Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-07-22

fore parliament" The scheme which has
now passed the committees of both houses,
comprises the making of a new street from
Holborn to the Strand, the widening of
southampton row, and the widening of the
Strand, and is estimated to cost Is, 1874 800.
1t will involve the principle of recoupment
to larger extent than has ever before
been entertained by parliament, and Will
neceSSitate the removal of three newspaper
offices. the Gaiety Theater and Restaurant,
| an electric lighting station, that ancient
home of lawyers and literary membranes
Inn-premises belonging to the Gas Light
and Coke Company, the London Hydraulic
Power Company, the Freemasons, the
Benchers of the New Inn and Middle Tenn
pie, the Dukes of Norfolk and Bedford and
Lord Battersea, three local authorities and
a great many private owners. In fact, up
ward of forty powerful and influential COM
panies and persons were petitioners against
the bill, and the committee reports that
mostly by concessions and courteous and
reasonable dealing all around it has
made very satisfactory arrangements with
most of the principal opponents. If the
bill passes the final stages and becomes law
it commits the council to the carrying out
of the scheme promptly.
Conditions in Natal.
The annual statement by the Natal Sec
rotary for native affairs, embodying. as it
does, reports from the magisterial divisions
| of the colony, is interesting reading. On
the whole, it seems that the moral condi-
ton of the natives is deteriorating, owing
to contamination with vice at Johannes
burg, where hundreds of Zulus work in the
mines. Drink, too is a potent factor in
their downfall and the smoking of strong
hemp (Cannabis satfva) also contributes to
their generalization. Here is the brief but
fippant comment of one magistrate:
There no indications of progress, not
even the use OF soap"
This is hardly what one expects from a
prim blue book, but worse is to follow in
the shape of feeding bottles: European
foods are more largely used. The use of the
feeding bottles for native babies has come
into fashion, but this, / am afraid, is a
step in the wrong direction in one way,
as it enables the mother TO leave the in
FAINT in charge of one of the children, and
she can spend the whole day at beer
drinks" There is refreshing variety,
however, in this official publication, for
over the page one passes lightly from the
feeding bottle to carriage and pair-as
witness the remarks of the MAGISTRATE for
Umsinga Division:
The fact that the chief of the largest
tribe in the division possesses a carriage
and pair of horses, with which he drives
about the country, is strong evidence of
progress toward civilization. The same
chief when attending at my office. is al
ways sprucely dressed in European cloth
ing But at his kraal nature asserts itself,
and all the fine clothes give way to the
to natives) more comfortable, if less
graceful, 'mutsha.'
Seriously speaking, however, there is
grave cause 1tt stLAltNg DIS 70 lttt luluTe
of the Zulu race.
Studying SunspOts.
They have on view at Greenwich photo
graphs of the remarkable outburst of sun
spots that commenced last July and con-
tinued till nearly the middle of November
The outbreak eliminated between the Sd
and the 18th of September, and this cul-
mination was accompanied by eXtTaor-
binary disturbance of magnetic earth cur
rents. A chart showing this magnetic
perturbation is exhibited with the photo
graphs, together with other charts show
ing the movements of the instruments dur
ing previous great sunspot periods. They
establish what, indeed, has now for some
time been unquestioned-the connection be-
tween the solar spot and out terrestrial
magnetic storms. One very curious phe-
nomenon recorded by all the diagrams
which, by the way, are automatically pro-
dueed by the Instruments at present
wholly inexplainable. Small sunspots are
not attended by any perceptfble movements
of the needle, nor, indeed, are ordinarily
large ones. But when an exceptionally big
one is about to break out the magnetic
record, which has been running straight on
in a small zigzagging line, gives sudden
fling up and down, as though the clerk of
the solar meteorological office saw storm
approaching, and had signaled, Look
outr' This little jerk of the needle is inva-
riably the precursor of a most violent and
prolonged oscillation of the magnetic in
strument and the simultaneous outburst
of a stupendous spot
The New German Stamps.
The issue of new series of German inn
perial stamps is announced for the begin
ming of the century. They will be oblong
in shape, like the American Columbus
stamps, and at the suggestion of the en-
peror they will illustrate the history of the
Hohenzollern family One of the designs
represents the union of north and south
Germany. In the center there are two war
riors a Prussian and a Bavarian, grasp
ing hands with Germania lowering over
them. The whole is encircled by land
scape representing the fatherland from the
Alps in the south to the Island of Rugen
in the north. Other stamps represent the
national monument to the late Emperor
William, and the opening of the first reich
stag of the present reign by the Emperor
William II. They will be issued from the
imperial printing office. The postmaster
general being unable to find native artist
capable of designing the stamps, engaged
the services of an Englishman, who stayed
in Berlin for about six months, and receiv-
ed a remuneration of ten thousand marks
The craze for collecting illustrated ppst-s|
cards continues with undated vigor in Ger
many, and the officials in remote German
colonies like Kiao-Chau and the Cameroons
complain that every mail brings countless
requests to post to the writers local illus
trated postcards or postage stamps very
often without inclostng a remittance. En-
terprtsing persons make journeys to Spaan
or Italy. and undertake for a given sum 10
post to subscribers postcard from every