Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1906-10-26
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Guiding any contracts that may have
been made for the employment of Chi
ncSc labor. The commissions principal
reason for this change of plan Is the
labor problem, rs it is believed that the
private contractor will be less hamper
ed by government red tape in solving
it. Nevertheless the commissioners in
sist that the government will not relin-
quish the responsibility for the con-
struction work. The contract will be
made with one individual or corpora
ton, which, however, may be composed
Of several subcontractors, each OF
whom will be expert in some particular
branch of the work. The companies Did
ding must have n capitalization or
50, 100000 over all debts and incum-
ORANGES, and the successful bidder must
furnish n bond of $4,000, 000. The com
pensation to the contractor will be on
the percentage plan, and to the lowest
bidder the contract will be awarded,
the total cost OF the Job being estimated
by II board of engineers, w of whom
will be appointed by the bidder and
three by the government. The compe-
tltion is not limited to American bid
ders. Chairman Shonts says that it
would take many years for the govern
ment to get an adequate force Of COM
potent engineers and experts, because
these men are now controlled by the
leading contractors of the United
States. Consequently it is 4 short cut
to utilize the trained forces of the best
construction companies.
The lemon postcard is the latest.
Hundreds Of thousands Of the cards
bearing the picture of a wrinkled old
lemon have been sold already. The
picture postcard craze is now at its
worst. The summers crop is in. From
every quarter of the civilized globe
they have been flying all summer in
millions. The business has grown to
staggering proportions. New York Is
the seat of the trade, and dealers esti-
mate that one person in every eight
buys Il picture postal every day. There
are $4,000 stores in the United States
handling them at present where three
years ago there were not a hundred. 1t
has frequently been remarked during
recent years that the art and practice
of letter writing have passed away,
and the picture postal has helped on
this tendency. People write less than
they ever did, and yet they keep their
friends at home posted as to their
itinerary during 6 long trip better than
they ever did before. The picture postal
tells a story. That is why it is so pop
ular.
An interesting bulletin recently is
sued by the Department of Agriculture
is designed to show how the cost of
producing n crop may be accurately
recorded. The report is based upon ex-
periments made in Minnesota. where a
large number of farmers co-operated by
making daily record of every cent spent
for implements, seeds, materials, labor,
etc. Thus the figures represent the
work of practical, everyday farmers in
the act Of producing crops for profit.
Taking barley al an example, the cost
Of production Is itemized under the
heads seed value, cleaning seed, pillow.
ing. dragging, seeding, cutting, Irvine,
shocking, stacking n threshing, de-
probation Of machinery and land rent
al. The figures represent the average
of all farms In the group, the final
figure being the cost per acre. The bull
letin shows how these statistics may
aid in preparing for a system of crop
rotation.
The Commissioners Of Internal Rev
enue has issued regulations controlling
the manufacture Of denatured alcohol
and its uses, pursuant to an act of Con-
gress which goes into effect June 1,
1907. The Commissioner says there
will be two classes of alcohol, first, that
which is completely denatured, which
will pass into general use and be pur-
chased without Limitation, as against
private consumers; and, secondly, spe-
ciaIIy denatured alcohol, in which the
material demanded by the needs Of
manufacturing interests will be regard
ed. Denatured alcohol will supplant a
large consumption of wood alcohol, and
the price, it is believed, will not be
more than % cents per gallon. The de-
maturing process will have to be accom-
plished ON the premises where the dis
tilling is done, in specially designated
bonded warehouses.
The sudden recalling Of Brig. Gen.
Funston from Havana after it was sup
posed that he would command the first
expedition of troops In Cuba is now
understood to have been made at the
suggestion of Secretary Taft, because
Funston was distasteful to the former
Cuban rebels. Funston was an officer
If the insurgents before the Spanish
war. and the leaders of the receni
insurrectien say he deserted because he
could not stand for the butcheries of
prisoners of war. Brig. Gen. Bell will
now have entire charge of the military
occupation of the island under Governor
Magoon.
After a conference with Secretary of
Interior Hancock, Monday, President
Roosevelt decided that there should be
no further delay in the withdrawal
from settlement Of all public lands
classed as coal lands. BY early action
re hopes to prevent speculators and
u~ononoIisttc corDoratiOns from ~gettino