DECISION IN ANTHRACITE COAL CONTRACTS CASE. The United States Supreme court announced a decision Dec. 16, 1912, canceling as in violation of the Sherman antitrust law the contracts by which railroad owned coal companies in the Pennsylvania anthracite fields had purchased the output for all time of "independent" mines. The charge of a "general combination" was not sustained. In an opinion announced by Associate Justice Lurton the court held: "1. That the general combination alleged by the government to exist between the defendant roads for an apportionment for total tonnage to the seaboard by an agreement in the nature of a pooling arrangement has not been established and therefore the relief sought by the government upon assumption of such combination is denied. "2. The court finds, however, that the principal defendants did combine to shut out from the anthracite coal field a projected independent line of railroad, the New York, Wyoming & Western railroad, and to accomplish that purpose it is found that the stock of the Temple Iron company and of the Simpson & Watkins collieries was acquired for the purpose of and with the intent, not of normally and lawfully developing trade, but of restraining interstate commerce and competition in transportation, which presumably would have come about through the construction and operation of the propcsed competing line of railroad between the mines and tidewater. "3. The court holds that certain contracts made with producers covering between 20 and 25 per cent of the total annual supply of coal, known as the 65 per cent contracts, by which such independent pro ducers bound themselves to deliver the output of their mines or any other mine which they might acquire, to the railroad companies for 65 per cent of the average market price at tidewater, were also void because in violation of the antitrust act, as abnormal and illegal restraints upon interstate commerce. 4. The court reiterates the declaration in the Standard Oil case, that an act of congress does not 'forbid or restrain the power to make normal and usual contracts to further trade by resorting to all normal methods, whether by agreement or otherwise, to accomplish such purpose.' Nevertheless it holds that the acts which it finds in this case to be illegal, the Temple Iron and 65 per cent contracts, were not within such class, but on the contrary were abnormal in their character and directly tended to and were intended to illegally restrain trade and commerce, and therefore came within the statute as illustrated by the rulings in St. Louis Terminal association and Swift & Co. versus United States. The court ordered the dissolution of railroad control of the Temple Iron company, by which the principal railroads and their coal companies were found to have strangled a project to build a competing road into the anthracite fields in 1898 and by which monopolizing schemes could be put into execution handily in the future. The railroads concerned in the case were the Philadelphia & Reading, the Lehigh Valley, the Delaware, Lackawanna & Western, the Central Railroad of New Jersey, the Erie and the New York, Susquehanna & Western. DISTURBANCES IN CUBA. Armed intervention by the United States to preserve order in the republic of Cuba seemed imminent on several occasions in 1912. In January, as the result of agitation by the veterans' association for the dismissal from the public service of all men associated with the old Spanish regime, the situation became critical and President Taft felt called upon to send the following note to President Gomez: "The situation in Cuba causes grave concern to the United States. That the laws intended to safeguard free republican government shall be enforced and not defied is obviously essential to the maintenance of law, order and stability indispensable to the status of the republic of Cuba. The president of the United States therefore looks to the president and government of Cuba to prevent the threatened situation, which would compel the United States much against its desire to consider what measures it must take in pursuance of the obligations of its relations to Cuba." The note had a salutary effect and the agitation ceased. In May and June, however, new trouble arose. This time it was caused by dissatisfied negroes, who began destroying railroads, sugar mills and other property. The Cuban government acted promptly and energetically, but as the insurrection was in the mountainous districts of the Oriente, Santa Clara and Santiago provinces it was difficult to suppress. The American government, as a matter of precaution, sent warships to Key West and Guantanamo, but disclaimed any idea of intervention. The inability of the Cuban authorities to prevent the destruction of American property led to the landing of marines near Guantanamo and to the issuing of orders, June 7, by the general staff in Washington to prepare for the sending of a military expedition to Cuba. Matters quieted down somewhat and when Gen. Evaristo Estonoz, the leader of the rebels, was killed by Cuban troops June 27 the insurrection came to an end. Peace continued throughout the rest of the year. DEATH OF AMBASSADOR REID. Whitelaw Reid, American ambassador to Great Britain since 1905, died in London Sunday afternoon, Dec. 15, 