Show telegraphic NEWS NOtON dee dec 21 2 in his depoi report t department of state upon the australian wool clip for 1886 87 G F griffin united states consul at sydney says the remarkable kable feature in conne coune cuon with the clip is the decided improvement in the quality of the fleece over oer that of previous seasons bea sons tins this is mainly due to th the improved endmon condition ondi ond tion mon of 01 the natural grasses through copious rams rains in almost every part of autralia australia victorian wool sold in london during the months ot november and december attracted no small amount of attention on account of its superb quality and luster A marked improvement was noticed in the condition ot of the clip from every one of the colonies the TOTAL of bales exported from all the colonies during the year ending may last was against for the previous coi responding year tile wool exports of australian colonies es to the united kingdom during the first four months of the p rca ent year amount to pounds against pounds ads tor for the corresponding period of M 1886 the increase in quantity was tar far surpassed by b the increase in value the value of shipments of australian wools to the united kingdom during the first four in months 0 atlis ot or 1817 18 ia was while that thai of th the e same saine period in 1886 was only the shipments tor for the month of april alone amounted to against 4 tor corthe the same month last year tte direct wool export to the united states hies been very small 1 ahe I absence he of the usual number of american kMER ICAN bul BUYERS BBS was noticed at all the colonial sales especially ally at sydney and adelaide the few that were present pi eveni showed no dis disposition ita to bid against kiench and german buyers ayers for the kinds ot of wool desired in the american market the only direct shipments to america consisted of ef bales from melbourne and ibo bales from sidney the total number of sheep in australia for the present year ear amounts to against lor ler genii 0 crouch united states consul at milan lias has sent to the department of state hit his report upon the italian bilk crop of 0 1887 he states that notwithstanding the backwardness will ward duess ness of tile the season the silk crop surpasses the unusually large crop of the preceding year ear silk w worms are remarkably tree free from disease in spite of unfavorable weather wea silk ilk reeling and spinning antab have been making SUCH PROGRESS that italian raw silks possess an evenner and finish which makes them superior bu to hand reeled chinese silk the consul speaks a word of warning to american buyers lie he is informed by an expert who is thoroughly acquainted acquaint od natii the ilie now york mai macket ket that thai while experts can discern a dif terence of live per pei cent in the th quality of raw silk the average american buyer hardly detects a difference of 25 per cent and unscrupulous dealers have taken advantage ot ol thi this state ot altairi to palm off an inferior article at high prices the decision of che interstate inter state commerce commission upon the question whether express companies are subject to the provisions of tile the act to regulate commerce was wa announced today ahe 1 l he names and organics organization of the various EXPRESS COMPANIE bloing business in the united states are arc given some of them being corporations under state charters some joint i tuck took companies differing clift ering little from partnerships some bome being bureaus organized as a branch branche of a railroad service and some the combination of several railroad fur the arans transaction action of the gross business of their lines there is ie nothing in the nature of the express business which prevents its being carried on by an ordinary partnership or even by an individual provided the necessary contracts can be obtained with transportation lines the usual contract is one which pays to the railroad company 40 per cent of tile the gross g r oss earnings ot of the express company but E ther other methods of settlement are employed empl the arguments urged by the express companies against their being treated as subject to the act are considered in detail the fact that they perform many OTHER SERVICES besides the transportation of property such stich as the collection of debts etc is not regarded as a reason why the act should not be treated as app applying lyng to their business as common carriers since many railroad companies also have other business besides that ot of transporting various sections ot of the act are considered with reia relation tion to the express business and are found to be in theory as al applicable thereto as to the business of railroad companies in fact the express companies are said to be a matter concerning which the public have a right to be informed and congress Con grebS may particular ly desire knowledge at present little is known about the amount of their capital stock their funded debt of the money invested in their plant or of their business the difficulty ot of framing schedules tor for the information of the public is nut not found to be greater than in the case of railroad companies which HATE COMPLIED with the act acl three express companies have so complied and their schedules have been