The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-11-06

London is the housing problem 1t Is
also a mistake to suppose that race sui
eide has as yet taken any strong hold on
London. The number of births continues
to be twice the number of the deaths,
altho the birth rate, as is true all over
the United Kingdom. is slightly declin-
ing. There are 1923 postoffices in Lon
don, and the total imports Of the city
for a single year are $3.50, 900 900, in
round numbers. Some idea may be had
Of the city's wealth when it is said that
the assessed income tax value Of prop
erty shows houses worth $219, 250. 900,
trades and professions taxed at 1854, 000,-
900, profits of companies and other inter
ests taxed at s7o0O 900, and salaries
taxed at 1920, 900, 0O0.s s'.,..# +
The department Of commerce and labor
notes that the aluminium shortage con-
tinues to be source Of annoyance all
over the world. The price has gone up
to 5000 a ton,- or $3.50 over the price a
year ago, but without affecting the sup
ply. There is no aluminium to be had,
for love or money, and there will not be
for a number Of months, perhaps year
or more The chief sources of supply for
this article are the United States. Great
Britain, Switzerland and Germany.
''What has occasioned the shortage?"
was the question asked Of department
official.
There are two reasons: One that the
producers grossly underestimate the de-
mand, and the other the fact that the
metal supply cannot be increased at will.
The demand both here and abroad, has
been wonderfully increased by the larger
use of aluminium for castings for electri-
cal work, and for crank cases and gear
boxes for automobiles The producers
had figured only on the natural increase
caused by the widening use for domestic
purposes, and the phenomenal CONNER
cial demand came as a great surprise.
In this country aluminium Is also being
used for electric wires. It is not gem
orally known, but the electric current
from Niagara Falls is carried to New
York city over aluminium cables. The
British production Of aluminium last year
was $3.50 tons, which was scarcely one
quarter enough. In this country the pro-
duction was about 5000 tons, and only
about one quarter enough. The produc-
ers are extending their plants this year,
and by 1907 or 1908 the supply ought to
be largo enough to reduee the price ma
terially and bring this metal forward as
genrael substitute for brass, iron and
steel. The automobile manufa cturers
have taken to aluminium because they
get the same strength and general utility
that they formerly got from brass and
| other heavy metals, with only one-third
the weight"
The population Of Germany, taken this
| year, shows that the kaiser rules over
! 60, COS, 1873 people. There has been a gain
of 7.52 per cent In ten years. The dem
| sity of population Is very great consider
ing the fact that there are states in the
American union which are as large as
/ whO1a nf ic
lation problem that has caused Germany
to become land hungry. The kaiser
would give anything for a colonial foot
hold on this side of the Atlantic, or for a
! foothold of a satisfactory character in
| Africa. The Monroe doctrine, It is gen.
orally believed in this country, has more
| to fear from Germany than from any
other country In the world.
| England has become alarmed oyer the
| continued emigration OF it's better classes.
Many Of these are now going to- Canada,
but the United States, South Africa and
Australia continue to swallow up tens Of
thousands a year, leaving at home the
needy and incompetent The population
Of England has increased 81 per, cent
7 since 1885, and yet there has been a rela-
tive as we'll as an absolute decline in the
number Of persons employed in numerous
| instance.
| the lace, silk, wooden and linen worsted
trades, instead of employing $4,000 pee-
pie, as they did in 1850. now employ but
$4,000. In the cotton and boot and shoe
trades there has been decline of $50, 00C
employees in the time named, while the
loss in agricultural pursuits has beer
907,0 Here Is a total loss Of 1900, O0C
workers, and this loss has been accom-
panied by q corresponding increase ir
the amounts set apart for poor relief
According to statements published ir
the leading British journals as coming
from publicists and other competent oh.
servers, this significant decline may BIZ
traced, almost entirely to the fact thai
Great Britain is a free trade country
The London Colonizer, the leading pape,
of its class in the country, says that the
decline means that "the cream Of tn,
skilled artisans of the country are be-
coming the principal migrants" and i
points to the widespread belief that thi
condition is due to 'sthe difference in tn,
trading policies pursued by England AM
her protectionist rivals
The Anglo-SaxOn race writes more let
tiers than any other race In the world
Statistics afford opportunity for SOM
interesting Deductions The greatest let
ter writer's in the world are the British
who send out 1873 letters percapita ever,
year. The United States comes mex
with 67.6 letters. and then come New
Zealand with 66.2. Switzerland with 597
Germany with $50, Denmark with 41e
Austria will 3S.2. Argentina with 81 !
Luxembourg with 34.6, Holland with 81 i
Belgium with 29.4, Sweden with 80 4
France with 26.2 and Norway with 20.5
The American consul who furnishe
these figures declares that they form al
accurate index Of the amount of com
mercial activity and civilization general,
that nation possesses, and he note
that the greatest nations of the worl,
are the ones which write the creates
number Of letters. On this theory, Grea
Britain. the United States and New Zea
land. which are heavily Anglo Saxon
must be the most enlightened and pro
gressive nations Of the world. for the
are considerably ahead Of their neares
neighbours Switzerland and Germany, II
the letter writing business, and far ahea
!, Of all the rest of the world The Latil
races, which are falling behind in tn
contest for world supremacy, write com
paratively few letters.
The United States is one of the few
countries in which the postoffice depart
ment is not compelled to earn a surplus
Here there is an annual deficit, due t
the policy of the government to reduc
postage rates to the lowest practioa bl
figure. Great Britain earns annlla II