The New Orleans daily Democrat., 1880-03-12
CURRENT TOPICS.
COFFEE MUSIC HALLS.


In London. under the presidency Of Dean STAN
ley, to promote some better amusement and
recreation for the people In connection with the
coffee houses than can be found at present In
the ordinary places OF resort. 1t Is claimed by
tho advocates Of this movement that the best
way OF driving out bad habits and temptations
is By creating good ones. II IL stated that In
Glasgow q movement to forward coffee music
halls met with great success. and now the con-
certs are given regularly and greatly approved
BY the public. At present. without any public
effort or advertising. they have $4,000 In hand.
but It IL doomed advisable to have Mt
least 80. more before starting. because II
they started ON a small scale In London II was
liable to prove failure. It Ii. however. Ap-
parent that II these establishments are to be q
success. they must do something more than
compete at disadvantage In some respects
with those which already exist It will not do
to serve up dull entertainment. shorn OF the
accessories OF beer and spirits. Music halls.
% the London multitude Ia now acquainted
with them are--unlike many OF those In Amer
a-decorously conducted places. Tho music
halls OF the future. II they are to have a fair
chance OF success. must have other distinctive
qualities besides tho substitution Of tea and
coffee for Intoxicating drinks. In view Of the
recent revelations concerning the poisonous
adulteration OF tea and coffee one will be In
clined to seriously doubt. after all. whether the
proposed change In music hall beverages is nd-
vlsable. 1t looks too much like the substitu-
tion OF slow poison for "jim.jams."
NATIONAL GEOLOGICAL SURVEY.
Mr.. Clemence King. director OF the Geological
Survey. has recently written q letter. In which
he says that It is impossible to mako survey
{ob 4hnr SvtlI -
the mineral resources OF the whole country. be-
cause all developed mines are held In private
or corporate ownership and are no longer upon
the national domain. and because nearly all un-
developed mineral resources are partly. at
least of the public lands. Mr.. King says
that under Joint resolution authorizing
him to extend his examinations into the
States he would be able to make an ineompara-
bly, better series OF reports than under existing
laws. To-day the government and the people
do not know within sl0o 600 the annual
value Of our mineral product. Unless the ad.
vance of our industries shall be checked by
some unexpected cause. Mr.. King thinks
we are likely within q few years to reach an
aggregate mineral Yield Of q 900. 900 600 yearly.
Provided all the States were to make thorough
surveys simultaneously their results even
then would bs OF imperfect value for the want
Of comparisons. But practically the States are
not keeping up their surveys. To-day there
are not eight active State surveys. Mr.. King
thinks that the single laboratory Of the govern
ment survey would serve for the whole coun-
try. and is firmly OF the belief that the mineral
wealth OF the country Will never be reasonably
well known till studied by natural sur vey.
LANaUIsHING INDUSTRY.
A petition has recently been presented In the
United States Senate. OF ship owners repre-
senting several millions OF dollars. remonstrat-
ing against the passage Of any bill to introduce
foreign bought vessels and give them American
registers. A still wider field Of legislation Is
opened In that direction. for It is time for the
government to 60 to the rescue Of the once
valuable. but now comparatively abandoned.
American industry Of ship building. The marine
flags OF our nation are few and far between In
the ports Of the world In contrast with the dis
play they made score Of years ago. There
was then fair promise that the republic
would outrival all other nationalities In
the extent and efficiency Of its mer-
chant marine service. bat the hope van
ished In the gloom Of civil strife. and
has thus far failed to reappear among the tardy
blessings Of peace. In the presence OF the evi-
dence OF American skill In ship building. 1t is
q pity that no effort should be made to arouse
that industry from Its long lathargy. We seem
to have entered upon q term OF national pros
all the sources where wealth and commercial
aegrandizement can be derived. and among
these the shipyards ought to have place
under conditions enabling them to compete
with those OF other maratime powers.