Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1897-01-02
BANK FAILURES.
Comptroller Eckels Attaches Little
Significance to Them
MORE CIVIL SERVICE EXTENSION.
Rules Made to Include Federal Penitentiary
Employes-Changes in the Pension Law
Tariff NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. Against
a Counterfeit-A Report Denied.

WASHINGTON, Dec. so--Comptroller
of the Currency Eckels said yesterday
afternoon that he feels no apprehension
over the bank failures which have oc-
CURED of late. When asked by rep
resentative of the Associated press as
to the general banking situation, he
said: ''Of course bank failures are
more or less disquieting, but those
which have occurred recently have
little or no general significance at
tached to them. They were due largely
to local causes, wholly unconnected
with the general condition of the banks
through the country at large. The
general condition of the banks is ex-
cellent The reports received under
the last call, that of December II, are
uniformly favorable, and show an
average reserve held of considerably
above the % per cent required by the
law. On the whole, it is evident that
the national banks to-day are as stable
as they ever were, and the sporadic
failure of bank here and there,
through defects peculiar to the failing
bank, is of small Importance, wholly
without general significance.
MORE CIVIL SERVICE EXTENSION.
WAsHINGToN, Dec 30.-The president
has EXTENDED the civil service rules so
as to include all officers and employees
in the federal penitentiary service who
are by law subject to classification
This principally affects the federal
penitentiary at Fort Leavenworth,
Kan, though it is to apply to all such
government institu tons and to all PEN
itentlaries hereafter created immedi-
ately upon their Establishment. At
torney-Genera1 Harmon is subjecting
the recent civil service schedule, as af-
fecting the department of justice, to
rigid scrutiny. The present amend
ment is to overcome a defect in the
rules promulgated November 2.
Further amendments on similar lines
may be expected
CHANGES IN THE PENSION LAW.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 3o.-Two radical
changes in the procedure of the PEN
sion office have been made All claims
for increase, save in extraordinary
cases, hereafter will be sent direct to
the medical division of the bureau
without having to be passed upon by
the board of review, as has been Gus
tomary for years This action is taken
on the ground that the bulk of in
crease cases involve only medical ac-
ton, and that much routine detail in
going through other channels of re-
view will be saved. Another step in
the simp1iication and quicker adjudi-
will be no necessity for cases before
the board of review being passed upon
by three or four examiners
THE TARIFF HEARINGS
WASHINGTON, Dec. 3O-The ways and
means committee devoted yesterday to
listening to delegations interested in
the schedules relating to cotton manu-
features and silk goods. The attend
ance was not as large as Monday, and
the numbe who appeared to make
oral arguments was much smaller.
The committee is encouraging the fl
ing of briefs wherever possible The
feature of the day was brief oral ar
gument made by E. C. Hovey, of New
York, representing the Textile Manu-
facturers' association, in favor of more
stringent regulations to prevent under
valuations and fraud on the revenue.
WARNING AGAINST A COUNTERFEIT.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 3O--Chief Hazen
of the secret service has issued cir GU
lar warning against a new counterfsit
SO national bank note on the Union
national bank of Detroit, Mich. The
note is the product of the same hand
which produced the recent counterfeit
on the National Bank of Commerce, of
New York. One distinguisha BILE fea-
ture is that the back of the note is up
side down.
is DENIED ON ALL SIDES
WASHINGTON, Dec 3O.-From official
sources a denial is made that Spanish
Premier Canovas sent Secretary Olney
a communication accepting the media
ton of the United States in the carry |
ing out of autonomy for Cuba 1t is |
said no such letter has been sent, nor
has anything of such a nature passed |
through the Spanish officials here.