The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1906-08-17

Canal Zone and of the cities of Panama,
Colon and Cristobal, which are at the
ends of the canal and part of the Canal
Zone to all purposes, although they are
under the Panama Government, is 57,45o.
~
Chinese labor will have through test
on the Panama Caiyal. Contracts calling
for $500 Cinnamon for canal work have
been prepared, and advertisements will
be issued by the Isthmus Canal Commits.
sion in few days asking for proposals
from lahoragents.
If the initial $500 Cinnamon prove
success it is likely that many more will
be taken to the Isthmus to do the work
which is too hard for the Jamaicans now
employed there in large numbers.
Organized labor has offered much oppo.
sition to the employment OF contract
Chinese, but the Jamaican workmen
have proven inadequate, sufficient
Spaniards cannot be had Immediately to
rush the work and the Chinese are the
last hope of the commission.
~
Uncle Sam has acquired another island.
1t is of volcanic and not political origin.
The island has not been named, but it
lies between the town of Unalaska, or
Dutch Harbor, Alaska, and the Bogoslof
islands, which are situated in the Bering
sea about $50 miles northwest of Dutch
Harbor, in the vicinity of the Aleutian
islands.
1t is generally believed that the for
nation of this island was connected in
some way with the earthquake at San
/ Francisco
~
Consul Thornwell Haynes. of Nankin,
has sent to the Department of Commerce
and Labor a lengthy report on the build.
| ing of railways in China. The roads now
in operations, being built and projected,
including the railways built under the
Manchurian concessionaires, approximate
1000 miles,
This is more than Spain possesses, only
thousand miles less than Italy has and
nearly half as much as the mileage of
less than the mileage of the State of Hi
nois, or of Ohio. or of Pennsylvania, or
of Texas. Railways in China have been
classed as commercial. political, CON-
mercial- political and strategical. They
may also be grouped according to the
nationality of their concessionaires,
which are Chinese. English, German,
French, Belgian and Portuguese.
Interesting comparisons between the
expenditure for military and naval pur-
poses by the United States, Great Britain,
France, Germany and Italy have been
made by the information divisions of the
War and Navy Departments.
While the United States, although the
most peace.loving nation in the world, |
does not expend annually as much on its |
military and naval establishments as do |
the large European powers, when the
Immense expenditures made by this
country for pensions is taken into con-
sideration it is declared that the appro-
priations by Congress to pay expenditures
which have either resulted from wars or
are for the purpose of preparing for war
are greater than those of the essentially
military powers of Europe.
After Great Britain, France and Ger
many comes the United States in the size
of the appropriation made for the support
of the military establishment.
But it is because of the millions of dol
lars which the United States pays out each
year to its pensioners that this country
may be said to be expanding more for its
military establishment than any other
power in the world. While the annual
report of the Commissioner of Pensions
will not be published until September, a
synopsis of its more important features
has been given to the press, which shows
that during the fiscal year ended June 20,
1906. more than 5000 pensioners died,
and that, for the first time since the Civil
War, the decrease in the pension roll ex-