The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1892-08-18

The Consular Bureau of the State Depart
ment is anticipating a vigorous kick from
different American Consular officers, whose
salaries have been reduced by the appropria
ton bill passed at the last session Of Congress
for the fiscal year of 1893 Many officials af-
fected have already forwarded protests to the
Department, and a great many more such pro-
tests are expected. The Consuls say that it
will be impossible for them to perform the du-
ties required with the money appropriated but
the only recourse they have is to resign their
positions Officials of the State Department
say that this reduction of salaries will stop the
issuing of the Consular reports. which of late
have become of value to the country.
e.
Because of the arrest and Imprisonment of
United States Consul Ryder, at Copenhagen,
Secretary of State Foster has directed Hon.
Clarke Carr, United States Minister to Dem
mark, to proceed at once to Copenhagen. Mr..
Carr is now on leave Of absence and has been
spending his time at his home in Galesburg,
Ill. His presence at Copenhagen became
necessary because Mr.. Ryder is the only repre-
sentative of this Government there with tho
exception of a Vice Consul. The Danish
Minister at Washington last week notified the
State Department that he had been informed
by his Government that Consul Ryder had
confessed to embezzlement and forgery. 1t
has not yet been determined what course the
Department. will pursue in the matter, and
nothing will be done until an official report is
received.
-
Sam Hitler, the irrepressible newsboy from
Toledo o., has been appointed confidential
messenger to Chairman Carter. of the National
Republican Committee, at the New York head
quarters of the Committee. Sam was page at
the Capitol for short time. but no was little
too fast for that slow company, and he was conse-
quently removed. When the special train for
Washington newspaper correspondents left
this city for the Minneapolis Convention, Sam
secreted himself until after Harrisburg was
passed, when he came out and was so humble
that the boys of newspaper row begged the con-
ductor to allow him to ride to Minneapolis.
He appeared on tho floor of the Republican
Convention as the presiding page. After the
Convention adjourned he made his way to
Chicago and created quite q stir at the Demo-
CtdtiC 1oHscniiuu 40 boobOis Ah0
Boes men employed Sam to wave the portrait
OF Iows's fsvorite son from the balcony Of the
Palmer House, and on one or two occasions he
was pretty roughly handled by the boomers of
other favorite sons He was also page at the
Democratic Convention, and now he turns up
as Chairman Carter's messenger. Sam is
very lively lad aud may yet become National
issue.
Curiosity-seekers are always with US here in
Washington, like the poor, and last week
they invaded the Capitol building. When
Speaker Crisp gave particularly loud thump
on his desk on Friday night, Aug. 5. and de-
clared the House adjourned without day, he
made small hole in the blue cloth covering.
There were also many splnters in the soft,
white pine board of which the top of the desk
is made, caused by the continual pounding of
the Speakers gavel. The curiosity seeker has
torn away the cloth covering, and largo chips
of wood have been cut away from the desk to
make keepsa'ses out of the wood from the
Speakers desk. The employees in charge say
it is impossible to stop vandalism anless visitors
refused the privilege of trying" the
Speakers chair. Every stranger who visits the
House of Representatives is especially pleased
when invited by the guide to take seat once
occupied by Crisp, Reed, Carlisle, Keifer, Ran
dali, Kerr. Grow. Blaine. Colfax. Banks. and
long list of distinguished American statesmen
who have presided over that body, and they
all do So and then, if they can do SO without
detection, they cut chips from the desk to
carry away with them. Every session it be-
comes necessary to put new white pine cover
to the desk of the Speaker for this reason.
s=s
The eight-hour labor law passed at tho last
session of Congress is causing Washington
officials great deal of trouble. The Commits.
soners of the District are greatly perplexed as
TO the persons included within the scope of the
law, and the heads of tho Departments at
q loss how to proceed. AS the law carries as q
Imprisonment for six months. one or both. at
the discretion Of the court, the officers whose
duty it is to see that the law is carried into
effect do not care to violate it. Consequently
they want to proceed with caution. The Com
missoners called upon the Attorney for the
District for an opinion, which he has given,
and the labor unions in Washington contend
that the Attorneys opinion ia all wrong, and
they insist on a very broad construction of the
law, which they struggled so hard for years
to have passed. One Of the District Commits
sioners said recently that they did not know