The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-02-06
DEFENSES FOR THE SOUND.
A TOTAL OF &cSo.oOo AVAILABLE
FOR IMMEDIATE USE
Appropriations Ia BE Distributed by
the Chief of Ordnance-Question
n 10 the Right of the Great WORTH

ern to the Ska2it River Bridge.
Special Dispatch TO the Post-Intell,gen ser.
WASHINGTON. Feb. 5.-The foFtiaca-
tons BILL which passed the house today.
Contains a clause by which Puget sound
VIII get se5o.se fer immediate use. dis
trihHted under the direction of the chief
OF ordnance Lewis attempt 10 linsit The
expenditure 70 certain points was tisfs atei
Discretion Ia where the Notifications
are 10 be placed IS left with the secretary
OF war
Some inquiries have been quietly made AZ
the war department as 10 the right of the
Great Northern Railroad Company 10 main
tain the bridge across the Skagi. river. in
sKagit county, which bridge the county
maintains. is 4 detrtmsnt 20 its interests
h stranger. the prosecuting attor-
ney for Skagit county. has written 10 the
secretary or war. sending a plat of the
oFidge. and inquiriug whether or not II is
illegally maintained Owing 10 the illness
OF the secretary and his absence from the
department. and the great pressure OF
work in consequence upon Assistant Sec
rotary Meiklejohn, no action has been
taken regarding this complaint. although
u Is understood that an investigation OF 1t
has been ordered
Phil NJ. Smith. n member OF the legisla-
ture OF the state OF Washington. has writ
ten a letter 10 Representative Lewis.
which has been filed with the fourth as
sistant postmaster general. urging the es-
adjustment of a new postoffice just across
the Cowlitz river from the postoffice of
Vance. Mr.. Smith Is one OF those who will
be benefited by the establishment Of new
office. and urges strongly the necessity
therefor. He states that the Cowlitz is
no riyaiet at that point. and that there are
very Few small boats To accommodate
those who are obliged TO cross the river
TO get their mail. There is not bridge
or ferry nearer than Fulton. seventeen
miles away. and there are times when Il
is an impossibilty for the carrier to cross
the river. Then the mail is carried on to
the next office. locked up in the pouch.
and letters are sometimes delayed several
days 1t is asserted that the establish
rlent OF the new office would not cost the
government anything additional. as the
carrier now goes past the store where it
is desired 10 have the new office located.
I. S. Scott. of Eliensburg. has written
TO Washington representatives advocating
an amendment to the patent law. the OBJ
iect of which is TO prevent patents being
obtained and a royalty exacted upoa those
things which are intended to aid in ale
Waiting the ills Of humanity 1t is pre-
sumed that this would cover the whole
line of patent medicines and other nos
trums which go to make up. so large a
part Of every drug store throughout the
country.
Strong efforts are being made at this
session of congress TO have the reserva.
ton in Alaska known as the Annette ISL
L. -.
Indians, thrown open To settlement or at
least to mineral location. II IS reported
that there are very valuable mineral de-
posits on the islands. and that the chief
OF these Indians permits British subjects
to 20 upon the islands TO prospect for min
erals.
Senator Wilson'S bill opening the Gig
harbor reservation 10 settlers has been
duplicated in the house by a bill intro
duced by Representative Lewis. The Gig
harbor reservation is about five miles from
Point Defiance park, Tacoma, and the
Chamber OF Commerce OF Tacoma has
taken up the matter and passed resolu-
tons opposing the opening OF this reserve.
This. II presented before either the senate
or house committee. will he likely 20 give
the Gig har5or bill a black eye and may
result I'm its defeat II IS the same old
again and again during tho last congress,
when Representative poolittle introduced
a bill To open the reserve and then found
that an equal number Of his constituents
were opposing Il.
Sylvester A. Skinner. OF Vance, Wash.
whose pension claim was rejected snort
time ago. has flied new application.
Old soldiers in Washington state. who
did not vote the Republican ticket in the
last presidential election now claim that
Is the reason they are not getting their
pensions or increase OF pensions allowed.
Such is the burden Of scores and scores
az letters that ere being received 10y the
Peoples party senator and representatives
The fact Of the matter Is that the pension
bureau. so far as Il relates to the adiudI-
cation OF claims. is entirely divorced from
politics. The examiners In che pension
bureau have most Of them been here
many years. some OF them having been
appointed during Republican adm.nistre-
items and the others during the Demo
cratic administrations. All are now under
the civil service
Questions regarding the politics or re-
.igion OF an applicant for a pension are
never asked and If any such letters are
ever received at the department. from
either friends or enemies OF the applicant
they are NOT considered in any way in tle
final settlement Of the case. Il has been
shown. however. 20 have not been inffe-
quently the case that pension examining
surgeors have reported. sometimes, either
favcrably Or adversely. according 10 the
politics OF the applicant. This has not
been more frequently the case IN the
state Of Washington than in other states
Wherever such matters have been shown
- the satisfaction OF the pension bureau
changes have been made IN those par
tjcualr examiGing boards. As pension ex-
am.ulog surgeons are rot under the civil
serr.ce. great many changes have been
made since Commissioner 43vlns assumed
his oftc% ard IL Is sai1 that the ma jority
or thc old soldiers are better satisfied now
wa.n ordered Tor EXAMINATION before the
NV boards. such Is not the case how
ever. with those who voted the Peoples
parry If, kej Cor they have .he g-oUudless
fsa~ taat this VIII be charged up against
III ~ ALLAN X. SLAE-SO%