Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1897-12-23

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1t was not expected that the Presidenr
would nominate Attorney General Nc
Kenna for the Supreme Court until after
| the Pacific Railroad suits were disposed
of. That was the understanding before
he went to Canton, but he thinks Gov.
| Griggs Of New Jersey will be able to look
after the railroad foreclosure with equal
| zeal and ability, and that perhaps 1t
would be as well to have n new man take
hold at this time. The controversy be-
| tween the Attorney General and the legal
representatives of the railway companies
| has become rather heated. Both sides
are stubbornly fixed to their present posi-
| ton. Somebody must yield before any
arrangement can be concluded, and it is
| believed that Gov. Griggs can make bet
| ter terms than Attorney General Nc
| Kenna. The Central Pacific has been POI
| litical issue on the Pacific coast for many
! years, and everybody in California is COM
| mitted to or against its interest. There
| fore the President thought it would be
better that somebody from the East who
| could not be accused OF prejudice or pref
erepce SHOULD gpdertasc tie settlement
Of its affairs with the Government.
BY the last census of the executive de-
partments in Washington there were 105
persons over 20 years of age employed as
| clerks by the Government, and 1t is prob
| able that the number has nearly doubled
| since that time There are sixty superan-
| nuated clerks in the Treasury Depart
ment alone, and most of them are incapa-
| BILE Of performing any important duty.
| Some of them are drawing salaries as
| high as 81 800 year; others 81 200, ST.
| 400 and 81 600. There is no pension list
| for civil service employees. In the army
| and navy a man is retired on half or two
| thirds pay when he reaches the age of 62-
T, Secretary Gage has been studying the
| question very carefully, and has decided
| that it is only fair to the Government
| that clerks who are incapacitated by age
| should receive only Il corresponding
| amount of their salary. Hence he has
| issued an order reducing the sixty vet
Grams who have passed three score and
ten to 5000 year.
The two committees on Indian affairs
are working together in the preparation
| of bill to carry out the recommendations
of Secretary Bliss with regard TO nTw
| form of government in the Indian terri
tory. They are unanimous in the opinion
| that prompt and radical action should be
i taken to dissolve the tribes, abolish the
| existing tribal governments and place the
| inhabitants Of the several reservations
| upon the same footing as the citizens OF
other territories, with equal rights, priv
| ieges and protection. The first step to
| be taken will be the organization and adj
mission of Indian territory into the Unit
| ed States, the appointment of governor,
n secretary, judges and other officials that
compose the ordinary territorial organiza-
ton. Then census Of the territory will
be taken and an election ordered for a
Legislature to frame code of laws.
Secretary Bliss is congratulatng him
| self that he is to be relieved Of all re-
| sponsibility in connection with the ap-
pointment Of the officials to take the next
census. The temper shown by Congress
ON this subject is very significant. 1t is
not proposed to allow the civil service
commission to have anything to do with
the appointments which are temporary,
and will last for three or four years only,
but it was originally proposed to make the
Secretary OF the Interior the appointing
power. Mr.. Bliss Immediately objected.
| There will be several thousand persons on
the staff, and he has trouble enough now.
Therefore the superintendent of the CEN
sus when appointed will distribute the
patronage.
The bottle of 45-year-old whisky which
Major ;3arrack q. Thomas gave TO Miss
Richardson of Lexington, Ky, to send to
the secretary to baptize the battleship
Kentucky has been totally consumed. 1t
was n perquisite of the last administra-
ton, and was partaken of by President
| Cleveland, Secretary Olney, Hoke Smith,
j. Sterling Morton. Attorney General
Harmon, Postmaster General Wilson and
the faithful Thurber. Secretary Carlisle
and Secretay., Lamont were not guilty.
The former docs not drink. and Col. La
mont abstains from preference.
/ There are bills before the Committee ON
Public Buildings and Grounds for the
erection of custom houses and postofiices
in more than 200 cities Of the United
States and for the extension or enlarge
ment of existing buildings in fifty other
cities. During the last three or four
| years, while there has been deficit in the
treasury, Congress has passed very few
such bills, but Where is going to be de-
termincd effort this session upon the part
of representatives who need buildings in
their districts to secure authority for their
erection.
Commissioner Powderly finds that dur
ing the year 1896 5000 OF the immi-
grants arriving in the United States were
illiteratc. and 80 per cent of them came
from Italy, Austria, Hungary, Russia and
Poland, q per cent came from France,
Norway, Sweden, Germany and the Unit
ed Kingdom. I'm 1897, 42,154 illterates
arrived, of which 00.23 per cent came
from the group of countries first named,
and $50 per cent from the group last
named.
Speaker Reed is becoming quite So
ciety man. He has appeared Mt all impor-
| tant social functions thus far. and has
been particularly conspicuous at the opera
every night, where he has occupied box
| ms the guest of his friend, Representative
Simkins of Massachusetts,.