The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1906-06-29

how it was short weight with pair of
scales or how it was short OF contents
with graduate glass. Then he told the
members that all the bill in question con-
templated was to force manufactures to
state on the label what the weight or bulk
of each package was and whether it con-
tanned what it really purported to contain
or whether it was some doctored substi
tute. 1t seemed very simple and honest
measure on the face of it. But it raised a
storm of protest and the chances are that
it will be defeated
~
The President has expressed great
deal of pleasure over the decision of Con-
gress in favor of the lock level canal.
The chances are that it will not make
much practical difference whether the
canal is at sea level or some other level
so long as the question of type is settled.
That has been the main thing delaying
the work, at least according to the mem
bers of the commission and those inter
ested in the War Department
Chief Engineer Stevens, who has been
in Washington about month will start
next week for the Isthmus. He express
ed himself as very we'll satisfied with the
decision in favor of the lock canal, but
he said the type should have been settled
several months ago. Now that it is done,
however. he says that the engineers will
all know just what they have to do and
they can rush the work of clearing the
great Culebra Cut as it has never been
rushed before. Counting the work that
both French and American work men
have done on this section of the canal,
the excavation is about forty per cent
done. But Mr.. Stevens says that the
length of time taken to complete the
canal will not be measured by the ex-
cavation of the Culebra Cut as has been
generally supposed, but by the building
of the great dams which will take some
what longer.
The question of labor is still unsolved
and probably will be experimental
with for some years to come. The COM
mission has been trying Spanish laborers
from Cuba and while they are paid twice
as much as Jamaica negroes, they are
more than twice as efficient, so there is
economy in their employment. There are
now about 20, 900 men on the pay roll of
whom fully $1,000 are at work, and if the
negro laborers are more largely employed
than the Spaniards the force at its maxi.
mum will reach 10000. But if the Span.
iards are employed, it probably will never
get quite that high.
~
The Rate Bill is still in conference. 1t
is expected to get out early this week.
and it is said that all the amendments
have been agreed on safe only that re-
sarding the pipe lines. 1t has been wish.
ed to declare the pipe lines common
carriers with view to putting them un-
der the control of the Interstate Commerce
Commission. But they have fought this
desperately as it wonld bring them within
The prohibition against owning the |
they carried. What the out
come will be. it is impossible to say but |
no one is likely TO know before the end |
of the week as it is intended to hold off |
the bill from vote as long as possible to
prevent the foods of oratory that it would /
awaken as soon as it got back to open |
session.
~
Late last week the Interstate Commerce
Commission held what probably will be
its last hearing of the season on the in
vestigation of the coal and oil carrying
roads under the Tillman Gillespie resolu.
lion. They had before them for the last
witness Mr.. James Gardner. consulting
,oal expert of the Erie railroad Mr.
Gardner has acted in the same capacity
10 several of the most important railroads
Of the country so that his remarks were
worth listening to. He made rather
strong point for the railroad ownership of
coal lands saving that it was imperative
for the roads to own their own coal mines
q insure them steady supply of incl at
he lowest possible cost. He said that
the Erie Road owned four such COM
panies, supplying at least half of the coal
they used. that the ownership of the mines
was perfectly legitimate and iustifab,e
4 nd ha n oh cd uico1 tha~., -, |