The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1886-04-23
WASHINGTON LETTER
tFrom our Regular correspondent

WASHINGTON, ID. G., April ID, 1856.
The labor troubles, the proposed ex-
position in Washington, the probable
fate OF the new tariff bill, and the
Presidents rumored marriage, are
among the subjects that one hears
discussed on the streets here now.
At the Capitol our lawmakers are talk.
ing about inter state commerce, secret
sessions, the fisheries question, the ap-
preparation bills.
An enthusiastic meeting was held at
Willard's hotel few evenings since,
at which representative business men
of Baltimore and Washington discuss
ed the projected exposition to be in
augurated here in 1889. An address
was presented, which is to be scatter
ed broadcast over the country, setting
forth the plan of the great Worlds
Fair. Congress is to be asked to es-
tablish number of permanent exhibit
tior buildings in the city on the Mall,
for the products of North, South and
Central America, and the empire of
Brazil The Mall Is that extensive
area of parking extending from the
Capitol to the White House, including
the Smithsonian, Agricultural and Mon
umental grounds.
1t is the intention to strip the pro.
ject of all local purpose, and to make
it national and international, politics
being ignored in the interest of all
countries. For instance, it Is suggest
ed that building be erected for the
display of working models in the inter
est of inventors, and that there shall
be a national art gallery sustained not
only by the Government, but popular
lied by bequests from private individ
uals. 1t Is expected that one and per.
haps both Houses of Congress will take
some favorable action on the subject
this W eek.
| As to Senators and their secrets
those who have in the debate branded
the secret sessions as farcical, childish
cowardly and treacherous, are Platt
Logan, Butler and Riddleberger. Sen
ator Logan was wondering how execu
tive secrets leaked out. Newspaper
men always got them in some way
Senator Riddleberger gave his idea Of
how they were exposed. Il have {
private secretary" said he, 81 wall
down the avenue with him, he asks mt
a question or two, and being smarter
than | am, he knows more in five min
utes than can learn in week. Ther
he gives it to somebody else and thu
newspaper fraternity gets it.
Hon. Mr.. Whitthorne, who has beer
appointed to succeed Judge Jackson il
the U. s. Senate, will need no intro
duction in the lower house of congress
He served with distinction 10 the low
er House during the Forty-fou-th
Forty. fifth, Forty sixth and Forty-sev
enth Congresses. AS chairman Of tn
Naval Affairs Committee he was yer,
earnest and successful in exposing tn
2 rascalities of the Navy Department
under Grant and ex Secretary Robesor
There has been great improvement
in the ways of doing business in th
: Government Departments here und'-
| Uuc lltW ItRIlles dHI 'ntIc are tNlVCI
ces OF new life. Still further reform
are looked for through the passage O
|. a bill that is exciting good deal of in
terest. 1t provides for reclassifica
ton and reorganization of the civ
r service at Washington, and its purpos
< is to so arrange the force of the DE-
/ partments that the same kind of wor
;. will receive the same pay. Under tn
a present plan there are clerks drawin
: S720 to $S4O who are doing the sam
t work in regard to quality and amour
as clerks who get from $1,000 to 81,
S 600 year.
Il The last classification was made i
: 1854 when there were only 7l9 clerk
e in the departments, now there are s
n O31. Under this arrangement ther
t are four classes-class |, receiving 81
y 200 class 2, 81 400: class 3, S1,6Ot
and class A, $1,000. Clerks have bee
d employed and assigned to these classt
d with but little regard to their grad,
l. Consequently there is a great deal {
n waste to the tax payers in the Depar
4 ments. But as there is no fixed lin
a to the revenues of the Government an
:, the burdens of the taxpayers, tt
i waste is not perceived. While tn
d Administration is setting the Cover
d mental house in order, it proposes
e subject the men and women amploye
le here to thorough investigation, wee
le out the incompetent, and redistribu,
the others 80 as to enable then to q
the greatest amount and best kind
work of which they are capable.
y, Apropos of work, group of Co
gressmen were chatting few days as
when allusion was made to the popul
idea that men in legislative positio
no work little and get good pay. NJ
j., Scott the wealthiest Member in i
r. House, spoke up: 81 have work
IN harder since | became Congressman
n said he, than ever before in my lii
bt | get to work every day that am
in Washington at eight o'clock in t
sa morning, and l seldom get to bed b
en eu fore midnight, and my work is 4
~ quite done them The Democra
oh millionaire added that he had had
Sa expectation of having to work like tn
lra 0,Ilx.4a.