The Portland daily press., 1874-02-03
Washington News and Gossip.
REINFORCEMENT.

INFRINGEMENT.
The Washington special of the Boston Globe
says that the Civil Service Committee of the
House made an inspection of the Printing Bu-
reau of the Treasury Department, Saturday,
and examined the books, besides putting the
chief of the bureau through an elaborate ques-
tioning and cross examination. They are rath-
er astonished at the expenses of the bureau,
aud surprised to find the names of several per
sops on the rolls whose chief business appears
to to be draw salaries at the end of the month.
A number of these are ladies receiving from
$3.50 to So per day. The members of the
committee intimated to the chief of the bu-
reau thot he must retreuch and manage it with
less force. Like the others he complained that
he was compelled to employ many persons at
the solicitations of congressman even when he
has little work for them. The committee will
go through every bureau of the Department
for the purpose Of ascertaining to what extent
the force can be reduced and money saved.
They are determined that economy shall be ap-
piled to the Departments as well as to Con.
gress.
A MOVEMENT To PROTECT FORESTS.
George B. Emerson of Boston, is in Wash
ington for the purpose of consulting a number
of scientific gentlemen about movement to be
protect the timber about the head waters of diff
ferent rivers. He represents that the destruc-
ton Of forests at the source and along the banks
of rivers contributes largely to produce fresh
cts. cause streams to break from their channels
and overflow the banks. He will probably
memorabilia Congress to appoint commission
of Scientific men on the whole question, TO
make fsport indicating what legislation is
necessary to accomplish the object.
SALARIES OF PENSION AGENTS.
One of the measures which will soon be sug.
gested in the House is an entire reorganization
of the pension service 1t is proposed to abol.
ish the flee of Pension Agent, and to pay all
pensioners by check from the general depart.
ment at Washington. There are now sixty.
one pension agents whose salaries range from
eight Thousand to eighte en- thousand yearly
The original salary was two thousand
HALL OF THR HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,.
One hardly knows the House. The elegant
ly upholstered chairs and desks have disap.
rattan. The chamber has business look, but
| none of the elegance that marked it ia earlier
times, The personnel of the House has chang.
ed quite as much. The two most dignfied
men in the House are s. s. Cox and Fernan-
do Wood" Fernandy Wudd,' as his con-
sttuents still call him. Even with his gray
hair he still makes up well. When he began
his career be stood on dress. He went down 20
the Bloody Sixth, drank bad whiskey with his
cane and cloak, patted little brats on the head
with his neatly fitting Paris gloves, and the
toughest of the rowdies liked him ali the bet
ter for it. There, look at Fernandy-who
can beat him?'
SPEAKER AND MRS. BLAINE,
The receptions of Mrs. Senator Stewart and
Mrs. Attorney General Williams are very pop
ular. But none are more genial, enjoyable, OF
crowded with more real friends than those held
by Mrs. Speaker Blaine. Not simply on her
own account is this so, but the popularity of
the Speaker has much to do with this matter.
Speaker Blaine is not only an excellent parlia-
mentarian, bnt he is popular man. Even the
Democrats allow that if the Speaker of the
House must be Republican, Speaker Blaine
would be their choice. He manages the House
as a tacticlan manages a school-hslf playful,
half coaxing, but resolute. He carries with
him great personal power.-[Burleigh IN Bos-
ton Journal