Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1905-02-14
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The postal service of the United
States employs more persons than that
Of any other government in the world.
The chief clerk of the Postoffice De
partInent has prepared a list showing
that 267,502 persons are under the or
ders of the Postmaster General. The
army and navy combined does not ag-
gregate more than half of this num-
Der. The postal employees are divided
as follows: Postmasters, 60, 4S6: rural
free delivery carriers, 30,O01; city let
ter carriers, 21,554; star routes and
railway mail service, 40, T31, of which
1924 are in the railway mail service;
clerks, second class offices, n. 743; as
sistant postmasters in first and second
class postoffices, 1854; estimated num-
Der of clerks in third and fourth cIass
offices, 1900; estimated number OF
clerks paid by postmaSterS. $4,000. In
the Postoffice Department there arc
1,156 clerks and other employees and
400 inspectors. The figures of Chief
Clerk Chance do not include $4,000
substitute rural free delivery carriers
and about 5000 substitute city letter
carriers, which would swell the figures
to 800, 302 employees. 1t is estimated
that the postal employees draw about
$16,O00,O00 year in salaries.
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BY the Panama Canal the distance
by water from San Francisco to New
York will be reduced from 1900 to
$500, and the distance from New York
to Yokohoma or TO Sydney will be re-
duced from about 1900 to less than
10000. On the other hand, the Panama
Canal will make it no easier to run
over from New York to Hong Kong
for days fishing than it is now to
60 by the Suez; the routes east and
west are each more than 1000 miles
long, and the route by way of Suez is
100 miles shorter.
Interest in the Department of Agri-
cultures water sterilizer has been re-
newed by the success attained in a
city of the Middle West The water
supply had become infected with ty-
phoid-fever germs. DR.. Moore of the
department sterilized the reservoir
with copper sulphate so successfully
that although the germs were wholly
eradicated and the epidemic checked.
no trace of the disinfectant could be
detected in the water by sight, smell
or taste. The amount was one part of
copper sulphate to one hundred thou
sand parts of water.
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Prof. Wiley, of the Bureau of Chem
istry at Washington, who is conduct
ing the adulterated food experiments,
complains that he is utterly unable to
procure fer his purpose any uncolored
butter. He also denounced the use OF
the coal tar dyes with which butter
is colored, saying that they "overbur-
den the kidneys" This is an instruct
i've comment on the United States laws
which prohibit The coloring of artif-
cial butter. even with palm oil, which
is perfectly wholesome, but permit the
coloring of genuine butter with coal
tar dyes or anything else.
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1t is expected that constitutional
amendment will be offered during the
present session of Congress prohibiting
polygamy in any State or Territory OF
the Union. 1t IS now agreed that this
is the only method by which the con-
dltion of affairs in Utah can be rem
edied. 1t is impossible to revoke the
enabling act by which Titan gained
Statehood, and the general opinion
seems to be that constitutional
amendment is necessary to give the
government sufficient authority over
State in which polygamy is prac-
decd to eradicate the evil.
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Fearing the arduous work of the
mid-winter maneuvers Of the North
Atlantic squadron Of the United
States navy, some 500 men deserted
during three months last autumn,
fact which has just leaked out from
official sources. The following estf-
mate is made of the numbers OF de-
serters from various vessels: Battle
ships-Kearsarge co; Alabama, IS; IL
linois, Go; Massachusetts, 55; Maine.
Ga; Iowa, -; Missouri, 100. Converted
yachts-Mayfiow 10; Scorpion, Is.
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The cotton crop Of the United States,
according to the estimates of the Blu
reau of Statistics of the Department of
Agriculture, will reach total of 12,-
162, 900 bales in the year 1904-5 This
estimate is so much larger than had
been anticipated that it caused an i'm
mediate decline Of about $3.50 a bale
in prices on the cotton exchanges. The
largest previous cotton crop was that
Of 1890, which amounted to II, 235, 1888
bales.
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Once more the proposition has been
made to raise the salary of the Presi-
dent to 100000 a year. 1t viii con-
tinue to be made till 1t is finally APP
proved by Congress. Then the Presi-
dent can maintain the White House I'm
proper style during his administration
without drawing on his private for
tune, and at the same time can save
enough to live in dignified retirement
the rest Of his life.
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Grover Cleveland, the only living
ex-President, will be ~ years old when
Roosevelt's term is completed in 1909:
yet there can be no addition to tho
corps Of ex Presidents till then. Mr..
Roosevelt, who will then be but little
more than 80 years old, ought to have
long membership in the "ex-Presi-
dents club, which Of late years has
sadly dwindled in numbers.
Since the Bureau Of Plant Industry
was organized, three years ago, it has