1912, from pulmonary edema. He had been ill for about two weeks with bronchial trouble, which developed into severe asthmatic paroxysms, producing extreme exhaustion. His wife and daughter were with him at the time of his death. Upon being notified of the ambassador's death King George sent the following message to President Taft: "It is with the deepest sorrow that I have to inform you of the death of Whitelaw Reid at noon to-day. As your ambassador in this country his loss will be sincerely deplored, while personally I shall mourn for an old friend of many years' standing, for whom I had the greatest regard and respect. The queen and I sympathize most deeply with Mrs. Reid in heavy sorrow. "GEORGE, R. I." To this message President Taft sent the following reply: "Your majesty's sad news of the death of Mr. Whitelaw Reid has just reached me. Mr. Reid's death is a loss to both countries, for his service as ambassador was exceptional in the closer friendship that he secured between them through his own personality. His intimate knowledge of both countries, his profound respect and love for England. entirely consistent with the highest loyalty on his part to this country, gave him peculiar influence for good in his great station. I sincerely thank your majesty for your message and your expression of sympathy and respect. "WILLIAM H. TAFT." Whitelaw Reid was born in Xenia, O., Oct. 27, 1837, and was graduated from Miami university in 1856. He entered the newspaper business and was war correspondent of the Cincinnati Gazette in the civil war. Later he entered the service of the New York Tribune, of which he became editor and owner. OCCURRENCES DURING PRINTING OF THE Aviation Fatalities-Horace Kearny, a Kansas City aviator, and Chester Lawrence, a Los Angeles newspaper man, were lost in the Pacific ocean while attempting to make a hydroaeroplane flight from Los Angeles to San Francisco Dec. 14. Lieut. W. Parke and Mr. Hardwicke were killed near London, England, Dec. 15, while making an aeroplane flight. 7 20 2 15 43 13 5 1 1075 1493 753 449 115 166 156 homes, $3,039,035; institutions for deaf and blind, $3,523,683; nurseries, $327,659; dispensaries, $519,620; total, $55,577,633. DAILY NEWS ALMANAC AND YEAR-BOOK. president of Switzerland; M. Hoffman elected vicepresident. Pugilism-Ad Wolgast lost the light weight championship of the world Nov. 28, when he was defeated by Willie Ritchie at Daly City, Cal. He was disqualified by the referee in the sixteenth round for twice fouling his opponent. Railroad Wreck-In a rear end collision between two passenger trains near Zanesville, O., Dec. 3, eleven persons were killed and four seriously in Shipwreck-Steamer Derna run down in British channel by battle ship Centurion Dec. 10; twentyfive lives lost. Billiards-Willie Hoppe retained his title of world's 18-2 billiard champion by winning a tournament in New York, N. Y., ending Nov. 20, injured. which he and Slosson, Morningstar, Yamada, Demarest, Cline, Sutton and Taylor were contestants. Deaths-Robert Collyer (1823), clergyman, in New York city, Nov. 30; Mrs. Robert Goelet of New York, N. Y., in Paris, France, Dec. 4; Col. Archibald Gracie, Titanic survivor, in Washington, D. C., Dec. 4; Luitpold (1821), prince regent of Bavaria, in Munich, Dec. 12; Will Carleton (1845), poet, newspaper man and lecturer, in Brooklyn, N. Y., Dec. 18. Japanese Cabinet-The Japanese cabinet resigned Dec. 4; Prince Katsura to form new ministry. President of Switzerland-Edward Muller elected Tennis-England won the title to the Dwight F. Davis international cup, emblematic of the world's lawn tennis championship, in a series of matches played in Melbourne, Australia, Nov. 28, 29 and 30, 1912. J. C. Parke, Charles P. Dixon and A. E. Beamish represented England, while Norman Brookes, R. W. Heath and A. W. Dunlop represented Australia. England won three of the singles matches and Australia won the doubles and one singles match. RATES FOR 1912. .69 Lake shore protection.. State 1.39 County .52 .07 Sanitary .49 Sanitary .12 City 1.24 City... .41 School 1.39 School .01 Park State County .38 State .38 .52 In Irving Park district.. Sanitary City 1.24 .49 Sanitary Lincoln park bond. School 1.39 JEFFERSON ONLY. .49 In northwest park district... In the foregoing table "South .49 Chicago" includes the towns of Hyde Park and Lake. (For 1911 tax rates see page 574.) .19 .13 4.02 ILLINOIS FARM PRODUCTS. [From census bulletin, Dec. 10, 1912.] The number of farms in Illinois reporting dairy cows on April 15, 1910, was 228,267, but only 202,336 reported dairy products in 1909. That there should be this difference is not surprising. Doubtless some farmers who had dairy cows in 1910 had none in 1909, while other farmers neglected to give information for the preceding year, or were unable to do so perhaps because the farm was then in other hands. Dairy products in general are somewhat less accurately reported than the principal crops. This is particularly the case as regards the quantity of milk produced. The number of farms which made any report of milk produced during 1909 was 184,993 (considerably less than the total number reporting dairy products), and the number of dairy cows on such farms on April 15, 1910, was 850,000. The amount of milk reported was 320,240,000 gallons; assuming