New-York tribune., 1902-12-06
TENEZUELAN REVENUES.
HOW THE CLAIMS OF GERMANY AND
ENGLAND WOULD BE SATISFIED.

SURPRISE TO BRITISH IMPERnLIsTs-sI
HIRAM MAXIM coMING TO AMERICA
fsr4rtzi 10 The Neu-Yorl5 Tribune br French cabeA
tcoFyright; BY The Tribune AssociationD
London Dec e. ! a. m.-The extent of the
British claims against Venezuela cannot be
cer+ained from parliamentary papers or official
sourres The aggregate of the bill of damages
,s believed 10 fall considerably below that pre-
sepfed by the German Government. The two
accounts taken together will Justify the seizure
Of the customs of the two chief Venezuelan
rarts. and without the revenues ordinarily col
ected there both upon exports and imports. the
government cannot be maintained. Conse-
ouentlv there is a strong proba bility~that the
caracas authorities will make a belated attempt
n nrovide for a settlement of the claims rather
1han lose control of La Guayra and Puerto
rahello and thereby strengthen the hands of
the insurgents Experts familiar with the trade
Of Venezuela under normal conditions point out
that the customs revenues chiefly derived
from imports of flour from the United States and
Canada and exports of coffee to the same mar
kets and that the seizure of the customs for the
settlement Of British and German claims would
Involve the payment of just debts through du-
ties levied upon commerce from and with
America
Gibson Borles while convicted OF an attempt
"a revive an obsolete procedure in discussing
rhe Brussels Convention after the issue had
been decided, succeeded in his main purpose Of
atsrre5itinr the Foreign Office by exposing er
-ore Of translation divergence of views
respecting the necessity for leYying duties
against Queensland and other colonies which
ppv sugar bountith The last fact escaped OBJ
servation when the convention was discussed
by the House, and has caused astonishment
among the Imperialists- They had approved the
convention as an instrument for helping the
British West Indies in struggling against
destructive competition of bounty-fed German
sugar but were not prepared to take up arms
against British colonies in any quarter.
James Carter supplies q municipal journal
with exhaustive tables showing that the esti-
mated profits of various undertakings such as
gas water. electric supplies and tranways are
eaual in Liverpool to a rate of tenpence per
round and fall from that maximum to single
fsrthins at Halifax The evidence is conclu-
sive that local taxes would be higher in Eng
Iish towns of municipal trading were not
source of considerable profit This conclusion
will not satisfy Sir Edward Clarke, who. after
roaching upon literary preserves. is now lead
Ing raid against the municipal traders He
holds that, town corporations should not have
an unfair advantage over private traders
The debate on the Education bill In the House
IF Lords last night would have been very
dreary but for the Intervention Of Lord Rose
berry who vigorously denounced the principle
rf the measure. He demanded two-th1rds
popular control for the schools and declared
mat the supporters of the voluntary schools re-
minded him Of the children of Gideon, who had
imposed on Joshua with their rags and mouldy
bread The government scheme was not a ma
tional system of education; it was nothing but
sn ecclesiastical substitute The brilliant speech
IF Lord Rosebery, which was heard with frank
endowment by the whole House, was followed
by the fierce and intense utterances of Lord
Halifax. Then, just before midnight, the Duke
If Devonshire wound up the debate, and at
y 30 the bill was read the second time In the
upper house by 147 votes to 81.
Sir Hiram Maxim Will shortly leave England
for America. He expects to remain about two
years in the United States, during which time
he hopes 10 carry out number of experiments
with flying machines. He says If he does not
build an arshp himself Il is quite possible that
he may become consulting engineer on the SUBJ
feet for the ST. Louis Exhibition. l. N F.