The San Antonio light. (San Antonio, Tex.) 1883-1886, 1885-07-18
WASHINGTON LETTER.
SECRETARY MANNING COMPLI-
MENrs OFFICIALS.
Agricultural Professors IN Session
Seeds Navy Book keep.
ing. Etc. Etc


FROM our Regular Correspondent.
WAsmINGToN, July II, lSS5.-ln a re-
ported Interview with Secretary Man
ming, that officer Is quoted us saying
"l'm very much surprised TO find so
many bright, capable men In the Treas
ury Department. Why, meet them by
the score every day, sharp as brlers.
energetic, and with the details Of their
duties at their tongues and fingers ends.
From what have heard really expect
ed to see great deal of inoompetenoy
and corruption in this place. II appears,
however, that the efficiency of the ser
vice has been growing better and better
ever year until 1t is astonishing how per-
feet the machinery Is"
Whether the Secretary was accurate
ly quoted or not may be questionable,
but can say that his alleged utteranccs
are exactly true to the facts In the case.
1t has been the fashion for years to de-
nounce the department at Washington
as corrupt and Idle. and much has been
heard Of "oilcial rottcnness," OF eau
gean stables" and the like. all OF which
is very false and absurd. Not only is
the civil service OF this Government
the most honest, most capable and most
courteous OF any public service in the
world, but there Is no private business
of equal magnitude where the honesty
and efficiency OF the service Is on such
high level. OF course, In such great
multitude there are some drones and
some rascals, and they should be weeded
ont, but n charge that the service as
such is on a low level is as false and
almost as wicked as n libel as that other
which assails the character OF the ladies
who are in the employ Of the Govern
ment.
The professors II agriculture who met
here during the week at the request of
Commissioner Colman were fine look
ing lot of men and they evidently under
stand their business. Their discussions
brought out some very interesting facts.
however. one OF these was that OF 10
farmers in the Legislature OF Tennessee
only two could appreciate the value OF
signal service; II voted agalnstthem. The
reason of this was that the Professors
thought Il came from the fact that the
reports are too technical and extended
In their nature. The farmer Is not gen
orally speaking reading man. Many
farmers can only find time to read the
most simple and abbreviated matters.
1t was generally agreed that the thing
necessary to make such work successful
was frequent publication In simple
and practical form.
The Commissioner did good thing In
calling this convention. lie did better
thing In being very plain and frank with
the Professors. He told them that Con-
gress did not feel satisfied with the
work as 1t was at present conducted In
many ways. He suggested that one OF
the most serious things against the pres
ent system lay in the fact that almost
none Of the graduates of agricultural
colleges became farmers. He thought
the reason for this lay in the fact that
very few Of the experiment farms pay
expenses.
One of the most interesting and strlk-
ing things that was brought out In the
discussion was the opposition that pre-
vailed in regard TO the present method
of distributing seeds by Congressman.
1t was shown that the Ignorance that had
been displayed In this way was serious
in its results. Insects and plant dis
eases, very deleterious In their nature,
had been disseminated far and wide, and
in many instances more damage than
good has been done. 1t was urged that
this distribution ought to be made by the
Commissioner himself, who Is supposed
to know much more about such matters
than the Congressman can. He has the
means OF knowing the various soils and
the kinds of seeds that will flourish in
them. So, on the whole, the meeting
was a grand success. 1t gave an oppor-
tunity for the free interchange of opin-
ions and information, and established u
closer relationship between the colleges
and the department. When the plan for
interchange OF information is fully per-
fected, great additional good will follow.
1t has been announced In the name OF
reform, that the system housekeeping
in the Navy department is to be pat
termed hereafter on that In use In the
English admiralty. Rather awkwardly
for this scheme, however, 1t has just
been discovered that by series of blum
ders in the admiralty accounts the En-
gl.sh budget Is in error to the extent OF
$4,000, 900, and explanations from the
late government are In request. With
out wishing to be dogmatic on techni-
cal question have belief that Ameri-
can systems of bookkeeping are quite
as modern and scientific as any en-
ployed in the English oiroumlocation Of
lice.
The opinion of the Attorney General
upon the Dolphin matter has been made
public. The Attorney General does not
decide the question as to whether the
Dolphin shall be accepted or not, but
his opinion on the legal questions sub
mltted to him makes her acceptance by
the government necessary. LENoX.