Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1893-07-25
FROM WASHINGTON CITY.

The appraisement of lots and parcels
of land in the townsite of Port Angeles,
WASH, by the commission appointed by
Secretary Noble has been approved by
the Interior Department. The commits
sion of the general land Office is now
preparing instructions to the proper Reg
ister and Receiver for the sale OF said
lots and parcels of land. The settlers
under the law are entitled to purchase at
the appraised value the town lot on
which they live and any other ON which
they may have made valuable improve
ments. The remaining lands are to be
sold to the highest bidder above the APP
praised.value. The whole townsite ag-
gregates about 5000 acres.
The pension bureau has notified a
great many pensioners throughout the
entire country, who are drawing PEN
sions under the act of June 81, 1890,
known as the independent pensions act,
that payment of their pensions will be
suspended for sixty days, during which
time they are required to show cause
why they should continue to draw PEN
sions. This action is pursuant to the re-
cent ruling of Secretary Smith that a
pensioner under the act OF June n, 1890,
drawing a pension for total disability,
must be shown to be physically incapa-
BILE of manual labor. 1t is estimated at
the pension office, although the work
has recently begun, that something over
1000 suspensions have already been
made.
Enlisted men in the navy will now
have the privilege of purchasing their
discharge. Secretary Herbert has issued
an order establishing rules and regula-
tions for the purchase of discharges au-
thorzed by the last naval appropriation
bill. No man is to be allowed to pur-
chase his discharge while in debt to the
government, nor until he has served
three months. The price of discharge
during the fourth month OF enlistment
will be rs per cent of the yearly pay OF
the applicant; during the fifth month
80 per cent, and SO on, increasing 5 per
cent per month until the fourteenth
month, when the maximum price is
reached. During the fifteenth month
the price will be 95 per cent of the max
imum price; in the sixteenth month 80
per cent, and SO on, decreasing per cent
per month until the thirty fourth month,
when the applicant may apply for his
discharge without payment. No man is
allowed to purchase his discharge sec
ond time, and those procuring discharges
by purchase forfeit all benefits due to
continuous service or honorable dis
charge. A discharge by purchase is not
an inherent right, but privilege which
may be granted by the Navy Department.
The atmosphere about the weather
bureau has cleared off very perceptibly
since the recent investigation, and affairs
are running along very smoothly, with
very little probability of any further
changes being made in the near future
in the bureau. Secretary Morton said
that he wished to make it popular; in
short, he will insist upon a useful fore
casting, SO the farmer, miner, shipper
and commercial man can derive from it
the greatest possible good. In addition
to cutting off a number OF what he calls
useless scientists" Secretary Morton
proposes to save money in the matter OF
telegraph tolls. He also decided to dis
continue the river and flood-room work
and at an early date place the river fore
cast in charge of observers located on
the principal rivers. As result Carl
Barns, F. Ii. Bigelow and Thomas E.
Russell, professors of meteorology, will
be dropped from the rolls this month
along with a number of clerks and other
employees. In his forthcoming report
Secretary Morton will make two impor-
tant recommendations One relates to
the indiscriminated distribution of garden
seed, and the other to the duplication of
experiments by stations, now being done
by the department.