placed on file the bringing of the express companies within the provisions of the act is found to be practicable and on some accounts de r ir abib the express companies which are simply branches of a railroad organized and operated through its ordinary stuff staff or by an independent bureau or by combination with other railroad companies are found to be covered by the provisions of the act t in the case cake of independently organized express com banies however operating under contracts for transportation the language of the act as it now stands is found to be so framed as not to bring them distinctly within in its provisions the words wholly by railroad iu in the first section do not well ei def define luethe the business of express companies which use very largely the service of teams messenger stage and steamboats the POOLING SECTION applies to the pooling of the business of railroads lail raal roads the other sections speak of the ageal railroads continually and of depots and stations the language not being applicable applies tile to the business of express com companies anies ex ce capt pt under a somewhat strained construe tion the express business as was well known at the time of the passage of the act has been frequently mentioned by name in congressional congi ess ional statutes the omission to name here heie is is signil significant kant the preliminary pie investigation aaion by the interstate inter state tate commerce commission sion did not include the express companies upon all thene thee considerations the commission has thought best liest to refer the subject to congress as in any case ot of doubtful jurisdiction it is better that the he legislative body should solve the doubt the issue of lie standard silver dollars from THE MINTS during the week ending december 34 24 was issue during corresponding period of last year 7 shipments of ara fractional 0 silver aher coin since ance the last dinst amo amount to the time allowed by the oon contract tract with the iron works at baltimore for the completion of gunboat no na 2 has expired yet all the frames of the vessel have not been placed and it will require six months more to complete the tease vessel A feature of the christmas festivities in t this is city for the past four years has been a dinner inner given iven to the poor children of the district astri t by the childrens christmas club the d dinner ner was as given and over 2000 little ones were entertained and fed for convenience venie veni nee ence the city was divided into three districts d 1 and tables were mere laid in a large hall bull in each district distria A fourth dinner was given for the benefit of CHILDRE at the national rifles armory children were made happy happa with a line fine dinner and presents resents mrs leveland cleveland accompanied by ge dr ward of albany visited the armory in lust s t before the children marched down to dinner dinne r and rem remained aided until the repast was over LON LONDON DONDee Dec 29 captain paynter and second mate fischer Fisc ber ot of the brit ish bark embleton Ein bleton have been been charged at sunderland with the grossest cruelty to the crew of their vessel during ane voyage of albe dark from san francisco to sunderland three men mea jumped overboard to escape the cruel tri at ment another succumbed to his bis injuries and the fifth was landed ia almost dying condition and fischer were bots bota remanded ST BT louis dee dec 20 A special from st francis arkansas says william herriges Her rigs rigg a wealthy planter has tor for some time past been jealous of the attentions tent ions paid his bis wife by william matthewson and he be forbade him to come to the house bouse on oa tuesday last matthewson Matthe waon called and invited invited mrs herrig to take a drive while the woman was wag getting ready herrig shot and killed Mattli ewson and then forced hla his wife to drive to matthew sons house bouse with the dead body on hea bej return she found her home in flames and was shot and killed by her hus has bind herrig then fled mrs herri berng 9 was formerly an actress in the pauline lN larkham company and later was in W if latles combination minneapolis POLIS december 29 the thermometer Is 20 degrees below at 7 it a in clear clealand cle arand and aehl no serious delays aie are reported to traffic in dakota the weather is much colder and there is if more interruption to business watertown reports 2 degrees boilow HALIFAX N S december 39 29 A terrific southeast gale prevailed here last night and caused extensive damage to shipping in the harbor all the vessels vessel s la in the port were more or less injured HIGHLAND LIGHT mass december 29 20 orie one af f the most moat severe southeast lales gales of the season prevailed list last night sad and early arly this morning it changed to a hibb northwester with rapidly falling falline temperature and at sunset was blowing more than sixty miles an hour tonight is very COLD AUSTIN Texas December 29 henry wise a farmer was yesterday found fou nd frozen to death ten miles from this city this Is in the first death from freezing that ever occurred in this section va dee dec 29 the weather was extremely cold last night and the thermometer registered 13 degrees above zero this morning reports irom from the southwest say the weather