Items of Interest October 29, 1904 Issue

Items of Interest

Before the twenty-ninth annual convention of the American Library Association in St. Louis, last week, a report was presented on gifts and bequests to American libraries covering the period from June 1, 1903, to May 31, 1904, and including single gifts of $500 or more, of 250 volumes and upwards, and others miscellaneous in character. Five hundred and six gifts are reported, representing in all 137,318 volumes and $6,103,137. An analysis of the money gifts shows that $732,359 was given as endowment funds for general library purposes, $198,654 for the establishment of book funds, $78.709 for the cash purchase of books, $1,507,600, of which $970,100 is reported as accepted, from Andrew Carnegie for buildings; $2,750,419 from various donors for buildings, $27,400 for sites. The gifts of the year, other than those made by Mr. Carnegie, amount to $4,595,537. This includes thirty-six gifts of $5,000 each, eighteen of $10,000, nine of $15,000, seven of $20,000, five of $25,000, two of $30,000, four of $35,000, three of $40,000, one of $45,000, and twenty-one of from $50,000 to $600,000.

The United States minister to Panama has completed his report to the Government. It is stated at the State Department that the differences between Panama and Colombia have practically been cleared away, and that the most friendly relations can be established immediately upon the taking of the initiative by Colombia. Panama is making no contention over the boundary and has announced acceptance without protest of the demarcation of the old department of Panama. The boundary dispute between Costa Rica and Panama is also in a fair way of settlement. France, Chili, Peru, Costa Rica, and Venezuela have appointed diplomatic officers to be stationed at Panama. England, Germany and Mexico, will soon do likewise.

The Bureau of Insular Affairs of the War Department has received from Manila copies of the forestry manual. A forestry bureau was created soon after the American occupation of the archipelago. The Government levies a tax on all timber taken from the public lands. This tax ranges from fourteen cents per cubic foot for the best quality down to one cent per cubic foot for the inferior. The amount of taxed timber taken from the forests during the last three fiscal years was 7,453,678 cubic feet. Licenses are now granted by the Government for a term of twenty years.

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