ITEMS OF INTEREST May 14, 1910 Issue

ITEMS OF INTEREST

A joint resolution, now before Congress, asks that a commission of five members be appointed by the President of the United States, the duties of such commission to be: First—To urge upon the attention of other governments the fact that relief from the heavy burden of military expenditures and from the disasters of war can best be obtained by the establishment of an international federation; second—to report to Congress, as soon as practicable, a draft of articles of a federation limited to the maintenance of peace, through the establishment of an international court to have power to determine by decree the controversies between nations, and to enforce execution of its decrees by the arms of the federation, such arms to be provided to the federation and controlled solely by it; third—to consider and report upon any other means to diminish the expenditures of government for military purposes and to lessen the probabilities of war.

The physical valuation of railroads has been recommended as an amendment to the Taft-Elkins railroad bill in the Senate. This means an appraisement of its actual real property, lands, tracks, buildings, shops, and rolling stock. It does not consider good will, franchise, or the value of stocks and bonds issued by the company. Such an inventory would be of great service to the interstate commerce commission in determining rates that would be both just to the people and yield a fair profit to the railroad company on its actual investment.

The census office unofficially estimated the increase of population in the United States since 1900 at 15,121,036, making a total of 91,424,433 The unofficial estimate for Greater New York is 4,563,603, an increase since 1900 of 1,126,401. The population of Chicago is estimated at 2,282,926, Philadelphia, 1,540,429; New Orleans, 332,132; St. Louis, 698,716, Baltimore, 583,374, Washington, 350,145; Cleveland, 520,938; Cincinnati, 354,012; Buffalo, 401,535; Denver, 159,226; Pittsburg, including Allegheny, 569,823.

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