Mexico weekly ledger., 1889-06-20
OF STATE.
An Interesting Letter from the
Ledger's Correspondent.

which has heretofore been almost
entirely ornamental, promises, by
reason of the character and reputa-
ton of the man who has been put
in control of it by Gov. Francis, to
be exceedingly useful. I refer to
the Bureau of Labor Statistics, at
the head of which has been placed
Mr.. Lee Meriwether, a young man
who has won an enviable reputa-
ton for himself by his practical
study of the labor question at home
and abroad. Mr.. Meriwether, us is
well known, travelled on foot in
Italy, Germany, Switzerland and
Russia. making personal investiga-
ton into the manner and cost of
living of the laboring people in
those countries, and gave his obser-
vations in a book which was pub
lished by Harper Bros, and which
has been quoted from by econo-
mists, entitled, ga Tramp Trip, or
How to See Europe on so cents a
Day." Mr.. Meriwether has been
in the employ of the United States
Bureau of Labor Statistics for three
years or more, giving up his posi-
ton in that department to accept
the appointment conferred upon
him by the Governor. There prob
ably is not Il man in the State of
Missouri who is SO admirably
adapted to fill the requirements of
Commissioner of Labor Statistics as
Mr.. Meriwether, and l predict that
he will give that department of
Gov. Francis administration a ma
tional reputation. 1t is entirely in
the line of the business-like man.
agement with which the Governor
is administering the affairs of the
State to pass by the politicians who
were offered and who offered them
selves for the place of Labor Com
missioner, and select an appointee
qualified by years of special study
and training for the work which it
was intended by the creators of the
department the Labor Bureau
should accomplish.
Mr.. Meriwether has learned with
some satisfaction to himself the
difference between a colon and a
s~emi-colon. In the appropriation
bill the Labor Bureau was provided
for as follows: "For expenses of
Bureau of Labor Statistics, other
than printing, $4,000; $1,000 for
salary of factory inspector. and
$1,000 for travelling expenses.
The State Auditors copy of this
item had a colon instead of a semi
celon after the figures 1910, OOO,"
and following the idea conveyed by
the punctuation mark, Mr.. Seibert
decided that the total sum appro-
priated was SIC, 900, of which SO, 200
was for the salary of factory inspect
or and $1,000 for travelling ex-
penses. But Mr.. Meriwether,
claimed that the last two items
were additional to the $4,000 for
maintaining the Bureau, and going
into the Secretary of States Office,
looked up the original bill and
found that the punctuation mark
following $4,000" was a semi.
colon and not a colon as Mr.. Sci
bert's bill had it. The last items
being thus made additional the Au.
ditor SO ruled, and the new Labor
!, Commissioner is happy over his
successful search for a semi-colon
During the visit of the Missouri;
: representation at the Washington
centennial in New York city, Gov
Francis and his staff, together with
the honorary commissioners, visit.
ed the gallery of celebrated photo.
r grapher and sat for pictures. The
: result of the sittings is seen in two
, sets of large photographs in the
, Governors Office, which attracts
] the attention of visitors. In tn.
first is seen, amid the bravery Of
: new uniforms and the trappings o
: war, the manly figures ofthe Cover
o nor's staff, with the commander
in-chief in citizens clothes in tht
4 center; and in the other the vel
: known Misseurians who were ap
! pointed by Gov. Morehouse to rep.
J, resent the State at the centennial
celebration. Of course the lattel
group is to some extent eclipsed by
the former, the luster of which may
tempt an artist some day to i'm
mortallze it by transferring it t.
: canvas, or at least to one of the
panels in the state-house dome
u Col. John H. Garth, of Hannibal
Col. Winslow Judson ,ofSt. Joseph
= Col. Lon. V. Stephens of Boonville
r Col. Edwin w. Stevens, OF Colum
bia; Col. John H. Carroll of Union
vile; Gen. Jas. III. Wickham, o
Gallatin; Gen VIM. Bull, of St
Louis and Gen. Jas NJ. Lewis, of St
l. Louis, are all there with core
and %tassel, blue broadcloth, bras!
> buttons, epaulets, chapeau, glove,
and sword. And behind them
white-crested, and sloe-eyed, Chris
Ellerbe, a colonel for the occasion
a in cavalry uniform, lifts his six fee
e and several inches of manhood, thu
u best looking soldier of the lot
These pictures are said to be wortl
six dollars apiece, and indeed n,
$ one, on inspection of them, woul'
ie grumble at the price.
it The new board of curators for tn
1t State University have had severa
] meetings at Columbia, and although
h h all the proceedings are net known
a it is an open secret that they hav'
): accented the RESIGNATION of Dir