USVI Public Records

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head of water should be applied in a fur- row as can be without washing the soil 80 us tn make the run in the shortest pos- sible time with a view to preventing waste by deep percolation. More intensive cul- tivation than is now practiced on the Is- land should be done where poessible after each irrization in order to form a dust mulch which greatly reduces soil evapor- ation, and also to keep' down ‘the weeds which utiliz2 a large amount of soil mois- ture through plant transpiration. 48. By the adoption of such efficient methods of irrigation and cultivation, and also by the application of artificial fertilizer which can be used to advantage with irrigation, it is believed that good results can be secured with the net duty as here adop‘ed and that :he irrigation and distribution losses will not exceed 25% of the amount diverted from the ie- servoir. . RESERVOIR ]OSSES 49 Bvaporation: Good evaporation data are available at St. Croix from a datly record kept at the Government experi- mental farm for the years, 1919 to 1923,- See T:ble 7. This record is of a standard exposed land pan, the pan being elevated £ om the grouud sv as to permlt full cir- ¢ lation of air beneath it. ‘Lhis record g ows a mean annual pan_evapora'ion of 7¢ inches, aud for the purpose of this re- port it is estimated that the annual evap- oration from the reservoirs will be 7677 of this, or 58 inches. . School Shows Gain In Virgin Islands. EDUCATION MORE COSTLY UNDER AMERICAN THAN UNDER DANISH RULE. PurliLs ATTEND REGULARLY. Health Os Children Cared For By Navy Surgeons And Dentists. Washington, May 20.—The provisions made bv Uncle Sam to educate his wards in the Virgin Islands are shown in a re- c:nt report outliningz the activities of the Department of Education of the is- lands. In the year (1916-17) of Danish ruie the educational budget was sl6 932; in 1917 18; the year in which the islands were taken over by the United States, it was $19.506 and in 1923 24, $104,282 was provided. Enrollment ofpupils in this perind has increased from 2,455 to 2947. The average daily attendance in 1922-23. 98 42 per cent., the report points out, is believed to ba the highest for the number of pupils enrolled to be found anywhere under the American flag. It is the current opinion’’, says the re- port, ‘‘that the publir school system of the Virgin Islands is the b2st in the West Indies and certainly compar2s very fa- vorably with the public school systems of our Southern States. ~ The #choo! ST CROIX 20058~ equiprient is-ample and adequate; the schosl buildings.are roomy, wel venti- lated and well cared for; the teachers are ccmpetent and of pleasing appear- ance, and the pupils on the whole are well-d-essed, appzar well advancad in their vvork and no sign of malnutrition was in evidence among them."’ There are -29 .schools oun tne isiands, divided -as follows : Publie, 17; private, 8; parcghial, 4. Cours2s in sewing, co¢- ing and woodwogsing are offered in the public school, and much emphasis is be- ing pleced on mecharical arts, home eco- nomics and practical agriculture. Agri- culture is now being taught for the first time, and the resuits are said to be gra tifying. Music i 8 a prescribed subject in all schools of the islands, and specially trained¢ teachers are employed tc take charge of this work. School orchostras have b2en organized in the three unior high schools, the Instruments haviog been donated by the American Red Cross. she entirecourse in musical instruction is under the superwvision of a bandmas- ter of the United States Navy and seven competent instructors. There are 197 teachers in the entire school system, anil of these 101, or 94 per cent, are cuiored, *‘fhe school mirsing service, which was established three vears ago by the American Re! Cross with the assistanee of the local Government,”” suys the re- port, '‘has devcloped into one of the most important featuresijof the school pro- gram. More than 10,00 treatm :nts have been given to the children by the nurses each year. A schoul health ceuteris maintaued in each of the three towns. Navy Doctors HELP. ' “*Due to the spiendid cooperation of the pavy doctors conaecied with the Depart- mant of Health, physizal defeets found are immediately treated and physical ¢x- amination are conddcted eacn vear for all school ¢hildren., These examin2tions are thorough, and compare favourably with those given to recruiis. A munici- pal dewntist is employed in each health center, w o gives free dental treatment to a!l school children. A merked fm provemsznt in the condition of teeth has been revealed by the comparison of the defects tound in the yearly physical eXx- aminati n.— Baltimwre S, May 20th. . TELEGRAMS. ST. CROIX STATION. T.ondon, Juse -Ilth—Urited Press. A statement made by Mr. MacDonald that he will eadeavour to create betier machinery forth. eonduct of the Fo-eign Relatious of the British kmpire,is still the subject of much comment'in the News- papers and the Premier is urged to fulfill the promise made. The ''‘Birminzham Gazette’’ in discus.iog this guestion. be- _ lieves “that Mr. MacKenzie King caims more than Mr. MacDorald contemplated ~in hig last speech and. the question is bound to conie up agaip in the Commons, probably in a fu'l dress debate- The Times coacludes that the discussion, so far, on -imperial - relations,- has not brought a solution &f the problem near- er. While admitting that Mr. MacKenzie King’s position is difficult owing to the fact that <ertun parts of the cor respoddence have been withheld {rom publication : at - the -request of the Imperial Government, yer it ain tains that Mv. King's duty 1s to. sct forth clearly-his own ideas as to_how a solution’ of the guestion could be at- tgin2d. The “'Express’”” recalling the serviees of-Canada to the Empire dur- ing the war, regrets sincerely the blund- ers and the slight of the Dominion, which made Mr. King’s speech possible. London, June 13th.—The Manchester Cup run at Manchester today resulted as follows. Chosroes Ist, Marvex 2nd, Puttenden 3rd. Marietta Ohio, June 12th.--Brig. (General Charies Dawes tonight accept- ed nomination tor the Vice-Presidency. Tokio, June Ilth.-~Viscount Ishi, why negotiated the Lansingishie agrec- ment, is to succeed Masanao Hanthara a3 Ambassador to tha United States it is indicated on reliable a:athority. Paris, June lith.-——A secret pact Is. ready to b 2 signed by Tokio and Mos. cow, whereby Japan will furnish Ruse sia with heavy artillery and warships,” that it would be forced otherwise to s:rap under the Washington tonnage ritio, in exchange for the Soviets ced- ing the Sakhalien oil rights to assure a supply for the Japanese navy, according to the well informed newspaper ‘‘San- fiae’". ape Chicago, June 13ih ~ln one of the big- gest -and most daring robberies in rail- way history, four automobiles crowded with bandits last night held up a Chicago Milwaukee and St. Paul mail and express tiain and -escaped with registered mauil valued at close to $2,000,000. The train, enroute from Chicago to St. Paul, was stop- ped at Rondout,. lli, 32 miles north ot Chicago, eonsistiag of eight mail coaci es and two exjpress cars. Fifty minuies alter leaving Chic:go, it was in.the possession of the. bandits. “In 55 miu- utes more they gathered between 43 and 45 ponehes of registered mail and. speed- “ed away in the darkpess.” Afew shots .were fired, but ‘the only cisuality was a robber shot by his Seliows, who mis took him for a trainman, The loss early today was estimated at aboat $2,000 Gou but bank officials said that a carclull check might show it to exceed that fig nre. Fourteen men, among them three well known characters inChicago’s under: world, were arrested in conpection with the hold up here touight. London, June 14th—In the cricket match betweéen Oxford University and the South Africans the former compiled 117for nine wickets when the match was abandoned. Parker took four wickets {for 24 runs.