The Opelousas courier., 1901-07-27

oPELoUsAS, L0U1SIANA
n tonnage or h Great Eastern
was 10000 below that of the Celtic
which has just been launched at Bel
fast. 1t will be recalled that the
Great Eastern failed as a money
maker and was retired as being I'M
wieliy. It was power that the former
ship lacked. The latter has it in SUI
perabundance, and it is predicted she
will be a success.
white schoolhouses from the Iowa
hilltops is attracting more attention
movement of the new century, states
the New England Farmer. Advanced
educators of Iowa have ONE to the
realization that the theory of a school.
house every two or three miles along
the country roads is all wrong. The
last legislature recognized the fact
that some provision should be made
for lessening the cost of maintaining
so many schoolhouses. and passed
laws making it possible to consolidate
schools and to engage in the practice
of transporting children from long dis
tances to school at public expense.
Writing in Casters Magazine, AL
ton d. Adams shows that the time Is
ripe for the advent of a new system
of urban and interurban transporta-
ton. The object sought in each
change thus far appears to have been
a reduction in operating expenses as
we'll as an improvement in service.
In the opinion of Mr.. Adams electric
vehicles embrace the necessary. ele-
ments of the next improvement in
street traction. There is no compari-
son, of course. in the matter of f1exi-
bility Of operation and freedom from
the street structures. 1t is only a
question of comparative cost. Mr..
Adams shows that for a given daily
output of energy the station to charge
storage batteries for electric vehicles
need only have one-fourth the capa-
city in generating machinery that is
necessary for the operation of q tram
car system, and would require no bat
terry plant whatever. After computing
the comparative cost of maintenance
and operation Mr.. Adams finds an Nn-
balanced advantage Of transportation
with electromobiles. a saving of about
one-half of the entire first cost and
also of one-half of the annual interest
charges of present street car systems.
The increasing number Of farms
operated by tenants has been pointed
out as a sign that the former owners
were rapidly sinking into a state OF
tenancy through the foreclosure of
mortgages. This has, however, been
shown not to be the case by Mr.. L. g.
Powers, the chief statistician Of the
division of agriculture Of the census
bureau. According to the new census
figures, the total number of farms in |
the United States has increased from
100000 in 1890 to $500, 900 in 1900,
and those operated by tenants have in
creased between 40 AMI As percent,
while those titled by their owners
have increased between Is and Is per-
cent. Both classes have increased
more rapidly than the agricultural pop
u~lation, which fact d%isproves the as
sertion that the owners are being de-
graded into tenants. Mr.. Powers
states that it does not indicate the
degradation Of the rural population,
but an uplifting that has raised not
less than 100. 900 families from the
position of -wage-earners to that Of
lessees of small or large tracts of
tillaEle land. When a w-age-earner.
he states. ina rural community gets a
little capital ahead he often begins to
look for a farm to rent and operate.
Those owners of farms who have laid
by a goodly-sized "nest-egg'' are often
willing to lease their lands and retire
to the city to live on their income.
The result is an increase in tenant
farms, but it is in an economic i'm
provement for all concerned. If the
tenant be successful he may be able
to buy the farm in a few years.
In report to the state Department
United States Consul-G General Mason,