OUR LETTERS.

Otago Witness, Issue 1688, 29 March 1884, Page 18

OUR LETTERS.

OUB AMERICAN LETTER. ■ ' (Continued from Page 10,") i San Francisco, February 15. • WOKK BEFORE CONGRESS^ Congress has its hands full of every conceivable class of legislation, but so far it has not fehownits band, except in a desire to clip the wings of the railroad corporations by the introduction and passing of bills through the Hoaee of Representatives declaring forfeit all unearned railroad land - grants. This policy should restore about one hundred million actes tfr the public domain, all of which has long been forfeit by the conditions of the grants. The Southern Pacific wanted to get 15 million' acres as assignee of the Texas Pacific, which never made any pretence of earning ' it; although the Southern Pacifio pledged itself before Congress to build- the road without any subsidy whatever. Thia was as clean* cut an attempt to steal as ever was made, and it might have succeeded if the letters of C. P. Huntington, vice-president of the Southern Pacific, to the late General Colton, its president, had not. been published in the proceedings taken by the widow of Cotton to compel an accounting by bis associates, I mentioned that action before, but did not allude to the letters. These were produced to show the personal intimacy of Huntington and Colton, the former having sworn- fchac he had no confidential relations with the latter, whom he suspected of stealing from the first day he entered the railroad service: These letters detail Huntington's lobbying againsfcthe late Tom Scott, whom he defeated by the liberal use of money, and entered into -circumstantial details of the bribery of senators and congressmen, the Press, and Associated Press agentsnaming them all. Those whom he could not bribe . .he denounced .as. hog 3 -and ruffians ;' those who were amenable to hia " solid reasons " were well spoken Of.' 'Nearly half a million of dollars must have been expended to defeat. Tom Scott and the -Texas Pacific, that lobbyist not having had enough money to keep up the fighb effectually. ■<• H© was confessedly as corrupt as his more sucoesaful rival. The publication of these letters and the Press comments roused public indignation, and the Forfeiture Bill of the 1 Teias Pacific land grant passed tbe House with ono dissentient voice. Huntington - threatens' to keep the matter in the Courts' for 20 years. Hfr will think better of it. He will probably-'be' dead long before then, he being now considerably over 60 ; but the railroad policy of the country will be radically, changed before then, and either Huntington or his. heirs may have been compelled to make restitution. Huntington is a clever man, who boasts that he only had a few ' months' "schooling" when he was -12 year? of age. His letters, if published literally, would have been a puzzle to a " spelling bee, but he has nevertheless managed to amaa*3 50 million dollars in the last 25 years, and to control two overland railroad systems between ocean and ocean, also coal-mines and steamship lines. He 'is unmarried, and, like nearly all rich Americans, is a libertine. The' only question is whether the Senate will pass the landgrant forfeiture bills which are now before it. I think it will.' If nofc, so much' the worse for th dominant party in the Senate — the Republican.

TELEGRAPHIC COMPETITION, 1 *The establishment of a postal -telegraph system is also under consideration of .Corigress. It is being vigorously opposed by the Western Union monopoly, but I think something will be done in this direction. The Postal Telegraph and Cable- Company, of^which Bonanza Mackay is at the head, has made a very' liberal offer to the Government, through Congress in this matter ; but the chances are- that the country will build its own telegraph system, leaving the incorporated enterprises to compete with it. The Baltimore and Ohio Telegraph, Company haa already entered the lists, and k extending its telegraph Bysteni throughout the East. As it has no watered stock on which to declare dividends, like the. Western Union, its tariff is -very much under that of the latter. It simply calculates upon* 6 per cent, net on actual cash investment; The Western Union is collecting more than' so' per cent, on actual cost of its telegraph system. It is 'only a question of time, however, when its extortionate rates will be broken up. . The Postal Telegraph Company, of which Mackay and James Gordon Bennett, of the New York Herald, aro the leading shareholders, baa arranged for duplicate cables from ' Europe across the Channel, and thence across the Atlantic. AU arrangements ' have" been made' and rights acquired. It will also duplicate its land system in this country to all important points. Cheap telegraphy is one of those commercial reforms which this country will hail with the greatest satisfaction.

