The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-12-26
Chat Of the Capital.
Washington Gossip, Political and
Otherwise, for tho Readers
of the Globe.

WASHINGTON, d. c., Dec 25.-(Spe-
cial.)-J. G. Stowe, United States consul
general at Cape Town, makes an interest
ing report to the state department rela-
tive to conditions. existing In South Afri-
ca. He says: THE exodus of uitlanders
from the SouthnAfrican republic and the
Orange Free Statei has, / believe. been
unprecedented in history. Many Of these
people-the mining population, the bone
and SineW of the e0untry-haVe scattered
over the world. Numbers of them, too
poor to get out1of sthe country, are sub
Jects OF charity ins the cities of Cape
Colony and Natal and have to be fed
some have funds for a few days or
weeks, but wiib ia time have to be sup
ported by the public, and this in coun-
try that cannot or7does not produce the
foodstuffs for It's own people. The Eng
itsh army is fed with supplies from other
countries, and while much of these may
originate In the United States. they
reach here via England The customs
duties and railroad and telegraph reve-
nues have fallen of. AS the railroads
and telegraphs are owned by the govern
ment, very large source of government
support Is lost, to say nothing of the en-
ployes thrown out of work
Johannesburg, in the Transvaal, and
Bloemfontein, in the Free State are to
all intents and purposes, deserted cities
Johannesburg, the largest commercial
center In South Africa, has, so far as
trade Is concerned, ceased to exist This
once busting city, producing monthly
over fifteen tons of gold and yearly $780,
ooO,eO9 worth, is silent. Up to this time
goods nave reached the Transvaal via
DeIagoa bay, but 1t is not supposed that
they viii long be permitted to enter The
two republics must then live on their
own resources. Their crops ara ready
Tor the sickle, but cannot be cut, as the
men are off to the war. Prices are so
high that the trade papers refrain from
publishing the usual column Of market
prices
Large quantities of gold en- route to
seaports in this colony for shipment to
england have been taken by the Beers
Representatives here of export commits
sion houses of the United States are
constantly booking and cabling large or
ers,particularly for food stuffs, but word
comes from the Gamers of meat and fish
makers OF flour, cornmeal, etc, that they
nave about all they can do to supply the
nome demand and are many weeks be-
hind orders
Consul GeneraY Stowe does not view the
war now existent between Great Britain
and the Transvaal republic with alarm
as it may effect American trade interests
He says:
(lAC statement In all cdI10Or
that the war, even with all its horrors
will not cause imports from the United
states to fall off. The thousands of
mules, the millions of pounds of flour,
wheat. corn, corn meal and canned
meats and fish brought into this country
from England for war purposes which
had been previously shipped from the
United States to England, added to the
dill ect shipments from the United States
to this country, present total that is ex
traordinary.
What the shipments OF United States
products from England amount to we
shall never know, as they enter duty free
and no record is kept of them at the
custom houses.
ut must, however be kept in mind that
in some lines of goods from the United
States, which have in previous years
found valuable and ready market, the
decrease in imports will be decided. The
total trade from the United States is
maintained by the increase in food
stujfs. g4>
III. -
House Bill 107lg introduced by Represen-
tative Sulzer, is one which meets with
much approval throughout the Depart
ments The bill In question relates to
the establishment of a few more pubrlc
holidays.
Mr.. Sulzer proposes that the 18th day of
February each year shall be celebrated
and known as Lincoln's birthday, and this
date is to be made legal holiday, and
the second day Of April, being the day
celebrated and known as Jefferson's birth
day, is likewise made a public holiday.
YAM