The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1889-08-29
WASHINGTON NEWS.

The preSident upon tne rocohihouuohoh
OF the civil service commission, mas APP
proved an amendment to the rule governing |
the railway mail service excepting from
examination clerks employed in that service
exclusively as porters In handling mali ma
ter In bulk, In sacks or pouches, ana hot
otherwise, and clerks employed exclusively
on steamboats,.
Tho civil service commission has amended
regulation Z, concerning certification, SO US
to provide that eligibles not having claim 0,
preference under section l, 754 oS the revised
statutes shall be entitled to tire, certitica.
tons Independently of any certifclt.ons that
may be given them in connection with pr
sons having preference claim. This pro
vision Is deemed necessary In view OF a
ecent opinion by the encouragement that
appointing officers are under obligation 10
give effect to the statute by selecting ana
appointing tho preference claimants
Secretary Window has decided to make a
change in the present method of appoint
ment Of special agent of the treasury. Here
after they will be designated for appoint
ment at q stated compensation, and must
then appear before board OF examiners for
the purpose Of testing their fitness, Tn, ex-
animation will be non competitive and not
technical. Assistant Secretary Tichenor
has been named as the president of the board
in Washington.
As carly as the last of March Secretary
Window declared that he would not pay
fancy prices for bonds Nothing has hap
pened since then to indicate that the policy
of tn treasury with regard to bond = ur-
chases has been changed. Acting Secretary
B Bachelor says the market is very high. The
ids of the department has been that 1t Is
better TO let money accumulate in the
treasury than pay such high prices. The
question is under consideration now, how
ever, by Secretar5 Window, whether he
shall raise the price.
Tne postoffice department has received
samples OF the new style of street letter box
recently adopted and which will hereafter
be used The disa ,vantages of the old style
OF boxes was that they were easily robbed
or a pair of curved nippers, designed especi-
ally { r this purpose. So many robberies
occur, ed that the department appealed to
| the inventors for something more secure
| than the box at pressat in use 1t was also
| desired to have item more secure from the
weather, as in driving rains contents of
boxes have fir quently been badly drenched.
! The new box is exceedingly simple in its
construction and overcomes the objection to
| the box now in use The slot is not visible
until knob is pulled down. This opens the
slot, but at the same time raises
a tray within the box, which divides 1t
into two compartments all mail prevll sly
| uepOSlLeu DSlUH Ill loWci OJihpti uiii nv
| and the tray fits so tightly that nothing can
be inserted through the slot that will reach
| to the bottom A letter inserted in the box
remains on the tray until the knob is re
leased when the tray falls down like stage
trap door and the letter Is secure. AS long
as the slot is open the contents of the box
are covered by the tray and are inaccessible
The arrangement also prevents damage to
mail matter deposited by the blowing in of
snow or rain The design was &C ,epted out
Of $40 presented The boxes will be made in
three sizes instead of two as heretofore The
add ional siz will be much larger than any
now in USE The PRESENT boxes Will not be
disturbed, but when damaged will be re-
placed by the new style.
The United States Life Saving corps on
Long Island are opposed to the order from
forms after Sept. 1 Their pay is $50 per
month, and out of this they must support
their families and keep themselves clothed.
The men say it will take months pay to
provide the new outfit, and declare they
cannot afford to buy uniforms. The oldest
and most experienced of the life savers, it is
said, threaten to resign.
The government is arriving at an AMIGA
BILE I'M Outstanding with Great Britain upor
the Behri 6 Sea question.
Elk Gev. Alexander R. Boteler OF Yves
Virginia, member OF the tariff commission
, and variou' other public bodies, has re
signed the office of pardon clerk in the de
partment of jus ice,
1t is reported that E, w. Halford, tn
presidents private secretary, has begun sui
against firm of cigarette manufacturers t.
prevent the use of the photograph of hi
daughter Jeanette in cigarette packages.
Since Aug. 8, 1887, up to Aug "a, 1889, tt
treasury department has purchased s62, 94S
500 per cent. bonds, and SIG, $780, 500 A.
per cent. bonds or a total of SlI9, $40, l0'
{ These bonds cost S207, 135, 093. AT maturlt
these bonds would have cost S2i3, 649, TAG, s
that the government has made saving 0
$36, 513, 653.
) Constructors Bowles and Gatewood an
, Assistant Constructor Taylor have been al
t pointed board to thoroughly revis, Il
calculations as to spaces and weights OF I'll
/. armored batteship Texas, to be built /
: Norfolk, and ascertain whether there is rei
r necessity for a change in the English desigl
in order to make the vessel ,eaworthy an
. sui able for naval service The chief col
q structor of the navy has recently presente
to the secretary report, saying that the a.
mament of the vessel and ether weigh
which the bureaus desire to Introduce in t!
) Texas are 800 tons in excess of the weigh
g as calculated by the designer. Some OF II
u officers OF the navy seem TO have powe
a full prejudice against carrying out the OF ig
Q nal English plans which Were purch5 sed /
Secretary Whitney.
Q Advertisements have been ressued fro
the navy department for bis Tor the co
e struction of three 9000-ton users I
:, new advertisement is the same as the oil
d with certain Important differences TINT a
2 expected to induce contractors to offer bi
y that will fall within the apprcpria iol
10 The department makes several conc ,ssions
o this end. The bids will be open Oct &C.