Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1895-11-16
WASHINGTON LETTER
SPECIAL CoREEsPoNpENcR.

pciSiouS, mas submitted MS nunuul re-
port to the secretary OF the interior.
1t shows that up to June 30, 1894,
there were 800, 544 pensioners and
that during the past year 80, 1856 new
pensions were granted nnd 4,2J6 re-
stored that had been dropped from
the rolls, making an aggregate roll of
l,O12, 935. There were 27, SIG deaths
and 14,575 pensions were dropped dur.
ing the past year, making the number
on the rolls on June 30, 1895, $50, 524
an increase during the year of $50
Unless further pension Legislation is
enacted the com missioner thinks that
the nppro priation OF ~AAo, ,on". 600 VIII
! be sufficient for the payment OF pen
sions for the year ending June 30,
1896 The estimates for 1897 are the
same as for 1896, except for an sddi-
tional $3, 900 for better quarters for
the agent at Buffalo.
! CIVIL SERVICE REFORM-As q result
| of conference between the secretary
of the interior and the civil service
/ commissioners, arrangements are
being perfected to send to the Presi-
dent for his approval an amendment
to the civil service rules, placing un-
der the classified service the assistant
attorneys of the interior secretary's
Office. Such clerks in the Indian
bureau as are not under the protection
of civil service rules will be included
in the amendment
SOUTH AFRICAN WoRLD's FAIR
President Cleveland has received q
letter from Charles P. Degarno, di-
rector-general of the international In
dustrial exhibition at Johannesburg,
South Africa, Inviting Americans to
make exhibits, stating that the occasion
offers an opportunity to Introduce and
advance American products. The ex-
| hibition is to be held at Johannesburg
during May and June 1896.
ANOMALOUS CONDITION the re.
quest of the secretary of state the
government of Honduras has prom
ised to extrf d.te A. X. Ward, the al
legged Memphis embezzler, who was
captured in that country recently.
The United States has no extradition
treaty with Honduras, and the favor
extended in Wards case emphasizes
all the moro friendly feeling of that
government toward this country,
though the fact remains that this gov
ernment could not reciprocate if Hon
duras required the extradition of one
OF its criminals from America.
HEAT PLAYS Havoc IN THE Navy
| The question of sanitation In the navy
has resulted in the presentation of
remarkable figures by Commodore
Tryon, Surgeon-General of the Navy.
During the year he instances the fact
that tifty-tive cases of heat exhaustion
occurred among the engineer force.
The heaviest numbers were ON the
following vessels: Bennington. II;
Bancroft, g.; Columbia, g.: Amphi-
trlte, 8. The result of overheating is
shown in the fact that during the past
eleven chief engineers and three passed
assistant engineers have been, or are
now, on sick leave. Six have been
recommended for retirement and two
have died.
BEHRINa SEA CoNvENT1oN-Ths
British ambassador introduced Sir
Mackenzie Bowel, the Canadian pre-
mier, and Sir Charles Upper, the
Canadian minister of justice, to Sec.
retary Olney at the state department.
The convention which Secretary
Olney and the British ambassador
will frame, looking to the payment of
damages to Canadian vessels seized in
fr lad
in the Paris award, will pro.
vide, it is believed. for a mixed com
mission to assess the amount due. II
the convention should provide for
commission, it will consist of two
members, one on the part of the
United States and the other represent
her majesty's government Their
sessions will be held at Victoria, B.O.,
where all the evidence connected with
the seizures in past been collected.
Should the commission ners fail to agree
upon the amount of damages, they
will be permitted, under the terms Of
the convention, to choose q third
member.
YEAR Book OF FAGRICULTURE-Ther
has been great demand for the new
year book of the department of agri-
culture. Important changes wore
made by Secretary Morton, who be-
lieved that good deal of the matter
usually published was of little value to
farmers, to whom the book is chiefly
useful. The latest edition, which has
just appeared from the public printer. is
made up of the annual report of the sec.
retary of agriculture and about 20
papers treating of agricultural topics
in scientifically practical way. The
subjects include discussion of fertil-
ization, the determination of various
insects, the management of dairy herds.
the care of grains and grasses and
some valuable advice on forestry. The
week also describes the best roads for
farms and farming districts, and gives
an account of the state highways in
Massachusetts and the public roads in
North Carolina. Secretary Morton
intends that the year book shall be
improved annually until it shall
become standard book of ref
erence for American farmers. Tho
cooperation of the public printer has
been secured in the editing of this
book, and durable paper, substantial
binding, a neat typographical text and
plentiful text figures rs illustrations
are features of the publication. It
has been decided to abandon the
colofing Autographs, which were an
expensive and useless portion of pre-
vious issues. It has cost the govern.
ment $500, 900 eaoh year to publish
the agricultural volume to say moth
ing of the expense of distribution,
well-known English writer on zool-
ogy says the rapid opening of Africa
means the destruction Of many wild
animals, and zoos will not be able to