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About The Athena press. (Athena, Umatilla County, Or.) 18??-1942 | View Entire Issue (Nov. 4, 1910)
LARGE DUCTOR BILL Uncle Sam's Financial Diagnosis Is Costly. Business 8urgeom Amputating Anti quated Methods In Effort to Re duce Expenses Safeguarding the Treasury. Washington. Uncle Sam has 8 mil lion dollars In doctor bills and his case Is not yet fully dlgnosed. With scores of business doctors at work on every one of his financial arteries; . professional and amateur diagnos ticians hammering away at his body it is Indeed a busy time for poor old Uncle Sam, who has been accused of being $300,000,000 too corpulent and of living a most riotously expensive life. In practically every branch of the government organization, business doctors are working in the attempt to discover surplus tissue, to clean out useless and aged material, and to train Uncle Sam down to a condition that will satisfy the people. For several months there has been such activity among the official records and operating systems of the great departments of the government as has not been known since federal business affairs were first set in mo tion. Treasury systems which have been faithfully "reformed" with every new treasury administration are be ing completely made over. The next administration may raise the same cry of "antiquated methods," but Uncle Sam will at least have a complete new outfit of clothes and a full stock of modern remedies before this con sultation of business physicians and surgeons is finished. "How much does It cost?" and "How much can be saved?" are the trie alarm, so sensitive that the slight est touch of the hand will sound warning at the office of the guards and In the police stations of the city of Washington. A signal, long contin ued, would suffice to bring out the troops at Fort Myer, three miles away. Besides these mechanical safeguards there is a large force of men engaged in watching the treasury. The secre tary himself could not get into his own room after office, hours unless by the authority of the captain of the watch, to whom all the ordinary keys of the building are turned over at the close of the business day. The vaults 4 1 1 - ' Charles D. Norton. queries being propounded In every branch of the government service. To answer them, business experts have given the treasury department an overhauling that has already cost over 450,000, and will cost a great deal more. The president has been given $100, 000 for the sole purpose of hiring ex pert business investigators to outline economy systems. The postofflce de partment has conducted a minute in quiry Into the cost of every branch of the postal service. The working ca pacity of every clerk in some of the departments at Washington has been accurately measured and filed away. The navy department Is spending elose to $50,000 to reorganize business methods and cost systems at the ndvy yards and stations. The government printing office spent over $100,000 for a business system. The interior de partment is carrying out extensive plans of reorganization based on a $20,000 doctor bill. And Anally congress is holding up Its sleeve, all ready to bring It Into action when the time is propitious, the legislative Investigation of the government service, which will cost fully $300,000 simply to determine ."where we are at." Almost all of these inquiries are producing results of one kind or another, but they can not keep the government expenses from climbing steadily unward. With the advent of Charles Dyer Norton as assistant secretary of the treasury, (now secretary to President Taft) the business of the business doctors 'looked up" in that depart ment. Mr, Norton had been raised in the midst of system, modern methods were to him as marbles to the small boy. Experts came Into the treasury building and literally tore that oft reformed department to pieces. The east side of the building must be remodeled, and the high steps pulled down, because the business ex perts say It stands In the way of economical progress. The ground floor must be turned Into a typical banking floor, with the money-handling opera tions concentrated there. The business doctors have been re morseless In their demands. A mill ion dollars spent In securing a diag nosis and the suggestion of remedies must bring many radical recommen dations for the cutting off of branches of the government service and the performance of other distasteful operations. An Expert Currency Counter. (Copyright, by Waldon Fawcett) aTe protected by the most ingenious of time locks. The paper money of the government is brought in Iron-bound chests, locked and sealed, from the bureau of engrav ing and printing. They are delivered at the cash room to the chief of the division of issue in sheets of four bills each. They are complete with signa ture and number, except for the seal, which Is printed upon them with power presses In a small apartment under the cash room. These presses are operated by two persons, usually a pressman and a woman, who acts as feeder or assist ant. When the seal has been Imprint ed upon the bills they are counted au tomatically, bound In packages of equal number by bands of paper, marked, signed by the persons who have handled them, and passed into an adjoining room, where the sheets are cut, and the bills are recounted and inspected, In order that the im perfect ones may be thrown