OUR AMERICAN LETTER.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 13586, 7 May 1906, Page 4

OUR AMERICAN LETTER.

(Fiti/ii On* Own Correspondent.)

NEW YORK, March 24. Two very important decisions have been rendered recently by the higher courts, one decision coming from tho United States Supreme Court and the other from a Fedoral District Court. In the first instance there were four eases in which practically tho samo principle was enunciated; two arising out of a grand jury investigation of the " Tobacco Trust" _of New York, and two arising out of civil suits against tho "Paper Trust" of Michigan.' The Supreme Court held, that tho constitutional principle that no witness can be compelled to givo evidence that will incriminate, himself cannot bo a refuge in which, as officials of corpora, tions, porsons will l>o free of tho necessity of submitting corporation documents and other ovidenoo called for, on the plea of protecting tho corporation or other officials thereof. Tho dcoision has boen interpreted as lifting a groat obstacle from tho path of the Government in its efforts to let in the light of pub' licity upon tho affairs of trusts and combinations. If this decision has encouraged tho Government officials, tho decision of the United States District Court, above mentioned, is in the nature, of a wet blanket on President Roosevelt's trust campaign. Judge Humphrey, at Chicago, has decided adversely fo the Government in the famous beef trust cases, conceding tho correctness of the defence of the beef packers that they are immune from prosecution because tho evidcnco against them was secured from them by Commissioner Garfield, of tho Bureau of Corporations, with the understanding that it would not bo turned over to the Department of Justice'. Commissioner Garfield denied that there had boen any such understanding, but the packers held that such a promise of immunity was to bo inferred from his statements to them. Judge Humphrey held that sine© the packers did not seek the interview, but gave up the information on tho commissioner's representations the evidence could not be used against them. Reports which havo emanated from Washington since this decision was rendered state that tho President and his advisers are greatly chagrined at the turn of affairs, as it means the abandonment of the* inresiiira'ion now under way

'<riiinst the Oil Trust as well as the abandonment at' tho Administration's accepted plan of procedure against all trusts. Tho news of the recent engagement in tho Sulu Islands, in which tho American foroes, under Major-general Leonard Wood, took a Moro stronghold in two days' fighting, killing 600 Moras, really startled the American public, Regret was quite generally expressed over the sanguinary nature of the affair, ami criticism of what appeared to be an action of unnecessary scvority found most forcible expression in tho House of Representatives whore the representative from Virginia employed tho words "murder," ''massacre," and "assassination" in describing the engagement. A resolution was passed requesting the Secretary of War to send to Congress all tho correspondence relating, to tho attack. In view of tho public critioism the Secretary of War secured from Major Wood a cable explanation donying that men, women, and children were wantonly killed. General Wood explained the matter as follows:— " A considerable number of women and ohildren were killed in the fight—number unknov.-n—for the reason that they were actually in the works when assaulted, and wore unavoidably killed in the fierce hand-to-hand fighting which took place in tho jiarroy,, enclosed spaces. Moro women wore trousers, and were dressed arid armed much like men, and charged with them. The children wero in many cases used as shields while charging troops. These incidents are much to he regretted, but it must bo understood that tlie Moros, one and all, wero fighting not only as enemies, but as religious fanatics, believing Paradise to bo their immediate reward if killed in action with Christians." President Roosevelt has expressed his satisfaction with this statement:

The much-agitated Statehood Bill is in the throes ot passage through the Congress. Tho Senate voted to admit Oklahoma and Indian Territory to the union as one state, but cut from the bill all reference to New Mexico and Arizona-. When the Senate's bill reached ' tho House Speaker Cannon, who, it Is declared, is extremely anxious to join Arizona and Now Mexico, and admit them as one state, put through a special rule disagreeing with tho Senate's amendments and pending the hill to conference. But a promise has been obtained from the speaker that Oklahoma shall be admitted this session. At. the special national convention of the United Mine Workers of America following tho communication of President. Roosevelt to President Mitchell of that organisation, and to a representative of the operators urging that a serious ofFort be made to reach an agreement, the miners adopted a resolution endorsing the steps undertaken by President. Mitchell, and holding thornselves in readiness to meet tho employers for the purpose of endeavouring to effect a satisfactory settlement of the wage question. The expert opinion of Mr John F. Wallace, formor chief engineer of the Panama Canal, relative to the type of canal which should be built, has now been given to tho Senate committee. Mr Wallace believes that a canal at eca level would pay, and that the construction of locks will involve problems of a serious nature. Ho thought tho whole matter was simply a job of digging, and not a particularly serious one. A sea-level canal, although it would cost more, and tako longer to build, would be operated more cheaply than a lock canal, would have more traffic, and would avoid the danger from dams where such structures could not be anchored to rock foundations. Mr Wallace thought that during tho construction of tho canal, commereo by this route should ha encouraged by the establishment of a low flat rate over the Panama railroad.

