The Lamar register., 1899-04-05
HINGTON GOSSIP
ND DEPARTMENT NEWS.

-tHut'n nun hSalh These cases ar
occurring every day. and simply illnS
trate the weakness OF the pension bu
reau.
II y stated nt the War Department
that the subject OF mastering in 35.Osp
volunteers a provided hy the army re
organization blE. has not been men
tlot'l to the President. either by Act.
ing Secretary nf War Melklejohn a.
AujuiaHt General Corbln There Is no
Intention 30 bring forward this aues-
tloh NJ the present time, as with the
troops already ordered "a Manila and
which Il Will take some months 10
transport thither. General Otis has an
the forces necessary 90 ACCOMPLISH
what l. desired uf him In the PhIIip
pines. II i stated nj the War Depart.
'neft that the greatest demand for the
equalization OF the 5000 volunteers
comes from ibe men and the friends of
men Who desire plnce A. atficrfS. Their
are already many applications on die
ana not 1uir men who served with The
state trpops. hut those who have served
IN stan positions and hhvr been mus.
tered out, are anxious no again entsl
the service.
An but TWO witnesses l-.fore the
army inquiry cpuri Friday wer. mem.
ters OF the medical stan. who were on
= rrice In Cuba during the spanish
war The other two witnesses werc
Geor-r H. Giddlugs aud General ].
Hale Sypher. who had becn Interested
ia securing contracts for supplying
is-..f on the hoof and on the block 10,
III" army In Cuba They testified that
General Ezan had told them that the
secrr;ary % war had asked him 10
=lte ths refrigerator beef trial. whlls
Mt. Sypher said that General Egnn
nnh crrat.-i the impression upon him
that he preferred l---f on ths. block Ia
refrtErrat1r h~~f. Their testimony
ihruurhout was contradictory to Gen.
srai Exams testimony. Mr.. GiddingS
said that Congressman Hawiey wa
prcr--ut a. asvrruI of hl- conferences
With Gen~rai Egan \ majority of the
aituy surgeons expressed the opinion
that the cauned ls-rf whs unsatisfac.
tory a. fool Tor the troops, hut some -
them thought Il m0rr harmless than
other ms-,t In the Cntan climate.
Uniutcntloaaiiy C0ngres- placed II In
thr poWsT af the President 10 appoint
two asluirais OF the navy instead OF
unr. hut Il = not probable that Mr.. Me.
kini.y vii exercise the authority. al
though he could lawfully do 80. \ spe.
ciAi act wss passed authorizing and r.,
ap.stinE him 60 appoint an admiral.
and Every body who vote,l for Il knew
that n was intended for the promotion
% Dewey For fcsr something might
happen tu prevent this special act from
lH'cutulng a law a clause 10 the same
rffect was Inserted in the naval bill by
tbs H0uSe % Representatives. and the
c1ufsrsncc committee forgot TO strike
Il ouf. although the special act became
a law and Dewey was appointed and
confirmed before the navy I'LL passed
the senate Therefore there are two
laws. expressed In exactly the same
language and passed within few days
Of each other. Tor the revival of the
rank OF admiral or course the Presi
dent understands that the duplication
was an oversight, and thar Congress
intrnded 10 promote only Admiral
Dewey.
The action pf the recent Congress in
Increasing the appropriation for the
free delivery uf mail In rural districts
from sisn.uso 10 Sao.OOc u year indi-
GATES that this novel branch Of the pos
tai service j. n ~uccrss, and Is TO be =
pernaaeui Institution. Wherever Il
has been tried In the middle and east
,.ru states IL has been satisfactory to
the officials aud 10 TN, people, The ru-
raj f.5S;men are given Wide latitude by
IA lepa rtmeni. They are paid only
S4nn 4, year and arr required 10 pro-
vide their own horses. To counterbul-
apcc this they are allowed 10 engage
In ali kinds Of outside business denied
TO regular carriers. The prevailing
iunr,ssion that rural free delivery X
Inor,iinartly expensive Is u mistake. In
nine ont of ten districts In which IL
bns been introduced II pays its way;
n some OF them It yields a profit. II
the exposition % frsf-class postInasiers
IN the abolition OF their offices could be-
overcome. and II members OF Congress
xyer,. less titnid ms to the political effect
az abollshing petty fuurth-class offices
the rural delivery might be exiendedin
,nauv sections at less than the cost Of
The existing service. The department
proposes to select some particular
county and try the experiment,
More than 360 propositions have
bsen submitted to the secretary Of the
nnvy FOR raising the battleship Maine,
which was blown up in Havana har-
nor February IL. 1898. These offers
ro,nc from various sources, many of
which are reliable firms, who present
comur.,hensive plans for the salvage OF
tbe shin. Others come from individuals
who do not know the difference be
t,,-,,cu one part OF a ship and another:
e,,IIroad men. house builders, theatrical
s,,,,ulafors and iIi general from per