The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1911-06-24
Secular News Of the Week.

For the first time in the history of
the service the deficit in the postoffice
department has been wiped out and
$1,00O,0OO surplus for the current fis-
cal year, ending June so next, is in
the treasury. Postmaster General
Hitchcock signed a warrant returning
to the Secretary of the Treasury 3d.
100000, the last of the amount set
apart from the public funds to assist
in defraying the expenses of the pos
tai service for the present fiscal year.
Reforms in the financial system, it is
said, have made the refund possible.
1t was announced last week that 49,
100000 feet of lumber is on it's way
from the State of Washington to Du-
'luth, to be shipped down the lakes
Part of this shipment is for foreign
trade. The shipment is believed to
mean that Pacific coast lumber is in
the future to be routed via Duluth and
the Great Lakes. From Duluth the
lumber will go to Buffalo, N. Y, and
by canal to the Atlantic. The all-rail
rate between Washington points and
Duluth is about $3.50 a carload
Rarely before in the history of that
State have such favorable conditions
existed at the commencement of a
crop season at present. Timely rains
and congenial weather conditions have
added to the prosperous outlook, &C
cording to the summary of the North
Dakota crop report issued by Com
missioner of Agriculture and Labor
Gilbreath, the report having been
gathered from letters sent in from
thirty-two counties in the State. Only
in the southwestern part of the State
has moisture been lacking, and there
rain must fall soon in order to insure
an average crop. Elsewhere an album
dance of rain has fallen to keep the
crops in the best of condition, while
in Trail County there has been too
much rain, on the lowlands in some
instances drowning out the crops. A
significant feature is the tremendous
increase reported in corn acreage. No
ticeable also is the general tendency
toward diversified farming and the
cultivation of tame forage crops.
Just as the Government is sitting
for the biggest legal game it ever
played the discovery is made that it
is bound to lose and the Southern Pa
cific railroad to win $500,000,000 If the
play goes on. The stakes are a great
area of CALIFORNIA; richest oil lands:
They were granted to the railroad
with a clause in the grant expressly
excepting all mineral lands save those
containing coal and iron. Most of
these lands were patented to the gran
tee more than six years ago. The jok-
er in the situation is a special stature
of limitations, slipped through con-
gress in an act of March 3, 1891, and
perfected by another act March z,
1896. The effect of these acts, as con-
strued by the United States Supreme
Court, is absolutely to bar proceed
ings by the Government to annul a
patent of land to land grant railroad
after six years from the issuance OF
the patent. Until these acts are re-
pealed, the Government has not a
chance on earth to get back its lands.
Should the Wisconsin Senate concur
in the action of the Assembly it is
likely that the State of Minnesota will
push it's suit in the Federal Supreme
Court to determine the boundary be-
tween the two states in Lake Pepin.
Application to file such suit was
made by Attorney General Simpson
last fall, but it was not pushed be-
cause of efforts to have the matter set
tied peaceably The Minnesota Legis-
lature provided for commission to
negotiate with the Wisconsin commits
sion on the matter The trouble start
ed nearly two years ago, when some
Wisconsin fishermen got an injunction
against the Minnesota game warden at
Lake City restraining him from arrest
ing any Wisconsin fisherman who
were fishing in the lake without a
license. 1t was the contention of the
Minnesota authorities that they had
jurisdiction to the middle of the lake,
while the Wisconsin people claimed
jurisdiction to the middle of the chan
mel, which is near the Minnesota side.
The suit was started in Wisconsin
court. which, according to Mr. Simp-
SON, did not have jurisdiction in mat