Newspaper Page Text
2
The Tear 1906.—Some Special Features Jlarking Its
S
EPARATION of time into stated pe
riods is chiefly valuable because such
separation enables us to mark with
some degree of accuracy the compara
tive changes, attainments and achieve
ments occuring within a given period
lof time. Hence, as each year draws
to a close, it has become customary,
and, in many instances, helpful, to re-
z/A -7 -
view the events of the twelve months which have
passed, and to gather from the record some idea
of the progress made along all lines.
While we, of necessity, need not endeavor to
make an exhaustive revie|w of the year just closed,
still it will be of interest to note many of its
phases which must have an influence on the future
life of the nation and on the world at large.
The year, 1906, has been rich in many significant
features, and it 'will be with both pleasure and profit
that we shall consider some of the salient points
which must always characterize the history of
this past year.
Its Moral and Ethical Record.
It is, first of all, pertinent to note that the year
has marked a most decided advance in what might
be’ termed the moral and ethical life of the coun
try. It has been a time during which some of
the most gigantic 4 ‘exposures” of frauds, both po
litical and; commercial, have been made/ public.
The conviction of such companies as the great
Standard Oil, and of such corporations as the New
York Central Railroad must signalize the high
water mark in a tide of civic morality which in
cludes a careful investigation of the management
of great insurance companies and the consequent
punishment of the heads of such companies who
have been convicted of nefarious practices.
Reform legislation, both nationally and by states,
has been a marked and significant feature of the
year. Prohibition candidates have been elected in
many states hitherto seemingly bound to the old
order of things, and the cause of prohibition has
made active progress.
The passage of child labor laws in Georgia and
other states is a step in the direction of a broad
humanitarianism, while the year has seen a general
agitation of this question.
Increase in “The Conscience Fund.”
It is reported by the government officials that
there has been a marked increase in “the con
science fund.” This fund is composed of money
or indemnity paid into the government coffers by
persons who have been guilty of undetected frauds
of some sort against the government, whether state
or national. An increase of this fund naturally
indicates an increase in the moral sensibilities of
the individual contributing to it.
Fidelity companies declare that 1906 has been
characterized by a decided decrease in defalcation
cases, while it is well known that there is a strong
and growing movement against lax divorce laws,
as well as against all legal control by political
bosses and corruptionists.
Progress in Humanitarian Efforts.
In addition to the child labor laws already men
tioned, there has been a decided advance in the
moral care rendered to the children of the country,
more especially to those of the class which usually
comes under legal jurisdiction. The establishment
in many states of juvenile courts, of boys’ clubs,
neighborhood settlements, industrial schools and
general aid societies for children, has - been careful
ly noted, and the growth of such movements clearly
shown.
Recognition of the Individual.
Yet another milestone on the pathway of prog
ress in the care of children is the growing recog
nition of the fact that the child’s individuality
must be preserved and the tendency to accomplish
this is seen in the movement to establish separate
“homes” instead of large asylums where children
are cared for in the aggregate, rather than as indi
viduals. It is believed that this will decidedly
insure a better class of citizens, and will enable
The Golden Age for January 10, 1907.
By S. T. Dalsheimer.
the moral development of the child to be carried
on to the fullest extent.
Educational Progress.
In connection with the question of the growing
responsibility of the state to its children, the fur
ther question of adequate and appropriate education
has been met more fully during the past year than
ever before. This is shown by the decided increase
in industrial education. Public manual training
schools are growing in number and in efficiency,
while private institutions are also accomplishing
much good along this line.
Again, night schools for industrial, as well as
for general, instruction are growing more and more
numerous, and are being largely attended by those
who work during the day. These schools are large
ly patronized by adults, chiefly foreigners, although
in many sections children also attend .them.
Progress for Teachers.
The first year’s grants from the Carnegie Fund
have been made in 1906, and two of our most dis
tinguished scholars have received them. fSalaries
of teachers, both in public and private schools,
have been increased during the past year, while
thd prospective establishment of the Carnegie
Home, or Pension Fund, for disabled teachers, has
created world-wide interest.
Normal training has, also, made great progress,
and teaching by correspondence is constantly broad
ening in its scope and influence.
Our Educational Methods Studied By Others.
The year has been further marked by the careful
study of our educational methods by other nations,
a notable case in point being that in which 500
English teachers came to America for the sole
purpose of considering educational systems in use
here.
Literary Progress.
Mr. >S. iS. McClure, the editor, says that the
most prominent literary event of 1906 is “the stan
dardization” of the magazine. “This,” he de
dares, “is the most remarkable literary phenome
non of the age.”
