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About The commoner. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-1923 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 1, 1914)
4.J The Commoner OCTOBER, 1914 .it j ' ( - transported directly to slaughtering centers without the former delay. RAILROADS FINED OVER $25,000 It has recently been announced that during the month of August, railways have been fined $25,137. G4 and costs for violation of the 28-hour law. This law prohibits the confinement of cat tle for more than 28 hours without unloading for feed, water, and rest. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE , BUREAU OP FOREIGN AND DOMESTIC ' COMMERCE In the prosecution of the special investigation of 'trade in South and Central America, now be ing conducted by the bureau of foreign and do mestic commerce, Mr. J. B. Joachim, recently ap pointed an expert special agent, has left for Guatemala to begin a study of the clothing trade there, "and Commercial Agent S. S. Brill, an ex pert in hardware, sailed for Brar.il on September 10 to commence an investigation in his line. . The bureau is also conducting, at the present time, a study of the world's markets for lumber products. Commercial Agent R. E. Simonds, who is to investigate the South American lumber markets, has been directed to begin his work on the west coast of that continent after conferring with manufacturers and exporters in Chicago, St. Louis, Kansas City, Tacoma, and various other points in the United States in preparation therefor. Commercial Agent FranJklin'H. Smith, who is to study the lumber markets of the ori ent, sailed from Seattle the latter part of Sep tember. He will stop at Hawaii and the Philip pine Islands in addition to' his work in the Far East. Recently the bureau has been receiving hun dreds of letters from American producers and manufacturers, making inquiries regarding pos sible markets abroad for their surplus products and as to the ability of the United States to supply the raw materials necessary to their in dustries. Investigations in connection with the replies to these inquiries have developed the fact that in many instances materials now imported are of a class found in this country, the produc tion of which, however, is still in the initial stages. This is particularly true of numerous basic materials used in the chemical industries, which were formerly wasted, but are now par tially utilized. The people of the United States may be fed read ily by home-produced foodstuffs, our vast area of 3 2-3 million square miles representing every variety of climato and production and being nearly equal in extent to all Europe, which has a population of five times that of this country. Agriculture in the United States has not yet reached the stage of scientific development com mon to many countries of Europe, and present domestic production may therefore be expected to increase greatly with more attention to im proved methods of culture. Nevertheless our country already produces two-thirds of the world supply of corn, about one-fifth of the world har vest of wheat and one fourth of the international yield of oats. The United States also produces annually 197 million gallons of cottonseed oil, representing most of the annual output of this article whose food value as a substitute for olive oil is becoming more and more recognized. Fif teen per cent of the world's cattle are on Amer ican farms the number in this country being 59 million, and we also have 60 million swine and 50 million sheep. We import, however, 5 billion pounds of sugar (chiefly Cuban), or 1 times the amount of sugar produced in continental United States and its island territories. In clothing material the United States is also favored, producing annually over 14 million bales of cotton, representing over one-half of the world's supply. Of wool we produce 300 million pounds a year, our home requirements being supplemented by 238 million pounds of foreign wool and 34 million dollars' worth of jvoolen goods. In the mineral kingdom, the pre-eminent po ' Mtion of the United States is unquestioned. We produce, for example, 40 per cent of the world s output of coal, two-thirds of the world s total of petroleum, 43 per cent of the iron ore, one-half of the copper, about 20 per cent of the gold, J8 per cent of the silver and 30 per cent of the lead. In the value of manufactures the United States leads the world, though the product or American factories is chiefly consumed at home. These facts are indicative of the strong posi tion of the United States in its supply of the factors of national wealth. BUREAU OF NAVIGATION The first vessel to be registered and sail under the ship registry act of August 18, was tho S. S. Moldegaard of New York, 2852 gross tons. She was, at tho time, early in September, on route to Newport News to load cargo for Brazil. Cable instructions to raise the American flag over tho Robert Dollar of San Francisco, 535G tons, at Rio de Janeiro, and over tho Windrush of Bos ton, 1532 tons, at Beunos Aires, were sent about the same tinio to American consuls, tho Amer ican owners having taken the prescribed oaths. Between September 8 and September 17, 24 vessels with a total of 100,820 tons were regis tered under the new ship registry act. Collect ors of customs were acting, on September 17, on registers for 27 more vessels of 100,300 tons, and the necessary preliminary papers were being prepared in still other cases, the precise number and tonnage not being known to the department of commerce. American consuls are meeting with no difficulties except in one case at Rio de Janeiro, where an error in the custom house temporarily delayed clearance. BUREAU OF STANDARDS The bureau of standards has just published a circular containing suggestions as to location and equipment of gas testing laboratories, a description of some of the accepted apparatus, di rections for the making of tho various tests, and rpcornmendations as to the interpretation of ex perimental results. It does not discuss the test ing work necessary for good works control; it deals rather with methods which are intended for use in city or state official testing or in works laboratories which are checked by city or stato inspectors. No attempt is made to fix on a single method to be used in every case, for it is not believed that uniformity of method. is always necessary in order that the results of tests be considered standard. Not all the methods which are recom mended have been investigated, in the laboratory of the bureau, but every effort has been made to insure that the use of such methods as have not been used at the bureau has proven entirely satisfactory in the laboratories of experienced gas testers elsewhere. The five principal subjects discussed "are the measurement of heating value, candlepower de termination, determination of impurities (hy drogen sulphide, total sulphur and ammonia), taking of gas pressure records and gas meter testing. Full operating directions, including a description of apparatus and precautions which must be observed, are included under each head ing. Rules for construction, installation, and main tenance of electrical equipment to safeguard em ployees and the public are now under prepara tion by the bureau of standards. The rules for safety in the operation and handling of electrical lines and equipment, just published, proceed from a painstaking study by the engineers of the bureau of existing rules and practices. These last are found to vary widely and to offer a very unsatisfactory basis for the formulation of man datory codes by any state commission, unless an extended study is made and the combined ex perience of many companies and workmen util ized. Many existing sets of rules have been de veloped from insufficient data and experience, while the vast majority of companies have no rules whatever in effect. This lack of rules in force is partly due to inaction on the part of state authorities and partly to the difficulty and expense each company encounters in preparing its own rules in any adequate form. The assist ance of state commissions, operating companies, and electrical workmen has been freely given to the bureau in this work. The scope of the safety rules includes all operation of and work on or about power and signal lines, and the electrical equipment of cen tral stations, substations, mines, and testing de partments. The rules are divided into three parts. The first two parts consist of general rules which apply" to the employer and to the employee respectively, and the third part com prises, under separate headings, those special rules which apply particularly to employees en gaged in special classes of electrical work. The conclusions reached by tho bureau from the combined experience of many of the most experienced companies and individual engineers, and a thorough study of a large amount of liter ature and statistics are now offered with the hope that they will constitute a substantial con tribution to the widely evidenced public need for a standard set of safety rules. It is believed that a material reduction in present life hazards to electrical workers may be realized by tho geifo oral adoption and use of these rules. CONNOLLY OF IOWA Tho voters of Iowa on November ft will pxor clso tho right of diroct voto on tho office of United States senator for tho first time. They aro afforded choice of four candidates, viz: Congressman Maurico Connolly of Dubuque democrat; Senator A. B. Cummins of Dos Moines, republican; Caspor Schenk of Dos Moines, progressive, and Key. MrSpurgcon of Des Moines, independent. Tllo'Commonnr, with full knowledge of tho Iowa situation, urges all citizens of whatever political viow to work and voto for Maurico Connolly. Mr. Connolly was born In Iowa thirty-eight years ago, and was educated In Georgetown, Cornell and New York universities In this coun try, and in Oxford and Heidelberg abroad. He has tho knowledge gleaned by world travel and tho conduct of business affairs and the legislative experience accruing from a term in the house of representatives. He is so highly esteemed at homo that his "county gave him tho largest ma jority over recorded there, and his district, re publican since its organization thirty years ago, made, him its first democratic representative. He is imbued with tho spirit of American insti tutions, and is one of tho most democratic of men affable, tolerant and genuine. He (.s an orator of note, and is a member of tho board of regents of Smithsonian Institute. The keynote of Congressman Connolly's na turo is slnceroty. He Is fired with genuine zeal, for the w61faro of men, and his heart and soul are in sympathy with tho ends President Wilson is seeking to serve. Ho has supported tho presi dent steadfastly on every roll call, and has ren dered valuable service in promoting among house members knowledge of tho administra tion's purposes and sympathy with its aims. Ho is regarded at Washington as one of tho admin istration's dependable friends, and one of the party's rising men. Mr. Connolly is resting his appeal for elec tion solely on the record of the administration. This was the keynote of his speech as temporary chairman of tho stato convention at Council Bluffs. There he declared his willingness to stand or fall with tho president, and he Is tell ing his every audience that he would regret his defeat more as constructive repudiation of the president than as a blow to his own ambitions. In this statement ho is manifestly sincere. Iowa has faith In the Integrity of tho presi dent, in the wisdom of his views and in the patri otism of his motives. Putting Connolly in tjio senate will give the president one who will work in double harness with him there as faithfully as he has worked with him in the house, and one who will join with him in every effort to carry out tho administration policies. The voters of Iowa should elect Connolly on November 3 to tho United States Senate. W. J. BRYAN. THE SEPTEMBER COMMONER We wonder how many Herald readers are sub scribers to Mr. Bryan's paper, Tho Commoner. The September issue Is a specially good home number, having as it does so much in ft that will interest and profit the younger members of the family, as well as the older ones. We wish every American could read the editorials on peace in it. The Herald suggests that persons who aro not subscribers secure the September number, or If they wish to subscribe, have their subscriptions begin with this month. Alliance (Neb.) Herald. One of tho surprises of tho war has been .the lack of deadllness of the attacks of the aero planes and airships, which We had been told be fore hostilities began, would transfer the arena of battle from tho earth to the air. .The sub marine is about the only deadly weapon among the newer devices of war. Senator Gore is the author of a resolution which he is pushing before a senate committee, directing as the first work of the proposed fed eral trade commission an inquiry into the rela tion of the Standard Oil Company to tho com panies into which it was dissolved, and their control of pipe lines and prices. The not result of Mr. Roosevelt's efforts to apply the Shernmn law to the Standard was larger dividends for tho companies into which it was separated by court decree. Senator Gore's resolution aims not only at satisfying public curiosity as to how Its pros perity was increased, but to ascertain facts upon which really effective action towards breakiqf up its monopoly may be based. 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