The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1900-05-01

thOrity and for failing to find out
what ought to have beenGone. Bull
Ter and Warren have been regarded
as two Of England's ab1est generals
and the criticisms caused a sensa-
ton.
The practical value of rural free
delivery is set forth in a report just
made by First Assistant Postmaster
General Heath. It is a summary, in
concise form, of the experinent-the
first one of it's kind-made in Car
roll county, Maryland. It covers a
period of three months, and shows
conclusively the benefits of the ser
vice. In his letter to the Postmaster
General, Mr.. Heath says the results
achieved are far beyond the expec-
tatiOnS of the most enthusiastic ad-
vocates of rural free delivery, and
the results will go far to allay the
fear that generalintrOduction of the
service might prove a tax upon the
postal revenues too burdensOme to
be thought of, which was'the reason
assigned by two former heads Of the
POstOffice Department in declining to
disburse the appropriation provided
for an experiment of rural free de-
livery. It also confirms the opinion
expressed by the officers early in the
present administration, that a judi
ciOUs extension of rural free delivery,
carrying with it all other postal ia
cilities, would prove of ~incalculable
benefit to the agricultural classes
without becoming d burden, upon the
postal revenues.
Presided over by an ex-President
of the United States, Benjamin Har-
rison, there are assembled in Carne-
gle Hall, New York city. as we
write this more than two thousand
missionary workers from almost
every quarter of the globe. For ten
years preparations have been under
way for this, meeting, known as the
EcumenicaI Conference of Foreign
Missions. It is the third of it's kind
ever held. Every branch of the
Christian church is represented ex-
cept the Roman Catholic, the Greek
and a branch of the Anglican
church. The conference is held at
the close of this century as a fitting
time and to make way for the great
work Of the century about to dawn.
The one great purpose is to look
back over the century closingand sur
vey and prospect the work Of the
future. The Protestant foreign mis-
sionary societies of the world spend
about SIS, 900, 900 a year to advance
their work. That is exclusive of
money expended on missions in Eng
land and America. Every cent of
this vast sum is used to convert non
Christians to Christianity. The great
problem now is how to get money,
and then how to get the greatest pOr-
ton of every dollar given to the non-
Christian whom it is desired to con-
vert. At present, it is said 90 cents
on the dollar actually reaches the
heather. It is hoped that the eight
cents, or cost of administration may
| be much reduced, and it is hoped by
this conference to so combine work
in the fields and by the elimination
of all unnecessary competition to
effect this result.
One of the most disastrous fires on
record visited the cities of Hull and
Ottawa in Canada Thurday and Fri
day, April Goth and 9th. Five
square miles of territory burned
over more than $500 dwellings, fac
tories, mills, stores and other build
ings destroyed, entailing a loss esti-
mated to reach $50, 900, 900; seven
lives lost, and between 70, 900 and
Is, 1000 men, wOmen and children
homeless, is a summing up of the
havoc wrought by the fire, which
ragged from II a. M. Thursday till
nearly - m. Friday. The whole in
dustria1 district of Ottawa was COM
pletely wiped out and seven thou
sand workmen thrown out of employ
ment. Practically the whole of the
city of Hull is blotted out. The fire
began in Hull, a place of Is, 900 in
habitants, on the Quebec side of the
Ottawa river, and famed by a fu-
rious gale from the northwest, which
continued with unabated violence all
day and far into the night, spread