that there were the same number of cows in 1909 as in 1910 this would represent an average of 377 gallons per cow. In considering this average. however, it should be borne in mind that the quintity of milk reported is probably deficient and that the distinction between dairy and other cows is not always strictly observed in the census returns. By reason of the incompleteness of the returns for milk produced, the census bureau has made no attempt to determine the total value of dairy products for 1909. For convenience a partial total has been presented, comprising the reported value of milk and cream, sold as such, and sold on the butter fat basis, and the reported value of butter and cheese made, whether for home consumption or for sale. The total thus obtained for 1909 is $31,542,000, which may be defined as the total value of dairy products exclusive of milk and cream used on the farm producing. About one-half of the milk produced in Illinois in 1909 was sold as such. A comparatively large quantity of milk and cream was sold on the butter fat basis. The butter made on farms was valued at $10,493,000. WOOL. The total number of sheep of shearing age in Illinois on April 15, 1910, was 658,000, representing an increase of 4.7 per cent as compared with the number on June 1, 1900 (629,000). The approximate production of wool during 1909 was 682,000 fleeces, weighing 4,971,000 pounds and valued at $1,299,000. Of these totals about one-sixth represents estimates. The number of fleeces produced in 1909 was 1.1 per cent greater than in 1899. The average weight per fleece in 1909 was 7.3 pounds, as compared with 7.1 pounds in 1899, and the average value per pound was 26 cents, as compared with 20 cents in 1899. POULTRY PRODUCTS. The total number of fowls on Illinois farms or April 15, 1910, was 21,410,000. Of the 237,165 farms reporting fowls 23,065 did not report any eggs produced in 1909 and 20,636 did not report any poultry raised in 1909. The production of eggs actually reported for the year 1909 was 93,555,000 dozens, valued at $17,699,000. According to the twelfth census report the production of eggs in 1899 was 86,403,000 dozens, the value being $8,942,000. The latter figures, however, are somewhat in excess of the actual returns at that census, because they include estimates made to cover those cases where the sched ules reported fowls on hand without reporting the production of eggs. In order to make the returns for 1909 comparable with those published for 1899 similar estimates have been made, the method of estimate and the justification therefor being substantially the same as in the case of wool. The total production of eggs in 1909, including these estimates, was 100,119,000 dozens, valued at $18,940,000. The total production of poultry in 1909, including estimates made on the same basis as for eggs, was 32,353,000 fowls, valued at $15,404,000. ANIMALS SOLD OR SLAUGHTERED. The total value of domestic animals sold during the year was $132,623,000 and that of animals slaughtered on farms $14,438,000, making an aggregate of $147,061,000. This total, however, involves considerable duplication resulting from the resale or slaughter of animals which had been purchased by the farmers during the same year. The value of the swine sold during 1909 represented about two-fifths of the total value of animals sold, and the value of the cattle (including calves) sold represented about one-third of the total. The census of 1900 called for the receipts from the sale of all domestic animals on the farms reporting and the total value of those slaughtered in 1899, which amounted, respectively, to $69,463,000 and $10,155,000. The item of sales is not closelv comparable with that for 1909, when the inquiry covered all sales whether of animals raised on the farms reporting or elsewhere. It is believed, however, that in many cases the returns for 1899 also included receipts from sales of animals not actually raised on the farms reporting. CROPS. The total value of crops in Illinois in 1909 was $372,270,000. Of this amount 97.4 per cent was contributed by crops for which the acreage as well as the value was reported, the remainder consisting of the value of by-products (straw, garden and grass seeds, etc.) derived from the same land as other crops reported, or of orchard fruits, nuts, forest products and the like. The combined acreage of crops for which acreage was reported was 20,273,916, representing 72.3 per cent of the total improved land in farms (28,048,323 acres). Most of the remaining improved land doubtless consisted of improved pasture, land lying fallow, house and farm yards and land occupied by orchards and vineyards, the acreage for which was not reported. The general character of Illinois agriculture is indicated by the fact that about four-fifths (79.9 per cent) of the total value of crops in 1909 was contributed by the cereals and about one-tenth (10.9 per cent) by hay and forage. The remainder, representing in value about 9 per cent of the total, consisted mainly of potatoes and other vegetables, flowers and plants, nursery products, fruits and nuts and forest products. The total value of crops in 1909 was 73.3 per cent greater than that in 1899. This increase was clearly due to higher prices. There was a decrease