Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1892-08-18
WASHINGTON LETTER.
Make Up of the Monetary Con-
ference Committee.
What the Report Of the Postmaster
General Will Show.
From our Regular Correspondent

WASHINGTON, d. c., Aug. 12, '92.
If the monetary conference should
fail of its intended purpose, it will be
through no lack of ability on the part
of the five commissioners who are to
represent the United States at this inn
portant gathering. They are gentle
men of recognized authority on the
various branches of the subject to be
discussed, and it is but proper, in fact
it is essential to intelligent and COM
prehensive conclusions, that all its
phases should be fairly presented. 1t
is needless to refer to Senator Allison,
of Iowa, as an eminently wise selection,
because of his unquestioned fund of
information ON financial topics, but
his long experience in the Senate, and
the conservative trend of his judg-
ment. Senator Jones, of Nevada, is
without doubt the most thoroughly
posted man ON the free silver side that
could be found in the country. His
knowledge of mining details and of
the silver output, present and prospect
i've, is simply encyclopaedia in its
character; while no man is more fa-
milar with the history of the money
metals and their use as coin from the
earliest ages. The other members of
the commission are ex-Comptroller
Cannon, now President of The Chase
National Bank of New York, Gen.
Francis A. Walker, of Massachusetts,,
and Congressman McCreary, of Ken
lucky, men whose judgment in none
tary matters is of the highest order.
Of the five members of the commission
Senator Jones and Representative Nc
Creary are prominently identified with
the free coinage movement and will
constitute a minority of the conference
but their views will be sure to COM
mand respectful hearing, if not adop
ton and will relive the commission, SO
far as the United States is concerned,
of any appearance of having been
packed in the monometallic interest.
Officially this city is practically de-
serted, Secretary of State Foster being
the sole representative of the Cabinet
here. AT the White House things wear
decided abandoned appearance,
owing to the absence of the President
and his family, and the usual summer
overhauling of the building, which is
now being done. At the War Depart
ment Assistant Secretary Grant pre-
sides as the head of the Department,
Secretary Elkins having gone to Deer
Park to join his family. The affairs of
the Navy are likewise looked after by
Assistant Secretary Soley in the alb
sence of Secretary Tracy, who is North,
while Attorney General Miller, Post
master General Wanamaker, Secretary
Noble, and Secretary Rusk are all
away. The warm weather has had the
effect of causing the different depart
ments to be closed an hour earlier than
usual, and altogether the withdrawal
of Congress, the President, and his
cabinet has caused the city to assume
au air of dullness 80 far as concerns
official business.
Congress having adjourned and at
there is no further danger of resolu
tions being adopted calling for informa
ton, the department officials can give
some attention to getting together tht
data for the annual reports. Mr.
Wanamaker expects to return to th'
city about September 1, and when hi
gets back he intends to begin the prepa
ration of his report. The annual re
port of the Postmaster General is NOR
interesting than the average govern
ment report, for the reason that MI
Wanamaker manages to impart sna
to the ordinarily dry recital of Officia
facts. The report this year will mainl
be recital of what has been don
toward improving the postal servic
by the adoption of better methods. Nj
Wanamaker will show that the person
mel of the service has improved an
that the clerks in the post offices an
the railway mail service work more il
telligently and with more ambitio
and the result is that their work
better. Letters, it is claimed, are d.
hvered more rapidly and with mol
accuracy, and the fact will be note
that the dead letter Office matter h,
decreased. His report will be on
showing general progress and improve
ment.
The United States and the govern
ment of Chilli have definitely agree
upon the appointment of claims con
mission to meet at Washington
settle the long pending claims of cit
zensof this government against ii
little South American republic. TIL
action is the result of negotiations b
tween Minister Egan, acting under il
structions of the State Department, an
the new administration which is no
conducting Chilian affairs. Secreta
John w. Foster announced ,yesterd'
the receipt of cablegram from Min
= ter Egan conveying the intelligen
that an agreement had been reache
The result of negotiations was !
ceived with satisfaction at the Sta
department and will be source