By “standardization” he means that the class
of matter used in any one magazine might just as
easily be used in any other similar publication,
thus setting a sort of universal standard for the
periodicals of the world.
While we hesitate to assert that any special
work of markedly superior literary value has been
produced during the year, yet the entire bulk of
the literary output has been decidedly in advance
of former years, while the literary criticism is also
of a more exacting and discriminating sort than
formerly. •
Scientific Progress.
The scientific attainments during the past year
may be stated as follows: 1. A new process of
electrically smelting iron ores; while this is not
entirely perfected it promises to become so, and,
thereby, it is said that the resources of this conti
nent will be incalculably increased. 2. The utiliz
ing of wastei gases as generated in blast furnaces,
and their conversion into power; while this was be
gun in Europe, it is being largely used in the great
iron and steel corporations of the United States
as well. If all the power from the blast furnaces
should be utilized it would save the United States
50.000,000 tons of coal each year.
3. Another step in scientific progress is that
made in the new method of extracting nitrogen
from the air; this will be of special use to the
government in the manufacture of explosives for
use in warfare.
4. The manufacture of iron and steel is marked
by an economic measure derived from the new
dry blast method which will greatly increase the
wealth of the country.
5. A better and more economic electric light is
found to be attainable from the use of the two
rare metals, tungsten and tantalum, while the use
of vanadium has economized the manufacture of
steel.
6. It has been recently
manufacture of plate glass can be greatly cheapen
ed by the running of the molten material between
rollers, instead of the old blowing method, which it
is stated, will finally be done away with altogether.
The Financial Record.
It is authoritatively stated that the year, 1906,
is the richest and most successful from a business
and financial standpoint that this country has yet
known. Crops are so large that the railways find
it difficult to handle them, while the increase of
railway mileage is little short of phenomenal.
During 1906 there were 32,000 more cars built
than in 1905; 1.000 more locomotives and increased
track mileage to the number of 5,000 miles.
Both the production of IRON and STEEL has
greatly increased. Furnaces for the production
of PIG IRON, which have been built during the
year, show an increased capacity of 3,500,000 tons
a year, while nearly 2,000,000 tons more of steel
was manufactured than in 1905.
5,000,000 more barrels of PETROLEUM have
been produced during 1906 than during the pre
ceding year, while there has been an increase of
970,000,000 pounds of copper during the same time.
The production of GOLD has also greatly in
creased, until now there is only one country in the
world that exceeds the gold output for the past
year, and that country is South Africa, whose mines
yielded $121,000,000 of the precious metal against
$94,000,000 in the United States. SILVER, ZINC
and LEAD all show increased production, while
all textile industries indicate a remarkable gain
in the total output for 1906 against that of 1905.
The COTTON CROP, which means so much to
the South, shows a total value of $750,000,000 for
the year, 1906, but it is difficult to exactly compare
this accurately with the value of the crop for
1905, as estimates vary at this point.
In the production of SILK, however, there is a
clear gain of $15,000,000 over the production of
1905, while in addition to this amount of home
production, the United States imported $34,000,000
of manufactured silk goods from abroad, chiefly
from Japan, and $57,000,000 worth of raw silk.
Electrical industries of all kinds have shown a
wonderful increase during the past year, the total
earnings of the industries that supply light, power,
etc., showing a gain of $86,000,000 over that of
1905. In this connection may be noted the prog
ress made in wireless telegraphy, almost every
ocean vessel in the Atlantic now having its wireless
instrument. The notable Radiotelegraphic Conven
tion recently held in Berlin, has arranged for a set
of rules by which the United States, as well as
most civilized nations of the world, are to enter
into an agreement which takes effect July 1, 1908,
and which will tend to greatly increase the number
of wireless stations throughout the world.
Engineering and Manufacturing Achievements.
In the field of engineering the year has been no
table in many ways, the first, perhaps, being the
work done on the Panama Canal, and next the nu
merous tunnels and subways around the Hudson
River. The cost of the latter improvements is es
timated at $25,000,000.
In the realm of ARCHITECTURE there has been
rapid progress; the work of the two mammoth rail
way terminals in New York City being notable ex
amples. Ihe total cost of these tw r o buildings is
said to be $100,000,000.
In the manufacture of GLASS, POTTERY and
PAPER there has been marked advance in appli
ances as well as in the amounts produced, and the
United States has stood w’ell to the front in these
manufactures.
In the production of sugar, the year has shown
a decrease of nearly a million tons, but in all
other manufactured food products there has been
a decided increase in amount and value. In the
canning and preserving industries there has been
a gain of $11,000,000 over 1905, while the meat
packing industry shows that over $900,000,000
(Concluded o n page 3.)