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| William P. Hepburn. |
Cortland Evening Standard, Friday, Jan. 10, 1902.
NIGARAGUA IN HOUSE.
Passes the Hepburn Canal Bill Almost Unanimously.
ONLY TWO DISSENTING VOTES.
Mr. Cannon Unable to Get a Vote to Recommit—President Authorized to Secure From Costa Rica and Nicaragua Control of All Territory Needed.
Washington, Jan. 10.—The Hepburn Nicaraguan canal bill passed the house late yesterday by practically a unanimous vote. Only two members out of 310 voted against it.
The opposition to committing the government to the Nicaraguan route attempted to secure amendments to lodge with the president the discretionary power to purchase and complete the Panama canal bill if it could be purchased for $40,000,000. The test came on the first vote when the advocates of an alternative route polled 102 against 170 votes. At each succeeding vote their strength dwindled until Mr. Cannon, under whose leadership the fight was made, was unable to get the ayes and noes on a motion to recommit. All other amendments failed and the bill passed exactly as it came from the committee. None of the votes except that on the final passage of the bill was a record vote.
The debate which preceded the taking of the final vote was made memorable by a clash between Mr. Hepburn, the author of the bill, and Mr. Cannon, chairman of the appropriation committee. On several previous occasions they have measured swords over canal legislation. Two years ago a similar bill was passed by a vote of 224 to 36.
The bill as passed yesterday authorizes the president to secure from the states of Costa Rica and Nicaragua in behalf of the United States, control of such a portion of the territory belonging to said states as may be desirable and necessary on which to excavate, construct and protect a canal suitable to the wants of modern navigation and commerce and appropriates such a sum as may be necessary to secure the control of said territory.
Section 2 authorizes the president after securing control of the needed territory to direct the secretary of war to construct such canal from the Caribbean sea at a point near Greytown in Nicaragua, by way of Lake Nicaragua, to a point on the Pacific ocean near Brito, and also to construct proper harbors at the termini of said canal and to make necessary provisions for the defense of the canal and harbors.
Sections 3 and 4 authorize the president to make such surveys as may be necessary and to employ such persons in constructing the canal as may to him seem wise, and directs that in the construction of the canal the river San Juan and Lake Nicaragua shall be used as far as they are available.
Section 5 authorize the president to guarantee to the governments of Costa Rica and Nicaragua the use of the canal and harbors, upon terms to be agreed upon for all vessels owned by said states and citizens thereof.
The last section makes a present appropriation of $10,000,000 to carry on this work, and authorizes the secretary of war to enter into proper contracts for material and work as he may deem necessary therefore, such work and material to be paid for as appropriations may be made from time to time. The section fixes the aggregate cost at $180,000,000 to be drawn from the treasury on warrants of the president.
Guglielmo Marconi.
Mr. Marconi's Plans.
Ottawa, Jan. 10.—Marconi left for New York yesterday. The plans for his new station at Glace bay, Cape Breton, will be prepared at once and his expectation is that the station will be ready for communication across the Atlantic by the beginning of June. The contractor may be sent over from England but Nova Scotia labor will be employed in the actual building. On his return to England Mr. Marconi will have the electric power at his Cornwall station greatly increased so that by the time the Cape Breton station is finished he will be ready to resume transatlantic tests of his wireless telegraphic system on a practical scale. He expects to return to Canada in about a month.
STUDENTS ON A STRIKE.
Allege the Principal Maltreated One of Their Number.
ROME, N. Y., Jan. 10—For the first time in the history of the schools of this city there is a strike of the students of the high school. The cause is the alleged harsh treatment given Albert Adams, one of the students, by the principal H. W. Harris, on Wednesday morning. It is claimed that the student was choked until he was black in the face and that his collar was torn off. His offense seems to have been the turning around in his seat and leaning his arm on the desk back of him. The principal says that he did not choke the boy, but took him by the shoulder and turned around. A committee of three students waited upon Mr. Harris Wednesday noon and asked him to apologize for his act. He refused and the strike was then declared. Yesterday over half of the students of the school, to the number of about 130, including twenty-five girls, refused to go into the school and paraded the streets all day singing and giving their yells. They committed no act that would warrant their arrest and hence were allowed to enjoy themselves.
The offenders have been suspended for five days and the board of education may decide to hold them out until after the regents' examinations have been held which would prevent many from getting the necessary credentials to allow them to graduate this year. The affair has caused a great stir in the city and public opinion is divided on the merits of the case.
PAGE FOUR—EDITORIAL.
