The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1920-07-29

| the summer months TO induce move
ment of that commodity and higher
rate In the winter months.
Seasonal Coal Rates.
On the recommendation of Chair
man Edgar +. Clark of the commits
sion and the other members also. a
subcommittee of the senate commit
tee on Interstate and foreign COM
merce, the chairman of which is Sen
ator Frelinghuysen of New Jersey, re-
ported favorably a bill establishing
seasonal coal rates. This bill and the
report of the committee are now be-
fore the whole committee and will be
brought up for consideration when
congress reconveneS.
Widespread opposition developed TO
the proposed legislation among coal
operators, coal dealers and commercial
organizations. The opposing interests
cannot see that the proposed legsla-
ton would accomplish the desired re-
Sult-that of inducing the movement
and storage of coal in the summer
months so that d minimum of coal
would have to be transported in the
winter months.
In the opinion of George Otis Smith,
director of the United States Geolog-
ical Survey, to allow present condi-
tonS in the coal industry to continue
will be to invite Industrial paralysis.
THE seasonal fluctuation in coal out
put comes from a seasonal tluctuation
in demand" he says. The consumer
must be hitched on 70 the problem OF
giving the mines more orders for the
spring and early months and of reliev
ing both mines and railroads OF their
extra heavy burden in the fall and
winter months, In a normal year the
country over this seasonal inequality
of demand calls for 80 per cent to 60
per cent more coal being mined in
November, the peak load month, than
in April, the usual month of greatest
slump in mine operation. Uneven de-
mand thus requires more mines and
more miners, both working a rs per
cent year, and conditions of unequal
seasonal demand are also bad for the
railroad, especially when combined
with crop movements and winter in
reference with traffic"
Figures compiled by the Geological
Survey disclose that the entire world
is suffering from reduced production
of coal and that the production of
1919 dropped back to the level of
1910 The total output of coal of all
kinds In 1919, preliminary estimates
show, was ,290,000,000 net tons.
Menace to Rural Life.
How to keep the women down on
the farm is the subject of special in
quiry that is being made by the depart
ment of agriculture.
Already the survey of the farm
home has been made in SO states In
the North and West, and the deduc-
ton made from it by department spe-
cialiSts is that waste of woman power
is one of the greatest menaces to the
lui al Ilt VI lilt Ildtlbil
Records covering more than 10000
farm homes, averaged by taking typi-
cal communities of the county In
which the survey was made, have al
ready been tabulated by the depart
ment Much of the information was
gathered personally by home demon
stratiOn agents.
Admittedly, the survey thus far
shows only the dark side of the farm
life of a woman. 1t does not consider
the many cOmpenSations that come
with the woman's daily round of work
for the comfort of the family, and any
one who has experienced the satisfac-
tion of living in the open country
knows that the average farm woman
Is more fortunately placed than her
average city sister, the department
says.
But what Is to he done?
Miss Florence f. Ward, in charge of
the extension work of the department
of agriculture under whose direction
the survey was made, answers the
question.
Benefits From Conveniences.
1.-THE interest of the department Of
agriculture in the returns from these
studies as to labor, working equipment
and compensation of the farm wom-
an" says Miss Ward "are as practi-
cal as its interest in farm studies re-
garding labor, machinery and crop re-
turns for the same general reasons.
1.-THE farm woman's working hours
might be shortened, If the principles
of modern business were applied to
the farm home. Running water In
the home for the - out of every
100 that must carry 1t into the
house would tighten the womans la
Dor and add to her comfort Labor
were as well equipped as the up-to-
date barn, which the farmer looks
upon as so much currency with which
to buy efficiency.
THE installation of modern light
ing systems would release some Of the
women in 10 per cent of the homes
where kerosene lamps are still used,
and the installation of heating sys-
TENS would release some of the time
Of the "a per cent who care for coal or
wood stoves.
"Forty- eight per cent of the farms
are showed by the survey to have
power for operating farm machinery.
but only % per cent have this ad-
vantage for the home, That is a
Gin n,aInr fnSut r.hnn .rn nnnc Ilor thnt