The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1908-07-31
NOTES FROM WASHINGTON
Especial Correspondence.)

OF the work done On the isthmian can
al from the time the Americans tool
| possession OF the effects of the French
| company, May 4, 1904, TO the end oi
| the fiscal year, June 80, 1908. The re
| ports show that there was removed
in that period from the canal prism
| and accessory works 40,93S,575 cubic
yards Of material. In the fiscal year
1908 the total excavation was 27,979,
375 cubic yards or about 66 percent OF
the total amount taken out by the
Americans. Steam sbovels removed
l7,457,16l cubic yards, dredges 1O,399,.
5l7 cubic yards, and 122,797 cubic
yards were removed by other meth.
DDS.
To Assist lmmigrants-A branch on
the bureau of information Of the de-
partment of commerce and labor in
New England for placing immigrants
ia correspondence with those desiring
TO employ labor will be opened in Bos.
ton in September. r. V. Powderly,
chief Of the bureau. returned the 9TH
or day from Boston where 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 Boston
bureau will have charge Of the work
OF bringing immigrant laborers, skilled
and common. and employers together.
To Inspect Postotfice Sites-W. f.
Field, private secretary TO Acting Sec
retary Of the Treasury Winthrop has
been ordered to inspect pOstofice
sites offered to the government at
Chelsea, New Bedford, Attleboro, Ath
oil and Westficld, Mass, and Danbury
and Wallingford, Conn. MIR. Field ex.
poets TO leave here next week. going
first to New Bedford. next to Attle-
bOro and then to Chelsea, whence he
will go to the western part Of the state
and visit Athol and Westfeld, after
which he will go 10 Connecticut. He
viii be away about a month. Several
of the cities on his route were origin.
ally included in the list assigned to
Col. James =. Low of the supervising
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 Of
scientific investigations into the caus-
cs of disasters in American coal mines
in the hope that the present fright
ful mortality may be reduced TO 4
minimum. BY Aug. /, 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 i'm Pittsburg,
Pa For some time before the Hemen-
way amendment to the legislative ap-
bill, making an appropria-
lion of Sl50,000 for this work, became
a law and the money available, gov
officials were busy making
entative plans for the station I'm order
hat there might be no delay. This !
advanced the project to such an ex.
Cnt that the material for the station
was on the ground by July and It |
IS expected the station will be in op- |
'ration month later. This prompt |
action was considered necessary be- |
cause of the fact that the terrible |
mortality record of last year is be-
ng continued into this year. although |
1907 was considered an unusual one. |
5000 being killed in the coal mines as |
against 206l the year before. From |
unofficial estimates il appears that l6 |
men have been killed or injured each |
work day of the year. Just the other
week % miners were killed and 30 /
injured in and about Wilkes-Barre, |
Pa.
Collecting HygIeaie Data-For many |
years the subject of industrial hy- |
,ieue has received attention in the |
eading countries, hence it IS crafty
ng TO note that the national bureau |
VI commerce and labor is not neglect |
NC it but, on the contrary is collect |
ng data TO show the relation of a |
PERSONS trade or occupation To his |
lcalth and longevity. Much of the |
discussed by the bureau
S not new. Similar facts were made |
Known in reports made over a hun |
lrCd "ears ago TO several foreign gov |
'rnments. Still II has value aTCl must !
De- considered in industrial circles to- |
lay il better health is 10 prevail |
among workmen. Without going in
o the details OF gloomy mortality sta
iStiCs IL will sufliCp 10 say that thara