A BUREAU OB 1 LABODB STATISTICS will probably be established by Congress'; also post-office savings banks. The Chinese Restriction Bill is engaging the attention of both Houses, while, the Circuit Court here is doing its best to break down the law. The British Columbian Legislature has passed a very stringent anti- Chinese law, but it must be approved at Ottawa before it becomes operative. Meantime, an organised trade in coolies haß been established at Victoria and New Westminster, by means of which a. steady stream of human contrabands flows into Washington Territory. Congress has taken note of, these faots, and will pass a stringent amending bill,

"" " CONTAGIOUS DISEASES IN CATTLE. Another measure before Congress im m relation to the quarantining of diseased cattle and the etampiug out of lung disease in Now Jersey, where it exists. The great Western cattle interests aro in earnest in this matter, and if necessary enouKh money will be forthcoming to buy up and destroy all infected or Buspecte-i animals. The disease has not made ita'appearauce in any of the Western States, and as I have already said, our " cattle kings " are greatly exercised about it. < Congress doea not care to act in matters of munioipal legislation where the States have full power, but thin is a ! case in which national interests are involved, and where it ib not safe -to trust any State. Neglect, or delay, or even parsiinoniousness by one of the Statos, might do incalculable mischief to all. . Indeed, New Jersey is-not likely to adopt radical mea&uves. It is a proverbially ''canny " commonwealth, and it has its hands too full with ihe railroad^tax problem to pay much attention to disease among its dairy stock.- It appears that the railroads obtained not only charters and right-of-way from New Jersey, but also subsidies, and perpetual I exemption from taxation. The companies contrive this to apply to State and municipal taxes, and absolutely decliue to contribute I anything whatever to the support of the ! commouweath. These rich co; potations rely upon the constitutional provision that the validity of a contract connot be impaired ; and the Governor of New Jersey suggesta to the Legislature the consecration of all railroad property to public use under eminent domain, and the compensation of the stockholders. Mo you perceive that people as shrewd and faraeeing as New Jeraeyites may make fools of themselves to secure the advantage of railroad communication a few years before it would be provided in the natural course of industrial development; and more than this, 1 hat tbeii anxiety jto force things might get them into such v, tight place that it may be impossible to extricate themselves. One thing ia certain, .however: the New Jeroey Legislature will, haye the cattle-disease business to the action of Congress, claiming compensation for its " decimated herds." HOURS OF LABOUK. - .You have got the eight-hour law in operation in the Colony : the labour organisations in this country want Congress to declare eight hours a legal day in all Government establishments. They hope thereby to influence private employers; but American employers do not believe in short hours. Ten, 11, and often 16 hours a day constitute a day's labour. Working men in New Zealand do not know they are alive compared with the conditions ot labour in the United States. Even in California, where men are betfcer paid and better treated than elsewhere, their hours are longer and their duties more exacting than anywhere in New Zealand. The pay of skilled workmen is higher,, but they work longer hours, have fewer holidays, and less consideration generally, shown them by employers. And I don't know that their chances for getting along in the world are any better in the States than in the Colonies, except in the matter of acquiring land. .. This will be readily understood from a few facts which- I shall state from the current news of the day. , . , A bill is before the New York Legislature to shorten tho hours of drivers and conductors of horse-cars on street railroads • to 14 hours for a day's work, with a reasonable time to obtain meals. ■Ah the 14 horse- car railroad companies of New York are very wealthy, they will defeat the bill* in the' Senate. It passed the House despite the strenuous opposition of the Republicans, ■ who pronounced it* as "demagoguery," •" communism," and so forth. The men no w_ work from 14 to 18 hours a day, not all -the time, of course, on the cars, but their actual driving time is never lens than 12 hours.