A Population of 84,250,000.
The census authorities have concluded the work of compiling the figures showing the population of the outlying possessions of the United States. The largest of these is the Philippine Islands, which are credited with 6,961,339 inhabitants, that being the estimate of the Philippine commission. And it may be added that the figures are below those of previous estimates. The population of the island has been placed at from 7.000,000 to 9,000,000. The Philippine commission has been engaged in the work of supervising the affair of the island for several years, and its estimate should be approximately correct.
The other islands are given a population as follows: Porto Rico, 953,243; Hawaii, 154,001; Guam, 9,000; American Samoa, 6,100. Alaska has 63,592 inhabitants, and persons in the military and naval service of the United States outside of our continental area are put down at 91,219. The population of the United States proper, taken in 1900, was 75,994,575. Adding the figures above cited the grand total is 84,233,069 in the United States and its dependencies for the census year. The report is accompanied by the following statement and review:
The total population of the United States at the close of the nineteenth century was about 84,250,000. As the population of the United States at the beginning of the century was about 5,300,000, the nation has grown nearly sixteen fold in 100 years.
There are but three countries which now have a greater population than the United States, viz., China, the British empire and the Russian empire. China and the British empire have each of them probably between 350,000,000 and 400,000,000, or together, nearly one-half of the total population of the earth. The Russian empire, with about 131,000,000 people, has more than half as many again as the United States, and has been increasing during the century just closed with greater rapidity than any other European power. Its growth, like that of the United States, has been partly through the natural increase of its population and partly through great accessions of territory. It had about 38,800,000 people in 1800, and has increased more than three and a half times during the nineteenth century.
France, including its dependencies, is the fourth country of the world in order of population, and has about 83,600,000 or almost the same number as the United States. Of these over 25,000,000 are in African dependencies, nearly 17,000,000 in Asia and 2,000,000 in Madagascar. These five most populous countries together include over two-thirds of the estimated population of the world, which is placed by the best authorities at between 1,500,000,000 and 1,600,000,000.
Commenting on these figures the Troy Times says: It is a wonderful expansion that has come to the United States since it was a feeble nation of a few million souls a hundred years ago. And it is to its vast advantage that, though it has outlying possessions, its greatest strength is in its varied yet homogeneous population in the great national and continental area which forms the magnificent home empire. And notwithstanding its marvelous growth, that area as a whole is thinly populated and capable of an enormous increase in the number of inhabitants that it can sustain in comfort and prosperity. That cannot be said by any other nation of approximate rank.
Judge George F. Lyon.
GRAND JURY REPORTS.
RECOMMENDS SOME CHANGES IN THE COURTHOUSE.
Judge Lyon Directs the Changes Made—Five Indictments Reported—Three Plead Guilty—Two are Sentenced to Elmira Reformatory—Sentence Suspended for One—Two to Stand Trial—Court Adjourns.
Judge Lyon returned to Cortland this morning to hear the report of the grand jury, which came in at 10:30 o'clock reporting five indictments and making certain recommendations in regard to changes at the courthouse. It was recommended that certain steps be taken to insure better ventilation for the grand jury room, and also that a door be cut into the district attorney's office so that it would not be necessary to take witnesses in through the grand jury room. Judge Lyon entered an order authorizing that the repairs be made in case the changes could be done at a cost of not to exceed $200. A committee consisting of the sheriff, district attorney and Henry Howes, foreman of the grand jury, was appointed to carry out the order.
Indictments were reported against Lewis Rood and Mark Waterman jointly for grand larceny in the second degree in stealing 250 pounds of copper wire on Dec. 10 from the Cortland County Traction Co. They were arraigned. Rood pleaded guilty and was sentenced to Elmira Reformatory. He gave his age as 30 years and stated that he was unable to read or write. C. V. Coon appeared for Rood and made a plea for leniency. Waterman pleaded not guilty and his bail was fixed at $750. R. L. Davis appeared for Waterman.
Edward Crozier was indicted for assault in the second degree committed on Dec. 28. He pleaded not guilty and his case was sent to the next term of county court for trial.
Harry Beers was indicted for burglary in the second degree on Dec. 20 last for breaking into the office of Beers & Warfield. He pleaded guilty and was sentenced to Elmira reformatory.
Arthur Lydell was indicted for grand larceny in stealing $4 in money and $882 in certificate of deposit at Truxton on Nov. 22 last. He pleaded guilty. Sentence was suspended during good behavior.
