Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1895-05-04
WASHINGTON LETTER
ESPECIAL coRREspoNDENcE. !

agricultural department will give some
suggestive figures During the ten
years which ended on June 30, 1884,
there We're imported into this coun-
try %, 49j, AIT bushels of potatoes
with an aggregate value of SO, l55, 43l
or an average Of value of 44.G cents
per busheI. The net excess Of imports
over exports for the same period was
24 By, 405 bushels, with value Of
50, 29G,3 ,345. During the year 1888
this country raised the larg-
est crop but one during the pc
riod above mentioned, the crop being
POP, 3G5, 600 bushels. During the same
year we imported s, $50, 900 bushels Of
potatoes. That we should go abroad
to buy potatoes or any other farm
product Is n matter Of surprise to the
agricultural department. But statis-
tics that cannot be denied show that
during the 10 years just passed almost
/ so, 100000 Of our gold has gone
abroad to pay for this tuber which
forms such Il great percentage of the
!
Among the countries to which We ex-
port potatoes, Cuba is most prom
inent; the British West Indies and
North American provinces, with MeXl-
co, Central America, the United States
of Columbia, Venezuela, the Hawaiian
Islands and Hong Kong being also
among our larger customers for this
product.
Pension DEcIsIoN-A decision has
been rendered by the secretary of the
interior involving the right to pension
in claims filed by persons after attain
ing their 10th year, for or on account
OF whom no claim had been made dur
ing the period of their pensionable
minority as children of a soldier who
had died from causes originating in
the service and line of duty. The
secretary holds that the clause "chil.
dren under 1G years Of Nge''is descrip-
tive of cluss Of claims, which are eX-
ccpted from the limitation act of March
3, 1879 and are not forfeited by neg
lect to file the application during the
period Of pensiomuble minority. The
amount Of Increase which this decision
will involve, it is said, will reach sew
eral hundred thousand dollars. There
are now about 200 such cases pending
before the interior department.
These SUGAR CAsEs-There is some
hitch in the efforts to fix date for the
| trials of President Havemeyer and
| Secretary Searles of the American
Sugar Refining Company and the
newspaper correspondents and stock
brokers who were indicted for refusing
to answer questions asked by members
of the senatorial sugar trust commit
tee, and it is rumored that the prose-
cutions may be abandoned altogether.
BOUNDARY DISpUTE--The state de-
partment has published the diplomatic
correspondence exchanged between
this government and Venezuela, ex-
tending over the period between Oc-
tober, 1898, and December, 1894,
relative to the boundary dispute be-
tween Venezuela and British Guiana,
which, while ad ling but little to the
general knowledge OF the subject, in
o'r"''S '''' 'e''"''' '"'' 't'0 uIi", ti"y
''t"I' ~ ",'',,I ~ 80 'L,.'i, a"saI
Venezuela makes it clear that she re-
:lV' "HonS .po" Wv siir ; aaa,;1N. %
iI''i l;i, Gu on.io' .t W otsy 9'U"'' '"' '0'''
'''''-' VI Wv '''''''
MEL CELEBRATIoN-Sec Herbert
has sent Rear Admiral Meade instruc-
tions directing him to have the New
York and the Columbia in New York
by May |, in order that these vessels
may be prepared for their visit to Kiel
for participation in the ceremonies at
tending the opening of the North Sea
couo1 Can't Snnnar commsndinp
the Columbia, will be the senior
officer until the two vessels fall in
with the San Francisco and the Marble
head, which will also participate in
the celebration, when Rear Admiral
Kirkland will assume command. The
last named vessels, now on the Syrian
coast, will have a voyage of several
thousands of miles to reach kiel.
Hor1n,vs At posr Oprrcrs- -Tbs
atnostar-nororol hos omor5oJ tLo
postaI lows 9nI roauIot;ons ronorl;nr
boI;Iovs Tho amendment states that
nostna"s.or, nav nbsarya os bol;dovs
Ian Yah % Nav 30 JnIv 1 tbe
fret NJ IonJov in Sentember known "a
Tabor dav: Dee, 25 and such other
holidays as the President of the United
states or the Governors in their re-.
snartive states mny designate as Fast
d,v or Thonksciying day or proclaim
srcciollv nc holidays On other oc.
casions their offices can be closed
only after permission is obtained
.l.arafore from tho department
~, wo,rx Op1rcr-A, ordor hos
hoon issnoJ tn the naval cadets hv ths
srnorintondent of the Annanolis Ma
ooaJanr whiob has creatod consi5er.
aI,In .t,,,na+;on o,,on,, +bo fan,;iio,
1t forblds cadets from saIutlnS women