of 1.2 per cent in the total acreage of crops for which acreage was reported, the principal decrease being in the acreage of cereals and broom corn, which were offset in part by increases for most of the other crops. VEGETABLES. In 1909 the total acreage of potatoes and other vegetables was 268,911 and their value $16,300,654. Excluding potatoes and sweet potatoes and yams, the acreage of vegetables was 120,291 and their value $9,392,000, both acreage and value being materially greater than in 1899. The report distinguishes between farms which make the raising of vegetables a business of some importance (having produced veg etables valued at $500 or more in 1909) and other farms, on most of which vegetables are raised mainly for home consumption. There were in 1909 2,227 farms in the first class, representing about threetenths of the total acreage of vegetables and more than one-third of the total value, the average acreage of vegetables per farm for these farms being 16.5 and the average value of product per acre $89.45. SMALL FRUITS. Strawberries are by far the most important of the small fruits grown in Illinois, with blackberries and dewberries and raspberries and loganberries ranking second and third, respectively. The value of the strawberry crop in 1909 was $613.917. The total acreage of small fruits in 1909 was 11,723 and in 1899 16,794, a decrease of 30.2 per cent. The production in 1909 was 13,603,000 quarts, as compared with 26,129.000 quarts in 1899, and the value $1,110,000, as compared with $1,293,000. ORCHARD FRUITS. The total quantity of orchard fruits produced in 1909 was 4,939,000 bushels, valued at $3,858,000. Ap pies contributed about three-fifths of this quantity, peaches and nectarines ranking next in importance. The production of grapes in 1909 amounted to 16,583,000 pounds, valued at $426,000, and that of nuts to 714,478 pounds, valued at $20,550. The production of all orchard fruits together in 1909 was 49.4 per cent less in quantity than in 1899, and the production of grapes also declined. The value of orchard fruits, however, increased from $3,779,000 in 1899 to $3,858,000 in 1909, and that of grapes from $383,000 in 1899 to $426,000 in 1909. It should be noted in this connection that the values for 1899 include the value of more advanced products derived from orchard fruits or grapes, such as cider, vinegar, dried fruits and the like, and may therefore involve some duplication, while the values shown for 1909 relate only to the products in their original condition. SUGAR CONSUMPTION OF THE UNITED STATES IN 1912. The sugar consumption of the United States in One of the most striking features of the details of the year's sugar record is the large growth in our production of beet sugar, which is estimated for 1912 at about 1,400,000,000 pounds, against 1,200,000,000 last year, about 1,000,000,000 in 1910, less than 485,000,000 in 1905, 163,000,000 in 1900, 45,000,000 in 1895 and 5,000,000 in 1890. About one-fourth of the sugar consumed in the United States in 1912 was from our own fields, nearly another one-fourth came from Hawaii and Porto Rico and the remainder from foreign countries, chiefly Cuba. The total sugar consumption of 1912 will presumably exceed that of any earlier year. Certainly the total brought into the country, plus that produced in the United States, will aggregate more than in any earlier year, while the quantity exported forms so small a percentage of that brought in as to justify the assertion that the sugar consumption of the year will be larger than ever before and will amount to about 87 pounds per capita, against 80 pounds per capita in 1910, 59 pounds per capita in 1900, 51 pounds per capita in 1890, 391⁄2 pounds per capita in 1880 and 324 pounds per capita in 1870. Thus the quantity consumed per capita has a little more than doubled since 1880, the total quantity consumed having more than quadrupled meantime. The cost to the purchaser of the more than 8,000,000,000 pounds of sugar consumed in the United States in 1912 will approximate $400,000,000. The value in the country whence imported was: That from foreign countries about $120,000,000; that from Hawaii approximately $47,000,000, and that from Porto Rico approximately $30,000,000, making a total in the country of production of about $200,000,000 for that produced outside of continental United States, and to this must be added the duties paid and the cost of refining and distribution. This in conjunction with the value of the beet and cane sugar produced in the United States easily brings the cost to the consumer to approximately $400,000,000, or an average of more than $1,000,000 a day. A little more than one-half of the sugar consumed in the country is used for household purposes, the remainder by the manufacturing establishments, chiefly, however, in the preparation of articles utilized for food and drink. MAYORS OF LARGE CITIES (1912). Albany, N. Y.-J. B. McEwan, Rep. Denver, Col.-Henry J. Arnold, nonpartisan. Fall River, Mass.-Thomas F. Higgins, Dem. 1891.. 1892. 1893. 1894. 1895.. Nashville, Tenn.-Hilary E. Howse, Dem. Philadelphia, Pa.-Rudolph Blankenburg, Ind. Rep. Salt Lake City, Utah-Samuel C. Park, nonpartisan. San Francisco, Cal.-James Rolph, Jr., nonpartisan. Trenton, N. J.-Frederick W. Donnelly, Dem. |