Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1894-08-24
BREvITIEs.

! THE National Labor Commission is
! now in session at Chicago, investigat-
| ing the Pullman strike.
The report which has gained currency
that the japanese government is trying
to negotiate a $5O00O,O00 loan to carry
| on the war is not believed at the Japan
! csc legation in Washington. 1t is said
| that the finances of the government
are in such excellent condition. that it
/ is improbable outside aid will be sought
| at this stage of the hostilities, although
recourse to loan later, if the war is
| prolonged, would not be unexpected
Touching the loan which it was
| stated China was seeking to float in
| financial centres, a London dispatch
says the amount wanted was 10000
600 taels in silver or about $14 100000.
Financiers are tumbling over each
other to make the loan and it is believ-
ed over $500, 900, 900 have been rendered
the Chinese government. The result
is China is not inclined to pay over
cent. The negotiations have hardened
the silver market and silveri is expected
to go higher.
Ye Sung 500, the Corean min
lister at Washington, has received
letter from friend in Chemulpo,
which gives particulars concerning the
famine in Corea. The letter says the
condition of the people in the famine
~, al ,t.f,, ;a% , ,,,fia al
Of eight provinces in the kingdom, but
three are producing any crops In
these provinces the recent rebellion
occurred. Men and women are wan
dering from place to place, and. home
less and friendless, are dying on the
streets. Others are endeavoring to Sc
cure relief for them, but where, the
letter asks, can they obtain food? The
opinion is expressed that since the war
between China and Japan has broken
out the condition of the people viii be
more serious.
At the recent session of the bime-
tallic conference, at Washington, a
committee of five, consisting of c. S.
Thomas of Colorado, Alexander Fulton
OF Delaware, j. A. Gallagher of Ohio,
Judge Joseph Sheldon of Connecticut,
and Hon. Isaac Sharp of Kansas, was
appointed to examine and report on
the status of the coinage laws now in
force, it being contended by eminent
lawyers that under the coinage laws
now on the statute books The right to
the free coinage of silver now exists.
That the first section of the Bland act
of 1878 which has never been repealed
will bear no other construction. A com
mittee to formulate a plan OF action to
be recommended to the friends of BIZ
mettalism will report to the con-
ference at another session.
A st. Paul dispatch says: North
western crop reports are of most en-
couraging character, SO far as wheat
is concerned. Farmers in Polk, Kit
son and Marshall counties, in the Red
River valley, report their spring wheat
averages about twenty-five bushels to
the acre, seven-eighths of it grading
No hard. The only bad wheat re-
ports come from South Dakota and
western Minnesota. The drouth was
severest in the border counties of
Minnesota and South Dakota and there
the wheat Weld runs from six to ten
bushels to the acre, the average being
about eight. Late rains have helped
corn to some extent, but it will be a
very light crop probab bly, about thirty
five per cent of the usual. Potatoes
are the lightest crop known in ten
years and tubers are being shipped in
from the southwest for present use,
the immediate demand far exceeding
the supply.
According to South African advices,
The rebellious Katfirs defeated with
serious loss detachment of mounted
police attempting to relieve the gar
rison at Agatha, then attacking the
main column of the Boer forces, but
We're driven back. The kaffirs are
burning the Boer homesteads along
the Letuba river and murdered a num-
Der of Beers and their wives and chill
dren. In the ZountsPansburg district
devilish outrages are committed on
women and children. In all the dis
turbed districts coaches are stopped
and the passengers killed.
1t is said 1000 families are starving
in the city of Pullman. The governor
is making an investigation and has
spurned the offer of information from
Pullman officials.
A correspondent of the London Times
telegraphs that protocol has been
signed uniting Guatemala, Nicaragua,
Salvador and Honduras into one re
public, to be known as the Central
American republic. Costa Rico was
also represented at the conference
which discussed the proposed union,
but that government has declined to
sign the protocol.