Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1907-12-13


responding to the superintendent of a
mill or the agent Of a great manufac-
turing corporation, who would hold Of
flee continuously through various adj
ministrations. In Illustrating the
growth of the postal business during
the last fifty years Mr.. Meyer, states
that in 1857 the receipts were $685.
952, with a deficit Of So .A54, LOG. while,
in the last fiscal year the receipts We're
$1S3, 5S5,005, with deficit of Sc, $685.
2S2. He believes that by 1917 the re-
ceipts will be over 5O,000,OO0.
United States as a Naval Power.
The annual report Of Secretary Met.
calf of the navy department affords in
teresting reading to those who think
the United States should take fore
most place among the naval powers
Of the world. The report indicates that
this country today possesses warships
registering a greater tonnage than any
other nation on the globe save Great
Britain. Our closest rival Is France,
and when the ships now under con
struction in both countries are com
pleted the French navy will Slightly
/ exceed ours in tonnage. OF the other
leading naval powers Germany stands
! fourth, Japan fifth and Russis sixth.
The secretary calls particular attention
Z to- the high standard Of the enlisted
men now in the navy and to the mark
ed increase in enlistments during the
| first four months of the present fiscal
year over those for the same period in
the year previous. He earnestly recon.
! mends provision for the appointment
Of two vice admirals, that our country
may not, as often occurs at present
be outranled on important public oc
casions by the representatives of M
tons far inferior to ours in naval
strength.
Prosperous Year For Farmers.
The report of Secretary of Agricul
ture Wilson for the year ending June
30 last indicates period of great pros
perity for the farmers of the country
although in some respects they We're
compelled to contend with adverse con,
ditions which cut down the crop yield
below the output of former years. Iii
spite of this the high prices which pre-
vail have made the total value of the
farm products Of the country far above
anything heretofore known, reaching
the stupendous sum of 81 2,000,O 1000, OF
$657O00,O00 in excess Of the previous
year. The value Of the corn crop alone
is estimated at $1,350, 100000. Atten
tion is drawn to the beet sugar indus
try, which in 1892 produced 1890 tons
while last year the output was 100000
TONS The rice crop was 90 per cent
above the average for the three proceed
! ing years. This country now exports
more rice than it imports. The opera
tons of the. meat inspection service
! during the year showed an Inspection
Of 5O.999,034 animals, of which 1875.
carcasses and 529.S76 parts were con
bdemned for disease or other causes
The cost of this inspection was 50. 100,
Ala.
Canal Bond Sale Closed.
The opening of proposals for the $50,
100000 Of Panama canal bonds showed
| that the amount had been subscribed
several times over and that n good fig
ure, well above the market price. woa,l
be realized for the securities While
the official fgares We're not obtainable
it was thought that the average price
would prove to be about 104. The al
lotment Of tire bontis- ,NiIisse- at .t.le
discretion of the secretary Of the treas
ury.