The Elbert County tribune., 1899-04-13

The 1lnAuclll Atoh tht
treasury for the LIST OF April shows n
remarkable gain In the receipts from
customs during the last nine months.
Since the beginning of the current fis-
cal wear on the list of July last the
duties on imported goods under the
Dingiey act have amounted 10 Sl3l.-
S1O OSi %. For the corresponding per-
iod OF the previous year they were on
Iy S1O7, ,5O2, 1SI. .6s. thus showing an In
crease OF s14.307, ,039.G1. The collec-
tons thus far in nine months exceed
by s., 10000 the customs revenues Tor
the entire year of 1898, they are only
5000 600 less than for the entire year
1891. which gives the advocates of the
DipgIey tariff law great satisfaction.
Senator Fairbanks of Indiana is here
arranging for "A journey TO Alaska with
the American members of the high
Joint commission that has been nego-
tiatIng for n settlement OF the differ
ences with Canada. AS the boundary
line between the Uinted States and
Canada Is the most serious subject III
controversy. he thinks the American
members of the commission could
strengthen themselves by personal
Investigation. He intends to leave Chi
cago for San Francisco about the mid
die OF May. Senator Faulkner and
| MI. haSrOn DsiNt bttttb w tDf
Representative Payne is expecting to
| join them and they hope TO persuade
Mr.. Coolidge also.
The President and the officials at the
War Department are disposed TO ac-
cept with satisfaction the encouraging
advices received from General Otis.
They are quite certain that lie under
stands the situation, and that his in-
| formation is reliable. 1t Is the first
| time he has expressed SO positive an
opinion. and knowing him TO be very
conservative and careful man, more
reliance is placed upon 1t than If some
one of more snnguine disposition had
signed the message. Now II is expect
ed that the Philippine commission,
which consists of Colonel DENLY. Pres
ident Schurman and Professor Worces-
| ter, will be able to assist him in per-
! suadng the rebels to lay down their
arms. II Aguinaldo could be captured
or shot the officials think the end
would soon come.
Assistant Secretary Vanderllp has is
sued new regulations regarding civil
service appointments. promotions and
transfers in the mints and assay oifi-
ccs of the United States. The posi-
tions are arranged under five general
chedules-scientific clerical. mechani-
cal, trade skilled. positions below
classification and one other not yet pro-
/ mulgatcd. The scientific and clerical
positions will be filed after competl-
tive examinations. but without regis
, trations, while the mechanical, trade
or skilled positions Will be filled after
n slight educational test and registra-
ton examination The educational
test will be letter writing. arithmetic
n nd r.In in snnvfnO and tho raUtstrQ tlnn
test will consist of rating persons ac-
cording to age. character ns workmen
and experience. Physical qualifica-
tiops win also he considered. Credit
will he given for apprenticeship and
work as journeyipen. Graduates of
/ technical schools will be given credit
in lieu of an apprenticeship.
Having come from Hustleville. Will
lam Il. Merriam. the director of the
census, gets very impatient when he
encounters the customs of this land of
deliberation. The government clerks
begin work at o O'Clock In the morning
and stop at 4. with II half-hour for
luncheon. which are shorter hours than
Mr. Merriam has been accustomed to.
They are also In the habit of taking
things in an easy. ppygo-lucky
manner. and find that hurrying is apt
to put them out of work. When n new
bureau is organized the first persons
to get places are old-timers. who have
lost positions In other departments but
have lived so long in Washington that
they know the ropes. As usual, the
new census office got its share of such
experienced people. who years ago ac-
quired the habits OF the circumlocution
office and have found II impossible to
get rid of them. When Mr.. Merriam
D..t,I .I. 4.
affairs he gnve Instructions to have
certain things done during his alb
sence. and says the force OF clerks in
his office ought to have done IL four
times over during the time allowed,
but when he got back 1t was not half
finished. and he has since been trying
to discover the reason why. II Is a
serious question whether lie or the
Washington habit gives I'm. 1t is not
new experience. Other men have
, come here filled with western vim
and energy and have attempted to re-
form things. hut after few months
of bafIied effort have had to give up.
He viii probably do the same.
Admiral O'Neill. chief of the ord
nance bureau of the Navy Depart
ment. has prepared the specifications
for 24,O00 tons of armor, costing ap-
proximately S0.Oc0.OO0 for the six bat
| tleships authorized by Congress at the
last two sessions, and will invite bids
for furnishing It, There are only two
| establishments in the United States
which are competent to undertake so
great u contract. the Cnrnegies and the
Bethlehem Company. and both have
heretofore refused TO furnish armor
for less than SInO n ton. That Is the
| limit placed by Congress upon the cost
| the other three the limit Is $500 ton
| 1t is therefore the opinion of the de
partment that no bids will he offered
within these limits. hut the officials
consider 1t TO he their duty to 30 ahead
and call for proposals just as II 1t was
reasonable TO expect them. The ord
| nance officers of the navy tlo not favor
| the erection of n plant by Inc govern
ment To make armor. for the reason
4 that it would be several years before
! the machinery could he made and
placed in working order. and by that
time somebody might invent some I'M
provement that would make ii prnc-
tically worthless. The officials think
that by the time the arinor plant was
completed we would want new one
built on different designs, and that the
S3.UO0OO0 or SI.000,U00 It would cost
would he practically wasted Further
more. they believe 1t would be an In
justice of the grossest kind for the
government to go into competition
with the private companies. Some
years ago. at the urgent solicitation of
the naval officials, the Carnegie and
Bethlehem companies erected splendid
plants at a cost OF several million dol
lars each, In order to supply armor for
our battlesllips. II WIS an act of pa
triotisn. because the demand for arm
ig lnilnl .itlll