out The next step is to bind them into pack ages of equal amounts and to take them to the drying vault, to lie upon the shelves for several weeks until the ink shall become perfectly dry. The utmost ingenuity Is exercised to surround these transactions with every possible safeguard. The chief of the division is enabled to tell which of his many subordinates have touched the different bills in the vaults; he knows who received them, who printed the Pretty Place Cards 1Z1 INNER cards, or place cards, are Just as much a part of the table decora tions nowadays as the flowers on the table. They are modern institutions. but answer the purpose admirably. giving each guest his place in a de lightful way and disposing of the diners according to a prearranged plan of the hostess. The sketches given are suggestions for little place cards, which can be traced through carbon paper upon white cardboard and Inked in. The outlines are arranged so that the de signs are a continuation of the card upon which you will write the name of each guest. Any dotted lines in dicate that the cardboard should be bent at that place. When the additional strip at the top is placed at the top, a hanging card Is the result, to be suspended from the rim of a glass at the plate. Colors nee . not be strictly true to nature, the selection of shades de pending largely upon the color acheme of the table decorations. The daisy wreath is quite effective when merely outlined in Ink, with the yellow centers and green bands turning through. This flower can be ' " 1 I 1 S "Vi $ v j if-. rV- " - J . " i - SAFEGUARDING THE TREASURY. Wonder frequently has been ex pressed by those visiting the treasury building, where millions of dollars In gold and silver coins, besides paper money and other evidences of valu, are stored, that the strong box of Uncle Sam has never been robbed. The answer la that the treasury Is guarded night and day by both men and the most modern mechanism. Every vault Is connected with an eloc- One of the Money Vaults. (Copyright, by Waldon Fawcett.) seal, who wrapped and cut them, for every package Is numbered and Its history Is recorded in books. It Is said this system of checks Is so perfect that were a bill missing the fact would be known In loss than 20 minutes. NEW SURVEYING PLAN. A departure in the survey of public domain was inaugurated with the be ginning of the fiscal year. The work will now be performed by surveyors employed by the general land office Instead of through the contract sys tem. Land Commissioner Dennett be lieves that the change will effect an enormous saving of time. For several years the land office has been endeavoring to obtain authority from congress to do Its own surveying. Permission had been refused until the session Just closed, when $800,000 was appropriated for the work. This was an Increase of $375,000 over last year. Under the old system, after the con tractor had made his surrey, It had to be inspected by an examiner of the land office. It was never less than two years, and often three and four years, before the work was accepted and tho land made available to entry. Under the new plan of employing the surveyors the delays previously en countered, it is said, wil be obliterated. Two supervising surveyors will be placed in the field and will examine the work constantly as it progresses. As soon as practicable the surveyors will be appointed by civil service ex aminations. This cannot be done Im mediately, as the system must first be installed and placed upon a working baaif i COMFORT ON .THE VERANDA Furnishings That Are Just Now High In Favor With the Leading - Decorators. For the ideal veranda the decora tors are now recommending Windsor chairs, armchairs and settees and French fibre rugs, which come in brown and green in very charming colorings. The Windsor chairs are to be had in the original at very moderate prices considering their age and in very good reproductions at even more reasonable rates, The French fibre rugs which have proved so very satisfactory for veranda use are made from grape vine fibre by the French peasants. They are very durable. There are also the Celtic rugs, which come from Scot land and are in a variety of colors, most of which are decidedly vivid. . The veranda tea table which is sup posed to harmonize most admirably with the Windsor chairs is the Jaco bean round table, which, although very expensive in the antique, is to be found in creditable reproductions. Then t6r the lighting of' this quaintly furnished veranda there are wonderful lanterns of frosted glass and brass. These in the original are rare and correspondingly expensive, some of them costing several hundred dollars apiece. There are, of course, many varieties of lanterns which even among the genuinely old are quite Inexpensive. Novel Finish to Gown. A novel finish to a gown seen re cently consisted of a fine white lawn frill taken down the left side of a waist in delicate mauve and from shoulder to wrist through the upper part of the sleeves. The edges were first cut in large shallow scallops only a little more than a ripple and piped with a darker shade, of mauve. Then the frills were set on and held down at intervals with mauvo cord loops parsing over buttons of the same color covered with crochet The skirt waa of the same shade as the waist and the finish a black satin belt and cravat to match. New Turnover Collar. A new idea in collars is the turn over in white linen, striped with a color am' decorated with a simple em broidery worked in cotton the shade of the stripe. The edge Is buttonhole scalloped and above it the design' may be simple eyelets or a scroll. Another improvement seen in linen collars mat are 10 oe ciosea wita a brooch is the tiny eyelet worked on the ends through which the pin is passed. This saves forcing it through the stiffly starched linen and. of course, the collar will last much longer for not being pierced in a num ber f places. turned into a ragged robin with a few strokes of your brush dipped in blue paint, or pink asters if you pre fer. '.,.:.