The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1906-09-14

circular letter, to all national bank de-
positaries, in which he says, in effect,
that he expects public money in deposit
tory banks to be used in the commun-
tiles where it is deposited and not loaned
through brokers and other agents in New
York for speculative purposes.
~
Commerce of the United States with
Cuba in the fiscal year just ended was
greater than in any earlier year of the
trade relations between the United States
and that island. This is particularly true
of exports. The imports from the island
fell slightly below those of 1905. This is
attributed to the fall in the price of sugar
The exports to the islands were IS per
cent greater than in 1905.
~
Commissioner Warner, of the Pension
Bureau, has just turned back in the
United States Treasury, $2oI,34e, the
amount of the unexpended balance of the
appropriation made by Congress to cover
the expenses of the bureau during the
fiscal year which ended June 80 last.
The fact that there was sum of money
so large as this which was available but
not needed or used in connection with
the running expenses of department of
the Government is regarded as unusual
by Treasury officials.
*xx
The Interstate Commerce Commission
has issued an order calling upon the rail-
roads of the country for information in
regard to block signaling practice and
electrical signaling appliances. The i'll.
formation is sought to enable the COM
mission to comply with the joint reso-
luton passed by the last session. of
Congress.
The resolution calls for an investigation
not only of the "use of block.system
signals, but of the necessity for" them.
The report, which will be made to Con-
gress. will show what is being done in
this direction by railroads to safeguard
the lives of the public and of railroad
employees.
Nv
The monthly rural free.delivery state
ment, showing the progress of the service
for August, has been given out by Acting
Fourth Assistant Postmaster General c.
A. Conrad. 1t shows that there are now
in operation Sc, 2o2 routes, an increase of
$50 since the beginning of the fiscal year.
A total of 53,96I petitions have been re-
ferred to the department Of routes, of
which 1926 have been reported upon
adversely, and there are now 2,773
petitions pending.
The total amount expended on rural
free delivery since its establishment is
$26, 7o6, 2SI. There is now available for
new service $I,52S,S66. representing the
unexpended balance of a Congressional
appropriation.
~
After numerous conferences between
Secretary Wilson, DIR. Melvin, Chief of
the Bureau of Animal Industry, and
about 40 representatives of the various
meat-packing houses, the problems which
have arisen over the question of labels
which, under the law, must be put upon
meat products have been settled to the
satisfaction of all concerned.
What probably was the last conference
was held at the Department of Agricul-
ture last week, and the packers an
nounced that they would prepare the
labels by October I, when the law goes
into effect.
Throughout the discussions Secretary
Wilson stood for labels which would state
exactly what the package contained, and
this the packers finally accepted, al
though, by way of compromise, the Sec
rotary did not insist upon the percentage
of different meats contained in any can.
ned articles put out under one name,
80
Moved by the long delays and the Just
complaints of fully ten thousand inventors
the Commissioner of Patents has at length
taken the step that he should have taken
twelve or eighteen months ago in issuing
an order that one hundred and thirty
expert examiners under him shall cou-
tinue to work until five O'Clock P. NJ,
until the examination of applications for
patent shall be brought up to date. AS it
is now the work in number of divisions
is ten months behind and this means that
an inventor on presenting his invention
10 the Patent Office must in some classes
taken up by the Office for examination.
This, however, is far from saying that