The trial term of the supreme court was then adjourned sine die, and the special term adjourned to the judge's chambers at Binghamton at 2 o'clock this afternoon.
FIRE ALARM SYSTEM.
New Wiring Rapidly Approaching Completion—Changes Made.
The work of changing the fire alarm boxes from the old circuits to the new wires, which have been strung on the tops of the poles of the Home Telephone company, is now being rushed along, and already the south circuit is all in connection with the boxes of that loop, so that if an alarm of fire were sent in from any box of that section the bell would respond to the current sent through the new wires.
The three loops of the north, east and south sections enter Fireman's hall through the aperture at the fourth floor in front. From here they pass to the rear of the building and pass down the hose drops to the first floor, where the switch board will be located. The wiring of the engine house is a fine job in every respect and was done under the supervision of John Leach, foreman of the construction gang of the Home Telephone Co.
Box No. 333, located at the engine house, has been taken off from the other circuit and has been connected directly with the fire bell. This will make it possible to turn in an alarm at the engine house, even though all the rest of the fire system should be out of order. With new wires throughout the fire alarm system and a complete overhauling of the entire construction, the facilities for sounding fire alarms will without doubt be excellent.
HOME TELEPHONE CO.
Elects its Directors and Officers for the Coming Year.
The stockholders of the Home Telephone company met at the office of the company this morning at 10 o'clock and elected the following directors for the ensuing year:
C. D. Ver Nooy, Ed L. Barber, G. J. Mager, William Martin, C. P. Walrad, H. A. Smith, R. L. Davis, W. H. Foster and A. S. Burgess.
After the meeting of the stockholders the directors met and elected officers as follows:
President—C. D. Ver Nooy.
Vice-President—C. P. Walrad.
Secretary—H. S. Smith.
Treasurer—G. J. Mager.
Attorney—H. L. Davis.
Manager—F. V. Bennett.
Cortland County Farm and Almshouse.
W. C. T. U. MEETING.
Annual Visit to the County Almshouse.
The regular meeting of the W. C. T. U. was held on Tuesday afternoon and opened with devotional exercises led by Mrs. C. W. Collins, the topic being "The One Thing Needful, or the Supreme Aim of Life."
After the reading of reports and transaction of routine business, the New Year's letter of the state president was read and the leading points discussed.
The regular reports of superintendents of departments were the principal feature of the meeting. That given by Mrs. Culver, superintendent of flower mission and relief work, was of special interest. Besides gifts of flowers to the sick and canned fruit, jelly, etc., to the hospital, two well filled boxes were sent at Christmas time to the poor children in New York hospitals. These boxes contained nicely dressed dolls, picture books, scrap books, cards and many other pretty and useful articles. Also included in this report were the gifts taken to the county almshouse by the members of the W. C. T. U. on their visit of last Tuesday.
Mrs. Phelps then gave a description of this visit and of the distribution of gifts. Thirty-five members of the W. U. T. U. composed the party, among them being the county president and several officers of the local union; all were very cordially received by the superintendent. A brief religious service was conducted, followed by singing and recitations. Then came the giving of presents, which had been very tastefully arranged on a spinning wheel trimmed with evergreens. A box of candy and nuts and a handkerchief were given to each of the thirty-nine inmates and it hardly need be said they showed real appreciation of the remembrance. A quantity of good reading matter was also left with them. The visitors were then shown about the house and all have occasion to speak in high terms of its general good order and excellent management. Upon coming away the superintendent thanked the visitors for their kindness and interest and added, "You should come too often."
As no local superintendent of work among soldiers had been appointed so far this year Mrs. Mary N. F. Bryant was elected to fill this position.
SUPT. PRESS WORK, Cortland, Jan. 9, 1902.
BREVITIES.
—New display advertisements today are—Glann & Clark, Shoes, page 4; C. F. Thompson, Hulled corn, etc., page 5.
—The independent telephone company on Thursday started the operation of its plant in Elmira. A large number of telephones are on the list.
—The board of education of Auburn has reduced the insurance carried upon the fifteen school buildings of that city from $237,450 to $70,000.
—Henry Howes has been appointed railroad commissioner of the town of Cuyler, in place of S. F. Brown, resigned. The selection is an excellent one, his qualifications being of the highest order.—DeRuyter Gleaner.
—The committee of the Ladies' Aid society of the Presbyterian church having in charge the sample and manufacturers' sale to be held the last week in January is requested to meet tomorrow afternoon at 3 o'clock at the home of Mrs. W. H. Cole, 146 Main-st.
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