The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1907-07-26
NOTES FROM WASHINGTON
Especial Correspondence

| New immigration Recoro.-All I'M
migration records in the history OF the
country were broken by the aggregate
returns for the fiscal year OF 1907,
which ended on the last day OF June.
The total number of alien immigrants
landed in America in the year was l.
2S5,349, as against 1,l00,735 landed in
the fiscal year of 1906.
To Eliminate Perjury.-The tender
consciences OF incoming tourists from
foreign lands will no longer be harass-
ed by anxiety lest they may have
sworn falsely in the statement OF the
home with them In their trunks and
satchels Secretary Cortlyou has
solved for them the ethical problem
by decreeing that they need make no
oath at all. He calls IL putting pas
sengers on their honor; but that hard
ly fits the case. The same search by
customs officers is 20 be made and no
statement is to be accepted until rig
orouly verified. But the farce of the
sworn statement is abolished. This is
manifestly sensible and practical. 1t
is surprising that this method has not
been adopted long ago.
A New Naval Problem.-It Is said
at the navy department that IL is ex-
tremely improbable that the accident
aboard the battleship Georgia in Mas
sachusetts Bay resulted from any care
lessness or lack OF precaution on the
part Of the personnel of the ship. A
short time ago thorough inspection
was made of every detail of the
Georgia's ordnance by Commander
Schofeld, one Of the most expert of
the ordnance officers of the navy.
This inspection included every one of
the guns, the details of the turret
mechanism, the workings of the am
munition hoists, which in the case Of
the superimposed turrets of the Geor-
gia are rather more complicated than
in the ordinary type, and finally and
most important the system of handling
Of the guns and mechanism and am
munition by the sailors. 1t was found
that the ships company was very eff
cient at all points and ii was certain
that they were following closely the
firing regulations in every essential
! detail. In the absence of any other
plausible explanation the officials here
are disposed to give consideration to
the theory advanced by some of the
Ceorgia's officers when they came
ashore at Boston, that the powder
was fired accidentally by a spark or
clot of SCOT, which came floating down
| smouldering from the ships smoke
/ stack and settled by chance into the
open scuttle on top of the turret,
alighting direcly on the bag of smoke
less powder in the rams of the loader
at the breech Of the gun.
Postal Card Regulation Changed
For years Americans and others have
been sending to the United States
from foreign countries postal cards
and post cards (private mailing cards)
with messages written on the front
as well as on the back of the cards,
although in this country the advantage
has been denied the users Of govern
ment postal cards. Some months ago
the United States postal regulations
|
lege to buyers of post cards, but such
concession was not made applicable
| to post cards. In order TO remedy
this inconsistency, Postmaster General
Meyer recently promulgated an order,
effective Aug. l, 1907, providing tnat
the face side OF postal card may be
divided by vertical line placed ap-
proximately one-third of the distance
from the left end of the card; the
/ space to the left of the line to be for
message, the portion TO the right
being used for the address only. A
very thin sheet of paper may be at
tached If 1t completely adheres to the
card and such paster may bear both
writing and printing. Advertisements,
illustrations or writing may appear on
the back of the card and on the left
third of the front. Postal cards bear
ing PARTICLES of glass, metal. mica,
sand, tinsel, or other such substances,
are declared 10 be unmailable, except
when inclosed in envelopes with prop
er postage affixed, or when treated in
such manner as will prevent objec-
tionable materials from being rubbed
of or injuring the hands Of persons
handling the mails. The contractor at
Rumford Falls, Me-, is now putting
in new machinery for the manufacture
of postal cards, and the department
will furnish plates for postal cards or
a new design conforming TO the condi-
tions OF the amended regulation.
After the Money Lenders.-The fed
eral officials are determined TO put an
end to the work of money lenders who
have been culpable and punish them
sums at exorbitant interest TO pension
ers. on their certificates, until such
time as their pensions are paid. The
practice has been going on for a long
time, and good deal of quiet work has
been put in by the secret service men
| a., ,h, afnrf fn trace ont those who