The Brandon news. (Brandon, Miss.) 1892-1961, 1903-12-24

every Is IL inhabitants. Well, that
ought to be enough to adulterate an
ocean of water
In the northern province of Italy the
illiteracy is not SO great as in the
southern, from which nearly all the
immigrants come. In Piedmont the
llliteracy is less than in Pennsylvania.
The shrinkage of German claims
against Venezuela from $1,317,817 to
$685. under scrutiny of the mixed
tribunal suggests that Kaiser Wilhelm
awhile ago wanted war on "watered"
grievances.
Experts of the Department of Agri-
culture have discovered that, this coun-
try's annual output of poultry and eggs
exceeds in value the worlds annual
output of silver and gold. President
Roosevelt's dissertations on race sui
eide evidently have not been lost upon
the American hen.
The danger of surgeons performing
even minor operations without compe-
tent assistance at hand was illustrated
at Emporia, Kans., where DR.. Charles
Gardner died of heart failure while in
the act of operating on patient for
tonsilitis. The patient also nearly bled
to death before another doctor could
arrive.
The English army is, as the war Of
fee disclosures show, in a precarious
condition. But the English army can
not be greatly improved until the
whole system of choosing officers is
changed; until a poor but hard work
ing young fellow can become an Of
icer, keep his self respect, and live on
his pay; until caste distinctions are
done away with; until the army ceases
to be an amusement and becomes a
profession. In fact, we think we can
respectfully submit West Point as an
ideal example of the way officers
should be made for armies.
The movement toward the pension
ing of college teachers is slowly max
ing its way in our universities. Brown
university is the last to take action
through the appointment by the cor
poration of committee ito consider
the feasibility of making some provi-
sion for the honorable retirement of
professors who have been long in the
service of the university" Harvard,
Yale, Columbia, Cornell and Amherst
already have systems of retirement,
and President Faunce of Brown in his
last report strongly recommends that
the university take speedy action in
the matter.
A report has been made by the COM
mission appointed to investigate sites
for the federal capital of the Common
wealth Of Australia recommending the
location of the same at Tumut, lit
tie town in a beautiful and fertile val
ley midway between Sydney and Mel
bourne. Tumut is not a sweet name
but the tobacco grown in it's vicinity is
noted for it's fragrance, which is a
compensation. Moreover Tumut may
be spelled either backward or forward
without change of sound or sense-a
consideration worth bearing in mind
when it comes to selecting a capital
for the land of upsidedown and kan
geroo.
Says the New York Telegram: Lon
don papers are discussing the merits OF
the mustache, and the Lancet finds in
it's favor Kisses from mustacheless
men, it says, are lavorless, and if the
sterner sex wants such caresses ap-
preciated it must cultivate the mus
tache The Lancet pooh-poohs the
idea that hair on the face is an abid.
ing place for germs, and hints that the
free use Of soap and water will avert
any such danger. All of which is inter
esting coming from such high medi
cal authority as the Lancet. The argu-
ment does not lack defenders on this
side, for President Roosevelt has been
quoted as saying that the fair sex pre-
fers the kisses of men who wear mus
taches. In the absence Of official dec
laration on the subject from the girls
every man is entitled to express his
opinion. One Of the citizens of Boston
interviewed on the subject, says the