The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1901-12-06
CURRENT TOPICS,

The Charleston News ana Courier,
which is somewhat phlegmatic in tenn
permanent. warns up to DR.. Depew in
genuine tropical fashion. 1t says of his
address at the Exposition:
To speak of the superb eloquence, the
thrilling voice. the charming manner, the
splendid diction, Of this world-renowned
orator is but to repeat what mas been
said thousand times before. Those who
heard him yesterday for the first time
realized, not only how true was all they
had read about him before, but how in
adequate any description Is to do full
il stice to his powers 1t is not our pur-
pose, therefore, to dwell upon the un-
questioned beauty OF the Grafton or the
unnisputed power OF the orator, but to
point out what appear to US to be sail
ent points of the address, accompanied
by some reflections that probably Gid not
occur to the speaker himself, or If they
did we take it that he did not intend to
convey them to his audience.
No fault is to be found with the spirit
and temper of the Grafton. The tone is
catholic and the language in excellent
taste.
Here is a para graph from the Chicago
Chronicle which the Virginia authorities
may perhaps study to their profit:
Ample investigation shows that the pr:-
soners at the county jail could be SUD-
sisted. for ~ cents day, including ell
expenses of food, cooking and table ser
vice Some years ago, when public eat
lighthouses for tho poor--not mere soup
houses, but serving substantial meals
We're established in Chicago the cost OF
all the 1ooG materials used was less than
5 cents q head for the 10000 Or more peo-
pie who were fed And they were well
fed. The county is paying % cents day
to the sheriff for feeding prisoners. they
get vastly. worse food than the poor re-
ceived under the old feeding plan, which
cost cents each a day The entire c,,-
pense OF feeding jail prisoners is from
$4,000 to $4,000 a year, which yields to
the sheriff more than one-nalf OF the
amount which he is paid. 1t is not ali
profit, however; nc is numerically bIcd
for campaign funds.
So far as material conditions may be
indicated by uank reports. there is not
the slightest sign Of reaction against the
hiGh-pressurc prosperity that has been
enjoyed in the United States for sevcra!
years. On the contrary, statistics fur
nished by the Comptroller Of the Cur
rency denote marked gains IS compared
with reports Of last year. The deposits
of the national banks are nearly bill
lions of dollars, and those Of the savings
institutions are more than IA billions.
Since March IA, 1900, when the more lib
era! banking law went into effect, 742
new national banks have been organized
with a gross capitalization OF SO millions
Of dollars. The savings deposits average
S406 per depositor the largest i'll the
world, representing per capita of s5l
for each man, woman anG child in the
country. Relations between deposits and
loans and discounts continue wholesome
and safe. One of the most gratifying in
dications of the report is that in the past
year only thirteen rccelverships were or
dere6 for national banks, and two of the
institutions thus investigated were found
solvent.
For the first time since the era of pros
perity began, there is an embarrassing
surplus in - the treasury Otherwise
there is nothing to denote that,,a reaction
more likely than it was Il year ago,
Sut as the condition of the treasury WI
be one Of the earliest and one of the
thief questions before Congress in the
current session. there is little to fear
from excessive accumulations.-kan
City Star.