance companies in the United States met in New York last week when the National Board of Fire Underwriters commenced its 42nd annual meeting, In his address, President Burchell said that during 1907, while there were twen-ty-five fires, each of which showed a loss of a half-million or more, there were only two which exceeded' the million dollar mark — the street railway car bams burned in this city in April, and the elevators in Superior, Wis., in September. These fires, he said, have already been exceeded in magnitude by some which have taken place since January 1, IUOB, notably the Chelsea fire, involving an insurance loss of 8,846,579 dollars, and the Atlanta fire. The total property loss for 1007 was 199,353,300 dollars. * For the last five-year period, he said, the destruction by fire in the United States has amounted to 1,257,955,000 dollars, an avernere of more than $251,000,000 a year. The underwriting profit for 1907 was 11 14-100 per cent of premiums, with a loss of 4 55-100 per cent for the ten year period, ISOS to 1907 inclusive. He praised the work of the Fire Prevention Committee in dealing through its engineers with the situation in New York, and causing the investigation as to the condition of the hose used in New York. Taking up the work of the Committee on construction of buildings, he said) the importance of that committee's work was emphasised by the burning of the school-house at Collingswood, in the suburbs at Cleveland, where nearly two hundred children lost their lives. " Thus, while we are actuated by our own motives as -mderwriters in urging stringent building regulations," he said, " yet this is but another of tne many instances where our interests are linked with the public welfare. " Such examples as this make it nothing short of criminal for municiplaities to go on undler the old methods when the remedy lies in adequate building laws rigidly enforced." THE BASEBALL MISS. An Amazonian has developed in the baseball girl. A Pensylvanian team is reported to have just signed a new first base girl. She ia Myrtle Rowe, a stocky built young miss of sixteen years, who has proven herself little less than a wonder at the national game. She is right handed, but bats lefthanded, and explains the reason as follows: "I think the hatter has a great advantage when batting left-handed. You see the body is swinging toward first base as one hits at the hall, and the batter is already in motion the right way. The right-hand batter is swinging away from the base, and has to stop the motion, reverse, and start all over again after the ball is hit. That's why I 'bat left handed." TRANSPORT TOPICS. The twenty-fifth anniversary of the opening of what is now the " old " Brooklyn Bridge, was celebrated on May 24, and it was recalled that when it was first used loaded teams were carefully inspected to prevent any danger; but use brought confidence, and now the problem is to find methods of crowding more cars and vehicles upon the structure. With two additional bridges and- the tunnel under the East Kiver also in use, the crowds seem to increase and the growth of Brooklyn continues apace. The recent opening of the subway extension to connect with the Long Island Railroad! at the Atlantic Avenue Depot gives better facilities for rapid transit in this direction then ever before. It is now possible to travel from 110 th Street in Manhattan to Atlantic-avenue, Brooklyn, in half an hour, a distance of fully ten miles, and in equal time from down-town New York to the suburban towns of Long Island. This may be one reason why many of the expensive apartments in the city are to rent this summer, or it may be on account of the hard times. THE PASSING OF THAW. Harry Thaw, who killed Stanford White, and was adjudged insane on his. second trial, has been condemned by experts to permanent exile from society as a hopeless paranoic. Mis family have settled an income of 1000 dollars a month on his wife, Evelyn Nesbit, the former chorus girl, and she says it is " little enough." In commenting on the insanity decision, a leading New York daily says: " There can he no doubt that the history of the second trial and its developments will have a great effect in the direction of discouraging the ' crime of passion, which, had become a serious menace to our security." INFANT EDUCATION. An interesting experiment in the education of children is to t>a started upon the theory that they should not know the difference between work and play. Five babies have been procured! from a children's court to start with, and a farm of eight acres secured. One of the methods to he employed is the government of the children without the employment of fear as a force. LACERATED BRAIN'S ACUTENESS. A curious result of accidental brain surgery occurred the other day at a New York hospital, when a young man of 22, who had sent a bullet through his head, and lost four ounces of brain matter, completely recovered, aaid developed marvellous reasoning faculties which he had never before possessed. The bullet seemed to destroy that section of the bram known to physicians as "the seat of judgment," and it was thought the injury would also involve the loss of hie senses of taste and sight; but with the place '-ventilated," .his senses in all respects became vastly improved, and the doctors 'have a new marvel to puzzle over. DR. LENIHAN ON MAIL ROUTES. The Right Rev. Br. Lenihan the Roman Catholic Bishop of Auckland who is on his way to Rome via Canada' was recently interviewed in Quebec, and said that the New Zealand people weTo very anxious to have better steamship communication with Canada, and were particularly keen on the AH Red route scheme. Before the earthquake at San (Francisco, most of the business was done ify iboafca of tie -Oceaa iine running to

[ that port; but the s-teamship service was so disorganised by the earthquake that the New Zealand Government refuse to continue the subsidy. Formerly there were three large steamers constantly running from San Francisco to New Zealand, without ever resting off; and he considered that with proper steamships this business could now be diverted to Vancouver. 'What is wanted," he remarked, "is ships running from 20 to 25 knots an hour. We, in New Zealand, tfiink theseare practicable from a commercial point' of view, while the sentiment in favour of the British route is immensely strong. The people and the Government are quite prepared to contribute their share towards the necessary subsidy." FELINE INTELLIGENCE. An unusual exhibition of intelligence in a cat occurred recently in the family of a friend of the writer. The family had moved several blocks to another house, in which a dog had previously been the domestic pet. The cat is supposed to have _ smelled the tracks of the stramge dog in the new house, and during the ™ret dsy of her change' disappeared. Three weeks later she returned in company Troth the butcher boy, who said that she had followed him from the vicinity o fthe old house. Pus 3y was w 1 v tw 1, and aftor <&** satisfying S£ c "J?? f S tkoSe of her °ld home, ™fl£v ™ C ? dov,in in contentment So-nH £ erS bO -T. ss **ed to be the first £li ? &a T W^& th °ueW might *e*bje to solve the mystery of the "re-

JOTTIXGS. The recent decision of the American Episcopal Church to open its pulpits to the preachers of other regular denominations has beem popularly approved as a grand advance in the right direction, but a number of high church clergymen have in consequence dissented, and several have preferred to join the Roman Catholic priesthood. The tercentenary celebration of the city of Quebec, which is to take place in July, is attracting numerous tourists, and at least one of the large ocean steamers is to make 'three round trips from New York. In conversation the other day with a physician who has been in the confidence of high officials in Holland, and who has himself conversed with Queen Wilhelmina, I was informed that there i 3 no hope of any heir to the throne, as the queen, having been the child of a very aged father, was not endowed with equal physical ability- This is a matter which has not been publicly conceded either at Home or abroad. The popular joke is in regard to the size of, the "merry widow" hats worn by the ladies. Several householders have, it is said, refused to widen their front doors to accommodate the hats, and hatsheds have consequently become necessary adjuncts of such residences. Some priests have barred big hats from attendance at mass. " The latest fad for portraits is to pose lying down, and some striking effects are produced in photographs of ladies with theii heads upon p2kwa,