Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1892-01-14

and as 70 tbs criminal neglect OF The
wounded sailors in the Valparaiso
hospital, the authorities refusing t.
treat the men themselves or to allow
the Baltimore's surgeons to do IT,
Yesterday several senior officer
testified as to the legal proceeding
In Valparaiso, bringing out the
clearly utter failure of the Valpar
also court to establish anything tc
the detriment Of the sailors, and the
care which the court exercised In
avoiding any questions that might
bring forth reflections on the Val
paraisO police.
Then Captain Schley took the
stand, and proceeded TO give a re.
sumo Of the whole history Of the
ship since first reaching Valparaiso
He spoke over an hour, clearly and
forcibly, and was listened to with
great attention by the audience that
crowd d the court room. He showed
forth plainly the inception and
growth Of the anti-American feeling
among the Chilians, besides the
many discOurtesies he was subjected
to. He saw over seventy of bis
men on shore shortly before the
riots began, and they were all sober.
But, even If they had not been, he
declared that he saw no reason why
they should have been visited with
capital punishment for being drunk.
GOVERNMENT CLERKS.
WASHINGTON, Jan. a. Some
thing Of bombshell was dropped
Tuesday In the committee on appro.
priations by Representative O'Neil,
of Massachusetts. He had the
audacity to propose that govern
ment clerks work eight hours day,
instead of the six and a half hours
which are now required Of them.
superintendent Porter of the census
bureau was before the committee
detailing, with all the patbos
familiar TO bureau officers, how
much he needed more help and
more money, and what a volume of
work his little force had to do.
How long do your people work ?''
asked O'Neil. Mr.. Porter looked at
him little queerly and answered,
From 8 O'Clock until " "5ix and
half hours, isn't 1t ?" asked O'Neil,
taking account Of half an hour for
lunch" YES" was the laconic
answer. Couldn't you accomplish
% per cent, more work by making
them work eight hours ?' asked
O'Neil. Mr.. Porter fairly gasped.
"Do you want to accomplish revo-
luton ?n was all lie could articulate.
Representative Dingley of Maine
joined i'm at this point and said that
the requirement of eight hours
work would be a good thing. "How
did you ever get it whitfield down
to six and a half hours?" he asked.
Nobody seemed able to answer this
question. Mr.. O'Neil remarked
that people who did hard work
worked eight hours, and he did not
see why those who had big pay and
soft jobs should not work equally
as long. The subject was not car
ried any farther, but 1t would not be
surprising if O'Neil should intro
duce bill fixing the working time
at eight hours, or ut least at seven
and q half hours. There will be a
terrible tempest among the depart
ment clerks If he does, and not a
of congress will have any
peace until he has personally as
sured every one credited to his
district that he will oppose the
nefarious proposition. The subject
may be seriously considered, how
-ver, by leading members who are
looking to reduction of the expendi-
lures of the government, and an
Increase of the working efliciencies
Df the partments.
PREPARING FOR WAR