Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1878-08-16
THE EVENING STAR.

THE EVENING STAR.
Washington News and Gossip.
GOVERNMENT RECEIPTS To-DAY.-Tnternal
revenue, s2sl, 1856; customs s52,4le.67.
SUBSCRIPTIONS to the four per cent. loan to
day, amounted to s54,S50.
PRESIDENTIAL APPoINrMENs.-The Presi-
dent today appointed Horace P. Grace to be
boatswain in the navy.
SECRETARY THOMPSON left this morning for
his home in Indiana, to be gone some time.
His family accompanies him.. During his alb
sence Commodore Schufeldt, chief Of the
bureau of equipment and repair, will be the
acting Secretary Of the Navy.
REDEMPTION OF FIvE-TwENTIEs.-Thes six
ty-eighth call for the redemption of five mil
lion Of $40 bonds was issued late this after
Sy AsfE he
tered and half coupon bonds
CoNsCIENCE.-The Treasury department has
received from an unknown party 81 in an en-
velOpe pOstmarked Providence, r. l., to be
placed to the credit of the conscience fund.
POSTMASTER GENERAL KEY AND PARTY left
last evening. The party consisted OF Mrs.
Key, Misses Emma and Kate Key, Mr.. 8. A.
Key and wife, DR.. Baxter and wife, Mr.. Chas.
HendLey, Col; Rogers, assistant secretary at
the superintendents of railway mail service.
The party 60 first to Watkins Glen. where
they will remain until Saturday, and where
they will be joined by Postmaster James, of
New York. with Mrs. James and MIR. TheO. N.
Vail, general superintendent OF railway mail
service. On Saturday the entire party will
Sunday, and on Monday go by the Lake Shore
and Southern MICHIGAN road to Cleveland.
The Journey beyond Cleveland has not been
the upper lakes, the Mississippi river and the
Pacific coast, occupying about two months.
THE COINAGE OF STANDARD SILVER at the
Philadelphia mint for this month up to date is
St50,O00. The coinage of all the mints this
month will aggregate two and a-hah millions
ARMY ORDERs.-First Lieut. Frank Heath
ordnance department. will change station
from the FrankfOrd arsenal to the Rock Island
arsenal as an assistant ordnance sergeant.
duties OF officers Of the medical department
are made: Surgeon w. nj. NOtsOn is relieved
from duty in the department Of the Platte,
will report his arrival there to the surgeon
general. Assistant Surgeon J. V. Lauderaale,
department of the Missouri, and Assistant
Columbia, will report in person to the presi-
dent of the army medical board. in session in
New York city, for examination for promo
mission to go beyond the sea, Is granted Sur
geOn B. j. s. Irwin, U. s. A.
TRADE BETWEEN SLAM AND THE UNITED
STATEs.-D. B. Sickels. U. s. consul at Bang
kok, Siam, reports to the Department of State
that he has induced several parties in Siam to
order goods from New York, Boston and San
81 IRON ssope He He
on between Siam and the United States. He
enumerates large number OF articles that
ha them as uha1 ps
ments, bacon, boots and shoes, candles, canned
meats, cheese, clocks, fire arms, flour, hard,
ssWns mK macsnes
tiOneTy, steam fire engines, ste el and iron,
washing machines, whips, wOOlen goods and
Yankee notions.
THE COAL MINES OF SCOTLAND.-John T.
Robeson, U. 8. Consul at Leith, Scotland in a
supplementary dispatch to the Department of
State. reports quite fully the condition of labor
the estates of large land owners, and are
leased to parties, usually for term OF thirty.
five years at the rate Of Is cents per ton. At
Yielding profit of 54 cents ton to the lessee.
Dealers purchasing at the pit make enormous
profits on their sales, obtaining 1872 ton
cents net. The miners are paid by the ton,
turning out on an average 5 tons per day, a.
about Is cents per ton, equal to $40 per week.
kus
wages paid to miners averaged sl5 per week.
The profits to the owners or lessees of the
mines were applied to the extension OF their
works, and to the miners were swallowed up
In extravagancies. OvercrOwding of labOrers
finally reduced these prices.
A LABOR INQUIRY IN FRANcE.-A sena-
torial committee of eighteen members has re-
Gently been engaged ID investigating the
causes OF stagnatiOn in the labor and trade
of France. Some American manufactures,
particularly OF watches, 1t is alleged, have
supplanted the French.
LABOR AND WAGES IN LA ROCHELLE,
FRANCE.-George L. Catlin. U. s. commercial
agent at La Rochelle, France, reports to the
Department of State many interesting facts
in regard to labor and trade in that part of
France. The wages, 60 to 80 cents per day, of
the agricultural lab0rer will, in the country
than the same wages will procure in the cities.
The steady increase of wealth and prosperity
in the rural districts of France is quite appa.
rent No tramps infest those districts. Good
wages, demand for labor, and productive in
dustry are the noticeable features of the coun
try This prosperity might be greatly increased
bandry: The labOrious rural Gaul still ciugs
to the two wheeled plough and the ancient
tools OF his ancestors. The railways pay small
wages, but allow bounties for SO many years
service, paying wages during sickness, and
providing physicians and medicine to the men
when sick and disN bled. No strikes are known
dlU BOOu lceIluS eXlSCS between empower
and employed. The wages of the men have
not increased perceptibly since 1878; neither
have the wages OF mechanics advanced since
that date. The grain crops and the supplies
of meat and vegetables have been so equabe
that no increase in the cost of living is noticed
The brandy trade of Cognac has suffered of
late. Fully one half of the area formerly
planted with grapevines Is now devoted to
wheat, less profitable but more certain pro
ductiOn than wine or brandy. The fear of the
ravages OF PhyUOIerd is the chief cause of
the abandonment of vine growing. Various
methods OF exterminating this pest are being
tried, the results of which are in the future.
WINE AND WHEAT IN PORTUGAL. - Benja
min Moran, Charge d'Afairs at Lisbon,
Portugal. informs the Department of State
that the prospects of the grape and wine crop
are very unfavOrable in the north of Portugal
while the wheat crop is quite satisfactory
The prices of wines is constantly advancing
owing to the increasing demands from other
parts OF Europe. The ravages of the Phyl-
loxera not only threatens the destruction of
the grape, but also of the vines. The dOmes.
tic consumption Of wine is very great in
Portugal, any diminutiOn of production affects
alike the producers and the poorer classes
Wine with the latter, takes the place of meat
Large quantities of wine are exported to BOr
deaux, where 1t is used to strengthen tn
claret and other wines Of that district. Tn
brandy used for a similar purpose has in
nxE1 <us<. H,~ 4 6l~v~~ >-ks