- On most lines they are paid by the trip, averaging from Idol 900 to 2 dol 50c a day. If there is a block on the road the men lose the -time — that is, they must forfeit their meal hours and proceed' on time as 'soon as a car is ready.* If the block of' traffic is of such length as to 'take .a car off a trip, the driver and conductor are' ddeked a trip, though they are powerless to prevent detention. These corporations are enormously rich, pay from 12 to 14 per .cent.- dividends on stock and bonds aggregating 24,130,5u0d01," or nearly £5,000,000. They worked their ■ horses nearly to death until the State interfered, and now it is their bipeds who need protection. In Philadelphia, Boston, -and other eastern cities the conditions differ -little from those in New York. In San Francisco the 'hours are nearly if not quite as long,; but th? multiplication of cable roads is improving the condition of this class of labour. In Maryland Governor M'Lane has sent six bills. to the Legislature dealing with the labour question, and a great outcry has been raised. Cotton manufacturers declare that women and children's labour for 11- hours a' day alone stands between them and bankruptcy, although their net profits last year were 40 per cent, on invested capital. Governor M'Lane retorts that if they speak the truth thpir annihilation will benefit the State. Other employers oppose the Eight-hour Bill, and threaten to draw stakes .and move to another State. Baltimore ia greatly excited at the debate, which will -probably influence Congress in voting upon the following proposed CONSTHOTIONAL AMENDMENT : " Article XVI. 1 Congress shall have power, by appropriate legislation, to limit the time during which persons may be daily employed in manufactories of textile fabrics and other industries." • This amendment to the United States Constitution has been introduced by .Representatives,. T.: Davis, iof Massachusetts, in which. State there is a , 10 hours' factory law, and stringent regulations against the employment of children oft tender yearß. No suoh law is in force in Maryland, where wages are 10 per cent, lower than in Massachusetts. In Rhode Island 11 hours form the working day, plus meal- hour, as "it does in nearly all New England States. The Governor, of Rhode Island favours the 10 hours' system, and applies it in his own rubberworks, but hesitates to recommend its application ia factories. It may be easily inferred, therefore, that labour is surrounded with extremely hard conditions in this sanctuary of " refuge for the oppressed of all nations." One word more. The last reduotion in wages now being enforced at the Palls River factories, Massachusetts, makes a total of 45 per cent, reduotion from the wages paid in 1873. During at least half of the decade in question trade was.uriusually brisk. It is now certainly profitable enough. Two things are patent from this recital. Firat, labour has very, substantial grievances to complain of in this country ; second, it has forced them upon the attention of State Legislatures arid Congress, and will either force economic changes in its favour or break up the industrial system. I do not think the second alternative willever be reached. , ', DEATH OP WKNQELL PHILLIPS. The death of Wendell Phillips, orator, reformer, and Christian gentleman, at his residence .in Boston, has been mourned as a national bereavement by all except the "shoddy aristocracy" and politicians. He was the life and soul of the abolition movejneobf and since then has championed the cause

