Evening star., 1917-03-18
WHAT THE GOVERNMENT IS DOING

! the fish from the railroad stations to
the waters for which they are destined.
At the time that the experts OF the
| bureau mako a shipment Of fish intend
cd for interior waters they will range
from ! to IN inches in length. being
at that time what are known as finger
| lings. However. the young Of several
species of this class. owing to their
cannibalistic tendencies, cannot be held
to advantage after the absorption Of
the food sac and at that period Of their
growth they are termed fry
| In the distribution Of fish from 1000
to 1.600 averaging one inch in length
arc carried to q ten-gallon can, while
500 dsh two inches long or $50 three
inch hngeriings are given an equal
amount OF 3pace during transportation
Fish intended for applicants are car
rfed to their destinations in specially
equipped railroad cars belonging to the
bureau or In the regular baggage cars
attached to passenger trains. accom-
panied by experienced messengers, who
| are sent for the purpose of aerating
! the water en- route.
The bureaus cars are each equipped
with steam plant water tank and a
refrigerator compartment. the latter
| being OF sufficient capacity to hold
| ton cans Of fish. The air pump forces
air through piping and a connecting
I rubber tube leading to the bottom of
| each can. whence it escapes through por-
| bubbles through tho water. keeping it
pure and fresh. SO that fish may be held
In 1t from week to ten days without
change.
While only about per cent Of the
bureaus total output is applied to the
interior waters of the country, tho
benefits accruing therefrom have been
wioely disseminated. and. with the con-
stanuy increasing cost Of food mate
| rials. this branch of the work is yearly
attaining greater significance
An interesting study has recently
| been completed by officials OF the De.
partment of
Woman Wage Earners Labor into
in Connecticut. '.e oono,..ons
| ing women and girls in the state of
Connecticut. Conditions were observed
| in hotels. laundries. restaurants. candy
| and drug stores. telephone exchanges
| and like employment.
It was particularly noted that the
!aundries and restaurants. hotels and
kindred industries, have been seriously
affected by detection Of labor to other
lndust rfes. notably munition plants.
| and by help leaving for other commu-
mites where better wages were Of
stated. resulted in poor service with
little or no reduction in prices. so that
the ultimate consumer. as well as the
employer, has been forced to bear the
| Inconvenience.
Although women seem to have been
employed for years in the Connecticut
munition plants, the experts did not
ascertain to what extent the number
Many have sought employment there. it
was found. in the hope of receiving
better wages. but it is pointed out that
when averaged up wages during 1915
were not very much above those in
other lines of work.
officials of the department found that
| in Connecticut there were 2,408 women
employed in the laundry industry. of
whom S5.5 per cent were foreign-born.
Only about 2 per cent were found to
be under eighteen years old. while only
8 per cent are eighteen. but under
twenty.
The employees of hotels, restaurants.
dining rooms. lunchrooms, candy and
lunch stores and bakeries were studied
together. Long hours and night work
are the two most Questionable condi-
first affecting many more than the sec
ond. The experts learned that waitress
es and other workers. especially cooks
and kitchen helpers. may be on duty
rs. 80 or even 80 hours a week.
At present there is very little legal
restriction in Connecticut upon night
employment Of women. and women
work at night. not only in hotels and
restaurants, but in factories and in the
telegraph and telephone services. 1t
was found. however. that there is
sentiment against their employment at
night. in hotels and restaurants es-
pecially, and there is a tendency. it is
said. to supersede them gradually by
men as far as possible. The present
l L~1w~ T., 1HI &c
this process. In the factories which
employ women at night the investi-
gators believe that conditions: moral
and sanitary. are well looked after,
and that such work Is rendered as little
harmful as may be.
While the cooperative stores in this
country are relatively unsuccessful. as
compared with typical
m -nn.ro+;v. cooperative stores in
European untries.
otoIeS. tho lack of success is
not due to the failure of the under
living principles of such enterprises to
! hold good in the United States. but to
the business methods generally fol-
lowed in such undertakings in this
country. This conclusion has been
reached as result of a study made
by officials of the Office of markets
and rural organization Of the Depart
ment of Agriculture of more than
sixty cooperative stores. the investl-
CATION having been recently completed.
They found that in the many Ameri-
can cooperative stores which have
failed mismanagement, inadequate ac-
counting and auditing, lack of coop
eration poor business methods and
lack of judgment are responsible.
The results of the survey indicated
that the cooperative store has tended
to bring about lower prices. smaller
margins of profit. more efficient bust.
ness methods and other practices of
Higher figures are quoted frequently
munities in which cooperative stores
exist, because of stimulation of the
local market, it was discovered.
Experts of the department say that
with the application of efficient busi-
ness methods and the education of the
farmer to clear understanding of
the functions of cooperative stores
American cooperative stores may be
made successful. Instances are cited
by the officials of unusual savings and
large dividends TO members of various
ASSOCIATIONS. Such associations pro-
cure capable managers, it is pointed
out, by paying adequate salaries; take
advantage of large-scale purchasing
and cash discounts; maintain proper
accounts and cost records, and watch
stock turnovers. The cooperative
store in general, it is pointed out by