is very cold and the thermometer registers below zero VIENNA dee dec 29 A heavy snow storm is prevail pre vallina here no trains have left for vienna since yes ves berday all railways are either wholly or partially blocked I 1 IN NEW YORK NEW YORK dee dec 29 the cold wave which struck the city last evening is still here and the wind conti continues at a yelo velocity city of 30 miles an hour the lowest point was 14 degrees above zero at 5 am the highest velocity of the wind was 48 miles an hour colder weather is predicted LONDON dee dec 29 steamers arriving at british ports report very severe weather on the atlantic PARIS dec 29 severe weather is twing being experienced in southeastern france there hat bats been a s heavy fall of snow at nice BERLIN dec 29 most ot of the german rivers are frozen over several of the baltic ports including koenigs berg are closed the southern and western rivers are all ail covered with drifting ice RAILWAY TRAFFIC is greatly interrupted in thuringia Thu and the hartz mountains aias deer and other game are flocking to the villages for food and several deaths from exposure are reported in ia various parts of austria MADRID dee dec 29 ATas A passenger train collided witla with a snow blocked freight train near avilla today several persons were killed and others seriously injured red u dee 39 29 A heavy snowstorm set in here yesterday and h bai continued throughout today and tonight with unabated fury in some places the snow is drifted to a depth of seven or eight feet st JOHNS N B dee dec 29 the dy ing year sigua siguald signalizes lW d its departure by the me SEVEREST STORMS experienced in this section for a number of years trio to storm began about 7 last night ard and raged without intermission until daylight this morn ing the wind reached its maximum height at I 1 when it was blow inz at the rate of 60 miles an hour philadelphia r HI LADELPHIA 1 dec c 29 chairman john L lee accompanied d by bv II if bennett a member of the executive committee of the knights of labor called on superintendent Swei art this thib morning but lie fie refused to talk to a committee being represented in pan art by the knights of lubor labor lie he eats said he would talk to lee le alone but would have baie no interview with bennett whereupon they withdrew wl without phout lurther words lee was afterwards discharged from the companas comp anys employ amplo v THE convention READING dee dec 29 two hundred and delegates representing the reading railroad and coal and iron companies throughout the territory covered by the companas comp anys tracks met here tonight in special 1 convention to take into consideration their present relations with the company the meeting was a secret one all the assembly districts entered complaints the burden of those rom tae coal regions region was that the miners had grievances that they considered themselves entitled titled to a con ti nuance of the 8 per cent increase and that they the would be bound by the action of the convention the majbritt maj majority of the delegates present seemed to think that the strike on the rail railroad roid was over and that the convention should devote itself to doing the best it could tor for the miners unless the men in this city should reconsider their former reso resolution ution NOT TO CHICAGO dec 29 at a special session of the trades and labor assembly held here tonight for the purpose of instructing delegates to the coming session of the illinois state labor association at peoria peona a declaration was unanimously adopted that tile the time has come for independent political action by the workers strikes and boycotts as against great corporations at ions were pronounced to have lost their usefulness and the delegates to tio peoria were instructed to induce the state association to call upon all of its auxiliary bodies to organize for the separate exercise of their political powers BOSTON dee dec 29 it is learned that a general strike is to be inaugurated in all the glass factories in the eastern association on monday next all the lint glass manufacturers in new york connecticut new jersey eastern pennsylvania and massachusetts will be affected by the movement tile the chief cause of complaint is a rule recently adopted by the association claiming the right for each manufacturer to employ such men as he sees it fit BOSTON dee dec 39 29 the meeting and banquet of the massachusetts tariff reform league at the brunswick tonight were highly successful there were present a large number of prominent politicians and government officials fici lils from massachusetts and elsewhere among the number being hon james russell lowell general john M corse hon patrick A colli colllns net coo congressmen gres swea W C P breckenridge of kentucky W L wilson of west virginia and senator john T morgan I 1 of alabama at a business meeting me etine of the league was held resolutions endorsing the message of PRESIDENT CLEVELAND were unanimously adopted officers were then elected after which the party proceeded to the banquet hall when the gent gentlemen remen to the number ot of were seated at the table rev james freeman dark clark D D invoked the divine blessi blessing fig after the banquet hon HOB james russell lowell lawell rapped the meeting to order I 1 in the course of his |