Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1899-10-26
THE TARTAR'SD DELAY
Report as to Why the Transport
Was Kept at Hong Kong.
A WARNING TO pOSTNASTERS.
They Are Directed by the Post Once De-
partment ut Washington to Post Upin
Their Ofiices Notices Concerning
Political Assessments.

Washington, Oct 10. The secretary
Of war recently instructed Gen. Shat
ter at San Francisco to call on the
commanding officer of the troops on
the Tartar for full statement OF
facts concerning the delay of that
transport in the harbor of Hong Kong.
Under date of San Francisco, October
10, Gen. shafter forwarded the report
of the commanding officer OF the
Twentieth Kansas to the department
as follows:
The chartered transport Tartar Is British
ship, and, as such, the British law was deemed
to apply. Under the British law the Tartar
was licensed to carry al passengers. The har-
Dor master at Hong Kong refused to give the
ship clearance because she carried ,l4O troops.
wired to the department at Washington and
the adjutant general at Mlnila that clearance
| was refused because OF overcr0wdlng The
reply was had from Adjt. Gen. Corbin asking
| II, In my opinion the snip was overcrowded
and II there was cause for complaint from the
soldiers regarding food replied that the ship
was no more crowded than other transports mad
| been, and that there was no ground for com
| plant regarding food. Before communication
could be Ind wired clearance allowed. sailed
to-day" The harbor master had in the mean
time visited the ship and Inspected the light
nao's anu sp p1as h.Ie.'o mas e Nv
certain Of the discharged soldiers in person
and by an article which appeared In Hong
Kong paper, written by q discharged regular
soldier IN winch ,he snip was spoken OF as .
was read v "a so caused NV WIN tbe ,nc,den, WAS
about 2, hours.
Referring to the report of the COM
manding general of the Twentieth
Kansas, Adit. Gen. Corbin telegraphed
Gen. Shafter as follows.
I'll not quite clear that the Tartar took on
me oelts ana snip ooals ~ hong Kong or lna'
e se h ,ha ,h W ,nu the
that particular were satisfactory and as a re.
suit Of that inspection, he gave clearance, etc
Ten. Shafter has replied to this tele-
gram by saying that the commanding
officer OF the Twentieth Kansas re-
ports that the Tartar took on no addi-
tiona life belts or boats and that he /
,,dars,ooa ,bot tha b,rho, rostor
"""''' ,Vo" .''' ''o ''"' IVA '""''e'
granted the clearance because ne was
satisfied with the provisions OF the
Tartar in that particular.
WARNING ro posruAsrrRs
WASHINGTON OFT. 10 .-The nostmas-
.o,, ,,onona1 hos ;sa,,oa = foa,a, ,u,nn
.oi W 'i''' '''''o" " va 'i'",
ing 10 all postmasters against the levy
of political assessments and simutane-
ously the civil service commission has
called attention to the law governing
the subject and of the commission's in
,aa.;a, o. ontaa.n /. MT axa.o,
'e"''o' w 9".o =" no se.0'"'
warning Is sltnilar 10 that issued mere
tofore prior TO political campaigns,
and. IL is understood. follows com
i,.s of sn,;eo ,;ol.t;a, - .Lo
P'"'.V' " 'PoV'1v ,'oi"V'o" W WV ~"
received iroul ohlo anu othet States
where elections are to be held this
year. The postmaster generals order
follows:
by request OF the civil service commission all
postmasters are hereby directed TO sign and
post consplcu0usly In their respective ofllces
copies OF the following circular, issued by the
United States civil service commission, and to
use every means to direct the attention OF their
suDordlnates TO the provisions thereof.
The commission's circular saws.