The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1909-09-10
WASHINGTON LETTER.

"a uecloeu improvement in the United
States postal cards was provided for by
Postmaster General Hitchcock when he
awarded contract for 3,487 200, 900
cards to the Government Printing Office,
with the injunction that they must be
superior to the present card inAinaterial
and of q more ornate appearance The
estimated cost, covering period of four
years. will be $934,7I7.95. 1t is his jim
tention to have the quality Of the card
better suited for receiving ink While
the weight of the cards will be consider
ably reduced, their tensile strength will
be increased. This. he expects, will
prove of advantage to the public and
result in saving for the Government.
The economy of this policy is best ap-
preciated when it is realized that the
postal cards shipped by hemanufacturers
last year to the distributing centers
weighed $500, 900 pounds, and that the
department not only pays the freight on
such shipments, but also the transport
tation charges when they are shipped
from the distributing centers, when they
are mailed by individuals and when reply
cards are sent It is estimated that n
per cent in weight will be saved.
The Postmaster General may decide to
improve the appearance Of the postal
card by changing the tint of the stock
and color of the ink and providing a
more artistic stamp.
Postal cards were first issued on NAV
7, 1873, under an act of Congress passed
on June 8, 1872. John A. J. Creswell, Of
Elkton, Md. was Postmaster General,
and it was during the administration of
President Grant. The number issued in
1875 was 3I,oo4,4ooo. In IS years the
number of postal cards issued by the
department has increased to about o5o, :.
900, 900 annually, the latter number
representing the issue Of 1909.
~
Experts in the Census Bureau, ALREADY
busy with forecasts of the probable results
of the new count Of population to be
taken next spring, figure out that the
enumeration will show So, &c, 900 people
in the United States proper. and that the
population of all the States, Territories
and insnlar possessions will make
aggregate of more than
100, DOC, 900.
The census of 1900 gave the population
for the United States proper as "a. COZ. 225,
SO that if the estimate of the showing of
the new census as given above be accept
ed as Approximately correct, the increase
in the 10 year period will be about
IS. 900, 900.
Following the new census, under the
law new apportionment of the House OF
Representatives will be necessary. If|
the present minimum of population in
Congressional district, which is 1q4. 900.
is adhered to in making the new ap.
portionment, the membership of the
House will be increased from 3S7 to 465.
taking it for granted that next years
census will show a total population Of
SO, 62o, 600. A House consisting of A65
members would, it isgenerally agreed, be
unwieldy. To keep the mem.
bership down to 400, the basis of repre-
sentation would have to be lifted from
1874, 900 to 225, 900. But even on this
basis the States of Pennsylvania, New
York, Illinois, Missouri, Oklahoma and
Texas would gain at least one member of
the House, and New York, Pennsylvania
and Texas probably would gain two mem.
bers each.
~
The greatest publicity will attend the
examination of Lieutenant James Sutton's
body at Arlington Cemetery. Lawyers
and physicians representing the five
marine officers whose names have been
associated with the death of Sutton will
be present, if they desire, and Henry E.
Davis, attorney for the dead officers
mother, emphasized his determination to
conduct the entire affair without secrecy
Mrs. Sutton's objection to the presence
at the grave of the lieutenants or their
representatives, while regarded by her
attorney as only natural, will bear no
weight on the matter of conducting the
examination.
Il am not yet prepared" said Mr..
Davis, ito announce at what time the
body of Lieutenant Sutton will be ex.
humed. 1t is our desire to go into this
case without any attempt to keep things
quiet. We are resolved to give every hap.
pening the fullest publicity; indeed, we
feel that all should know the verdict of
the doctors concerrinn iantannnt CT