-.. For the farewell lunch to a bride the heart-shaped card is appro priate. You will notice that the spray of lilies touches at one side. The intervening space need not be cut out, for the white card on the table cloth is not noticeable. The leaves should be colored a pale green and the delicate bells Just outlined with black and tinted yellow to secure the best effect Another hanging basket for the dinner table is shown with the upper extension, which should be bent over and used for the little shelf. Yellow for the basket and any color for the flowers, or a variety of pale shades if It suits you. : Last of all, the rose, which you will color to suit your own ideas. Cut out the form and place on the table at each plate. " Do not forget the names, of course, But suppose that you do not give dinners or luncheons? Well, did it ever strike you of the facile brush that other people do? And that pin money earned by filling orders la Just as good as any other kind? - DESIGNED FOR YOUNG GIRL 8lmple Little Dress In Which 8mall Maiden Would Be 8ure to Look Her Best. This simple little dress is in nat ural colored Shantung, and has the skirt made with a yoke pointed In front and laid over the lower ; part, which is pleated. Three tucks are made each side of front, the inner one stitched to waist and the other two as far as bust; a round yoke is made of piece lace; below this wide braid is arranged in a simple pattern; this also trims the sleeves at wrist Straw hat trimmed with flowers and ribbon. Materials required: 8 yards Shan tung 34 Inches wide, yard lace, 111 yards braid. Curtain Shrinkage. In making curtains of Swiss or any other material that will shrink, buy a half yard more than the desired length. When making the heading to put the rod through turn the extra length over on the front of the cur tain, hem with a narrow hem. When gathered on the rod it makes a val ence ruffle which is attractive. When the curtains are washed let out the heading, and If there is any shrinkage the extra length may be used to tangthen the curtain . RAISING HIGH GRADE SEEDS Crops of 8weet Corn, Garden Peas and Beans of Good Quality Always In PemantV There Is profit In raising high gradfe seed. Seed crops of sweet corn, gar den peas and beans of good quality are in ever-increasing demand, and the quantity needed yearly has become so large that the seedman is obliged to have tne major portion of his stock grown for him by others. - Within the past few years there has been an enormous increase In the quantity of seeds produced for com mercial purposes. This has been due in large measure to the development of seed growing and handling as a business. There are now nearly one thousand seed firms doing business in the United States. One of the largest of these uses buildings with an aggre gate floor space of more than 16 acres. This space is much larger than was occupied by the entire seed trade of the country only fifty years ago. The quality also has vastly improved. One of the most encouraging de velopments in the growing of garden vegetables is the increasing recogni tion of the practical importance of using pure and uniform stocks of seed whose varietal characteristics' adapt them to distinct local conditions and market requirements. Another con sideration is the fact that the growing of seed crops of these vegetables can be undertaken without any radical change in farm equipment These conditions make this Industry well worth the attention of farmers who are located where soli and climatic conditions are favorable for the best development of such seeds. However, the raising of these vege tables for seed crops is not recom mended for all circumstances, even when soil and climate are suitable. The farmer who contemplates under taking seed crop farming will do well to consider thoroughly the many ele ments which enter into profits. Seeds men are often able to place contracts for growing seeds at very low prices- even lower than that at which grain of these same species can be sold on the market Such a condition might be due to any of several causes, but usually rests on an oversupply or a demand for an inferior product HOW TO GROW BLACKBERRIES Most Important Faotor for 8uccess Is Moist 8oll to Carry Plant Through 8eason. (By TV. HANSON.) ' The most Important thing in grow ing blackberries successfully is moist soil, not one In which water will stand, but one rich enough, in humus to hold sufficient moisture to carry the plant through the growing season. ! I find that the best results will be obtained if the blackberry bushes are planted in the fall, in October or No vember, setting the ' smaller growing kinds 4x7 feet apart and the larger varieties 6x8 feet apart' Thorough cultivation throughout the season will help in a material degree to ho.d the