190 



ARBORICULTURE 



inches oat of plum with the weight of 

 the repair linemen, yet return to upright 

 position on being relieved of the weight. 



The action of the wind, therefore, in 

 storm does not break the concrete poles, 

 as it often does the best wooden poles. 



It is more than probable that this 

 material will be used in the future for 

 all the company's telegraph poles. 



CONCRETE FOR RAILWAY SLEEPERS 



Numerous plans and patented appli- 

 ances have been prepared, in hopes of 

 securing a cross-tie of concrete, and 

 some isolated experiments have been 

 made with such materials, but so far 

 nothing definite has been proven. 



One tie set between other ties of oak, 

 and the rails being mainly supported by 

 the wood, may last for several years, 

 but there is probably no engineer who 

 would risk his reputation and the lives 

 of the traveling public together with the 

 risk of property loss for his company, by 

 constructing a railway upon a foundation 

 so inapt as concrete sleepers, no matter 

 how reinforced, where the blows of a 

 heavy freight train as it swerves from 

 side to side with incredible force, could 

 not fail to crush and fracture the ties 

 by concussion. 



The one sleeper which was sent to the 

 Louisiana Purchase Exposition, although 

 not finally placed on exhibition, demon- 

 strated the inaptitude of such fragile 

 material for so important a foundation. 

 This cross-tie came by express, weighed 

 300 pounds, and was broken in transit. 

 Its cost was not ascertained. 



Where wooden ties may be grown in 

 less than two decades, at a cost of ten 

 cents each, and which will endure for 

 three decades, it is folly to consider con- 

 crete for such purposes. 



Wood is a natural material for railway 

 sleepers, is the cheapest material known 

 for the purpose, as well as the most 

 enduring, provided the right kind of 

 wood is used. 



on second-class matter; that is, pound 

 rates for newspapers and various pub- 

 lications. 



Arboriculture believes the present 

 rate, one cent per pound, to be somewhat 

 too low; one and a half or two cents per 

 pound would not be excessive, and 

 should not be objected to by publishers. 



If there could be proper discrimina- 

 tion between honest, well-intentioned 

 journalism and the innumerable periodi- 

 cals of a vicious character, whose sole 

 object is to circulate catch-penny adver- 

 tisements, often vile and degrading, it 

 would result in great good to the public 

 and of real benefit to correct journals, 

 and this alone would go far toward reduc- 

 ing the annual deficit in postal revenues. 



Undoubtedly the real cause of the very 

 large deficits is the close proximity of 

 the Bureau of Printing and Engraving, 

 with the Capitol at Washington. 



In other words, the quantity of useless 

 matter printed at government expense, 

 which is never read, and often finds its 

 way to the paper mills, exceeds the 

 knowledge of the general public. 



There are very few of the costly books, 

 reports, etc., turned out by the govern- 

 ment printing ofiice which possess any 

 merit worth the cost of publication. 

 Yet these by the thousand tons weigh 

 down the postal cars, pay no revenue, 

 and create a deficit in postal revenues, 

 increasing each year. 



Let congress pare down these govern- 

 ment publications, stop the free seed 

 abuse, and the public mail matter will 

 keep the revenues up to the proper 

 standard. 



Second-Class Mail Matter 



We are in receipt of several communi- 

 cations asking our cooperation in efforts 

 to prevent any change in the postal rates 



An Alleged Lumber Trust 



Interstate Commerce Commission Will be 

 Asked to Investigate the Case 



United States District Attorney Robert T. Devlin 

 has decided to forward to Washington the evidence 

 presented before the federal grand jury during 

 the investigation into the acts of the alleged San 

 Francisco lumber trust. This evidence, according 

 to Devlin, implicates Oregon and Washington 

 lumbermen as well as local members of the alleged 

 unlawful combination. The trust is therefore an 

 interstate organization and the further investiga- 

 tion will be conducted from Washington. — San 

 Francisco. Nov. 2, 1906. 



