The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1911-12-26
= y . II y II .
= NEWS FROM NEW YORK,

New York, Dec. 25.-Notwithstand-
ing the general complaint about poor
business and high cost Of living there
seems to lave been no great lack of
money this Christmas. The stores. es-
pecially those catering to the less
business and the high class establish
ments really had no reason to COM
plain. The amount of money sent by
aliens in this city to their friends and
relatives in foreign countries at Christ
mas, which is always a good baromet-
er for the prevailing economic condi-
tons, was unusually large this year
and reached many millions of dollars.
The average amount for each Christ
mas money order sent to foreign coun-
tries by aliens living in this city was
about SIS this year, which compares
favorable with the averages of former
years.
The Christmas harvest of the m
ployes Of the banks, trust companies,
exchanges and broker offices was not
quite SO bOuntiful as in the two or
three year after the war with Spain,
but sufficiently liberal to bring Il smile
upon the faces of the clerks and other
employees. Only in a few isolated
cases the Christmas bonuses OF these
employees amounted to more than ten
per cent of their annual salaries this
year. Some of the larger banks and
other financial institutions abolished
the bonus system several years ago
and substituted in its place Il system
ployes who have given satisfaction
during the past a Some few Of
the banks also have introduced a reg
ular pension system and the money
which otherwise would have been
spent in bonuses goes to the pension
fund.
Another indication that business
during the year now drawing to Il close
was quite prosperous may be found in
the fact thai the value of diamonds,
pearls and other gems imported into
this country by way of the port of
New York slightly exceeded $l1,OOO,-
300. Last year the value of the gems
received at the custom house in this
city was $~40,566,i4S, which exceeded
any previous year in the history of the
trade, with the single exception IF
1906, when the total reached $43,-
573,4SS.
up in a row sounds like Il joke, but
sometimes truth is stranger than tic-
ton. Such Il thing really happened
here the other day. Under the aus
pices of the Citizens National COM
mittee a mass meeting of citizens was
held at Carnegie Hall the other night
to support the ratification of the ar
bitration treaties. with Great Britain
and France 1t seems that. the ratifi-
cation Of these treaties which are sup
posed to operate in the interests of
universal peace, does not meet with
favor on the part of, the German
Americans of New York who are of
the opinion that the arbitration move
ment in which this country, Great
ISritoin o,,1 1Sy.,y,cN oro o1r,,r,DJ s,
really aimed at Germany.
Joseph II. Choate presided at the
meeting and addresses were to be de-
livcred by Col. Henry Watterson.
President Nicholas Murray Butler of
Columbia university, Andrew Carnegie
and Rabbi Stephen S. Wise. Thc
meeting had not progressed far when
.Alphonse G. Koelble. president of the
German-American Citizens league,
cut was not on the program as Il
speaker. marched to the front Of the
stage and in Il quiet voice protested
against the ratification of the treaties
and offered Il resolution endorsing the
resolution of he senate committee on
foreign relations opposing the ratiiica-
ton of these treaties.
The leaders of the meeting were
dumbfounded by the audacity of the
speaker. who seemed to have the
moral and vocal support of hundreds
of Germans scattered through the au-
dience. Mr.. Choate tried to speak.
but was howled down and other
speakers did not meet with better sue
cess. A dozen determined men were
ready to eject MIR. Koelble from the
but he produced n coupon
which entitled him to a seat upon the
Not until Mr.. Koelble had
raised his hand did the tumult sub
side and the meeting adjourned with
out having accomplished its object.
There is more t%inkering done with
educational methods in this II