The Press., 1899-06-08
Washington Letter. {,
Washington. June 5, 1899.

Washington, June 5, 1899.
 Secretary Alger left Washington, to be absent the greater part of this month, just after the cabinet decided not to call for volunteers for the Philippines. There wereTtwo reasons for this decision. The first, and most important, was that it would be exceedingly dangerous to the health of the men to send raw volunteers to the islands until the rainy season is over, which will not he until about Sept 1st, and Gen. Otis could make no good use of them during that season, If they were there. The other reason was 8 re- port received from President Schurman of the Philippine commission, expressing the opinion that the Filipinos would sur render before the close of the rainy sea- son, making another military campaign unnecessary. Military men are almost unaRimous in the belief that more volun- teers will have to be called for before the revolt is put down. Meanwhile, regulars are to be sent to take the place of the returning volunteers, and Gen. Otis has been given authority to enlist as many natives as he may See fit.
 Gen. Wood, the commander of the Santiago district, seems to have found the Cuban problem easy to solve. In report to the war department, after tell ing of the quiet and orderliness of the entire district, over which he had just travelled, he said: "The whole problem to-day in Cuba is work. Put the idle people who are now reading the incendiary press to work, relegate to back seat the politicians whose present importance rests solely on the attention they are re- ceiving from our people, and they will not have followers enough left to give them the slightest importance or weight in the community. Agitators have tried to stir up the people of this province, but they cannot do it, simply because we have given the people something to do and put them in 8 condition so good that they will not leave 1t for lawless life, unless absolutely forced to. The people who are creating the disturbances today in Cuba do not represent two per cent. of the population" It seems pity that Gen. Wood could not be put in charge of the whole of Cuba, and be allowed to govern it in his own way, he has been so successful in his district.
 The official who can please everybody having business with his office hasn't been born yet, but U. s. Commissioner of Patents Duell comes very near doing it., to judge by the talk of those who practice before the patent office. 0. A. Snow & Co.,, Washington's leading firm of patent lawyers, who have been getting patents for twenty-five years for clients in all parts of the countly-more than 20, 900 patents have been secured by this firm say that Commissioner Duell has so im- proved the working machinery of the off, flee that applications for patents receive more intelligent consideration and are more promptly acted upon than at any time in their knowledge, patents being granted in from four to ten weeks from date of application. This will be good news to the inventors who have in the past often had to worry over the tardi- ness of the patent office.
 The war department is preparing to spend a half million dollars for the erec- tion of quartermaster and commissary depot at Manila, which will contain big refrigerating plant. A New York con- pany has just been awarded the contract for putting in the refrigerating plant, it's bid of $197 ,O00 being the lowest submitted.
 According to report made by con- mittee appointed by the secretary of the treasury, to examine new devices sub- mitted for the use of the U. s. life-saving service, the hair of the reindeer is as buoyant as cork, and more durable. The committee was so favorably impressed with the life-saving buoy, made with rein- deer hair, that 1t has ordered that it be practically tested on Lake Huron.
 There are 1S5 republicans in the next house, which makes 93 votes in the eau GUS necessary to nominate the next speak. CT. The friends of Representative Hen- derson claim that he is already assured ot the support of that many members and that he is sure to be the next speaker, and dislnterested observers regard the claim as valid. It has been stated that the administration had no choice between Col. Henderson and MT. Sherman of New York, and that either would be perfectly satisfactory to it as speaker. This was regarded as practical elimination of the other candidates. It was so taken by Mir. Hopkins of Illinois, who withdrew ir favor of Col. Henderson. How MT. Payne of New York intends taking it cannot be positively said, although he passed thro Washington within the last forty-eight hours. The New Workers are to decide this week whether they are to support Sherman or Payne, and as Payne has gone on a pleasure trip to Alaska, he probably considers himself out of it.
 There is little interest in official circles over the sale to Germany of Spain's re maining possessions in the Pacific fol $5, 100000. Speaking of the matter, ar official said: 'sIt Is not at all surprising
 With its principal colonies gone, Spalr will be better off without the little islands
 We didn't want those islands, or W, should have gotten them along with thu
 Philippines. This government has no in
 terest whatever in who owns them, al
 though we should have preferred tha
 England take them, if we had expresse,
 any preference
 In an article on Peking Dr. Goldbaum