COMPANIES OF OTHER STATES-Continued. Companies. Insurance Co. State of Pa., Pa.... Michigan F. & M., Detroit, Mich.. New Hampshire, Manchester... North American, Boston, Mass.... Pennsylvania, Philadelphia... Reading, Reading, Pa.... Security, New Haven, Conn.... Southern, Louisiana... Springfield F. & M., Mass.. Spring Garden, Pennsylvania.. State of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia Teutonia, Louisiana.. 250,000 727,966 Traders', Illinois. 500,000 2,283,803 1,004,162 Union, Philadelphia.. United Fire, Baltimore.. 250,000 546,263 148,888 211.411 324,328 199,626 453,709 200,000 460,176 47,897 231,840 300,000 541,265 39,202 207,642 200,000 158,493 328,652 259,678 188,918 79.001 188,654 St. Paul F. & M., St. Paul, Minn.. The 1899 Fire Loss. The fire loss statistics of "The Journal of Commerce and Commercial Bulletin," carefully compiled for many years, have been completed for 1899, and show for the United States and Canada a total of $136,773,200 in 1899, an increase of $17,000,000 over last year and $26,000,000 over 1898. The December loss was $13.260.650. The following table will exhibit the losses by months for 1899 in comparison with 1898 and 1897: During the entire year of 1899 there were 2,345 fires of a destructiveness exceeding $10,000 each. These fires are shown in the subjoined classification: THE COMMERCIAL YEAR BOOK. During December there were 217 fires of a greater destructiveness each than $10,000, classified as below: $10,000 to $20,000. 20,000 to 30,000. 30,000 to 50,000. 50,000 to 75.000. The fires in 1899 involving a loss of over $500,000 each were these: Columbus, O., dry-goods store and other. $750,000 610,000 895,000 Chicago, Ill., storage warehouse & other. 650,000 Cincinnati, Ohio, railroad property.... 500,000 500,000 500,000 716,000 1,150,000 Philadelphia, Pa., department store and 1,725,000 Toledo, Ohio, grain elevator St. John, N. B., warehouses and dock property. 850,000 500,000 Augusta, Ga., several business houses. 785,000 680,000 845,000 Chicago, Ill., several wholesale houses.... 950,000 The fire underwriters are much discouraged over the outlook, and are looking forward with interest to the outcome of the effort made by the President of the National Board to restore the business to a profitable plane. Highest and lowest sales of insurance stocks during the year 1899, furnished by Mr. E. S. Bailey, are as follows: Commonwealth... Name of Company. Citizens'. Continental.... Eagle... Empire City. Germania. German Alliance. Greenwich... German-American. Date. Date. High. January. 122 January. 108 March. 550 January. 260 January. 90 January. 300 September. 165 July. February. 52016 May. January. 180 November. No sales. No sales. Hanover. Home. Nassau. New York... Niagara.. North River. 160 October, 180 2026 February. 23216 160 February. 160 90 November. 105 181 March. 182 140 Peter Cooper. February. 1476 November. 120% July. 128 Phenix.. February. 180 April. 200 March. Pacific... 151 December. Stuyvesant.. 1762 March. 76% December. 90 United States.. October. 115 July. 125 Westchester.. May. 300 Williamsburgh City.. February. 321 February. No sales. NEW YORK FIRE PREMIUMS. Comparative Table Exhibiting the Returns to the Fire Patrol. The following figures, compiled from the statement by Treasurer Lindley Murray, of the New York Board of Fire Underwriters, show premium receipts in the fire patrol district of this city during the latter half of 1899, in comparison with the same period of 1898: Atlas, London.. Half. $8,062 59 $16,561 37 American, Boston.. 3,928 79 Commerce, Albany.. National of Hartford... $119 78 $2,257 24 Equitable, Providence. 26,870 39 41,445 20 1,880 16 5,486 85 Mechanics & Traders'. German-American, Balt.. 2,189 55 1,038 08 2,821 10 Law Union & Crown.. 9,876 55 Mercantile, Boston... 3,965 72 Citizens', St. Louis.. Manchester. 25,861 23 Merchants', Providence.. 2,041 55 5.399 26 Transatlantic.... Dutchess County Mut.. Detroit... 5,896 34 10,941 83 Farmers' of York.. Union, London... 23,921 20 5,790 34 28,390 80 Victoria..... Teutonia, New Orleans... 725 55 6,527 87 3,303 35 Virginia... 2,266 06 4,936 54 WILLIAM MORGAN. WEED & KENNEDY. Atlanta Home.... ......... Alliance R. C. RATHBONE & SON. Baloise.. 3,941 95 12,435 27 County of Pennsylvania.. 1,737 76 9,520 81 Southern, La.. Helvetia Swiss.. 3,321 58 12,825 28 SCOTT, ALEXANDER & TALBOT. Svea... 1,593 81 5,678 28 Netherlands. Etna, Hartford. 12,020 76 Fidelity, Baltimore.... 5,271 54 Connecticut..... 1,426 73 14,057 05 W. B. OGDEN. BLAGDEN & STILLMAN. United of Baltimore.... Northwestern National.. Newark Fire........ 3,425 05 7,043 47 Royal Exchange.. 8,117 67 11,823 12 Merchants', New Jersey.. 9,287 22 10,534 28 T. J. LASHER. $1,202 45 SILAS P. WOOD, Manager. British America.. GEO. W. JONES. Western, Toronto... 27.802 92 British American, N. Y... 9,256 01 30,187 28 7,620 72 N. Y. Underwr. Agency.. $44,552 76 $47,719 59 ACKERMAN, DEYO & HILLIARD. American Central.. American, Philadelphia... Western, Pittsburg.... American, Newark. 327 64 8,280 51 8,679 83 Citizens', Pittsburg.. 7,337 95 W. D. SAMMIS. German, Pittsburg. 5,640 82 Girard, Philadelphia.. 3,580 47 Franklin, Phila.... Home Mutual.. Lion.. 7,899 53 13,801 78 6,467 65 Lumbermen's, Phila. 5,294 30 B. LOCKWOOD. North American, Boston. 4,848 79 Orient, Hartford... 8,428 19 18,426 06 Ins. Co. of N. America.... Scottish Union.. 79,457 97 47,806 39 Boston Marine........ HERBERT FULLER, Vice-President. $2,439 89 Spring Garden, Phila.. 