Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1885-11-13
WASHINGTON NEWS.
Telephone Case Continued - Appoint.
meats by the Presideat-Annual Re.
ports.
WARRINGTON. Nov. Is

WASHINGTON, Nov. l2.
lu the telephone cases before the Secretary
OF the Interior, Thursday morning, Mr.. Star
row continued the presentation of the case
for the Bell Co., and made long argument
to show the insuficiency of the evidence pre-
sented to sustain the specifications of the
parties bringing the presentation. At the
close of his argument the hearing adjourned
till tomorrow.
The President today made the following
appointments:
DR.. John G. Lee of Philadelphia to be Sec
retary Of the legation at tConstantinople. Dr.
Lee is friend of Minister Cox.
Fred +. Mansfield of Texas, to be secre-
retary of the legation at Japan.
Erastus Redman to be collector of customs
for the district Of Frenchman's Bay, Me.
Supt Mcdonald of the postal money order
bureau, IN his annual report says During
the fiscal year 767 money order offices were
established and l6 discontinued. Since the
close Of the fiscal year 303 offices have been
added and four have been discontinued. The
total amount of payments and repayments of
money orders was Sill, ,976, POS, and the ex-
cess of payments over issues was Sl37, ,2S3
The gross amount of fees received for the
issue OF domestic money orders was 1928.
$50. These figures exhibit a decrease in the
amounts of orders issued and paid and of
fees received. This slight falling off, SAYS
the superintendent, may be attributed in part
to the general stsgnation of business during
the past year and perhaps in small meas
ure to the increased use of postal notes, The
total amount of payments and -epayments of
postal notes was 9,94S, ,023 and excess of
issues over payments was $4S,25S. The ag-
gregate amount of fees received was Sl52,-
OILS.
The annual report of the President of the
Board of Commissioners of Soldiers Homes
covers the period from Oct. l, 1884 to Sept.
80, 1885. The disbursements during the year
were S243, ,46S, including S72,53 expended
for new annex building and for other per-
manent improvements. 1872 discharged
soldiers were received during the year for
which this report is made, which is one less
than the number admitted the preceding year
62 Of these had served twenty or more years
AS enlisted men in the army, and the remain
ing l30 were entitled to admission by disabil-
tiles incurred in the service. There has
been, the report says, very great increase
in the drunkenness among its inmates during
the year, the cause for which is laid by the
governor to the existing law for disposition
of pension money of the inmates. About
One-tenth of the pensioners assign their PEN
siOns to relatives: the other nine tenths, on
whose account more than $4,000 is paid
quarterly to the treasurer of the home are
permitted, as the law requires, to draw small
sums from time to time, while the larger por-
ton remains undrawn so long as they con-
tinue to be inmates of the home. This fund,
the report says, becomes a good basis for
credit at grog shops. and is a constant temp
tation to those who are easily Influenced.
and in many instances, no doubt, possession
of money which must be given up to the pen
sioner when discharged, becomes the sole OBJ
ject in leaving the home. In few davs the
money is squandered. and the commissioners
are asked to re-admit the destitute old soldier
to the benefits of the home. There are nc.
tual cases of this description now in the
almshouses in this city. The report is signed
by Gen. Sheridan, president of the board