The New Orleans daily Democrat., 1880-04-13
CURRENT TOPICS.
AMERICAN WINES FOR EUROPE.


The first vessel ever chartered to carry Call
| for MIA wines to Europe has lust sailed for
Bremen with u cargo of 100000 gallons. which
waa ordered by one Of the largest firms In that
city. and which is intended for the German
market exclusively. This seems something
like carrying Goals to Newcastle. until we reool-
lect that by reason OF the destructive Visits of
the phyloxera and other plaques the Ger
man wine growers are sadly crippled. and the
dealers find it necessary TO import wines from
some other quarter. The San Francisco Ctron-
ioie believes that the experiment is ono of great
future moment. and that II It results SUCCESS
fully rs there is every reason to believe will be-
the case, an immense market will be open to
our wine producers, The vintages from which
the cargo In question has been selected are Of
q chal aeter to endure q long sea voyage The
on pertinent will be watched with much interest.
particularly by the wine growers of California.
who have Visions of q hundred vessels. instead
OF one. that will annually take to European
ports the rich yield of their vineyards
TIE FAsTEsT ENGINE.
The Baldwin Locomotive Works have just
turned out q passenger engine constructed for
the Rsadipg road. to be run over the Bound
Brook route. between Philadelphia and New
York. in which SCI vice 1t Ia expected to eclipse
m ything of the kind going. It has been built
chiefly for speed. aud II the expectations of the
contracting parties are fulfilled tho time be-
tween the two cities named will be lessened
about half hour. The distance from Phila-
delphia to New York is ninety miles, and the
fast trains over both the Pennsylvania and
Bound Brook roads have been making it in
about two hours. The Reading people are aim
ing to make the run In one hour and half
and with this object In view they some
time ago contracted with the Baldwin COM
pany to build them an engine that would
perform that work. or. in other words. accom-
plish ninety miles In ninety consecutive min
utes. The new engine has the largest pair of
driving wheels, perhaps, of any passe pger 10.
oomotive in this country. the wheels being 6h
feet In diameter The engine Ia ffsrent In
other respects also. having but one pair Of
driving wheels instead OF two additional small
er ones. as Is the usual custom. and Is muo
heavier than the regular passenger engine Its
weight being about $4,000 pounds. 1t is sx-
pected to make the entire distance to New York
without stopping to take water. being supplied
with tank holding 1000 gallons. Should the
attempt to thus lessen the time betwee Phila-
del phia and New York ptove successful other
engines will be built and put regularly on the
road.
INTERNATIONAL RIFLE MATCH.
The directors of tho National r flo Associa-
ton have taken action looking toward n revival
OF the annual matches with tho marksmen OF
Ireland. established In 1874. The frat of these.
1t will be remembered. WAS shot at Creedmoor.
and resulted In u victory. as did also that of
1875. which took place at Dollymount. near
Dublin. and that OF 1876. which was again con-
Quoted before the Creedmoor butts. Since the
last mentioned year these matches have been
discontinued. the competitors for the Palma"
or Centennial trophy. having In some degree
superseded them. The ritlsmen OF the Emerald
Isle are now anxious to have them re- -estab-
lished. and. with that object. forwarded letter
to the National Rifle Association of this ooun-
try inviting team to visit Ireland this year.
TAXING SAVINGS BANKS.
The opinion lately given by the Attorney Gem
eral of New York, to the eff ct that depositors
In savings banks are taxable on the average of
their deposits for the year. would bear heavily
on that claes Of depostors IL 1t should be up
held by the courts. The rate Of interest allowed
by the savings banks OF New York Is at present
6 per cent. but 1t Ia proposed to reduce 1t to 4
per cent. As the city and State tax In Nsw York
Is over per cent. and In Brooklyn per cent.
the dividends Of savings bank depositors. after
deducting the tax. would be but 8 per
cent In the one case and but per
cent in the other. SO far as the State tax Is
concer ned bill IL now before the Legislature
to tax the savings banks themselves one quar-
ter OF per cent on the whole amount of their
deposits aud surplus. and relieving depostors
from any further charge. The imposition of
even this tax on savings banks the New York
Journal of Commerce holds to be unwise and
impolitic. whit. another bill to tax Every
life insurance company doing business In the
State Is declared to be "a great blow to the
homely virtues OF industry. perseverance.
sobriety and thrift among the people"