New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1906-01-01
MARKED GENERAL PROSPERITY WAS THE PREVAILING FEATURE

IL dfohdoie AoE UdISeS lTOu Lake Erie OF III
points on the chain of Great Lakes to tho
| mouth OF the Hudson. is expected to do more for
commerce than the original digging of the big
ditch across New-York State Already the sum
of 100000 has been expended and the State
Engineer is asking the legislature to appropri-
ate S40,0OO,OO0 more this year so that the work
may be properly prosecuted. AS much more
Will have to be expended before the task is COM
| pIeted.
| The enormous loss Of life at the battle Of
| MOukden, in the Russo Japanese War in
! March last year, in which the Japanese de-
| feated and drove back their foes, will maks
| this conflict rank among the great ones of the
world Among the decisive battles of recorded
history must be placed the Battle of the Sea Of
Japan, May 81 when the Russian feet
practically annihilated by Admiral Togo, nine
teen warshps being sunk or captured without
the loss of single one by~Japan-
The completion of the bore for the great Sim
plon tunnel through the Alps marked another
peaceful conquest of the forces of nature for tha
year
The unrestrained violence of natural forces
caused the killing of 37O persons at Caabria.
Italy, by earthquake shocks.
| The discovery of the body of Admiral Paul
Jones in Paris, and its return to this coun-
try, was an especially noteworthy occurrence In
a year when seaflghts attracted great attention.
a boiler explosion on board the United States
gunboat Bennington at San Diego, Cal, caused
the deaths of ffty-eight men and the injury
of fOrty-eight others.
| The explosion of a bomb endangered the life
of the Sultan of Turkey.
| The record of deaths of prominent men con-
tains the names Of John Hay, Secretary Of
| State; Sir Henry Irving, the leading British
actor, ard Joseph Jefferson, who had endeared
himself to every lover of the stage in this cour-
! try.
The gift by Andrew Carnegie of $10000,O00
to pay pensions to aged and retired college pro-
| fessOrs was the most notable benefaction of ths
| year.
| The most notable occurrence in New-YOrk
City history last year was the three cornered
contest for Mayor, the result of which
longer in doubt than in any previous election
and which at ore time threatened to dSorgaR-
ize, if not disrupt, civic affairs But happily
| the crisis passed without any serious results
The reelected Mayor takes Office for a term
| twice as long as that for which he was first
chosen, the city having returned to the idea
incorporated in the first charter of the consof-
dated city of a term as long as that of the
President for city officials so that they can have
a fair opportunity for carrying out good inten-
| TONS But although the Mayor remains thH
same the chief financial officer of the city ID
changed, the Controller, who has coordinate
power with the Mayor in the Board of Estimate
and Apportonment the Rapid Transit Commits.
sion and other public bodies of Importance
besides weighty duties of his own. Controller
Grout, who had two terms in that office and
four years of previous experience in the Bor-
ough Presidents office in Brooklyn, retres after
eight years of public service to give place to
an untried and inexperienced successor. 1t re-
mains to be seen what the effect will be on tho
financial prosperity of the city, which will prob
ably expend not less than $4O0,0OOOO0 for pub
lie works of Importance in the four years OK
his term. In the event of a vacancy in the
office of Mayor by the advancement of its III
cumbent TO higher station or for any other rea-
son. the place will be filled, not by the Con-
troIler tut by the President of the Board OF
Aldermen, also an untred public official, With
only minor experience to fit him for the dis
charge of his duties. The reelection of Dis
trict Attorney w. 7. Jerome assured another
four years of his tenancy of Office. The success
Of the Municipal Ownership ticket in Brooklyn
has brought back into office as Borough Prest-