Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1918-02-07
Valley IOWA, THURSDAY FEBRUARY ?, 1918

Tne overseas service Of the Ameri.
can Library association is in opera.
tion. Although space is extremely
valuable aboard transports, they have
been provided witt: bookcases holding
collections Of books which are used
as circulating libraries ON the way
over. The cases are emptied at port
Of debarkation and the books sent to
the men in the field.
AS a means of further increasing the
supply of books among the overseas
forces, the association plans to have
each soldier carry book in his kit,
to be put in circulation when he
reaches the other side.
Secretary Houston Of the depart.
ment of agriculture has set forth the
policy which he thinks should be fol.
lowed in highway construction during
the war:
$50 far as it is practicable to do 60,
this department will urge the main
tenance of the highways already CON
structed: the construction and com.
pletion of those highways which are
vitally important because of their
bearing upon the war situation or for
the movement OF commodities the
postponement of all highway construc-
ton relatively less essential or not
based upon important military or
economic needs. The department is
preparing to suggest to- the state high
way departments the preparation of Il
schedule of work for the federal aid
projects for 1918 in line with this pol
icy"
Road construction and maintenance
in the United States involve an annual
expenditure of about S3OO,OOOO0O.
The department of labor is arrans
ing to bring into the United States
10000 laborers for railroad anu farm
work, from Porto Rico and the Virgin
islands, according to Louis f. Post,
assistant secretary of the department
of labor.
Mr.. Post declares there is no neces-
sity for importing common labor from
Mexico or China. Porto Rico is an
agricultural territory and vet las II
density of population exceeded by only
three states. A considerable surplus
. of workers exists on the island. 1t
can furnish 100000 laborers, and the
Virgin islands can send 10000 more.
Arrangements are being made To
bring over 10000 men as soon as ton
mage is available.
A recent report made By the United
States consul In Tasmania, an island
state of Australia, includes the follow
ing:
THE general scheme for the repatri
alton of returned soldiers contemplatei
placing them upon the land. At Il re-
cent conference between the common
wealth and the state authorities, it
was decided that each state would
have to find the land, while the COM
monwealth government would advance
up to $2.433 to improve the holding of
each returned soldier and to procure
the necessary stock and implements.
In this state 1t was deemed that the
crown lands would prove too difficult
TO improve to attract returned SOL
diers and it was decided to purchase
large estates and divide them up into
small farms and to use the money adj
tanced fbN the commonwealth govern
.lent for buildings. fences and tools.
The money expended by the state in
purchasing the land. as we'll as the
money advanced by the commonwealth
for improvements, is lien upon the
property and must be repaid in small
annual payments. 1t was also decided
by the commonwealth to advance
money to returned soldiers who may
tleslre to rent land. Bills will be in
,roduced into the various parliaments
at once so that this scheme can be
put into operation throughout Aus
tralia."
For purposes Of Operation railroads
of the United States have been placed
in three divisions, as follows:
Eastern Railroads-The railroads III
that portion of the United States north
VI the Ohio and Potomac rivers and
east of Lake Michigan and the In
diana-nlinois state line; also those
railroads in Illinois extending into Il
from points east of the Indiana-Illi.
nois state lima; also the. Chesapeake
& Ohio, the Norfolk & Western, and
the yirglman railways.
Southern Railroads-All railroads
in that portion of the United States
south of the OHIO and Potomac rivers
and east Of the Mississippi river, ex
cept the Chesapeake & Ohio, Norfolt
& Westesne and the virXpisa railways
and aso Mos9 railroad5 IA Illinois ant
Indiana extending into those state
IRON points south of the Ohio river.
Western Railroads@All railroads
not included in the above definitions
and, broadly speaking, all railroads ii
the territory west of Lake Michigan
and of the IndianaIllinois state lin
to the Ohio riyer and west of the Mis-
sissippi river from I'D Ohio rfver t.
the Gulf of Mexico, excepting thos
railroads in Illinois included in east
ern territory and those railroads ii
Illinois and Indiana included in south
ern territory, as above stated.
According to information received il
Washington, butter is selling in Bel
lin at 1925 pound, sugar at Sc cent
pound, ham and bacon at $2.11
| pound. and white SOAP at five bars 70