Evening star., 1897-03-25
NO ONE YET NAMED
District Nominations to Be Delayed
for Some Days.
SIGNIFICANT TREASURY ACTION
Meanwhile Reports Favor Various
Candidates.
A T TIL f W II T Z HO Z S E

The only adjective that seems to possess
the requirements to properly describe the
conditions surrounding the commissioner
ship ques ton is Kaleidoscope. The changes
that succeed each other with such rapidlty.
SO far as general gossip is concerned, and
present many and novel features. can
be covered by no other word. Usually in
such matters the complexion of affairs re-
tans something of the same hue for at
least a day or two, but in the present case
there is not even momentary constancy of
any Substantial sort An observer wakes in
the morning and finds that the current talk
is entirely different from that which ac-
Companied him to his doorstep previous 10
his retirement for the night. Long before
luncheon he discovers that there is another
variation in the popular theme; post-merid-
ian talk takes On still another flavor, and
as the shades of night come falling fast
new phases appear. until ii seems an utter
impossibilty to even hope to reach def
mite conclusion over the ail-important sub
ject.
Day before Yesterday. for instance, q ru
II or quickly spread about town tha: Mr.
Jesse b. Wilson had been nominated to
succeed District Commissioner Ross. News
paper telephones were kept jangling by
eager inquirers into the truth of the dsser-
ton and almost much interest was
aroused by ii as that occaSioned by the af-
fair at Carson on st. Patrick's day. Yes
terday the same people who had been COLI
fdent twenty-four hours before that Mr.
Wilson had been selected were equally ce--
tain that Mr.. Harry L. West would be ap-
pointed before the postprandial lights be-
gan TO burn, and the certainty seemed to he
almost as great that Mr. Truesdell would
be selected to succeed himself.
An entirely different feeling appears to
be abroad in the land today. and in the
same places that the gossip above de-
scribed was heard yesterday and the day
before one may listen now to absolute as
| SuTdnceS-Or r. q
be considered as such-that Commissioner
Ross will be redppointed and that Mr.. Cha
pin Brown will succeed Commissioner
Truesdell.
1t was said at the Capitol that both
Mes srs. Ross ami Truesdell would be re-
nominated, but one appeared to have
any assurance of this.
The oEly thing that could be learned with
anything like detinteness was that the
President would rot probably send In any
nominations for these offices before the
1st or April, so candidates ard their
friends may have another week or more of
anxiety.
Meanwhile this delay has revived the
hopes of those candidates who had been
discouraged by the announcement made
yesterday that II was almost certain that
Messr Truesiel and West would be ap-
pointed.
Significant Action at the Treasury.
The Secretary of the Treasury today is
sued a warrant for s4oS,5l1 81 in favor of
Messrs. Ross, Truesdel and Black Com
missloners of the District of Columbia
The gentlemen named made requis.tion for
the above stated amount to meet the Or
dlrary expenses of the District government
between now and the 1st of April. and il
vas promptly honored The money is need
ed to pay the salaries of school teachers
Policemen firemen and all other officials of
tEe District government for the month of
March, as well as to meet current obliga-
tons for repairs and Improvements and
municipal work generally.
The significance of this action lies in the
fact that it would not be taken if it were
probable that the President contemplated
making any change in the personnel of the
board of Commissioners before the end Of
the month.
This particular requisiton was held up
for several days in consequence of the ex-
pectation by treasury officials that the
beard of Commissioners would be reorgan-
lied before il became necessary to furnish
the present commissioners with the funds
to meet the obligations payable on or be-
fore the 3lst instant. This was done ia
facilitate keeping and auditing the ac.
counts of the District Commissioners Thes:
accounts are made out in the names of the
Individual Commissioners, and have to be
Icadjusted every time a change in the per-
sCnnel of the board takes place
The terms of Messrs Ross and Truesdall
having expired, it will be necessary TO
0l en- a new set of accounts with their sue
cessors, even in the event that they sue
ceed themselves. Today's action indicat tes
that so far as the Treasury Department is
concerned the present Commissioners will
continue to be recognized in their present
official capacity at least until the exnira
tion oil the present month. The uueslion
OF placing more money at their disposal
Tor District expenses will not again arise
until lat in April, and it Is confidently ex-
pected that the President will make the
long-looked-for appointments before that
| necessity arises.
At the White House.
The few people who spoke to the Presi-
dent today about the District commission
erships received idea of the President 8
intentions. The impression conveyed by
hSm was only that he is not yet ready to
take up the commssionership fight