Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1899-10-16
FROM WASHINGTON.
Correspondence OF the Aie1apdris eAset

to the Navy Department. dated at
Guantanamo, August l, 1895, after DE-
scribipr Captain Chadwick's visit to
Skaters headquarters, and detailing
the situation a. thu port, Admiral SamP-
son CO ntinues: ''A tacit understanding
was at this time in force by which no
firing was carried On by either SIDE,
and this was coniioued by the follow
ing letter, drafted ny my chief OF statf
{ }bsdwick) who offered it as sugges-
ton. and sent by General SKATER"
Tben follows copy OF Skaters letter
Oh July 6 10 rcial, the Spanish com
mander, showing him the utility OF
further resistance. which resulted IN
bringing the surrender.
The Executive Council of the Amerl-
can Federation Of Labor is in session
here today. The meetings will prob
ably last until Wednesday or thursday.
Today is the first day on which adj
vanrage could be taken Of the recent
offer of the Treasury Department to
anticipate interest for the fiscal year.
The sub treasures have not made re-
port on the subject, but few private
adyicrs have reached the d. 5. Treasu-
rer. They convince him that the cry
of stringent money" WAS not as Sc
rious or sincere az it might have besn,
Tor the applications for money are COM
ing 10 very slowly. There is suspicion
IN government circles, in fact there
vas before this offer was made, that the
CRY originated with few Wall street
men and was not generally shared. Ii
there had not been so great an excess
in the Treasury the offer would not
have been made.
The first session OF the Southern Su
preue Council Scottish Rite Masons
was called to order at noon by Grand
Commander Thos H. Caswell. ALI the
members from the SO States represented
we're present except Senator Teller, of
Colorado and Mr.. Meyers, Of Louisiana.
The initial number On the programme
was the formal greeting of visiting rep
reseBtatives from the Northern Council
and from Canada. Grand Commander
Caswell's "elocution" on welcoming ad-
dress to the members followed. He
congratulated the members upon the
dicted even more gratifying growth in
the months to come. The reports
the Grand Secretary aud Grand Treas
urer were next offered. They proved
the order to be in firm mem bership
and financial foundation.
N. E Ingalls,, OF Cincinnati, testified
before the industrial commission today
that snce 1899 railroad rates had been
generally maintained, but that when
the rush of business was over the man.
ayers would drift back to cutting, He
favored rigid legislation to maintain
rates. The plain duty of Congress was
to regulate this business. One million
people were employed in railroading.
It was the greatest industry in the
United States. Laws should be passed
making contracts binding. He did not
think unrestrained competition good for
the country. 1t would be better to
have restraint. He condemned the
scalping business, but admitted that
railroads could put an end TO it if they
desired He did not favor the pass sys-
TEN, but while it was decreasing it
could probably never be stopped. He
said the passenger rate on the lines OF
which he ia president was on an aver.
age trife under 2 cents on the Big
-Four and on the Chesapeake and Ooio
a trife over 2 cents. The through
trains on the G. g. o. made money; the
local trains lost money for the com
pany. But the company was bound to
S,-n;-h 1ocol caruica for the aooorn n, n
dstion of the pupilc.
Orders were issued today at the War
Department retiring Gen. Shafter as a
brigadier general of the regular army,
and continuing him in command of the
Department of California at San Fran
cisco as major general of volunteers.
The following changes in the fourth
class postofices Of Virginia were made
today Daleville, Botetourt county,
John w. Ikenberry appointed post
master, vice Samuel B Lowry. resign
ed Norwood, Nelson county, John w..
Csrrico, vice Howard L. FOCUS, re-
moved.
A member of the board of supervisors
OF Alexandria county, here TODAY, says
if the Fort Niger road case shall result
in any cost to that county, it will be
abandoned and the government and the
owners of the land through which the
road runs will have to settle it between
themselves. The county people seem
10 think the government should pay
for the land it has taken for the road,
as if it can take that of those through
which the road runs without compensa.
ton, it can, if it shall 80 choose, take
any other land in the county through
which it may want to run road, on
the seme terms. They also say that
the government must have road to
Fort Myer, and that if the present one
be closed, it will have to make another
one.
The U. S. Supreme Court met today,
admitted some lawyers to practice, and
heard some motions. but rendered no
decisions, as the Chief Justice had not
returnsd from Europe.
The recent celebration OF the sesqui-
centennial celebration of the founding
Of Alexandria has revived the talk
among the heirs of Hugh West here of
their claim for all the land upon which
Alexandria was built. Hugh West
owned all that land and a great deal
more near Alexandria, and. the heirs
say, only leased that on which Alex
andria stands to the city for one hun
dred years, after which it was to revert
10 them.
Judge Culberson of Texas, long q
representative in Congress, and, when
nhn. IL he