The Brattleboro reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1907-1912, 1907-10-11
WEEK IN THE WORLD.
Great Events and Movements Which
Are Making History,

Attention has been attracted recently to
the increased value Of the imports into
the United States from foreign countries
and to the narrowing margin Of the value
of imports and exports, That margin, AZ
shown by the official statistics, Is, how
ever, yet on the credit side OF America
ledger, and in the opinion Of the govern
ment experts is likely there to remain
For the month of August, for instance,
the excess of exports over imports aggre-
gated in value 81 AGA, 40i. and the excess
of exports over imports for the eight
months ended Aug. 81 was Sl9i, 453, l62.
Il is important to note, in this connec-
tioE. that the increase IN imports INTO
America is due, in considerable measure.
to the increased prices which imported
commodities command III the markets OF
the world. Just how much of a figure
the increase in foreign prices cuts in the
great international transaction it Is I'M
possible to determine, but the figures are
at hand which indicate that not merely
the quantity of the imports but the value
of them in the countries OF origin are re-
sponsible for the large imports of the past
yeal or two. 1t is evident, too, from the
statistics prepared by the government
that the narrowing of the margin between
imports and exports is due not to de-
crease in the exports, but rather to an
increase in the value Of the imports.
Regulation South Boston ward hceler po-
ltical methods characterized the state
convention of the Massachusetts, demOc-
racy in Springfield Saturday. The contest
between the Bartlett and Whitney forces
resulted finally in the holding of two con-
vcntions simultaneously on the same floor
and the nomination of two tickets. Bos-
ton democratic political methods were IN
troduced with vim, and the Whitney
men claim that the convention was stolen
from them by sharp and irregular politi-
cal practices. The principal trick resent
ed by the Whitney men was simple but
extremely efcacious. Those who were for
Bartlett were given red tickets, while
those supposed to be for Whitney were
given a blue-colored pasteboard. Those
who had the red tickets had no trouble IN
getting in, while those who had the blue
were forced to wait a long time and only
go5 in one at time. Consequently when
the hour of meeting arrived the Bartlett
delegates far outnumbered the Whitney
followers, and the Bartlett ticket was put
through with great rapidity, amid yell
ing and shouting from the clashing dele
gates that prevented any speeches or mo
items from being heard. When the few
Whitney men who had gained admittance
to the hall saw their plight they went
into the back part of the theater and there
organized a convention of their own and
nominated a ticket.
Manila papers bring the news of the
resignation of Henry c. Bates, judge of
the 9th judicial district in the court of
the first instance in the Philippines and
stationed at Iloilo, in the island of Panay.
Judge Bates left lucrative law practice
in st. Johnsbury in the spring OF 1901
to accept this position, and in speaking
of his resignation the Manila Times says
''he has won the respect and admiration
of the bar, as well as the community in
general" Judge Bates was severely crlt1-
cised in army circles recently for sentene-
ing Homer Grafton, a United States sol
der, to y years in the penitentiary for
killing a Filipino, and the case attracted
wide attention, as it was appealed to the
United States supreme court and Grafton
got his release. Judge Bates and his wife
will return to the United States, but he
does not expect to make his future home
in Vermont because of the cold winters.
An explosion caused by the upsetting
of the metal pot in the No. ! cupola OF
the Standard Steel company at, Butler
Pa. Sunday night caused the death OF
four men, fatally injured 20 and seriously
hurt 10 others. Nearly all of the men
were foreigners. The large wheel plant,
$50 by 100 feet, was demolished, causing a
loss estimated at 100000.