Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1908-02-14
AAoNAN~oo~

characteristics of the American Navy
ship composed of sea-going officers,
contrary to the statement made by
Reuterdahl. The second one contra
diets the statement that none Of
battle ships has it's main armor belt 6
inches above the water when fully
equipped. 1t is asserted that u YES
sells show from 10 inches to II feet 6
line when fully equipped. As to the
alleged low freeboard of u ships, the
Scientific American points out that,
with the single exception of the Dread
naught, there is not IL ship in the Brit
ish Navy with the onward deck % feet
high. AS to the broadside guns, the
writer holds that they are as high as
similar guns in the German and Japa-
nese navies, and from 2 to AZ feet
higher than those of some of the mod
ern British battle ships. The writer
concludes that American ships in the
matter of heavy armor are ton for ton
superior to the ships Of other navies.
The results of exhaustive expert
ments conducted by the Bureau of
Chemistry of the Department Of Agri-
culture to determine the poisonous eff
feet of such drugs as borax, benzoic
acid, benzoate of soda, sulphate OF
copper, sulphur dioxide, f~ormaldehyde
and salicylic acid when used as pre-
servatives in foodstuffs have been out
lined before the House Committee on
Agriculture by DR.. II. w. Wiley, chief
of the bureau. The main conclusion
is that the expulsion of these Inc kin
bred drugs from the body shortens the
term of the average mans life in the
United States. and that kidney dis
ease, so prevalent among Americans,
is largely the result of constant intro
duction into the system of such sub
stances. DR.. Wiley told the commit
tee he had discovered that salt solu-
phur in the whitening and drying of
fruit, and he exhibited samples of ap-
pies SO dried to prove his statement.
-:
. DR.. j. Walter Fewkes, an ~inyeStiga-
tor employed by the Bureau of Eth
nOlogy. who has been looking into the
origin of the first inhabitants Of the
Island of Porto Rico, now reports his
conclusion that the West Indies were
formerly connected with South Ameri-
ca, whence came the primitive Carrib-
cans to Porto Rico, and not from Yu-
catan, Florida or elsewhere, as held
by the scientists who accept the the
DRY OF a prehistoric island extending
almost across the Atlantic ocean from
bled. Atlantis, To- supposed to have
been submerged in some change in the
earth's crust, has served as the hypo-
thesis to account for immigrations of
primitive man mammals and plants
from the Old World to the New, thus
accounting for the ruins of Egyptian
pyramids ard architecture in Yucatan.
DR.. Fewkes virtually skaters this the
DRY by asserting that the ridge of the
Antilles extends from north to south
instead of from east to west.
80:
That the duty on sugar and tobacco
be removed is again recommended in
the report of Secretary OF War Taft
on the Philippine Islands. This course,
he says, is necessary in order to have
these Industries attain their former
prosperous condition, and he believes
that the removal of the duty would not
injure any American interest nor af-
feet the prices of sugar and tobacco
in this country. He also urges Con-
gress to remove the present restric-
lions on the acquisition Of mining
claims; to authorize the insular gov
eminent to conduct an agricultural
bank, and that our coastwise laws be
made inapplicable to trade between
the United States and Philippine
ports. The President concurs in the
Taft recommendations and gives espe-
cial praise to Governor Smith and his
associates for their conduct Of affairs
In the Philippines.
William J. Bryan appeared before
the House Committee on Election OF
President and Vice President for the
purpose of urging tie passage Of a bill
providing for publicity of campaign
contributions to the political parties,
He took the ground that all argu-
ments used in elections should be used
publicly, and all means employed to 50.
cure the election of or to defeat a ear
didate should be means which the one
using them would not be ashamed ia
have the world know. He insisted
that the most important thing to be
done was to make the campaign con.
tribution known before the election.
-:
Secretary Cortelyou made 1t knowI
that he would begin at once the with,
drawal of the government funds from
various bank d~epositaries in order tx
%replenisll the working cash balance 0l
the treasury. This action is taken
after hearing from the bankers In al
parts OF the country, most Of whon
say that the stringency is now a thing
of the past. The Withdrawals may
amount to $2O,OOO,OOo or S25, 100000
The first call for S10.000.O0O has beer
made upon the New York banks.
-
The Navy Department has an
nounced the first step in an expert
ment designated to demonstrate thu
utility of the submarine in naval war
fare by transporting to the Pacific tive
Of the smaller type of submarines OF