San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1890-11-06
WASHINGTON LETTER.
From Our Regular Correspondent
Washington, d. c., Nov. 3, 100.


Secretary Tracy is anxious as any
body could possibly be that the
United States should have the best
armored vessels afloat, but being a
careful, pains-taking official, he has
not lost his head on account of the re-
cent tests ofarmor made at Annapolis,
as some other people seem TO have
done, therefore he proposes moving
slowly and cautiously about spending
the special appropriation of one mill
lion of dollars made by congress for
the purchase of nickel. The only
specimen of armor that stood the test
was the nickel-steel made by a firm
in France, and the Secretary
has no idea of making this gov
eminent dependent upon that firm
for Its supply of armor plate, so he
has decided to have the only two
firms in this country that have the
plant necessary to undertake the
work-the Bethlehem Iron Works
Company, of Bethlehem, Pennsyl-
vania, and Carnegie, Phipps Il Co.,
of Pittsburg-make several plates
similar to those made by the French
firm. These plates when completed
are to be subjected to the severest
tests, and should they prove as good
as the French plates the Secretary
will at once enter into a contract for
the manufacturing of q sufficient
quantity OF them to armor all of the
vessels now being built for the navy.
Mr.. Tracy has no fear of any corner
in the nickle market, as he has re-
ceived offers enough of nickle ore
from various sections of this country
to make it certain that the owners of
the Canadian nickle mines cannot
dictate the price which the goAern
ment shall pay for this in this coun-
try and abroad will result in build
ing up a new and great American in
dustry.
Secretary Noble has received
another letter from Mayor Grant,
also one from Governor Hill asking
that the population of New York city
be recounted. He has not answered
either of them, but it is quite certain
that the original decision Of the CEN
sus bureau will not be changed.
There has no good reason heen given
for giving Tammany Hall an addit-
ional member of the house in the
Fifty-third congress and the state of
New York an additional vote in the
electoral college that will elect the
next president and vice president,
and what is more, none can be given.
The census was taken in New York
City, in June just as it was every
where else and it was just as free of
errors as it would be If retaken In
November or December.
Every body is talking about the Off
cial bulletin issued by the census
bureau giving the population of the
United States as shown by the recent
census. The total number, exclusive
of white persons in Indian Territory
and Indians on reservations and in
Alaska, is so, $50, $40 and the increase
over the census of 1880 Is 1924, 757.
The percen tage of increase for the last
ten years was "a 81 against q per-
centage of 80 .0S for the ten years be-
tween 1870 and 1880. The census
bureaus bulletin in explanation
of the apparent smaller per-
centage Of Increase tor the last
than for the preceding ten
years says: "It Is we'll known, the
fact having been demonstrated by
extensive and thorough investiR alton,
that the census of 1870 was grossly
deficient in the Southern States, so
much so as not only to give an az
gregated rate of increase of the p0pu-
lation between 1870 and 1880 in these
states, but to effect very materially
the rate of increase in the country at
large. These omissions were not the
fault, nor were they within the con-
troll Of the census Office"
AS in the last census, New York is
the most populous state and Pennsyl.
vania the next. Ohio and Illinois
have changed places. Texas jumps
from IL to Z, while Kentucky goes
from to IL. Minnesota goes from 26
TO 20; Nebraska from 80 to 20; Mary
land drops from % to 81; Colorado
goes up from 80 to 81; Vermont drops
from 80 to SO, the new state Of Wash.
ingtOn strides forward from AZ to "a;
Delaware steps backward from IS to
AZ; Nevada from 43 to 40 and Arizona
from A to As. The figures as a total
are somewhat disappointing because
the most of US had been figuring on a
population Of 65,OO0,000 but still we
are one of the big nations of the
world.
Another most interesting bulletin
has been issued by the census bureau
showing the production of steel in the
United States during the last ten
years. During the year ending June
80, 1890, we produced 4, 46S, 1926 tons Of
steel against l,145,7l1 tons produced
in the year ending May 81, 1880, an
increase of 3,321,2l5 tons or 900 per
cent. Pennsylvania still holds her
own in steel production. In 1880, enc