The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1884-11-28
WASHINGTON.
NAYAL sUPPIlKs.

PURCHASES maue. Inc lecently-uiScOVefeu
fraudulent practices In the Naval Bureau
OF Medicine and Surgery were greatly fi-
cilitated by the persistent determination OF
the late SUPERINTENDENT to nOminally
make all purchases himself, while il was
practically impossible for him to personally
supervise tho transactions taking place
scores or hundreds of miles from the seat
of Government. During the fiscal year 1883
supplies were purchased amounting to So
203, S57, of which only S6S5,32 were bought
upon advertisements and contracts. Three
bureaus wholly neglected the law requiring
advertising, and another--the one making
the largest purchase of all-only advertised
and contracted for per cent OF the g0Ols
and materials bought. About $1,000 900
worth of open and exempt purchases were
going over 100000. Underline act relating
TO materials for boilers hundreds of thous-
ands Of dollars worth have been bought
practically with no competition mt all. Over
$4,000 was paid during the year as com,
nearly $1,000 in interest, the former, in the
opinion of the auditor, being twice rs much
us 1t ought to be- and the latter wholly I'M
necessary. The report says:
THE ACKNOWLEDGEMENT frauds In the
Bureau of Medicine and Surgery were most
ly committed upon the continuous hospital
fund, whose large uneXpended balance has
furnished q temptation not existing I'm the
case of annual appropriations made by Con-
gress."
TIE LABOR BUREAU.
The commission of John Fahrenbatch of
Cincinnati as Commissioner of the new La
Dor Bureau was forwarded him to that city
Tuesday. Mr. Fahrenbatch is here, and
upon the return of the commission will
qualify and enter upon his duties. There
has been extraordinary delay In the APP
pointmcnt of this Commissioner. The
point which was raised, that Jarrett, hay
ing been nominated and confirmed, but the
commission lot having been issued to him,
the Pres dent could not make a new'np-
pOintment, has been Overruled by the At
tCrney-General,. The friends of some of
the other candidates raised this question.
hoping to defeat the appointment of any of
their rivals until Congress should meet.
The President under no circumstances
would issue the commission to Jarrett.
He regarded the speech of jarrett attacking
him personally as an offense which could
not be overlooked. Mr.. Fahrenbatch was
supported for the position by Secretary
Teller and Commissioner Butterworth. Mr..
Frelinghuysen had candidate for the
place, and was very persistent III urging
dent was Obliged to inform the Secretary of
State that he had adopted the policy of not
permitting one department to interfere in
the domestic affairs OF another, and that he
knew no reason why he should violate this
rule for the first time in the case of Mr..
Teller. Mr.. Fahrenbatch has been in the
steamboat service for some time. He is q
practical machiniSt AMI mechanical engi-
neer, and has for years been conspicuous In
labor organizations. The bureau will be at
labor troubles in the locking Valley will
receive It's early attention. Among the dis
appointed candidates ARE David Uealy of
the New York Bureau Of Labor Statistics,
Goodwin Moody of Massachusetts, Thomas
Is. Conncry, and Charles L. Hill, Statisti-
elan nf th.. Sfota Dpnortmput
WINTER WHEAT
In great many Of the states farmers
lave finished their fall work, and reliable
estimates as to the amount OF winter wheat
soon can be made. 1t Is rather early yet
for returns, but i'm some of the more south
ern states the state boards OF agriculture
lave already begun to get returns from
correspondents. >. w. Talmadge, who Is
in correspondence with the .statisticians in
nearly every state I'm the union, has receiv-
ed reports from the boards of Virginia, In
diana, Kansas, Ohio, and Michigan: The
reports show a general, and in some instan-
ces, large decrease i'll acreage.
Randolph Harrison, commissioners of ag-
riculture for Virginia, reports the condition
of the crop in that state not very favOra-
BILE. The acreage is largely decreased over
that of the past year.
Alexander Heron, secretary of the state
board OF agriculture of Indiana, says there
is decrease in acreage from 25 10 IS per
cent. The growing crops, however, are in
fair condition.
William Simms, recently of the state
board of agriculture of Kansas, has yet to
receive the official figures of the fall SOW
ing: MI. Simms says, however. that they
will show very large decrease in the acre
age. Crops in that state are looking well,
as rule. In some portions of the state
considerable complaint Is made Of insects,
which are laying eggs at the roots OF the
stalks.
Hon. Henry A. Conant, secretary of state
for Michigan, writes that the winter wheat
N that state Is in good conditions; on the
whole, rather better than last year at this
date. The plants are no healthier, but the
tops are larger.
WI. Chamberlain secretary of The state
board of agriculture of Ohio, thinks the
winter wheat sown this fall will not be less
than last year. The official figures are not
yet received. The. present condition Of the
growing crop Is fair.
THE PosToFFIcE DEPARTMENT..
The annual report of the first assistant
postmaster general shows that the number
of pCstoflices established during the year
was 8, Ala, an increase of 161 over the pre-
ceeding year. The number discontinued
was ], $50, a decrease of SCI net increase
Of 592: The whole number of postofiices on
June SO, 1874, was 80, OF, an increase of g.
154. The number filled by presidential APP
pointment was 1928: the number filled by
the appointment of the postmaster general
was 1904. During the year 1888 post
masters were appointed. The net increase
of p0stOfficcs during the year is much larg-
er than any increase for several years past
Tho increase was divided among sections as
follows: New England states, 40; five mid
die states, 22j; fourteen southern states and
Indian Territory, 1,0I0: ten states and six
territories in the west and northwest, T07;
three states and three territories on the Pa
clfic slope, 8, l04. The greatest increase in
any or the states or territories was 15G In
Texas. The increase in North Carolina was
12G and In Pennsylvania 12i. The only de-
crease was III New Mexico. Comparing
the number of postolliccs In the different
states the six highest on June 80, were
Pennsylvania, $50: New York. 3,122;
Ohio, 2,101: Illinois, 2,lG7: Virginia, 1852:
and Missouri, LOGS. OF the territories Da-
kota had the largest number, S31, exceeding
the number in either Massachusetts, Mary
land, or South Carolina.
Ii Is recommended that the free-dcivery
system be extended to places of 10000 I'M
habltants provided the pOstal revenues
amount to $4,000 yearly. The attention of
congress Is invited to the Importance of
erecting buildings for postOflices in all cit
les OF 10000 inhabitants and upward.
The annual report of A. ID. lIazen, third
assistant postmaster general, shows the to-
tai number OF postage-stamps. stamped EN-