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September 21, 1895 Record and Guide, 863. £te^y|ifiTo(HLE^TWE.BtJiLDiKG%cilrrECTUi^>{
^ ance tax hae beeu thus far successful. It was in force for the last two-thirds of the Government's fiscal year, aud it not ouly produced within $200,000 of the round $5,000,000 estimated, but the friction over disputes was much less than was exiiected. Tlie total amount of property that became chargeable to duty was $449,000,000, of which $375,000,000 was personalty aud $74,000,000 realty. 'J'he uext movement in the line of iucreasiug the coutributions ot the rich to the burdeus of the Htate, likely to be tried in Euglaud, is a tax on unearned increments. Several members of tbe late adminis- tiatiou were known to favor it, and in due time it will be pressed upon the present one, perhaps to its undoing. The report of the Board of Trade on the operation of the British railways in 1S94 shows that the uet rtM'cnue increased 2 per ceut and the capital 4i.2per ceut, the latter fact conipelling a reduction of dividends to the lowest figure recorded on the whole capital iu any year except that of the gi'cat coal strike, 1893. This matter of capital-increase is the tlirear-ening feature in the future of the Euglish lines. The new (xovern- ment gives Lancashire no encouragement whatever in the matter of the Indian cotton duties. Turkey's eiuiden resolve to "yrant" reforms iu the goverumeut of Armenia may havebeeu influenced by the fact that she has had to come iuto the market again to replenish her exchequer. She has nothing on which to make a uew loan, so the conversion of the "» per cent Custom's loan iuto a 4 per ceut stock, with the amouut increased to give fresh fuuds to the Government is ou the boards. If the news of anarchy iu (he Congo Free State is confirmed it is likely to create squabbling among,England, France aud Gcr- r I iHE Board-of Education is complaining that it cannot pro- -*- eeed with the work of converting the old Essex Market into a temporary school-house because it caunot get its plans through the Department of Buildings, where tliey have beeu since June last. Dissatisfaction witb the Departmeut continues to be very general among architects and builders of this city, because of the uureasonable time their plans are held awaitiug approval. These delays interfere seriously with their several occupations, to say nothing of the loss of time and the annoy¬ ance occasioned. Material meu also seriously feel the etfects of the delay. This dissatisfaction will, uudoubtedly, take the form of united public remonstrance uuless it can be removed by tbe adoption of a speedier system of passing plans through the De¬ partment. The complaints do uot refer merely to plaus for hirg'e and important buildings where the necessity for elaborate verifications justifies the utmost of proper aud reasonable delib¬ eration, but apply proportionately, if uot equally, to the smaller and uuimportant ones. The Superintendent of the Department is reported as saying, in reference to the condition of the work in his care, that the Department is not goiug to take auychauces of a repetition of the catastrophe at the Ireland Building. Out¬ side the Department that statement will have very little weight, because it is not claimed that if tbe Ireland Building had been erected in accordance with the plans as pa.ssed by Mr. Con¬ stable's predecessor ou a sound foundation that the accident would still have occurred. It is certain that tlio Department has paid very scant attention to suggestions and demands for the enlargement of its force aud accommodations. Promises, indeed, have been made from time to time of a prompter dis¬ patch of the business of the Department, but apparently the Departmeut has been unable to satisfy reasonable public re¬ quirements. The natural consequence is an inten.se dissatisfac¬ tion with the management of the Department in the minds of a large majorily of the people having business with it. The con¬ clusion forced by a fair consideration of the facts is, either that theDeparlment is in thehands of officials iudiffereut to public necessities or the means at its disposal for doiug its work are inadequate. Whichever is the case a prompt remedy ought to be applied. As the matter stands uow, instead of beiug a help the Department is an impediment to the prosperity of the build¬ ing interests of the cily. -------------■------------- IT it a matter of surprise though of uo regret that advanced socialism has got iuto discredit with tbe very people wliom it claims it would most benefit—the working classes. The recent Briiish elections unseated all the direct representatives of the workiiig-meu whose opinions were of the advanced or revolutionary orders, although maintaining some of moderate views who repudiate auy but legal and cautious measures for the advancement of their constituents. The distinctionisa very im¬ portant oue as showing the trend of thought among the working- men of Great Britain. Similar results are found in the elcclious to the General Councils in France. These elections give the most direct expressions of the views of the people, as these Councils are elected by universal suffrage. The chief functions of the Councils are to preside over the Departmeuts and elect the Senators. Yet the Socialists cirried ouly twelve seats in them throughout the whole of France, In our owu couutry noue of the mauy forms of Populism now find favor among our rural population, and tbe socialism of the red flag order is apparently begiuningto understand thatit is out of place and vain of sym¬ pathy. Coxey to-day could uot raise a corporal's guard to bear him company to Washington. The Nihilist and the dynamiter seem both to have withdrawn themselves into their holes, aud the CoUectivist of tlie Teutonic school rarely tries to make himself heard. The direct cause of the silencing of these noisy Voices is, of course, the \yithdra\val of the support that has hitherto sustaiued them ; tbey all existed by the grace of popu¬ lar subscription. But why tlie sympathies whieh made the liuud generous to aid should have died out is a very interesting ques-r .tion. Probably it is a imitter of instinct of one kiud or another, Horror of the acts that have discredited advanced views iu the pa.st ten years may have had something to do with it, but nol much. The working people may have unconsciously acquired an aijpreciatiou of the fact that thoy have gained a great deal in receut years aud concluded that this is a good time to take a rest and enjoy what they have gained. It may be, too, that they feel there is something in the political atmosphere containing ;(, presentiment of danger to national life as now organized, and each people gathers instinctively around that form of national representation that ofiers, as the times st.and, the beet protection to racial or national honiogeueifcy in tbe conflict that they appear to foresee.
