Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1897-09-16
WOOD ANSWERED.
Administration Position on the Civil
Service Defined.
THE PRESIDENT CAN REMOVE
August Receipts of Post Onices Show an
Reconsideration Pacific Wins Big
Land Suit-Money Order System
Alissoari's Iron Production.

WAsHINeToN, Sept 1a.-The govern
ment, through District Attorney Davis,
will file its answer to-day to the in
junction suit of Superintendent Wood,
of the Louisville, KY, post Office,
against his transfer to a clerkship in
the railway mail service. 1t was de-
cided to demur to the proceedings, as
under this line of action the govern
ment will be in position to secure a
decision upon the broadest possible
grounds. In the answer to the COM
plant the position will be taken that
the matter of the removal of officials
appointed by the president is an
executive function with which the
courts have nothing to do; that
such cases involve neither law nor
equity; that the duty or privilege of
making removals from Office is one
pertaining exclusively and absolutely
to the executive, and that the action
of the heads of departments in max
ing removals or transfers is the act of
the president himself.
In support of this position it is
alleged that the civil service law vests
in the president the right to enlarge
or contract the scope of the classified
service as he may see proper, and that
if acting through his representatives
he chooses to alter its operations, the
courts cannot interfere A decision in
the case is hoped for some time next
week.
Southern Pacific Sustained.
WASHINGTON, Sept. IA decision of
the secretary of the interior fixing the
status of the lands embraced in the
grant of the Southern Pacific railroad
between Mojave and Needles, Cal, was
promulgated Saturday. The lands en-
brace all the alternate sections between
the two points mentioned for 20
miles on each side of the road, the dis
lance being 242 miles. The lands have
been in controversy between the At.
lantic & Pacific and Southern Pacific
since 1884. A committee appointed by
the secretary of the interior in that
year recommended the acceptance of
the Southern Pacific map. The former
appealed. The secretary's decision up
holds the recommendation of the COM
mission.
Post Office Receipts.
WASHINGTON, Sept 12.-The post
office receipts during August in the
principal cities of the country show
an increase over the receipts of last
year. This is considered remarkable
when the fact is considered that last
year there was a national campaign on
and the mails were being flooded with
political literature of all sorts. At
st. Louis the receipts for the month
were S126, 225, an increase of Sc, AS.
At Kansas City they were SAG. 397, an
increase of SIS, 602.
Money Order System Under Scrutiny.
WASHINGTON, Sept. 12.-First Assist
ant Postmaster-General Heath is Civ
ing the money order system of the
post Office department a complete over
hauling. The cases of misuse of the
governments funds that have been
discovered indicate to Mr.. Heath that
there is great need of more thorough
inspection of money order offices than
has been practiced in the past, and he
is proceeding to see that this inspec-
ton is made.
Missouris Iron Ore Production Decreasing
WASHINGTON, Sept. t2.-The report
prepared by the geological survey and
submitted to the secretary of the in
terror upon the production of iron ore
in the United States during the year
1896, contains the following startling
statement as to Missouri: Missouri,
which was formerly a prominent iron
producer, has fallen to the bottom of
the list, owing to the exhaustion of red
hematite deposits and the use of rich
Lake Superior ore at the blast fur
naces on the Ohio and Mississippi
rivers"