Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1904-02-10
Other Lands than Ours.

the SOOQ OF the lSlanQ. Inc census,
taken every five years, has long shown
an increase of over 100000 for each
census period, and the rate of growth
has constantly accelerated. The in
crease of population from the census OF
1895 to that of 1900 was over 5000, 600.
Java is only little larger than New
York state and the central regions are
too mountainous for a very dense
population. The fact that the last
census showed a total population of
%, 745.G9S indicates n frightful conges-
ton OF humanity over all the coastal
and interior plains and valleys. The
density of population is 56S persons for
every square mile of surface, which is
greater than in any province of China,
excepting in Shantung. If France had
the same density of population it's in
habitants would number 120, 900. 900; the
United States at the same rate would
nave 1,6sS. 900 inhabitants, which is
about 100, 100000 mere than the
estimated population of the world.
Such packing of humanity as this al
least illustrates the fact that when
every acre of tillable land is stimu
lated to its highest productivity it will
give sustenance to several times the
number of persons who are now sup
piled with food from an acre of land in
most countries. The Javanese are still
able to raise all their raw food and to
export the products of their pianta-
tions and forests to the amount OF
millions of dollars a year. But they
are already talking about a time to
come when they will no longer be able
to produce ON their island all the food
they require.
A heated controversy is in progress
in the Prussian press over the savings
bank lottery scheme which the
Prussian ministry has now had under
consideration for some months. TIL.
author of the idea is Herr Scherl, the
PROPRIETOR of the Berlin Lokalanzeiger.
According to his plan the new institu-
ton would collect from weekly savings
of the working classes ranging in
amount from SO pennings az cents to
marks ($1. These savings would be
entrusted to such existing savings
banks as may be willing to adopt the
new system and to pay for fifty-twO
weeks deposits OF marks-that is to
say, for 208 marks-an interest of $50
marks at the close of the year. with
fixed rates of interest for smaller
deposits. This interest, however.
would not go to the depositors, but
would be paid into a lottery fund, the
administration of which would hand to
the depositors lottery tickets of cor
responding value. Three hundred
thousand of these tickets divisible into
quarters and eighths, according to the
amounts of the deposits, would form
lottery series from which 1880 prizes |
would be drawn. with a total value OF
$4,000 marks. The value of the first
prize would be 100000 marks, Of the
second prize 10000 marks, Of the third
prize 10000 marks and so on. winding
up with S,420 prizes, each of the value
of 20 marks.
The unfortunate British War off, e !
has laid itself open to attack from yet |
another direction. Some time ago a |
special committee of some kind recon-
mended that measures should be
adopted to attract university men into
the army. 1t was thought that Oxford
Cambridge, Dublin and the Scottish |
universities ought to be able to provide
at least 100 men, if not more, every
year. who would improve the averag &c
intellectual quality of officers very
materially. The War Office authorities
acquiesced and offered to give a certain |
number Of commissions to men who
had taken degree and qualified in an
examination on military subjects
They even agreed to offer special in |
ducements, in the way Of seniority, to
men who carried off firstclass hOnors
But it was soon discovered that even in |
the most favorable circumstances the
university man. having to wait be-
tween three and four years for his del
gree. would necessarily suffer greatly
in respect Of seniority compared with
the less highly educated officers who
pass through the shorter course al
Sardhurst. Efforts are now in pro-
~ress to induce the War office to do
something to remove this discrepancy
and put the two classes of men upon n
more nearly equal footing. If they do
not make some substantial concession
1t is not likely that they will get many
university men, at all events, not many
Of the best kind.
SWeaen seldom attracts the attention
Of the average American teacher. al
though in matters educational it has
many lessons for educators throughout
the world. The standard of popular
education in Sweden has been steadily
rising from the time of the reforma-
lion: and the indications point to
even greater efficiency ahead. 1t
should be noted that large prepon-
ierance of the population Of the king
'om has remained of rural character
and public education has been adaptet,
liost closely to agricultural needs. |
The first beginnings of the national
school system were made in 1885, In
that year a law was enacted to insure
tor all children a sound religious edu-
cation, so far as reading and knowledge
nf the Luthern catechism were con-
cerned. In 1912 the national compul-
cory law Of education was introduced.
Modifying acts have appeared since,
tut the present system comes from
mat date. AS n result Of its excel |
renee. practically everyone in the |
country can read and write,