j of universal freedom, ihe'equality of man, and the rights of labour, with tongue and pen. As an orator he has had no equal since VVeb-iter, and no superior in the illustrious roll of American worthies. His orations on Daniel O'Connell, on the Irish Land Question, and on Nihilism and the Rights of Labour are masterpieces of iucwive logic and eloquence. Those v/ho do not agree with him must admit his masterly ability, and admire hia couoage and sincerity. II ever man had the courage of his opinions, that man was Wendell Phillips — a lawyer, ■ too conscientious to practise law ; an American citizen, loyal to the core, too conscientious to swear to uphold the Constitution of the United States while it recognised human • slavery. This valiant man did not hesitate to oppose the system of white slavery perfected in his native Massachusetts under a protective tariff and enforced labour competition for bread. " When the easy clasß conspires to steal," he aaid, in his last public uttoran'ce, '' what wonder the humbler class draws together to defend itself ! True, universal suffrage is a terrible power, and, with all the great cities brought into subjection to the dangerous glasses by grog,, and Congress sitting to register the decrees of capital, both sides may well dread the next move. Experience proves that popular Governments are the best protectors of life and property. But suppose they were not ; that 'universal suffrage endangered peace and threatened property. Thero is something more valuable than weakh ; there is something more sacred) thau peace. As Humboldt says, 'The finest fruit earth holds \ip to its Maker is a man.' To ripen, lift, and educate a man is the firot duty. Trade, law, learning, science, and religion are only the scaffolding wherewith to build a man. Despotism lookß down into a p-jor man's cradle, arid knows it Ccin crush resistance and curb ill-will. Democracy sees the ballot iv that baby hand, and Belfiahne.su bids her put integrity on one side of those baby footsteps and intelligence on the other, lest her own ho<*rth be in peril. Thank God for His msthod of taking bonds of wealth and culture to. share all their blessiugs with the humblest soul He gives to their keeping ! The American should cherish as serene a faith as his fathers had. Instead of seeking a coward safety by battening down the hatches and-put-ting men back into chains, he should recognise that God places him in this peril that be may work out a noble security by concentrating all moral forces to lift this weak, rotting, and dangerous mass into sunlight and health. The Fathers touched their highest level wheri, with stout-hearted and aerene faith, they trusted God that it was safe to leave men with all the rights He gave them. Let us be worthy of their blood, and save this sheet anchor of the race — universal suffrage, God's churGh, God's school, God's method of gently binding men into commonwealth in order that they may at last melt into brothers. I urge on college-bred young men that as a class they fail in Republican duty when they allow others to lead in the agitation' of the great social questions which Btir and educate the age." PBINCE BIBMA.BOK INSULTS THE UNITED STATES. There is a surprising rumour afloat in this country to the effect that the German Chancellor refused to accept the resolutions of condolence in the death of Herr Lasker, adopted by the House of Representatives and transmitted by the Secretary of State ' through Minister Sargent, at Berlin. The reason given is that Herr Lasker's position in Germany did not justify their passage. At this writing nothing is known of the facts by the German Embassy or the State Department, the only intimation having been given by the Berlin correspondent of the London Times. Should the fact be as stated, it will be resented on this side. Congress is now considering the hostile fiscal legislation of Germany, directed /exclusively against the United States, and if Bismarck has been guilty of this insolent rudeness it will not tend to smooth matters. American pork products cannot be shipped across German territory, even in closed packages. The pretence for this is sanitary precautions. It is wholly unnecessary. The truth is, the Germanic Government is bitterly opposed to Republican institutions, and the prosperity of the United States is a standing menace to its autocratic methods, And as the resolutions referred to praised the deceased Liberal statesman, it is presumed that Bismarck, whom he strenuously opposed at one poriod of his career, took offence at them, and resolved to snub this Republic. Following are tho resolutions: — Re-solved—-"That this House has heard with deep : regret of the death of the eminent German statesman, E. Lasker ; that his loas is not alone to be mourned by the people of his native land, where his firm and constan^exposition of and devotion to free and liberal ideas have materially advanced the social, political, and economic condition of those people, but by the lovers of liberty throughout the worl'l." Resolved — " That a copy of these resolutions be forwarded to the family of the deceased, as well as the Minister of the United States resident at the capital of tho German Empire, to be by him communicated through the legitimate channel to the presiding officer of which he is a member." ODDS AND ENDS. The Canadian Pacific railroad syndicate is in difficulties, and wants Canada to loxn it 23,000,000d0l more to complete the trunk road, in addition to its enormous money and land subsidy, and transportation monopoly for 20 years. This is one of the biggest swindles on the American Continent. The Grand Trunk lailroad of Canada has offered to take over the road, abandon the monopoly, pay duty on articles of construction, and ask for no mom y aid. Sir John M'Donald is tied upwilh the Canadian-Pacific swindle, and must see it through. A motion to impeach Sir F. Tiljey, Dominion Treasurer, f or makingillegal advances to the Canada-Pacific has been introduced. - Montreal has had a gay time with its ice carnival. This haa proved a paying speculation, like .the Mardi Gras festival of New Orleans, and it will be kept up every winter on the banks of the St. Lawrence. The Texan Senate has indefinitely postponed the bill constituting the killing of a fence-cutter justifiable homicide. The utmost lawlessness prevails, and the agent of an English syndicate, with one^million sterling to invest in Texas, has started for Home, and will report against investing. The fence-cutters will compel justice to be done. The- large cattle-owners, private and corporate, have , squeezed out nearly all small freeholders in the western part of the State, compelling them to sell for what they chose to offer, by fencing their holdings in and cutting them off from water. The practice has been to buy a strip of land a mile wide so as to enclose a vast area of public land, probably also many smalllandowners. Theouter boundary is then fenced and as tho Texan Legislature has made no provision for roads, it follows that all land enclosed within this fence bacome's the free pasturage of the owners of the mile wide strip. The " free > grass " men and small holders cut these wire fences, and as they are now thoroughly organised, tbe war on both sides is becoming hot. This will give you some idea of the fencp war of Texas.

