Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-09-29
WHAT The GOVERNMENT is DOING

kAkyNAAAv ! IN OVAASW
cent, over that Of last year, and the
total weight exceeded 1000. zoo. 900
= dhs k. sTsMsta j.
oates the extent to which It Il appss-
generally.
AS the utility and expedition Of the
service have become better known its
prises, such as mail order houses. de-
partment stores. manufacturing plants
and film exchanges, has EToVn more
general. its benefits have been greatly
extended to the city householder and
to the farmer. 80 that at the present
ton by which producer and consumer
are brought together to their mutual
benefit Thus the high cost OF living
SO keenly felt in the denseiy poPu-
lated centers Ia, to some extent, amel-
iorated by direct dealing with the
nsrs6y .na at the
same time fresh and wholesome COM
modities. Undoubtedly the parcel post
has become an important FACTOR "a
tending to simplify the problem OF
supplying necessaries for the table 60
the average city resident Fhe al "a
to table" feature of the parcel post IS
receiving close attention by officials
of the Post Office Department. and
tho number OF city residents securing
farm products direct 10 said to be In
creasing constantly.
Congress has authorized the depart
ment to conduct experiments in sew
eraI communities to determine the
most practicable means of extenqlns
the operations OF the parcel poq& TO
promote direct marketing OF fafm
products and furthertng direct trans
actions between producers and con-
sumers. and for the purpose OF pur-
suing these experiments and investi-
cations $4,000 was appropriated. The
department made plans and arrange
ments to execute this authority, but
the advent of the United States into
the European war, and the consequent
disturbance of normal conditions with
respect to the supply and demand OF
food, food products and commodities,
rendered it impracticable to undertake
experiments and investigations which
would be productive of authoritative
and reliable data. This viii be under.
taken at the conclusion OF the war. It
is said.
The marked increase in this class of
mail, experts of the department say.
may be attributed to various causes
chief among which are the vide
spread publicity given by tn the c aspafE
with which parcels are handled, due
to the improved facilities. The fact
that this great volume Of mail is be-
ing handled by the postal service
without congestion or delay. and that
ly negligible, is due to the efficiency
of the organization and to the extern
sion of the goyernment-owned auto
mobile service in the larger cities and
the substitution of automobiles TOR
horse-drawn Vehicles in other cities
for use in the delivery and Transport
tation of the mails.
The constantly increasing popular
ity Of the insurance service is evil
depced by the substantial growth in
its patronage. There has been con-
tipual increase which is believed to
indemnifyipg shippers for partial
damage to insured mail. as we'll as to
the hearty cooperation of postmas-
tiers in bringing the insurance feature
of the service into prominence.
When the United States entered the
war there were informed in American
ports ninety=one ships Of
Enemy German registry, of an
ST.: aggregate gross tonnage
o4tRs' of 594,696. These vessels
were at once taken into custody by
customhouse officials for safekeeping
and for the protection of navigation.
At the direction Of the President the
United States Shipping Beard took
the task of repairing these vessels
and making them ready for service.
Funds for this purpose were allotted
out of the national security and de-
Tense fund.
BY a joint resolution of Congress
the President was given formal au-
thority to take possession and title
to all vessels within the jurisdiction
of the United States which were
under enemy ownership or registry
risdiction and to operate, lease, charter
and equip them for the service or COM
merce of the United States. The Pres
ident conferred on the shipping board
authority to act under the resolution,
and the necessary steps were taken
by formal seizure to confirm posses-
sion of the vessels, an order under the
boards official seal in every instance
being affixed. to the vessel and due
return thereof made under oath. This
Is an interesting side of the task of
the shipping board that has not been
very generally understood.
This legislation authorizing the
seizure of enemy ships was grounded
upon the constitutional power of
Congress to provide for the forfeiture
the outbreak of hostilities. No ques-
ton of compensation to enemy
owners could therefore arise and no
moneys have been appropriated OF
paid out on account Of such seizures.
The resolution provided, however,
h IL
by board of survey to be appointed
by the Secretary Of the Navy, whose
findings should be considered as COM
petent evidence in all proceedings on
any claim for compensation.
One OF the interesting problems that
the experts of the bureau of stand
ards are now working
Electricity on is study of the life
us- hazard in electrical prac-
AaAaFds. tics and in the nrenara-
ton of the national electrical safety
code. In this work the bureau experts
have had the cooperation and assist
ance of a large number of engineers.
many of whom are connected with the
electrical operating and manufactur-
ing companies. others being engineers
and inspectors of state commissions
and municipalities.
The Importance of having a national
code uniform in all the states is real
lied by those who are making the
study Of the situation to be quite as
great for accident-pFeventien rules
as for hre-preventien rules, and the
advantage of having such a code pre-
pared and presented by a national
agency that can study the subject