Smyrna times., 1883-12-26
Chronicle of Events and Opin-
IONS

Oh Events and Opin.
ions.
A New York correspondent of the
Baltimore SHn has the following in re-
gard to the reduction in the price Of
the dailies:
The publishers of the daily papers
| IN this city have now had three months
experience under the cut-rate system
: and taken as a whole thew are no; \
happy set of men. Talks with news
paper men in all branches of the bust
ness bring about vigorously worded
opinions that the whole scheme of re-
duction as carried out was a grand
blnnder. Now and then some pub
Usher who had a part in bringing
about the dropping of rates will insist
that the trial has not vet been COM
plete, and then there is a nicelv-drawn
picture Of the nearby millennium. when
everybody will be busy reading the
papers which mean to have everything
about them irst-class except the price.
A telephone on a new principle has
been invented, by which a converse
ton has been carried on at distance
exceeding 500 miles Considering
that the means whereby tine power OF
the telephone has been strengthened
can be further increased, and that the
resistance on the land lines with which
experiments have been made exceeds
that of the ocean cables, it is hoped
that eventually conversation may be
carried on across the Atlantic. The
telephone thus employed might not
offer many advantages over the pres
ent system Of transmitting messages.
but 1t would be very remarkable tri-
umph in electrical science to make con-
versatlon possible between continents
separated by an ocean 2.4OO miles
wide.
One of the new rules which the
Senate is considering puts a stop to
the practice of admitting newspaper
correspondents to the floor while the
body is in session as nominallv the
private secretaries Of Senators. The
practice was great convenience TO
Senators, who were thus able to get
themselves interviewed without diff.
Guilty, If it is abrogated, the painful
spectacle will be seen of Senators COM
PEELED to run about the Capitol in
search of correspondents in order to be
interviewed. Then too, the presence
OF number of correspondents has
always given a sprightly and intellec-
tual appearance to the gathering.
which will be diminished when the
attendance is confined exclusively to
to Senators.
Inc greatly increased development
OF the Russian petroleum fields in the
nelghbOrhood of the Caspian Sea dur
ing the past two or three years has
had a serious effect upon the demand
for American petroleum in Southern
Europe and Asia. The Russian arti-
Gle Is far inferior to the American lin
mlnator, but its greater cheapness
makes 1t desirable, especially to the :
poorer class of consumers in that sec.
ton. 1t is put upon the market in
many instances in American packages.
bearing American brands, and serves :
IN this way to destroy the reputation I
81 the American article. The facili-
lies for transportation aud distribution !
9t the Russian product are so limited
however, that it is not likely to come
INTO general use, except in a limited {
9xtent Of territory. q
Ii, says the Philadelphia TINES. the &
French had generated another Nano- /
con, marched a splendid army 10 e
Moscow and forced it into flames. or :
lad once mere captured Berlin and
inundated the mightiest military
'ower on the globe, they could not
veil express more insanity of reioicing d
han they have over their petty SQUAD e
lie with a few unwarlike pig-tails at :
'onaty The truth is, the French n
an undertake nothing that is worthy n
Il the name of war with the handful d
i troops now under admiral Courbet h
Ionquin- Nor does any person a
rho has studied the diplomacy and 81
he iascos of this Franco Eastern t
rouble dream for a moment that the b
rench Republic has seriously contem- il
lated war with China on any large r r
Gale The reported secret treaty or
greement between England and the
larquls Tseng, whereby the former p
grees to mediate after the capture of Il
ontay and China agrees to divide d.
onquln with France and reiinauisb "
er suzeralnty over AMMAN, provided ec
'ac-Nlnh and the Eastern delta of the 10
'ed rlyer are preserved to her, is of ID
lnnltely greater importance than any ;H
'arlike undertakings in Tonquin. h.
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