The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1890-10-23

EDITORIAL NOTES.


tigation, tend to confirm the suspicious long en-
tertained OF the vast extent of Chinese and
opium smuggling along the northern border.
From March, 1887, 10 December, 1889, over
$500 Cinnamon were landed In British Columbia,
and of this number 1t is estimated that four hthS
were smuggled into this county. In coping with
the invaders the customs service has been AT
disadvantage. From Lake Superior to The Lake
of The Woods, a distance of five hundred miles,
there is but one customs officer. AT Pembina
and Necha, thence along The border OF Dakota, a
distance of hundred miles. there are three or
four customs officers Between ST. John, n. b,
and a point north OF Helena there are none, leay-
ing an unprotected border line OF five hundred
miles, only sixty 10 seventy-five miles distance
from The Canadian Pacific. The thousand miles OF
border from north OF Helena 10 the coast Is pro-
iected by Two or three mounted men, while
single revenue cutter looks after affairs around
Puget Sound. All along the border there are
trails Oh which the daring smugglerS operate.
and it is calculated that last year, In addition TO
The Cinnamon. The members of the ring smugglea
In about $50, 600 pounds OF prepared opium, on
which the Government lost S1.SOO,O0O. The
smugglers' immunity rom detection aud arrest
and The success OF ther nefarious operations are,
IN great measure, due 10 The extensive under
ground and secret system of communication
among members OF the ring, which includes
wealthy merchants and men OF high and low
pOslllOUS. ne luDuS dl SoHihdiu VI t'iO
Treasury Department to enforce the Exclusion
Act are manifeslly not sufficient to guard the
border lines between this country and British
Columbia on the noIIh and Mexico on the south.
The new tariff is having a disastrous effect on
British manufacturing enterprises. Wien the
members OF the Iron and Steel Institute were
the guests OF Chicago Charles Mcneil of Glas-
gov, a manufacturer OF iron and steel special
ties, declared: "YOur Mckinney bill is little less
than direct slap at our face. Tie duty on
goods IN my line was high enough before October
9Th without adding thereto. predict tie entire
paralysis of The English Iron and steel manufac
iureIs trade with The United States unless the
tariff laws are changed" Sheffield fears The eff
feet of The tariff. Birmingham Will also suffer
severely and almost every other English manu-
featuring town. Smuggling, 1t Is claimed, is
likely 10 be revived on an extensive scale, as IL
would take IN army 10 guard tile frontier be-
tween this county and Canada. The proprletors
OF the Mahnngham Mills, Bradford whose
American trade in plush is lag ger than any other
European concern, are lOokin over The situation
intent on opening mill in his country. The
pearl button industry, owing 10 The Increased
GuIy of about 100 per cent, has virtually been
reSuriecled, and the new schedule OF wages
shows an advance oil 15 and 90 per cent. Indeed
lie British don't Ike our protective tariff, aud
the London lines admits 1t in lis declarations
Canada loses at a stroke the best market for
her agricultural produce"
Those who are Interested in the solution OF the
irrigation problem may learn a lesson from
Egypt where the great Nile barrage has been sue
cessfully repaired or reconstructed. The barrage
consists 0f TWO great damSOr welrS across the
river, thirty miles below Caro- where 1t divides
into TWO branches, one flowing into the sea az
Rosetta and the other al Damletta. Each weir
il, more properly speaking 4 long bridge, the
arches OF which can be closed when required 50
as 10 raise the level of the river. When the Nile
is low the arches are closed and the wafer is
diverted into three large canals which irrigate
the whole OF Lower Egypt The barrage, which
was commenced in 1S43 and flushed in 1861,
cost about $4,000. 900, regardless OF the forced
labor utilized in Its construction. When, in
1885, 1t agreed that nearly s5,0oo0Oo
should be spent upon irrigation wotks the first
undertaking was the repair OF the Nile barrage.
The work has been spread over the last fonr
years and has cost over S2,000oOO. It's sue.
CcSsful completion will prove of inestimabe
benefit TO the land OF the Pharoals.
Ireland enjoyed a period of industrial pros
perity under protection, and era of trade
depres sion under free trade. From 1892. TO
1898, wien Ireland had her own Parliament,
her industries thriyed wonderfully, the statistics
prepared by Judge Byes tell the tale, but the
union Of the Irish ana English Parliaments, &C
complisbed by Pit, inaugurared a disastrous
change. A visit to Dublin, Limerick Cork and
other towns will disclose the ruins OF factories
that once resOunded with the hum OF machinery.
II is asserted that 10000 cyclones could not
have scattered the people more savagely than
free trade IN Tie last half century the population
having dwindled from 6,175,124 in 1871, to
4,73O 5G6 IN 1890.
Congress placed an appropriation of 100000
at The disposal Of the War Department to pur-
chase land for fortlficaton sits in carrying out
the new system OF coast defenses, but selfish
Staten Islanders want TO more than gobble up
the whole amount. They are willing to let the
Government have 43 acres west OF Fort Wads-
worth for Sl,200,O0o. Secretary Proctor may
consequently institute condemnation proceed
tngs TO acquire the necessary land for a reasona-
bic amount.
The aTtesian well investigation so success
fully inaugurated by the Agricultural Depart.
meut is TO be continued in South Dakota and
Nebraska, and extended southwark through
Colorado and Kansas and into Texas and New
Mexico. Particular attention is to be devoted
10 the underground flow. A chain of artesian
wells would produce wonderful transformation
in this section of the country.