moisture necessary to per fect a good crop. The soil should be cultivated very shallow, so as not to disturb the roots of the plants. Breaking the roots starts a large number of suckers which have to be cut out and de stroyed. Blackberries, like dewberries and raspberries, bear but one crop on the cane. That Is, canes which spring up one year, bear the next year. From three to six canes are suf ficient to be kept in each hill. The superfluous ones must be thinned out as soon as they start from the ground. The old canes should be cut off soon after fruiting and burned. The new shoots must" be pinched back at the height pf two or .three feet if the plants are to support them selves. ; ' I If they are to be fastened to wires, the canes may be allowed to grow through the season and be cut back when tied to the wires in the winter or early spring. ' -'i ' Harvesting Onion Crop." Early In September when the tops begin to die the onions can be pulled and laid in wind-rows. The most satis factory method, is to straddle one row and pull three at a time, laying the three rows into one, with the bottoms all the same way. After they have thoroughly dried the tops can be easily removed either by breaking off by band or by using a small knife or pair of sheep shears. Toppy 40 bushels a day Is a little better than an average boy can do. This completes the opera tion of growing, and the next thing to think of is selling, which will not be difficult unless too many onion patches are started in the same neighborhood. Grain for Chickens. Toward the close of the molting sea son the chickens should have good fresh feeds of wheat or oats to supply material for maturing the new crop of feathers. It does not pay to starve chickens at this period, for it requires a great amount of food material to make the feathers. If the chickens do not have enough to eat they will grow thin and weak and it will be a ong time before they begin laying. Gasoline Engine Makes a Hit The little gasoline cumninr ena-fn la makinc a hit with the stock rm. era during these hot windless days. Pumping water by hand Is relegated to the past, when farming was all work and do play. ttraa of hidden teeajstjbji Two Fruitless. Trlita Have Jfot Dla - eouraared California - Men. Major W. A. Desborough, who has made two trips to find a reputed buried treasure on Cocoa ieland, In the Pacific, off the coast of Central America, wil make another attempt within a few weeks, and he hopes the third tlmi will prove the charm. His first trip was made twelve yean ago, but mutiny in his crew compelled him to give up the search, although he proved the correctness of his draw-, ings and maps at that time. Last summer he made another trip, sailing from Los Angeles in the yacht Ramona, the Express of that oity says, but heavy tni continuous rains and the lack of power to operate machin ery prevented him from making suffi cient excavations. This time the local lty was considerably changed from what it was twelve years ago. Cooos island is famous as a pirates retreat, and others besides Major Des borough have searched it for hidden plunder. The particular treasure for which Major Desborough is searching is sup posed to have been taken from Peru in the middle of the last century and burled on the island by Capt John Keating, who died soon afterward. Since his last trip, Major Desborough has met a man in New Orleans who visited the island ten years ago in company with a son-in-law of Captain Keating. They had maps and draw ings which appeared correct but indi cated that considerable excavation would be necessary. Heating's son-in-law' was an old man then, and he turned over the maps to the New Or leans man, but the latter has never tried to find the treasure. He gave cop ies of the maps and details to Major Desborough. Tradition says there is $60,000,000 worth of pirates' loot burled on the Island, but the particular treasure sought by Desborough is $17,000,000 In gold bullion. He says that since hit visit twelve years ago there appears to have been a great deal of blastlnj in the vicinity of one deposit, as the hillsides are changed and the creek bed altered. : ' Where the bullion is supposed to be burled, however, there appears to have been only the change of formation due to the rainfall, which sometimes amounts to an inch an hour, making work difficult. ' Major Deeboroughi has had sevural offers both from New York and on this coast to finance another expedition, " whloh he estimates will cost about $20f 000, and he is now looking for a eteamer of about 800 tons to make the rip. FASHION. HINTS If you want the very newest thing in a white lingerie dress, trim yours with black. It may be cliiffon, lace or rib bon, as long as it is black. The dress in the sketch is trimmed with a deep flouncing of Brussels applique on the skirt, and touches of the same on the waist. , 1'oaat to tne f iiocr nut, Here's to the maid who can handle the rod. Who can throw a long line with haokle; . May she land with a "swish" most any old fish That gets In the way of her tackle. Boston Herald. Name, Sirl A Swede entered a noatoffica In the northwest and inquired: . "Ban any letters for me to-day?" "What name, please?" "Ay tank de name is on de letter"- Everybody's Magazine. '. Booked. Mrs. Newlywed The nlzht flu hm. posed you acted like a fish out of water. Mr. Newlywed I was. and mr cleverly landed- too. Puck. Q U A L I T Y w Mr. . fx Y mm jj