4,243 16 18,133 42 $14,816 54 Recapitulation. J. R. MCCAY. Local companies... Phoenix, Hartford........ $18,900 29 Agency companies.. Foreign companies.. 354,244 93 708,205 93 861,211 13 991,518 68 Delaware.. Fire Association.. $2,868 70 7,856 70 19,754 95 Total. .$1,607,943 24 $2,741,591 03 DEPENDENCIES OF THE UNITED STATES. On April 11, 1898, the President sent a message to Congress outlining the situation in Cuba, declaring that in his opinion intervention by the United States had become necessary, advising that the Cuban Government be not recognized, and requesting Congress to take action in the premises. On April 19th Congress adopted resolutions declaring that the people of Cuba were and of right ought to be free and independent; that it was the duty of the United States to demand "that the Government of Spain at once relinquish its authority and government in the Island of Cuba and withdraw its land and naval forces from Cuba and Cuban waters"; directing and empowering the President of the United States to use the land and naval forces of the United States and the militia of the several States to such an extent as might be necessary to carry these resolutions into effect. On April 20th the resolutions were signed by the President, and an ultimatum setting forth their provisions was sent to Spain. On that day the Spanish Minister asked for his passports and left Washington. On the morning of April 21st the Spanish Government presented his passports to the United States Minister at Madrid, and this act constituted the beginning of the war. The army and navy of the United States were successful in every engagement, and on July 25th the Spanish Foreign Minister decided to open negotiations for peace with the United States, the preliminary negotiations being conducted in behalf of Spain by the French Ambassador, M. Cambon. As a result of these negotiations a protocol, to serve as the basis of a formal treaty of peace, was signed at the White House on August 12th. The signing of the protocol was followed by a cessation of hostilities everywhere as soon as information of the fact could be forwarded. The two Governments immediately appointed commissioners to meet in Paris and agree upon the terms of a treaty of peace. The first session of the Commission was held in Paris on October 1st, and the last on December 10th, when a treaty was signed in duplicate. This treaty the President laid before the Senate for its ratification on January 4, 1899. As a result of the war and the stipulations contained in the Treaty of Peace, Spain relinquishes her sovereignty over Cuba, Porto Rico, and the other islands belonging to her in the West Indies, the Philippine Islands, and the Isle of Guam in the Archipelago of the Ladrones, and all of these islands pass under the control of the United States. Until the Treaty of Peace is ratified and Congress shall have enacted legislation for the government or disposition of these possessions, the President will govern them as Commander-in-Chief of the Army and Navy of the United States. This he will do by virtue of the power necessarily lodged in all military and naval commanders to hold and control whatever possessions they may have taken from the enemy until the legislative authority of the successful belligerent is in a position to assert, and does assert, its authority. To assist him in the administration of all insular affairs the President has appointed a Colonial Commission, consisting of Gen. Robert P. Kennedy, of Bellefontaine, Ohio; Curtis Guild, of Boston, Mass., and George W. Watkins, of Grand Rapids, Mich. The Commission is under the immediate control of the War Department, and the sanction of the Secretary of War will be necessary to give effect to any line of action proposed by it. Cuba.-As to Cuba, the Intervention Resolution of Congress of April 19th declared that "the United States hereby disclaims any disposition or intention to exercise sovereignty, jurisdiction, or control over said island, except for the pacification thereof, and asserts its determination when that is accomplished to leave the government and control of the island to its people." Article I of the Treaty of Peace, dealing especially with this island, is as follows (the text used being a translation of the Spanish copy of the treaty): "Spain renounces all right of sovereignty over Cuba. Whereas said isle when evacuated by Spain is to be occupied by the United States, the United States, while the occupation continues, shall take upon themselves and fulfill the obligations which, by the fact of occupation, international law imposes on them for the protection of life and property." On September 10, 1898, commissioners appointed by the President to arrange for the evacuation of Cuba arrived in Havana, and the work of taking over the control of the island was begun. On December 13th the President, by virtue of the authority vested in him as Commander-in-Chief of the Army and Navy, promulgated a tariff of duties to be collected "in all ports and places in the Island of Cuba, and all islands in the West Indies west of the seventy-fourth degree west longitude, evacuated by Spain, on and after January 1, 1899." This tariff, which is published in another part of this volume, makes no discrimination between imports from the United States and other countries, and the duties are considerably lower than those formerly levied by Spain. As to the coasting trade, the order provides simply that "the laws now in force restricting the coasting trade of the island to |