The death at Rochester, New York, on March 13, of Miss Susan B. Anthony, a pioneer leader in the cause of woman suffrage, has called into review the activity of her life in that cause. Miss Anthony's active participation in the movement began in the early fifties. She had been a school teacher in Rochester, but lost her taste for this profession. Becoming impressed with tho wrongs from which women were suffering, she determined to enter the lecture field. The opposition she encountered in that day when slavery, intemperance, and unfairness to women were not under the condemnation which they later received, not to mention the open derision with which she was greeted can haTdly be understood to-day. As early as 1854-Miss Anthony arranged conventions throughout the State of New York. She was active in obtaining the passage of an act in the State Legislature giving to married woman the possesion of their earnings and the guardianship of their children. Miss Anthony's

activities in bohaif of woman suffrage and tho temperanoo cause wero far too numerous for brief outline, and arc probably known the world over. Sho engaged in eight different State campaigns for a constitutional amondomcnt enfranchising woman, and hearings before committees of practically every congress sina. 1869 were granted to her. At 0110 time, 1872, in order to test tho application of constitutional amendments sho cast ballots in tho Stato and Congressional election in Rochestor. Sho was indicted and order to pay a fine, hut the order was never enforced. Miss Anthony succeeded her early co-worker, .Mrs lilizabctli Oady Stanton, as president of the National Woman Suffrage Association in 1892, which position sho hold until 1899. She was tho joint author with Mrs Stanton, Mrs Ida Hustcd Harper, and Mrs Matilda Joslyn Gago of tho "History of Woman Suffrage." - By tho terms of Miss Anthony's will her small estate of 10,000dol is all left to tho woman's sufferage cause.

Very serious attention is being given by Congress and tho press to tho question of reform in our consular scrvioc. A meeting of tho National Committee on Consular Reform was held recontly at Washington, at which the needs of the consular servieo wero discussed. Tho Consular Reform Bill now before Congress, in dcfcronco to the President's recommendation for weeding out tho incompetent consuls, has a clause providing that every officer now in tho servieo shall be recalled_ within a year for the purposo of ascertaining his fitness to remain. Tho bill contemplates a grading of consular positions, a rovision of tho salary question, and in general tho complete ro-.es-tablismont of tho system upon sound business lines. The huge dry dock Dewey recently constructed on tho Atlantic coast, and which has just been towed across tho Atlantio, on it,s way to tho Philippines, by tho United States navy tug, Potomac, gave excellent opportunity during the long voyage to Gibraltar for valuable practice in sending long-distance wireless messages. Messages from this slow-moving craft have been, received over something like 1800 miles. Tho fact that some high school boys,. of an experimental turn, through the use of a Morso koy, a broken incandescent lamp, and a, few dry batteries, were able to. cause bewilderment in tho Newport n&val wireless station'by interrupting messages causes tho Electrical World to suggest that the navy department would do well to heed tho valuable lesson unconsciously given by these boys. If suoli rudimentary equipment accomplished so considerable a disturbance, what would happen, it is ask fx!, if a hostile fleet went deliberately to work with powerful and skillfully divised apparatus. It is suggested that- the Government devote efforts to the discovery of a syntonio system, that is, a system by whioh the sending apparatus would deliver individual and dofinito wave lengths to whioh tho corresponding receiver would 1 alone respond. The fact that under present conditions the governmental wireless stations would be affected by messages sent by nearby private instruments, leadrto tho suggestion that, the Government 6teps to control the future adoption of wireless telegraphy for commercial W.

Tho United Styles _ will be well represented in the Olympio games, which will open at A.tbens on April 22. Tho American team will propably be the largest sont.by any country competing. Thirty men will bo sent, representing tho : best available talent in 'tho United States, and these will' he joined by at least three men from Canada, Mr James Isi Sullivan, of New York, will be tho official representative of the United States. The appointment was made 'in aooordance with the request of King George of Greece, transmitted through the State department, and was determined upon at a luncheon held at the White House seviital days ago, when President Roosevelt: entertained a number of prominent men interested in athletics. King George of Greece assumed tho honorary presidency of the games, and appointed tho Crown Prince to an active part in the arrangements. Tho various embassies were instructed to approach the Governments to which they ivere appointed to onlist official 00-operation .of all to' inake the game a success. It was through the representations of the Greek Embassy that President Roosevelt was induced to acoept the honorary presidency -of the•• American committee, Tho selection of Mr Sullivan was tho result of careful consideration by the active members of the American committee,

Much discussion lias been aroused by the announcement that an organisation, including in its membership prominent men of affairs and men of letters, has been formed to encourage simplification of English spelling, and that Apdrew Carnegio has undertaken'to 1 bear the expense of the organisation." The new" bodj is oalled the Simplified Spelling Board. Mi Carnegie has long believed that English might be made the world language, and thus one of the influences leading to universal peace, and he believes that tho chief obstacles to its speedy adoption is to be found in its contradictory and difficult spelling. The Simplified Spelling Board contains some 30 members living in various parts of tho country. Some are authors of wide reputation, some are scholars connected with leading universities, some are editors of the foremost American dictionaries, and others are distinguished in public affairs. It is not intended to urge any violent alteration in the uppeavance of "familiar but to bring about the gradual elimination of unnecessary silent letters, etc. The immediate activities of tho board will bo directed by an Executive Committee with .headquarters in New York. As indicating the possibilities of the new system, the following resolutions of a number of studonts of Columbia is appended:—"Whereas numerous prominent, edukators throuout tho United States hav pronounzed the English sistem of speling now in vog oumbersum, unweeldy and illojikal, and whereaß a movement heded by wun of our professors has bin instituted for the purpus of kreating a sentiment in favour of a reform, revized, simplifid method; and whereaz this movement meets with our appruval and with the appruval of Ifolumbia students in general, be it resolved that we, students of Kolumbia University, to-day assembld, do hereby form ourselvs into an organizashun to bo 1 non as the "Fonetio Spelling Assosiashnn of Kolumbia Univorsity,' and be it further resolved that we hereby bind ourselvs ito abid by the desishuns of tho ' Simplifid Speling ■ Board,' recently organize! bi Androo Karnigy, wen .mad publik, and adopt the folloing principls, to bo a gid in all pivot korespondenz, and .in our kolig xaminashiin papers. First, that al silent letters bo dropt; sekond, that al dipthongs be replaced by singl vowlz wherever possibl; and. third, that the fonetic sistem of speling be adopted." Milton B. Marks.