Morning journal and courier., 1889-05-18
KDITORTAL NOTES.

The legislature needs rest, and the peo- pie need one too, but there are no indications that either will have one soon.
 A newspaper syndicate recently offered William K. Gladstone Sa5. 900 for a series of twety-ive articles on subjects of current in- terest. The following reply to this proposi- tion has just been received: "At my age the stock of brain power does not wax, but wanes. And the public calls upon my time leave me only huctuating residue to dis pose of. All idea of series of efforts is, therefore, I have finally decided, wholly be- yond my power to embrace.
 The late l. " Williamson, the Philadel- phia millionaire, was an expert and success ful tax dodger. His wealth was invested mainly in railroad stocks and bonds and the like, and as he lived the life of recluse he gave no sign of his great possessions, and af- forded no opportunity for their proper as sessment and taxation, beyond what he was of mind to give. Accordingly, he paid taxes on only $67, 800, although holding se- s, 750, 900. His executors will now be re- quired to pay taxes on that sum-
 The recent decision by the Interstate com- merce commission as to the rights of negro passengers on railroad trains is heartily en- dorsed by leading southern newspapers. The decision was rendered in the case of colored preacher who bought first class ticket from Augusta to Atlanta, but was compelled te ride in "Jim Crow" car, half of which i. devoted to smokers. The commission held that the railroad company may separate pas sengers according to color, but that it mus make the cars provided for white and colored passengers equal in comfort, accommodation and equipment for persons paying the sam fare.
 The work of wedding out the liquo saloons of Philadelphia under the higl lacense law is still going on, and with mos acceptable results. The License court now passing upon applicants for licenses fo l yhe current year, and the work is completed l in the frst twenty-six wards of that city In these the number of licenses allowed i 1,0o2, as against ], ,109 in 1sss The sam proportionate reduction in the remaining wards will make the total number in the cit 1,210 instead of ,340 as at present. Thes | reductions are made by the exercise of tn ! discretionary powers of the court to refus 1 licenses to those who have abused them i | the year now closing. When it is remem \ bered that under low license there wer l 5000 saloons in Philadelphia it is eviden that the reduction already accomplished very large.
 \ Says the Hartford Courant: People wi ask how this leaves affairs. Assuming ths the senate also passes the bill, it leaves thel this way: The general railroad law sti
 stands. Any twenty-five persons who hay
 the money can put it in and go ahead with
 railroad from anywhere to anywhere else
 the State. But no company can build
 "brsnch" except judge of the Superis
 court decides that it is a public necessit
 and we doubt if any judge would be four
 to decide that line from New Haven New York was tbranoh" of road fro
 Bridgeport to Pittsfeld. On the other haI
 if, as the Housatonic people have elaine their project for ''branch" of that sort
 legitimate and necessary, they can get jud
 cial permission to build it. They ha
 failed, however, to get from the legislatu : special grant, which would have had
 large money value for other than transpor, tion purposes.
 In a recent article on the causes of dete
 oration in paper Dr. Wurster asserts that t
 usual chemical methods of testing are eitt
 useless or misleading, and that, though m'
 weight at present is laid on the mechani
 Indications of the material, it's resista1