Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1908-08-01
NOTES FROM WASHINGTON
Especial Correspondence)

company, May 4, 1904, to the end OF
the fiscal year, June 80, 1908. The re-
ports show that there was removed
in that period from the canal prism
and accessory works 40,938,575 cubic
Yards of material. In the fiscal year
1908 the total excavation was 27,979,
375 cubic yards or about 66 percent oi
the total amount taken out by the
Americans. Steam shovels removed
1745716 cubic yards, dredges 1O,S99,
517 cubic yards, and 122,797 cubic
yards were removed by other meth
DDS.
To Assist lmmigrants-A branch OF
the bureau of information of the de
partment of commerce and labor in
New England for placing immigrants
In correspondence with those desiring
to employ labor will be opened in Bos
ton in September. T. V. Powderly
chief of the bureau, returned the 9th
er day from Boston whore he has been
making preliminary arrangements. He
saw Commissioner Billings and rep
resentatives of various organizations
interested in immigrants. A man to
be placed in charge of the Boston
headquarters was selected some time
ago. Mr.. Powderly is especially inter
ested in the problem of abandoned
farms In New England as homestead
sites for immigrants. The Bostor
bureau will have charge of the work
of bringing immigrant laborers, skilled
and common, and employers together
To Inspect Postoffice stes-W. F
Field private secretary to Acting SEQ
retary of the Treasury Winthrop, has
been ordered to inspect postofIice
sites offered to the government at
Chelsea, New Bedford, Attleboro, Ath
oil and Westfield, Mass, and Danbury
and Wallingford, Conn. Mr.. Field eX
poets to leave here next week. going
first to New Bedford. next to Attic
boro and then to Chelsea, whence he
will go to the western part Of the state
and visit Athol and Westheld, after
which he will go to Connecticut. He
will be away about q month. Several
of the cities on his route were origin
ally included in the list assigned to
Col. James P. Low of the supervising
architects office, who has been in
New England inspecting public build
ing sites for several weeks. Col. Lows
orders have been modified to this eX
tent.
Investigating Mine Disasters-The
United States government, within the
next few weeks. will begin a series oi
scientific Investigations into the caus
es of disasters in American coal mines
in the hope that the present fright
full mortality may be reduced to. 8
minimum. BY Aug. l, in accordance
with plans approved by Secretary Of
the Interior Garfield the interior de
partment will have a complete expert
mental station in operation on the
grounds of the arsenal in Pittsburg
Pa. For some time before the Hemen
way amendment to the legislative ap
preparation bill, making an appropria
ton of $3.50, 900 for this work, became
law and the money available, gov
ernment officials were busy making
tentative plans for the station in order
that there might be no delay. This
advanced the project to such an ex
tent that the material for the station
was on the ground by July 1 and II
is expected the station will be in op
Grafton a month later This prompt
action was considered necessary be
cause of the fact that the terrible
mortality record of last year is be
ing continued into this year, although
1907 was considered an unusual one
1900 being killed in the coal mines as
against 206l the year before. From
unofficial estimates 1t appears that 16
men have been killed or injured each
work day Of the year. Just the other
week % miners were killed and 80
injured in and about Wilkes-Barre
Pa.
Collecting Hyglenic Data-For many
years the subject of industrial hy-
giene has received attention In the
leading countries, hence 1t is crafty
ing to note that the national bureau
OF commerce and labor is not neglect
ing it but, on the contrary, is collect
ing data to show the relation of a
persons trade or occupation to his
health and longevity Much of the
information discussed by the bureau
is not new. Similar facts were made
known in reports made over hun.
dred years ago to several foreign gov.
ernments. Still it has value and must
be considered in Industrial circles to
day If better health is to prevail
among workmen. Without going in.
to the details of gloomy mortality sta,
tistics 1t will suffice to say that there
are too many deaths from preventable
causes, and then cite some of the con.
. ditions existing in factories and
shons which require study and i'm
provement. It is known, for exam.
pie, that bronchitis, pneumonia and
tuberculosis are extremely frequent
In dusty occupations, and that the
sharp angular particles Of iron and
stone dust are more liable to produce
injury of the respiratory passages
than coal, flour, grain and other kinds
Of dust. 1t is also known that work
ers in lead, mercury, arsenic, phos
phorus, poisonous dyes, etc, suffer
from their injurious effects, and thai
other occupations, such as mining
railroading and those which necessl
tate working with or around moving
machinery involve special danger L
life and limb.