Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1908-08-20


suffered throughout an icy winter be-
cause there were no cars 10 haul coal
and business became stagnated because
the crops were not moved TO market.
TIE reports of increasing car move
ments have come in steadily for the
last six weeks from all sections of the
country. The West and Middle West
look for exceedingly heavy grain crops,
while the South is expectant of the
greatest tobacco crop in its history and
a phenomenal cotton crop. New En-
gland and the East report factories and
mills preparing for resumption of
full-time work All of these reports in
dictate that the demand for transporta-
ton facilities will be the greatest in
years and that centers of production
will be glutted while markets are bare
In the opinion of the members of the
Interstate Commerce Commission there
is no way now open to prevent this
damming of the tides of commerce.
During the six months ending July
LIST less than two hundred thousand i'm
migrants arrived in the United States
The arrivals in the first half of 1907
were nearly three-quarters of million.
Moreover, in the past six months the re-
turning emigrants numbered more than
three hundred and seventy-fve thou
sand, twice the number of immigrants
and more than twice the departures
for the corresponding period last year.
Europeans come to the land of the free
because it is the land of the dollar.
When there is panic, and dollars get
scarce, Columbia does not do much
business as the haven of the oppressed
The figures of the last two years throw
much light on the immigration prob
lem, so far as it is a problem of mere
numbers. The flow of newcomers seems
to be regulated by the demand for
labor, which means that the country is
not in danger of being glutted with
people it cannot support.
-:
The recent revolution in Mexico
deserves attention as an illustration of
how small a movement of disorder in
orderly Mexico can make a sensation.
A generation ago such rioting as took
place in the northern part of the re-
public would have been ignored. as
more serious risings were of frequent
occurrence. President DiaZ has
brought order out of the former Next
can chaos, and the recent troubles
amounted to little more than rioting
and looting by idle workmen assisted
by the criminal population. Many men
have been thrown out of employment
by the closing of mines and factories,
and were wrought upon by political agi-
tators who are hostile to the presence
of foreigners in the country. The move
ment lacked organization and effective
leadership, as well as justification in
morals or in political expediency.
-
Fourth Assistant Postmaster General
Degraw has announced that the dead
letter office during the fiscal year, end
ed July l, received 2160O0 letters less
than for the preceding fiscal year. and
has returned to the senders 100000
letters, or 2525,0O0 more than for the
year ended June 80, 1907. During 1907
letters containing S67, 456 were receiv-
ed, wlrile for the fiscal year just ended
the figures were $65,599 OF the money
thus received about 50 per cent was
returned to the senders.
-
A parcels post agreement between
the United StStes and France has been
signed by Postmaster General Meyer
and Ambassador Jesserand, of France.
Under the terms of the convention,
which is effective Aug. 10 next, pack
ages up to four pounds and six ounces
will be carried at the rate of II cents
pound. Later the maximum weight
of packages which can be sent by mail
to France at the rate of II cents a
pound will be increased to eleven
pounds.
The Department of Commerce and
Labor has recently completed the estab-
lishment of bureaus of information at
several important European ports, es-
pecially at Naples, Marseilles and
Havre, where the investigation of the
records of suspicious aliens may be
undertaken quietly. Lists of such per-
sons have begun to come to the i'm
migration authorities in this country.
-:
The City of Buffalo has received
formal notice from Secretary of War
Wright that it must close it's trunk
sewer into the Niagara River before
July 1, 1910. This notice is issued in
consequence of the governments work
OH the Black Rock ship canal.
-
1t is surprising how good the Pana-
mans can be when American troops
stand by, watching them. The result
of the municiual elections indicated
that the SUPPORTS of the independent
candidate for the presidency were much
more numerous than the supporters of
the government candidate. To prevent
a clash at the presidential election and
the interference of American troops the
government candidate withdrew, and
the election passed off peacefully.
-
Capt. Baldwin's Aeronaut, or dirigi-
BILE balloon, built for the army, is now
at Fort Myer, Va, near Washington.
According to the contract, Capt. Bald
wins balloon must carry two persons
having a combined weight Of $50 pounds
in addition to 100 pounds Of ballast.
The balloon during the speed test must
maintain an average of twenty miles
per hour in still air. The speed accom-
plished during the trial fight viii be
determined by taking an average Of
tho riu1p nvor a SI1rpd course nf