The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1883-10-25
WASHINGTON.
News Gathered About the Capital
fifty

sioner Mcfarland, of the general lanC
Office, IS continuing vigorously thu
crusade inaugurated against what art
| known as LAND cruisers" in the west
Upon reports of special agents thir
! teen entries of public land in Wash
| ington territory were yesterday helC
for cancellation. The commissioner
says all the parties in these cases ap
| pear to have combined in the commits.
! sion of the fraud, the combination
even extending to notary, who wit
messed the papers. All the entries
after confirmation were transferred to
one individual.
The commissioner of Indian affairs
has received a report from Agent
Tafts, at Amin agency, |. T., giving
| the result of the election recently held
in the Creek Nation to fill the position
of chief. The vote stood: j. w. Per.
ryman, GA; Samuel Chicote, Cos; Pun
He Chez, 1853. The vote was canvasSed
by committee composed of adhe-
rents of the three candidates. Re
turns from certain towns were thrown
out, because irregular, but the result
is not affected thereby. The agent
warns the commissioner that a few
Indians and negroes, at the instiga-
ton of designing white men, will
complain to him Of the result and
charge unfairness.
The secretary of state has addressed
letter TO the secretary Of the civil
service commission in reply to the
inquiry as to what branches of the
service bureaus the state department
will require special examination for
admission. He says, quoting eX-Sec-
rotary Fisk, that the clerical force of
the department is small, and should
have the personal confidence of the
head department, a knowledge OF in
ternational law and practical
familiarity with many foreign Ian
guageS, a power of reticence is also
requisite, which is ascertained only by
test experience, or intimate personal
knowledge Of party, and cannot be
determined by any examination by q
board. The secretary then goes on to
say it is necessary that most of the
clerks of the departments Of state
should have at least sufficient knowE
edge Of one or more foreign languages
to read them in the original docu-
ments; nevertheless it is absolutely
necessary that clerk should have his
qualification rs his ability in other di
rections may more than compen-
safe for the lack, but it is
always necessary that employees Of
this department should have fair
knowledge of French, German, Span
ish or Italian. Under these circum-
stances suggest that special eXami-
nation be given to all applicants who
may wish to enter the department
which shall conform in some measure
to the examination heretofore at one
time required in the case of applicants
for certain grades of conSulates and
now required in the case of applicants
for clerkships.
The report of the commissioner of
pensions for the fiscal year ended June
30, 1888, shows there were 303. 658 pen
sions on roll at the end of the fiscal
year. During the year, seventy-siX
viously, were restored to the roll,
making 1888 pensions added during
the year, al excess Of 1868 over the
preceding year. The average annual
value Of each pension is $lO7, and the
aggregate annual value of all pensions
is So, 245, 1872, an increase of $2,9Ol,O9O.
The amount paid for pension was $780,
064, OO6, exceeding the annual val
ue by several million dollars. The
bulk of this excess was on account of
arrears in pensions covering the pc
Rod prior to the allowance of claims.
The appropriation for salary and fees
to pension agents was exhausted, and
there is u balance due the agents.
The whole number of claims filed
since 1861 was S86,137, of which 510,-
98S were allowed. During the same
time 1921, 073,297 was paid for pen
Sions and cost Of disbursement.
The report of Lieut.. Darlington,
commander of the recent Arctic eXpe-
dition which was relief to the
Greeley party, is a complete Vindica-
ton Of darlington, SO far as any DISC
bedience Of orders is concerned. Gen.
HaZen, in a letter transmitting the re-
port to the secretary of war says:
1.-THE structures made upon Darlington
in this connection were entirely IN
warranted
The annual report of the superin-
tendent of the free delivery letter car
rier system shows 104 offices employ
ing $3.50 carriers in operation at the
close of the fiscal year ended June 30
1883. During the year 1921, 637, 7O1
pieces mail matter were delivered and
collected, an increase of nearly 16 per
cent over the number of pieces han
died during the preceding year. Total
cost of the service for the year So, 49,
1876, an increase of more than 20 pei
cent over the cost for 1882. Average
cost per piece for matter handled 24-1C
mills, an increase Of 10 mills per piece
over the cost of previous year. Elk.
cess Of postage on local matter over
the total cost of the service, $40, POI,
8l9. There were collected and deliv'
cred during the year 79,769,69 letters
261, 1882 postal cards and 268,319,84I
newspapers.
The following table shows the ag
gregate number of pieces of mail mat
ter handled at number Of the prin
cipal cities