Columbia University Libraries Digital Collections: The Real Estate Record

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November 28, 1885 The Record and Guide. 1313 of King Thebaw has been permanent, and that the British commisioner at Mandalay, the capital city, has controUed the leading trade interests from which the treasury derived its revenue. The relations of the Hudson Bay Company to the British possessions in the northwest seem to have a close parallel m those of the rich British corporation known as the Bombay-Bur¬ mah Company in their relation to King Thebaw. When the latter saw fit to repudiate existing contracts, to demand exorbitant indemnities for imaginary wrongs, and finally to threaten general confiscation of all visible effects, it was but natural that England should object to treaties with her ancient rival, recognizing a uew claimant and successor to aU the advan¬ tages, present and prospective, resulting from long occupation of the soil. While conjecture may be allowed to take a wide range in picturing the possibilities of the Anglo-Saxon race shaping the commercial destinies of Doth China aud India, the fact presses into notice thata collision of interests may engage England and France in disastrous hostilities, while each is playing for enormous stakes. Already the intiruatiou comes from Paris that the British expedition to Burman is reaUy a blow aimed at France. —The Iron Age. A Tobacco Growers' Association. ^'There is a movement among the tobacco growers of this State to organ¬ ize an association with tho object of furthering the interest of this important branch of agi-iculture. It is proposed to form a body to be called the Missouri Tobacco Growers' association, with au auxiliary com¬ mittee in every tobacco growing neighborhood. The chief purpose is to learn and secure the practice of the most approved methods of cultivation and curing, so as to improve the crop of Missouri tobacco to the highest point it is capable of. There are mauy grades of marketable tobacco— wrappers, fillers, cutting leaf, shipping leaf and so forth—each suitable for a special use, and unfit for other purposes; and these various qualities require different soils, curing and handliug. The tobacco farmers of Vir¬ ginia understand this aud have reduced the whole business, from the selec¬ tion of the seed to the curing, to a perfect system; and one duty of the proposed Missouri association will be to send committees to Virgiuia, Ken¬ tucky and other tobacco States and learn the processes practised in them and recommend them for adoption in this State, The markets both in this country and Europe are very exacting in the matter of curing the weed—^a process ou which its color, texture and flavor depend—and it is in this process that so many Missouri farmers are at fault. Many a good crop of the weed is half spoiled in the curing; and the market value is frequently impaired by slovenly sorting—the farmer being the sufferer by his own care¬ lessness. If the proposed association shaU succeed iu having the most approved systems of selection, cultivation, curing and handling introduced and generally practised in this State, it will render both the raisers and dealers a valuable service,—Si. Louis Republican. ImproTements of tbe Argentine Republic. The Argentine RepubUc Is about to engage in a vast scheme of intemal improvements, or, rather, it proposes to complete a scheme that was once undertaken but not carried out. The minister from that country at Wash¬ ington has received official iuformation that his governmeut haa made a contract with Lucius Gonzales, twice Secretary of the Interior and once Secretary of State, to complete aU the railways uow in progress, and construct a great artificial harbor. He represents a syndicate of English capitalists, and agrees to complete aU improvements now in progress at their original estimated cost of $59^000,000. of which $10,000,000 are to be expended on the harbor. In addition to the construction of the harbor, the Andean raUway, which Is to connect Buenos Ayres with Santiago, Chili, is to be completed at an estimated cost of $2,8U3,000 for construction. $1,000,000 for rolling stock, $600,000 for shops and machinery, $1,000^)00 for the expenses of the engineering department; total, $4,4*93,000. The Centi*al Railroad is to be completed to the coal mines in the southern part of ChiU, at a cost of $6,305,000, with $3,000,000 for rolling stock and $1,000,000 for shops; total, $9,305,000. The Northern Road is to be extended to the Bolivian boundary, at a cost of $8,000,000, with $1,000,000 forshops; total, $9,000,000. Branches of this line are to be extended from Chumbioa to Catamarca, costing $1,2W3,000, and from Dean Fuenes to ChUecito, costing $5,000,000. The aggregate expenditure for the BoUvian line is $15,293,000, Another line is to be constructed from Tamatine to connect with the above, costing $2,500,000. The Richahuelo enterprise is to be completed at a cost of $13,931,000, and various other smaU works at au aggregate cost of $4,509,000, which make a grand total of $49,000,000. The United States have a right to expect a fair share of the increased demand that will come from this great enterprise. As English capital is to do the work EngUsh product* will naturally be used, other things being equal; but American locomotives are already running iu Australia. Central and South America, Spain, Sweden and other countries, and the chance for this branch of business ought to be brightened considerably by the lively pros¬ pect in the Argentine Republic.