OUR AMERICAN LETTER.

Press, Volume LXIV, Issue 136099, 25 April 1908, Page 2

OUR AMERICAN LETTER.

Fkom Our New York Corhesfondewi.) NEW YORK, March 7. The beginning of Lent this year finds business in New York and the country . generally quiet. Not in a great many years have business operations in all ' lines been more restricted and bueinesa facilities tied up to a basis of greatest , possible economy. The condition of affaire is notably reflected in the newspapers and magazines, which aro not only cutting down their circulations to a rock-bottom basis, as is currently re- , ported by the groat printing houses that do the mechanical work for publishers, but is also verified by t«he advertising agents who say that never hefore was it so difficult to obtain renewals of contracts, while ac for obtaining new advertisements, one may •'rake the city with a fine comb" without finding a man of enough enterprise in business to venture an advertising speculation. Not until tho presidential nominations are decided, and perhaps not until after the presidential elections, will business begin to resume a normal basic. The nominating convontions will be held during the summer, ;uid the elections next iNoromber. As to who may be the nominees, nothing as vet seems decided. Governor liuglies, of New York State, has announced detinitely that he will be a presidential candidate. President Roosevelt, who j has definitely said that he would not j oonaidier a re-nomination, still gives evidence of feeling that he "might bo persuaded/ , and that ho would do a great deal rather than permit Mr llughes to have a "walk over." While ho ostensibly supports Mr Taft for the nominee of the • Republican party, so much opposition has been expressed to that gentleman that it is believed by some the regular convention may prefer to consolidate upon recommending t:h© people to give a third term to President Roosevelt, but it is believed by others that Governor Hughes will run any way, and with a strong chance of success. "Whether iMr Bryan iviM again bo the choice of tho Domocratic party is doubtful, for many are of the opinion that Colonel TVatherson or borao other eminent Democrat will be the choice of that convention. The Canadian Government has passed an order to prohibit all other than British*, vessels from participation in the coastwise trade after January Ist, 1909. This is one of the measures to ro-encourago Canadian shipbuilding. A direct bonus to steel shipyards has also been osked, but may not be granted. The Government has, however, amended the existing, law lor aid in the building of dry docks, so that. 3 per cent, may be paid for twenty yeaxs cm aiiy xlow dock improved by the Department, tue subsidy not to exceed 45,000 dollars a year, at 3 per cent, on 1,500,000 dollars. Also that when an existing dock shall be enlarged the Government may pay 3 per cent, for twenty years up to 15,000 dollars a year on the cost of such enlargement. The Government rr-ust be satisfied that such enlargements are necessary, and must approve of the plans and specifications. It is also provided that if tho subsidised deck is not efficiently maintained, the Government may take possession of the dock, repair it, and operate it until it has paid the cost of tho repairs. A holocaust in a public school near Cleveland, Ohio, occurred the other day. when 170 childrc-ii !o>*. thoir lives, i When the fire broke "ur. the pupils I .made a mad rush for th-- doors,, hut ; halls and stairways vv:i niiirow, and : some of tho doors \vev«» !r>cke'!. v. Liir , j ■ others at important o:it-. open in- " wards. Jambs ;uid >>:i::i'j otisu:•-!. ami j many were kilkd l:et-;ie they woreburned. A few days l:\tcr tire was discovered on the uppir storey of a ! public school in Z<w "York City. There is a gong in each class room, all operated from the principal's room. rhreo strokes means to got hata and cloaks in. readinees to leave; four AtrokML.jnflan fa* ka™ «fc, ««'«», a. Thm

within ninety seconds more than 2500 pupils had safely marched to the street while singing the National Anthem. The roof of the building was considerably damaged by the flames. > Fire drills are so frequently given in all the public schools of the city, without any notice to teachers or scholars, that no one knows whether or not a signal may mean real lire. Although the New York fire department is deservedly one of the institutions of which toe metropolis may boast, it is one the excellence of which is not maintained without heroism and frequent loss of life. A week or two ago the deputychief of the department tort his life by drowning in a cellar while leading his meu to cope with a bad conflagration in a big office building. He was within three years of the retirement age, and had just bought a snug country place onLong Island in which ho had hoped to enjoy his remaining years with his family. The number of lives of firemen tost past few months h^S-S P pe°r n, Unt. of wayward children Vl»o have come the tuetiwe of the Court of Special So*eions, Oiildren'e Part, s-vnee the probation of parole eyetem was inaugurated, five jeaVe ago, hare been reformed, according to the annual report of the Society of Prevention of Orwlty to Children. The report shows tha* during the five voars there haro been paroled 6597 children. Of these 1031 have been returned to the Court for recurrent misbehaviour and committed to institutions. During the thirty-five veaiß of the society's work there have been received 220,606 complaints involving the custody of 645,877 children. Of 102,548 cases prosecuted convictions wore obtained in 89,488, and 144,040 children h-ave been rescued and cared for. In the year 1907. 15,892 complaimts were received and investigated, 10 371 prosecuted, 8.456 convictions were oUained, and 9902 children were rescued, relieved, and placed in positions where they would bo properly cared for, olothed and educated. The recoptdon rooms of the society ha.ye sheltered, fed. and clothe 8192 children durina; the year. The spread of the Juvenile Court system to Europe also was recorded. It was shown thaA England has just adopted the system, courts having been organised in Birmingham and Manchester, England, aaid in Dublin, Cork and Belfast, Ireland. The probation. system m America is copied in laws which became operatirvo throughout Great Britain kst month. In Franco a ey&tam of courts for children and j. probation 6ystem exist. In Germany the Chancellor has directed the. formation of a chHdreai'e court at Frankfort-on-the-Maim, and action will be taken to establish such courts throughout the ennpnre. In Austria-Hungary, in the principal cities, such courts are nowbeing formed. Twenty-one members of the Now York Board of Education, all of whom admitted they had been whipped in their school days-, and one of whom conifesscd that he still folt the effeote of one beating administered by an athletic' young woman teacher, voted against the re-cetajblieJimont of corporal puoiislhment in the public schools of New York City. As only seventeen nueanibers voted in favour of the rod, Now York's bad eohool boy must continue to take has punishment in scoldings, suspensions, and expulsions. It was eta.ted by the committee appointed to investigate the advisability of reinstating corporal punishment in the schools, a custom which had been abandoned by Ntew York City in 1870, ar.d by I'ircokljn in 1902, that 162 men principals had declared in favouir of tile re-esba.blislhment of corporal punisJimeait, while only seventy-two opposed it. There would be fewer cases of expulsion or candidates' for -the truant school if the red could be used ne fr<?fly as in the days when tho .teach.br kept,a shinglo in his desk. 'It i& far bfc-tter that a boy be taught respect for the law by the rod in ecJiool than by tho policeman's club after he has reached ihc estate of man," declared Dt. McDonald, but his argument was ineffective.

Considerable concern has been expressed an to the health of Thomaa A. Edison, the great electrical inventor, who recently underwent a rather serious operation on the ear for trouble whioh he attributed to experiments with violet rays in his laboratory. It is said that one man died end another lost several fingers through similar trouble. Those who work with these violet rays find peculiar growths developing through their flesh, necessitate mc; surgery. Mr Edison celebrated his 61st birthday a few days ago, β-nd was congratulated on the fact that his lawyers had won for him a big movingpicture lawsuit which, it is said, will moan a gain of dollars or more to the companies which he controls. He was joked about that and about tho 200,000 dollars salary ho draws from his several companies, and laughingly answered. "Well, hoys, I've got a lot of experimenting to do yet, and I'll manage to get rid of a lot of it in that way." •