The silver lance., 1899-04-21

secretary of the delegation.
The financial statement from the
| treasury for the 1st of April shows
| remarkable gain in the receipts from
customs during the last nine months.
| Since the beginning of the current fis-
cal year on the 1st of July last the
duties on imported goods under the
! Dingley act have amounted to $151,-
S10,OS7.20. For the corresponding per-
iod of the previous year they were on
ly S107, ,502, 1S7.6S, thus showing an in
crease of S44.307 939.61. The collec-
tions thus far in nine months exceed
by $2.3OO,0OO the customs revenues for
the entire year of 1898, they are only
100000 less than for the entire year
1894, which gives the advocates of the
! Dingley 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 settlement of the differ
ences with Canada. AS the boundary
! line between the United States and
Canada is the most serious subject in
controversy. he thinks the American
! members of the commission could
strengthen themselves by n personal
investigation. He intends to leave Chi
/ cago for San Francisco about the mid
die of May. Senator Faulkner and
| Mr.. Kasson have already agreed to go;
/ 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.
| 1,ax% ,t,t,. L.
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 a very
| conservative and careful man, more
reliance is placed upon it than If some
one of more Sanguine 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 he able to assist him in per-
: suading the rebels to lay down their
arms. If Agunaldo could be captured
or shot the officials think the end
would soon come.
Assistant Secretary Vanderlip has is
sued new regulations regarding civil
service appointments, promotions and
transfers in the mints and assay Off
ces of the United States. The posi-
tions are arranged under five general
/ schedules scientific, clerical. mechani-
cal, trade skilled, positions below
classification and one other not yet pro-
mulgated. The scientific and clerical
/ positions will be filled after competi-
! tive examinations, but without regis
! trations. while the mechanical, trade
or skilled positions will be filed after
a slight educational test and a registra-
tion examination. The educational
test will be letter writing, arithmetic
and plain copying. and the registration
| test will consist of rating persons ac-
cording to age character as workmen
and experience. Physical qualifica-
tions will also be considered. Credit
will be given for apprenticeship and
| work as journeymen. Graduates of
| technical schools will be given credit
I in lieu of an apprenticeship.
| Having come from Hustleville Will
| lam X. Merriam the director of the
census. gets very impatient when he
encounters the customs of this land of
delberation. The government clerks
begin work at . 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. happy-go-lucky
manner. and find that hurrying is apt
| to put them out of work When a 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 it impossible TO
get rid of them. When Mr.. Merriam
went to st. Paul to close up his private
affairs he gave instructions to have
certain things done during his alb
sence, and says the force of clerks in
his office ought to have done it four
| times over during the time allowed.
| but when he got back it was not half
| finished. and he has since been irving
4 to discover the reason why. 1t is n
serious question whether he or the
/ Washington habit gives in. 1t is not
new experience. Other men have
, come here filled with western vim
and energy and have attempted to re-
| form things. but after few months
of baffled effort have had to give up.
lie Will probably do the same.