Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1911-02-01

resentative has reached the end Of
the five minutes allowed him in which
to speak TO a measure under the i've
minute rule. On a desk in front OF
MI. Cannon stands an old fashioned
hour glass, but one from which nearly
all the sands of time" have been re-
moved so that which is left takes five
minutes TO the second to run through.
When a member arises to talk the
speaker turns the glass and starts the
1 SANDS to moving He keeps one eye
on the glass and one eye on the
mouse When the last grain has run
through the tiny aperture down
comes the speakers gaVel. and the
I voice from which there is no appeal
calls out. THE gentleman's time has
expired"
The navy department has given the
members of the academy board at the
annapolis school the right to pass
hnal Judgment upon the request from
the many midshipmen students who
recently have been seriously i'll with
typhoid fever. to have their semi-an-
nual examinations postponed month.
At the government school at West
Point when boy was sick in the
hospital and consequently lost standing
in his classes he never was given an
opportunity to take his examinations
at date later than that fixed for the
quizzing of the rest of his class. The
result was that the youngster who was
hurt at artillery drill or who had scar
let fever or measles or something
else, was Obliged either to go before
the examiners in ar unprepared con-
dition or to accept leave OF abb
sence for six months which meant
that on his return to the academy he
must join the class next below his
own-in other words, lose a whole
years time and the close companion
ship of the men with whom he had
gone through plebe camp.
Mine Fatalities Numerous.
The bureau of labor has just CON
piled It's statistics of the fatali-
ties In mining operations in the
United States. The work of compila-
ton was one of great difficulty be-
cause Of the fact that no two mir ing
states make statistical reports alike,
and that there are often material dis
crepancies In official returns of the
same state for different years.
Frederick L. Hoffman did the work
of gathering the accounts Of the acct
dents. The number of fatalities in
the coal mines of North America dur
ing the 20-year period ending with
1908 was 29.293, and the rate of deaths
among each 1000 employees was 81
per cent.
In the decade ending with 1906, the
last period which figures from other
coal mining countries are available,
the fatality rate in North America was
far higher than that in any other Inn
portant coal field of the world. The
rate for the United States was 3.13
per 1000 employees. In the United
Kingdom the rate was 1.29 per 1000;
in Austria. 1856; In France, 1.S1. and
in Prussia, 2.13.
Rates In Different Sections.
The full extent of the risk In coal
mining In North America is, however,
not clearly shown Dy these figures for
the coal fields as a whole. but consid-
Grafton must be given to the rates for
each geographical section. These
show that in the east central section,
which comprises Kentucky, Illinois
and Indiana, the fatality rate for the
20 years ending with 1908 was only
2.25 per 1000 employees while in the
western section COLORADO. New Mex
leo and UTAH 1t was GA per 1000, and
In the Pacific coast section wash
ilgton and British Columbia), per
1000. 1t would appear that the va
ration in the fatality rates Is due to
different mining methods and to differ
ences in the coal seams.
The agricultural department is anx-
ious because a mongoose is now known
to be present in the United States.
II there is only one mongoose the dan
ger will not be great, but the fear is
that another may come in or that the
one at present here may find a mate
whose presence in the country is as
yet unknown. There has been a ten
dency to poke fun at the anxiety of
the agricultural department people
lest mongoose or several of them
(nobody knows what the plural of
mongoose isl should get foothold in
the United States, here multiply and
begin to devastate the earth. The
danger a real one, nevertheless. for
tn mongoose is a menace to agricul-
tural life. 1t preys first on rodents
and snakes whose loss can we'll be
sustained, but as soon as the supply
of this food ends it begins killing
ground nesting song birds and game
birds eating their eggs.
Mongoose a Great Peril,
Poultry yards are not safe, and as
the destroying animal multiplies In.
credibly, It is said that whole sections
of the country can be laid waste by
1t in a comparatively short time. for
with the disappearance of the bird life
the insects would increase by the bill
! lions and devour the green things of
earth. Some years ago pair of mon.
| geese or mongooses. or whatever plu-
raj YOU choose. were imported into
a West Indian island. In a short
time some hundred of square miles OF
the island became uninhabitable be
cause of the increase of insect life
due to the killing OF of the birds
which had lived on the pests. The
! -. tNlN for tho dis,