The Ely miner., 1915-12-31
FOR PREVENTION
OF SCHOOL FIRES
STATE FIRE MARSHAL ISSUES
PAMPHLET CONTAINING Ex- '
HAUSTIvE SET OF RULES.
EVENTS AT STATE CAPITOL
Interesting and Important Happeninss
Of the Past Few Days Selected
and Arranged for the conven-
ience of Busy Readers.

Prompted by the number of fires in
schoolhouses in Minnesota in the last
two years, Robert W. Hargardine,
state fire marshal, has issued in PAM
phlet form an exhaustive set of rules
for fire prevention and for fire drills
for the guidance of school boards,
principals and teachers" For fire
prevention he suggests adequate
means OF signaling, fireproof stair
ways, plenty of easy exists opening
outward, fireproof boilerrooms in de-
tached buildings wherever possible,
extreme care in the storage of sup
plies, secured seats in auditoriums,
fireproof fuel rooms, chutes and
shafts There are 60 suggestions un.
der this heading.
In the matter of fire signals, drills
and apparatus the fire marshal says
there should be drill at least every
two weeks under varying conditions
to meet possible emergencies. Jani-
tors and attendants, he says, should
be assigned specific duties, and cards
OF instruction should be posted for
employees, teachers and pupils.
LOSS O. life in crowded buildings"
says the fire marshal, almost invari.
ably comes from lack of control. Run.
ming, especially on the stairs, in,
creases liability to falls and to i'm.
pairments Of teachers command OF
the class"
Special provisions should be made,
the marshal says, for inspection OF
each floor to see that no persons are
left in the building and to care for
children physically incapacitated. II
Is urged that no infammable scrap
be allowed TO accumulate.
X X X
Quack Grass is Worst Pest.
Quack grass, declared Minnesotas
most serious weed pest. is the subject
of bulletin just issued by the uni.
versity's agricultural experiment sta.
ton in which the menace of quack
grass and methods of eradication are
considered.
This weed is said to be q more or
less serious pest throughout the
Northwest. "In Southern and Central
! Minnesota" the bulletin states, "quack
grass has established itself so thor
oughly that i'm some instances farms
have been abandoned to it. In North.
ern Minnesota it is already SO widely
distributed that time only is needed
to make the occupation of waste
places and poorly cultivated fields com.
plete. The heavy black soil of the
Red River valley is ideal for the
growth of Guack grass, and the all.
grain systems of farming, still too
prevalent there, make prevention OF
spread difficult and eradication almost
impossible after the weed is once well
established. Every effort should be
made to prevent its spread in ths
state and to keep it out or uninfest.
ed territory. In order to do this it is
necessary to know both the plan;
and it's seed. for upon such knowa
edge methods Of eradication are
based.
Appoints Board Members.
Governor Hammond has announced
six appointments on as many state
boards, all to be effective at once. All
of the selections are reaEpointments
and are for five-year terms. Those
named are: State Board of Electricity,
A. w. Lindgren, Duluth. Board of
Directors of the Minnesota Schools
for the Deaf and Blind, r. H. Dart.
Litchfield. State Live Stock Sanitary
board, DR.. G. E. Cotton, Minneapolis.
State Board of Osteopathy, DR.. Arthur
Taylor, Northfield. Advisory commits.
sion of the State Sanitorium for Con-
sumptives, DR.. C. F. McComb, Duluth.
State veterinary examining board, l..
Hay, Northfield.
X X X
Represents "U" at Congress.
DR.. Solon J. Buck, secretary of the
Minnesota Historical society, will rep.
resent Minnesota at the annual meet
ing Of the American Historical asso-
citation in Washington this week. DR..
Buck also will attend the sessions Of
the Pan-American congress as delegate
from the University of Minnesota.
X X X
Explains Rise in Death Rate.
Gradual rise in the death rate in
Minnesota the last three years, as
reported by the census bureau, is at
tributable to the fact that the popula-
tion of the state is becoming more
stable, less affected by influx of young
persons from other states and coun-
tries, according to DR.. H. M. Bracken,
secretary of the State Board of
Health.
Funds for Farm Societies.
State Auditor Preus has started the
distribution of $4,000 to the county
agricultural societies in the state. This
amount was appropriated by the last
legislature and is $4,000 less than was
appropriated two years ago. In all, 96
societies will participate with limit
of 81 500 to each. The total cash pre-
miums paid out by these societies last
year was $115,199 and the pro rata
share of each will be about 1877 per
cent of the total amount each is en-
titled to- The highest paid any socie-
ty is $1,108.
\ 4 4 4
Building Ra.d Fire Hazard.
In a report just made public r. w.
Hargardine, State Fire Marshal, has
indicated he might order the Bethel
4 GA