The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1908-07-24
WASHINGTON LETTER.

tlOu at LOUISVILLE, n.y., Wuen tue new
tariffs are filed with the Commission by
the roads having. membership in these
two associations.
Action can be taken by the Commission
on its own initiative or upon the COM
plant of shippers Associations If the
Interstate Commission should find that
increase in freight rates was made through
the concerted action and that there was
evidence that the Sherman Anti Trust
law was violated the attention of the
Attorney General will in all probability
be called to the matter.
NV
That the Canadian Industrial Disputes
Investigation act for the prevention of
strikes affecting public utilities has &C.
complishment of the main purpose for
which it was enacted, is the conclusion
drawn after special investigation of the
workings of the law by DR.. Victor
Clark, for the Bureau Of Labor in a report
made public.
From March ~, 1902 when the act
went into effect, to January IS, 1908. so
disputes became subject for investigation,
and>ln 2S cases strikes were averted or
ended. The law prohibits stoppage of
work until by the investigation. of an
official Board the public is officially in
formed of the grounds ofthe controversy,
reliance being placed upon. public opinion
to prevent or shorten such disturbances
The law also provides for Boards of Con.
Citation and Investigation.
~
Fresh evidence of 'Uncle Joe' Can
mons Grass indifference to public opinion
has come to the surface here, it having
now been discovered that the Speaker
favored the selection of Representative
James R. Mann, of Chicago. as successor
to Smooth Jim Sherman in the chair
manship of the Republican Congressional
Campaign Committee.
This excites amazement here, in view
of the bitter hostility Mann stirred among
the newspapers of the country toward the
close of the session of Congress by the
manner in which he conducted the fake
investigation ordered by the Speaker into
the free print paper and the wood pulp
question. Mann from the outset showed
hostility to the newspaper interests which
asked for the removal of the duty on
print paper and wood pulp, and he treat
ed some of the newspaper proprietors
who came before his special committee
with contempt.
~
To those who leave their Office each day
to snatch hasty lunch, the Government
has word of advice to offer. It is this:
Whenever restaurateur offers you a.
cracked mug and scanned plate on which
food is served, flee from it as you would
the pestilence; for in the cracks and seams
lurk thousands of bacteria. and they draw
no distinction between the millionaire
employer and his $40 week stem
ographer.
The Bureau of Chemistry, at the head
of which is DR.. Harvey w. Wiley, has
just concluded experiments on cracked
china utensils taken from the lunch
rooms of Washington. The conditions
they find here are duplicated in every
large city
The examination of the chinaware
came about as a result of a crusade
against unhealthy kitchens and serving
rooms. The Government chemists were
turned loose and they ran millions of
germs to cover in the cracks.
Several dozen cracked mugs. plates and
saucers taken at random from lunch
rooms and cafes of hotels were examined.
DR.. Stiles discovered 20 distinct species of
organism. In the final test il was found
that these organisms ranged in number
from 4S6 to I4,sSo.o 900 to every square
inch.
Nearly all of the bacteria belonged to
the family of bacillus coli, which DIR.
Stiles says "uuquestiouably belongs to
the group of undesirable bacteria. particu-
larly when associated with foods in. any
manner" The bacillus cell is blamed for
many infammatory diseases. principal
among which is appendicitis.
Many of the other bacilli found were
due to filthy conditions. The kitchens
may be spotless put the impossibiliiy of
cleansing the utensils thoroughly when
they are cracked leave the bacilli to
multiply.
Alarmed by the extent to which the