Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1900-04-19
PROSPERITY REIGNS
A Phenomenal Showing Of Exports
Made Duringthe Administration
of President Mckinley.
OF PENSION LAWS
Appropriation for Free Seed-A Surplus
of $7O,OO0,O00 In the National
Treasury At the End Of the
Fiscal Year.

Washington, April 19.--It is stated at
the treasury department that the gem
eral effect of the new financial bill will
be to greatly increase the banking facil-
tiles of the smaller communities. Comp
troller Dawes has received a large num-
Der of applications for charters of
banks which will be organized under
the national system with a capital of
$685. 900 in villages of less than 5000 in
habitants. The extent to which his
provision of law is being awaited of
shows that the banking privileges which
have been extended by it to the smaller
communities, thereby placing them on
an equality in these matters with the
larger communities, has long been need
ed. One of the natural effects of this
interest on loans.
MACRUM A FALSIFIER.
Macrum's charge that the official mail
of his consulate had been tempered
with has Deer disproven upon investi-
cation by the state department. Nor
has there been any subsequent Interior
ence with the American consulate's
mail. Democratic campaign literature
must be revised.
A BIG SURPLUS.
Secretary Gage predicts a surplus of
$40, 900, 900 during the current fiscal year,
and a surplus of $S2, 000, 900 during the
year ending June 80, 1901. Secretary
| Carlisle used to predict deficiencies. and
his predictions were always verified
! under Democratic methods.
FREE SEED.
Congress has passed the appropriation
for the distribution of free seeds, and
has increased the appropriation for
farmers bulletins from $4,000 to $780,
900.
THE PENSION LAWS.
The house committee on pensions has
been revising the general pension laws.
The most important of the proposed
changes is to increase the age limit on
which pensions are to be allowed, fixing
a sliding scale between the ages of 81
and 20, viz: Six dollars at 81 years, So
at 65, $40 at 6S, and $12 at 70. Another
important amendment increases from
$96 to $3.50 the amount of annual income
which a widow may have without for
feiting the right to a pension. The Re-
publicans hope to pass a bill to this eff
feet.
FOREIGN COMMERCE..
A growth in our foreign
from 81, 600, 0O0, 900 in 1872 to 81, 900, 600, 900
in 1900 is remarkable, and an increase of
our exports from $444, 00O, 900 in 1872 to
81, 227, 900, 900 in 1899 is even more strik-
ing, but this growth is insignificant
when compared with the growth of COM
merce on the great lakes. The foreign
commerce of the United States has dou-
bled since 1872, and the exports have
trebled during that period. During the
same time the tonnage of vessels en-
gagged in commerce passing through the
914, 735 registered tons in 1872 to q, $685.
BAT tons in 1899, the increase having been
over 1000 per cent, as against an in
crease of 100 per cent in total foreign
commerce and 200 per cent in exports.
The percentage Of freight carried by
Canadian vessels, which in 1887 was Z
per cent of the total, was in 1898 only 2.2
per cent. The value of Canadian craft
passing this point was in 1887 $2,0S9, 400,
and in 1898 50, 491, 900; while that of
American craft, which in 1887 was ST.
6S4, $50, was in 1898 $45. 1879, 800, the value
of Canadian craft having increased less
than 25 per cent, while that of Ameri-
can craft had nearly trebled. With this
increase in tonnage and business comes
an equally striking decrease in freight
rates, the cost of transportation per ton
per mile having fallen from 2.3 mills in
1887 to 10 of one mill in 1898.