Birmingham state herald., 1895-12-13
REED IS TAKING HIS TIME
He Will Not Name His Committees Until the
 Last of Next Week.
CIVIL SERVICE REFORM LEAGUES
They Are Holding Their Fifteenth Annual Meeting-Mr. Richard Henry Dana Severely Criticlsed Wanamak-
 CTS Administration.

Washington, Dec. 12.-Captain John- son, commander of the cruiser Cincfn- nati, now at Key West on patrol duty, in telegram to the navy department confirms the Southern Associated Press dispatch that fire on the coal bunkers of the vessel was discovered Tuesday, and that the magazines were flooded to pre- vent explosion. According to the tele- gram there was no damage.
 Speaker Reed will not in all probability name his committees until the very last of next week. The announcement may be delayed until the following Monday if adjournment for the holidays be post poned until that date. Neither is it likely that the speaker will announce any sim gle committee.
 Among the bills introduced in the sen- ate was one by Mr. Call, providing that passenger transportation on all railways engaged in interstate commerce shall not exceed 1 cent per mile. It is made lawful for every company to have separ- ate cars for different races, natonalties and kinds of people; sleeping. car charges are reduced to $1 for each twenty-four hours of occupancy; freight charges are ordered to be reduced to an amount not exceeding that necessary to pay the in- terest (not exceeding per csnD on the present value of the railway engaged in interstate commerce, estimated upon the basis of the cost on which railroads could be duplicated today. A fine of 0,000 for each violation is provided, half of which is to be paid to the informer, or by inn prisonment for not more than one year.
 The death of Ex-Senator Thurman of Ohio caused profound sorrow at the capi- tol, where bulletin was circulated this afternoon announcing the death of the celebrated democratic leader. His former political associates and opponents alike spoke in terms of high respect and ad- miration of the "Old Roman"
 Secretary Herbert said: Judge Thur man was the nucleus around whom de- mocracy rallied at the close of the war, when the condition of the party seemed to be hopeless. Amid all the horrors of reconstruction the people of the south looked to him as the great leader who was in the minds and hearts of the peo- pie of the United States. Especially the south owes to him a debt of gratitude it will never forget. The news of his death will be received with unfeigned sorrow throughout the entire country"
 The National Civil Service Reform leagues fifteenth annual meeting began here this afternoon, when the delegates were welcomed by President John Joy Edson of the local organization. The of- f1cers of the league will be elected to- morrow and the meeting will close in the evening. In the course of an interest ing paper before the league this after noon on Appointment end Tenure of Postmasters" by Richard Henry Dana of Cambridge, Mass, he severely criti- cised the United States postal system. He related an occurrence during Ex- Postmaster General Wanamaker's S his position. He stated that a business man appointed postmas- ter-general wrote to some of the model postma sters to consult with him on the business of the service. On account of pressure of the congressman he was un- able to fix a date before June after his inauguration in March, but even then these model postma sters got no further than his ante-room, where they vainly waited many hours while applicants under the wings of members of congress passed in before them. At last. after a week of waiting, one got into the inner room and found the postmaster-general engaged in discussion with negro postmaster of a small town in the south over the question whether the appoint ment should not be revoked, not on the ground of unfitness, but because of a re- mark that this negro had once attended a democratic caucus After a quarter of an hour consumed over this question the postmaster-general had a moment or two to shake hands and explain that the business consultation must be postponed till next August, as he was overwhelmed with the pressure for places. This story which is true one he said, tell not as Illustrating the work of any one man. but of the heretofore duties of this ca bi- net position in general. As a result the organization of the department is on the same basis that it was under Franklin when there were seventy-f1ve postoffices in the country.