The morning call., 1892-10-11

The Election Commissioners are acting
very slowly in the appointment. of precinct
officers for San Francisco. They have their
own notions of what is righteous in such
affairs of State and civic administration,
and the public no doubt gives them credit rs
far as they can keep them under scrutiny
But in the not improbable case Of tricks
being played by rockrollers, repeaters aud
all the infamous gang that stuff ballot
boxes and make things appear what they
are not, ii might be agrand triumph for
photography to take instantaneous views
of some of the proceedings around the pre-
eincts. The early voter might be Identified
in dozen places, and the fraudulent official
might be convicted also, unless proved TO be
a blind man. How would 1t do to pass law
in the next Legislature requiring an Official
photographer to attend each precinct and
take half dozen photographs of each voter
at different angles. A stenographer would
also be requisite to take down question
and answer of the conversation, and per-
haps an oath-taker would require to be on
hand Such Is the simplicity OF voting to
make 1t pure and undefiled.
The condition Of the British farmer
seems to be giving good deal OF trouble
on this side of the Atlantic. He Is pitied
mortal. Is the sympathy quite genuine or
is ii partly speculative? Markets are very
circuitous contryances by telegraph. The
price British farmer can get for his wheat
is much the same that an American farmer
can get for bis wheat through middleman
in Great Britain. But the British farmer
knows he can do no better in price. His
antagonsm is with the landlord, not SO
much with the public. AS matters fall out
the landlord often makes no more than 2 or
2b per cent out of bis land. Good land
NAV rent at no more than ten shlllingS or
twenty-five shillings an acre. Some OF the
best may run to eighty shllliDg5 in high
forming counties. but there the lard pro-
duces great crops-as much as fifty or sixty
bushels an acre. The average OF England
is as high as tweniy-nine TO thirty-two
bushels an acre OF wheat With lower
rent or owning occupancy agriculture in
England can still weather most storms. 1T
is CANNON to talk of a protective duty on
food In agricultural Britain.
1t is not very soundly established where
the bones Of Columbus lie. Perhaps It is no
matter. since his soul like that of Tom
Bowling. has gone aloft; but San Domingo
is hard up, and thinking it possesses a
treasure in the navigator's bones, Ii is said
to have offered them on mortgage to the
United States for the Chicago Exhibition
at the trihing appraisement of 100000.
San Domingo is, in fact believed to be will
payment OF the aforementioned sum; but it
Is likely to be disappointed. The bones are
far more valuable. At least 500 600 900
should have been asked. That figure would
have stirred up the national sense of the
appreciation OF worth, and stilled forever
the detractors who revle the perspicacious
navigator's moral character. 1t appears
that the United States has no money for the
purpose of buying bones, unless Major
Powell excavates them and gives them
names as long as the leg OF the Moa. What
a Joke, indeed, to buy tho bones OF man
who discovered u.s. and cannot do anything
more to make us famous!
Shipping certainly has its fluctuations OF
prosperity and adversely. IL Is fortune for
shipbulldlpg and shipping during some
years and starvation during Others. At
present there is glut in shipbuilding. save
In few new directions. Ship-owners are.
IN the main, in distress. at least in iron and
steer building England. So much may be
inferred from the fact that British ship
sails to-day for Hull with a cargo of
wheat. This vessel-the TInto Uill-has
been In harbor siace January last. Nine
months OF the year have passed with a
British crew idle, drawing paw. eating
Tati0ns, doing nothing beyond paIniing.
The wonder Is they have not all deserted.
The shin-owners might have given them
bonus IL they had Considering present
rates of freight. this is a wonderful par
formance. In Friedlander's day Ell I5s a
ton was n0t unusual for cargo to Queens
town or Plymouth. Nowadays FIVE dollars
q ton causes excitement. To think of a
vessel lying nine months in San francisco
harbsr for any description Of cargo Is