Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1907-08-25
NAVY MAY GET THE
COAST ARTILLERY
TAFT CONSIDERS A RADICAL
CHANGE
Field Batteries Now Distinct Appoint
nent-Machinery Is Decrease
ing Force of Uncle Sans
Printing Plant

WASHINGTON, Aug. Am important and
even radical change affecting both the army
and navy has been suggested by military Off
GERS and is under consideration by Secretary
Taft. 1t is that the coast artillery Of the
United States, which is now a branch Of the
army, should be transferred to the control of
the navy department.
In support of this proposition 1t is pointed
out that congress by its legislation of last
year made separate organizations of the coast
and field artillery. The latter necessarily re-
mains part of the mobile army. The coast
artillery, on the other hand, is just as neces-
sarily anchored to the various fortihcattons
and posts that 1t defends.
In time of war the coast artillery would
have to cooperate with the navy 1t uses
naval weapons UGH submarine and floating
mines and torpedoes Under these circum-
stances 1t is thought that by establishing
coast artillery greater efficiency and better
results might be obtained. Secretary Taft has
not yet determined whether he Will make this
recommendation in his next report to congress,
but is giving the matter careful thought
ITS awful to die in America but accord
ing to a consular report from Paris, it's worse
to die in France AS one step in the state de-
partment's campaign to prepare Americans for
tlave among foreigners who covet their cash,
Consul General Frank Mason warns his
countrymen against the luxury Of ending their
lives in the French capital
THE prices the undertaken may charge for
funeral paraphernalia are fixed by ordinance,
h. says but the charges to the family or es-
tate of the deceased are based on the supposed
ability or willingness of the surviving rela.
tives to pay. An undertaken presents himseit
to the relatives as a representative OF the
municipality, and they are apt to give him a
free hand, with the result that extortion FOL
lows"
The consul general says the usual embalm-
ing fee Is sometimes raised from SlbO 10 $lUIJ
O.. more for Americans.
Owing to the almost constant installation OF
rev machinery which does the work auto
matically the force Of employees at the govern
ment printing Office steadily has been reduced,
until at the present time there are fewer than
37OO men and women on the pay roll at TN
big printery as against the more than 4uo'
" no found work there during the past re"
years. -, -
Folding now is done by machines as Wen al
ga thering, stitching and pasting. In tn'
preparation of bulletins for the. department d
agriculture the big web press prints, pastes
and folds the pamphlets and a run OF 100000
copies on one of these machines Is not con-
sijered an exceptionally large number.
Recently compiled figures on the production
of coal in washington and oregon show that
although both states suffered decided railing
an in the output in 1905, in 1905 while oregon $
production suffered still further decline, Wash
irgton mined 411,25S tons more than In lSoo'
All increase in value of T67176
Despite the larger output in Washington
over the preceding year, only 4629 men lound
omnloyment in the coal fields during 1906 as
against 47e5 in 1905. This was In part com.
nensated for by an increase of from 2zi 10 2oo
in the average number of working DAYS lot
each man.