Omaha daily bee., 1902-04-05
OTHER LANDS THAN OURS.

nershlp. The latest news upon the subject
puts an entirely different aspect upon the
situation and the prospect. There was n
mysterious meeting at Venice a few days
ago of Count Won Buelow. the German
chancellor. and Signor Prinetti, the Italian
minister for foreign affairs. IT was vehem-
emily declared to have no official signif-
canoe when attention was first directed by
the newspapers to its occurrence, but it
has since transpired that this denial was
made in the Pickwickian sense and that as
a matter OF fact IL was an event OF the
greatest importance. Count Won Buelow
and Signor Prinetti are now said TO have
come to an understanding, the result OF
which is expected to be the termination Of
the triple alliance through the elimination
OF Austria and the formation in its place
OF a dual alliance between Germany and
Italy. This extraordinary story receives
some support from the circumstance that
the relations between Italy and Austria
have never been Of a cordial character and
that at this time they are more than ever
strained. The two countries have inter-
ests which are absolutely irreconcilable,
notably in Albania, which both Of them are
anxious to control, while the fact that the
Austrian emperor has never returned the
SeA a. Oh uim ny hlnR HumDeTL years
ago has not tended to promote that
friendly feeling which should exist between
powers which have agreed to act in COM
mon.
France, with the selection Of Sunday,
April 81, as the day for the election of the
next Chamber of Deputies, enters on the
last stage of the active canvass which will
decide the character Of the French govern
ment for four years to come. With vari-
Gus limitations, for the most part of small
erect, ultimate power rests in France with
the lower branch of the national legisla-
ture. Its majority selects the ministry.
1t can, as was shown in the case of CAST
mir Perier, force even a president to re-
sign. Its power is less complete than that
OF the House OF Commons, but it is also
less under the influence Of a ruling class,
and the head OF the state in France. a
president elected for a term, cannot exert
the indetnable but powerful personal in
huence Of an English sovereign.
The chamber now ending it's term was
elected in 1898. 1t contains, including
colonial districts, 5S4 deputies, elected in
separate districts, as nearly as possible
with 10000 Of population.
Asa
Perhaps the most significant and encour-
aging feature Of the British fnancial situa-
ton which has been disclosed is to be recog-
nized In the remarkable collections made on
account Of the income tax. These aggre-
gated $174, O00. 900, which was over $39, 900, 900
more than the year before. and which ex-
ceeded by IS, 900, 900 the chancellor's esti-
mate. This is a wonderful showing. The
income tax, which had stood at 1 shilling
on the pound, or at the rate Of 5 per cent,
was increased last year to l shilling and 2
pence on the pound. This was an advance
of 16 2-3 per cent, which upon the basis
Of the revenue derived from this particu-
lar tax last year, that is on $1S5, 900, 900,
should have brought in additional receipts
to the amount of $22, 500, 900. The actual
as has been stated, was nearly
$40, 900. 900, which represents a growth for
the year in the income Of the income-tax-
paying community, which, after all, is a
relatively small section Of the population,
of $325, O0o, 900. For a small country whose
possibilities Of expansion are limited this
is doing pretty we'll.
SsH /
The Chinese government has decided to
adept new mining regulations. The pro-
fessed purpose is to open the way for the
granting OF concessions to foreigners. II,
the terms are as onerous as de-
in a Pekin dispatch, foreign cap
ital will be as reluctant as ever to engage
in mining in China. Besides reserving for
itself 25 per cent Of the profits, the gov
eminent claims 20 per cent of the output
Of diamonds and other gems, Is per cent
of the output Of gold, silver and mer-
curry, 10 per cent of the output
of copper, lead and zinc, and 8
per cent Of the output Of coal and iron.
In addition to these percentages OF output
and profits, export and likin duties are to
be imposed upon the concessionaires. II
foreigners desire to engage in mining in
China, they must, therefore, submit to taxa
ton at every turn. Such a system ctfers
no inducement to the foreigner to apply for
mining concessions. Perhaps the govern
ment expects the new regulations to have
that effect. Foreign investment In mining
has, in fact, been discouraged as much
as possible in all Of the provinces. In New
chwang British merchants desiring to open
some mineral deposits were forced three
wears ago to mine under Chinese names,
and though doing so was winked at these
merchants informed Lord Charles Beresford
that they were "Ilable to be stopped at
any moment by unfriendly magistrates or
competing Chinese"
sss |
The Cologne Gazette has taken the mi
tiatiye in a campaign calling uhon the Ger
man government to intervene for the pro-
lection Of German bondholders who have
interests In the Minas railway In Brazil
and of German settlers In the Brazilian
state of Minas Geraes, which is the most
important interior province OF the repub-
lie. The German bondholders have long
standing claims against the government OF
Minas Geraes and the Gazette recommends
that the imperial government adopt the
method pursued by the French government,
which, when the province OF Espirito
santo failed to fulfill it's obligation to
French capitalists, made the federal gov
eminent responsible for the debts. AS to
the grievances Of German settlers, the ma
jority of whose fathers bought allotments
from Brazilian land owners, that is a mat
ter for imperial investigation. Many Of
the land titles held by the Germans have
lately been disputed and in some cases
the occupants have been elected, while
others have been forced to buy the land
over again at a rate which takes into ac-
count the improvements they themselves
effected. The victims at present, it is de-
cIared, are reckOned by hundreds, but
many thousands feel themselves threat