English capital is flowing steadily into California for investment in its lands, improved and wild. There is no better investment in

tbe world than this. The Earl of Cork and the Eail of Onslow have been heavy investors recently in Now Mexico. ■ They do not intend to improve their property at all, but to hold it until tho country tills up. Land, where water i-j available for irrigation, is becoming scarce. It is very productive, two' and three crops a year being easily raised. A cash market, without tho possibility of over-production, is aiway3 at baud. The buyer goes to the producor in this State.; We are rapidly developing manufactures in San Francisco and across the bay at Oakland and Alameda. Iv a few years we shall have a large steel and iron shipbuilding yard in full operation, in combination with foundries, rolling'inills, engine and machine shops, &c. In other respects we are well up to the most advanced manufacturing centres east. Woollen, cotton, and paper mills are projected or in course of erection in various parts of the State, besides those already in existence. Nails, tools, agricultural machinery, pumping and mining machinery, furniture, boots and shoes, clothing, chemicals, woollen goods, cigars, and an infinity of 'other articles / are produced in this city and State for the home and foreign market. As a manufacturing centre thore is a great future before this plac p , which has no possible rival on the Pacific seaboard of North America. The execution of Wheeler, the strangler, has tended to purify the moral atmosphere somewhat ; but there remain a score of condemned murderers in our county gaol who would be the better, for hanging. Wheeler, when he found he could not cheat the gallows, sent for clergymen of all religious persuasions, that he might decide in what faith he should die. He chose the Catholic religion, was baptised, confessed, and received the sacrament He had been brought up a Quaker, Within 24 hours of his death a middleaged female, owning some property in this city, who had been attentive to "Wheeler during his imprisonment, wanted to get married to him, and was very perai>tent about it, but the Sheriff would not tolerate it. Wheeler thought that by ao marrying, sympathy for hia wife would be so strong as to procure a reprieve and ultimate pardon. * Two fatal accidents occurred during the month — one from an explosion of firedamp iv a Colorado coal-mine, in which over 40 lives were lost ; tho other from an explosion of gasoline in a store, by which eight persons were killed, seven wounded, and 80,000dol worth of property waa also destroyed. Seventy-five miles of a gap remains in the Mexican Central railroad. This filled \ip, one can travel from Manitoba to the city of Montezuma in a palace-car. This fact alone marks the 'stupendous, changes which have taken place in locomotion since Columbus spt forth on his western voyage of discovery. Mexico is steadily advancing in industrial strength and activity. The delayed portion of the mail from last month goes forward by the City of Sydney, The Germanic arrived in England too late to have the mail transferred and shipped by the Suez route, so it was again sent across the Atlantic. Considering the tempestuous natui c of the Atlantic passage, the accidents and detentions have been few and far between. The P. and O. line has had far more frequent disasters. The postal service has not yet come up in Congress, but a Shipping Bill providing for the payment of ocean mail contracts in pending in the House Committee, and will be favourably reported. This measure, if passeM, will enable the Postmaster-general to contribute towards the New Zealand and Australian mail service. The net earnings of the Union Pacific railroad last year were 13,160,000d0i, and yet it declares that it cannot pay interest due on Government bonda. The Central Pacific is in a like impecunious state. Railroad earnings yearly aggregate the selling value of all railroad stock, yet the corporations are not satisfied. Floods are reported in Nebraska and Arkansas ; also in Texas. As a great deal of snow has fallen in the Sierra Nevada Range, we may also anticipate floods in the Sacramento Valley. The City of Sydney takes down ' 100 registered American merino rams to Sydney. They are from the State of Vermont. A general strike of railroad coal-miners in the Pittsburgh district is threatened. Cause, a compulsory reduction in pay below, the arbitration rate recently agreed upon. Jacob Terry.