—Boston Post. Tills Season's Cotton. We are in receipt of a number of samples of this season's cotton crop, from Texas to Georgia. As might be expected at this early part of the sea¬ son the grades are high, and rank from strict low middling to strict good middling. The grades are much higher than what the crop will average; but as these depend mostly ou the condition of cleanliness, it will not pre¬ vent a judgment beiug formed of the qualities of the fiber, iVhat the samples show in this particular, we are well informed, characterize aU the pickings thus far made. This year's cotton possesses exceUent body, staple and spinning qualities; and in these respects they have never been excelled, if equalled. The average grade will be comparatively low, and, as far as can be judged of now, will not be far from good ordiuary. Each sample was taken from the general market of a particular section, and therefore no specific knowledge can* be had of the nature of the soil upou which the cottou was grown. Speaking generally, however, we note that the best cottou comes from those localities where tfie soU is strongly calcareous, and this condition of soU is prevalent from the Chattahoochee to beyond the Colorado River. The cotton raised in regions where the soU is deficient in lime, as in the long leafi pine districts, the quahties are more or less inferior. The central region of Texas, through the valleys of the Brazos, Colorado aud Trinity Rivers, holds good its reputation for great fertiUty of soil; and some of our t>est samples, excluding grade, are from these parts. The neighborhood of Paris and Bouham, iu the Red river vaUey, is sending to the market some of the finest specimens of upland cotton that we have long seen, aud for length of staple they are especiaUy noticeable. The cotton from about Eufaula, Alabama, is good, but it bias not the length of staple that one might expect from the blue marl lands of the Chattahoochee valley. It does not show up so well as our sample from scuihem Georgia, about Thomasville. The cotton grown ou the bottom lands between the Mississippi and Yazoo rivers retains all of its traditional glory for superior spinning qualities. Here, from the swampy regions north of Helena to those south of the Red river and lying westward of the Mississippi, and in all those parts west of the bluff lands, extending from Vicksburg in a crescent form to Hickman, Kentucky, is the great natural centre of the cotton production in the United States. It has no superior, and is equalled only by the rich lauds of the lower Brazos and Colorado rivers, iu Texas, along the bauks of the sluggi h bayous and iu the gulUes. Chattanooga is becoming quite a depot for cotton taken from along tne railways centering there, includiug a large portion ot ihe production grown in middle Alabama. The cotton from about Pine Bluff. Arkansas, that has come to this market exhibit good quaUties that should give it popularity. The spinners this year need have no fear of being able to secure desirable cotton.—Boston Journal of Commerce, Hawaiian Affairs. Our latest advices from the Islands report a very favorable outlook for the future. The sugar crops are unprecedented!y large, and it is estimated that the total output will aggregate 9o,000 tons. "The new arrangement for the Australian mail service, making Honolulu the central point, is fuUy appreciated and a healthy development of trade in this connection is looked for. Old stocks seem to bave been nearly worked off, and exports from San Francisco to the Islands bid fair to increase. The Planters' Labor and Sup¬ ply Company has held its annual meeting and discussed matters pertaining to, and outside of, its proper fuuctions. The government firmly opposes the extensive introduction of Chinese, and advocates, as farm laborers, those who will ultimately become permanent settlers on a small scale. A scheme is on foot for the establishment of a number of small farms in the neighbor¬ hood of Honolulu, through the sub-division of a lai'ge tract of laud hitherto uncultivated. The cry of *'dull times" is not so frequently heard as for- merlv, and in fact we learn from two gentlemen who returned to Honolulu by this week's steamer that they really flnd more business than they can attend to, and that the *' duU times" cry is merely the outcome of political croakers who stand at street comers giving vent to their utterances. These opinions are expressed by gentlemen not iu accord with the present admin¬ istration, but who have the good sense to attend to their business aud their own affairs in prefereuce to continually complaining and neglecting more pertinent and profitable muudane matters. As au instance or two of the business outlook on the Islands and of manufacturing institutions in this city which are directly benefitted by trade associations with them, we may mention the fact that the Honolulu Iron Works have orders iu hand that will keep it ruuning almost for a couple of years. The consequence is that some of the orders are beiug executed in San Fraucisco by our local iron works, —San Francisco. Railway Building and Hard Times. A letter in the Railway Age, of Chicago, by Mr. Edward Atkinson, of Boston, discusses the Influence of railway building ou the employment of labor, aud gives some facta and figures which are of interest. In 1882 we built 11,500 miles of railway, aud that year wages were at the highest point since the crash of 1873. The average cost for 1882, with high wages and extravagant methods of building, he estimates at $30,000 per mile—a total of $345,000,000 for that year. He estimates the total number of persons employed at 766,000, earning an average of $450 each per year. Last year we bmlt less than 4,000 mUes of railway and Mr. Atkinson's estimates put the total cost of this at $100,000,000, or $25,000 a mile; and that 250,000 per¬ sons were employed, at an average rate of $400 per year. That is, 515,000 wage-workers were not needed in this kind of labor as compared with 1882, who were compeUed to fiud other and most probably less profitable employ¬ ment, or who remained idle the whole or a portion of the time. The eutire cutting off, or the reduction of their wages from loss of time or from lesa profitable employment, reduced their purchasing ability, aud their con¬ sumption of food, clothing, and a vast variety of other articles, aud would be an important factor in the stagnation of business. As will be seen, Mr. Atkinson's figures bear out the statement so often made that railroad build¬ ing is au unfailing index of the condition of trade and labor. Hence his prognosis for the comiug year is of great interest. During th« niue months of 1885 endiug October 1, 9,2t8 miles of new raUroad were undertaken, of which at that time only 2,000 miles had been completed, leaving 7.248 in course of construction. Assuming that this is buUding under conditions of the strictest ecouomy, he considers that it will cost a total of $150,0(X),0O0, em¬ ploying from 375,000 to 400.000 meu, earning from $S75 to $400 a year. At the low rates prevailing for the necessaries of life, he considers the lower wages wiU buy about as much as the higher wages of former yeara. It will thus be seen that the situation is more favorable thau last year, whUe the indicatious for the extension of raUway lines next year are very good. There is a similar promising outlook for other important industrial branches, and his conclusion i<, that if the business and financial conditiou of the coun¬ try is not depressed by unfavorable legislation by Congress this winter, we may expect 1R86 to be a year of very great activity and corresponding prosperity.—Toledo Blade. Congress and the Silver Question. The silver question is looming up as one of the matters demanding prompt settlement^at the hands of Congress this winter. Much curiosity is expressed as to the ground that President Cleveland will take iu his message, but uo one can predict with certainty what it will be. So far as Secretary Man¬ ning is concerned, it is declared, on authority, that he will at least take radi¬ cal ground favoring a thorough revision of the Bland law, if not actuaUy urging its repeal. The Treasurer of the United States, Jordan, will devote much of his report to a fierce onslaught on the silver dollar. He has a num¬ ber of clerks gathering facts for that document, and it is said he will give an exhaustive argument against the silver dollar, to prove that it is imprac¬ ticable as cm-reucy, and detrimental to the flnancial welfare of the country. That is, his ground will be that of the gold ra««nometalli8ts. And the fact seems to be that there are many Southern and Western members of Con¬ gress who are at the other extreme, beiug silver Monometallists, whose theories, if carried out. would reduce the dollar of our currency to the bullion value of the silver dollar, which is now but 79.35 cents. For every interest of the great mass of the people, there is danger in either. The silver doUar must not be abolished, nor must the value of the dollar of commerce be reduced to 79 ceuts. In medio tutissinius i6w—the middle course is the safest. We beUeve that we need a coinage of both metals—gold and silver. The only danger—though it is a real one, and oue that must be promptly guarded agamst, is that arising from the wide and growing difference between the intrinsic values of the gold dollar aud the sUver dollar,—Tb^edo Blade. Building Iflodel Towns. Florida is a lai-ge State, a beautiful and progressive one. Its advantages and the inducements it offers to iumaigrauts are almost beyond belief, but they are genuine. While there ore nulhons of acres of very valuable and fertUe land in Florida, up to a recent date it has been believed that there were a good many thousand acres in that State that were almost, if uot quite, worthless, and which were unsaleable even at merely nominal prices. Some enterprising Eastern capitalists have recently discovered that these black jack barrens may be made the most productive land in the State, b^r a course of treatment which is novel iu the South and somewhat heroic iu its nature. The lands are not cleared, plowed, fertilized and irrigated, as raany woiUd naturally suppose. The purchasers do uot devote them to the Eroductiou of farm crops, vegetables or semi-tropical fruits. That would e too expensive and risky a business. They have found out that the only thing much of this waste soU is fit for is to be converted into sites for cities and towns. Every few days there is issued in some of the leading Northern journals beautiful maps of attractive towns, to be built in the near future, if a sufficient number of simple-minded people can be induced to buy lots there aud become residents. They all have attractive names, and the alleged streets are named after military heroes and statesmen; aud the beautiful trees of the glorious laud of fiowers, while the squares and "uatural" parks, aud church and school lots, are dotted off in the most charming manner possible. Then the lots are so cheap-Kiorners that may some day be worth thousands being offered at the low price of $9 each, while centre lots may be had at three for $10. To read the advertisements one would suppose that many great philanthropists were uniting their fortunes in order to benefit poor and suffering hiunanity. This delusion is ouly dispelled when it is discovered that the land is only worth in the market about 50 cents I per acre on, say ^6 cents per lot of 26x100 fe^t, and that tbe principal I