The silver lance., 1899-08-11

station during the absence of Rear Ad-
miral Sampson.
Regarding army canteens President
Mckinley says: "The position which
some temperance people take on the
question is simply absurd. The attor-
ney general must interpret the law as
he finds it, but" he added, 81 should
be very glad to see prohibition of the
canteen"
A special agent of the pension depart
ment is at Worcester Massachusetts,
investigating novel pension claim.
John j. Hulinger, a helpless veteran,
has been receiving $72 per month. Re-
Gently he wrote the department that he
was receiving too large pension ana
that $50 would be sufficient. He Is en-
tirely helpless and requires an attend
ant.
Owing to the advance in the price of
iron and copper it has been found that
the plans for several projected public
buildings, which were made year or
more ago will have to be modified. In
Montana there are three buildings. for
the construction of which the lowest
bids were considerably above the ap-
preparations, and hence plans for low
er priced buildings will have to be re-
advertised.
Secretary of State Hay has received
brief official dispatch from Bartlett
Trip, commissioner at Samoa, saying
that peace had been restored on the
islands; that the commission had sus-
tanned the decision of Chief Justice
Chambers in the contested case of the
election of a king; that Malietoa Tanus
ho a.. hn L. in
be abolished and provisional govern
ment established.
The work of the fish commission Is
practically completed for this year.
According to the officials of the com
mission. when the reports are sent in
July LIST, they will show that 1t has
been the most successful year in the
history of the commission. The great
bulk of the work has been in the col
lection and distribution of the eggs and
fry of commercial food fish, and this
year more cod, white fish, pike, perch,
bass, fiat fish and lobster have been
planted than ever before.
Acting on the suggestion of General
Miles that the availability of the auto
mobile be tested for army use, several
machines have been ordered, with the
earliest possible date. The signal
corps intends to test the automobile,
carrying weight, over such roads as cx-
tend from this city to Fort Myer, Viz
ginia. If the tests are in favor of the
machine its use will be extended to
Cuba, Porto Rico and to the scene OF
actual hostilities in the Philippines.
Secretary Alger. Adjutant General
I'll tr.1 tcfn Mt
general, in "charge of
had an hours consul
tation with the President Wednesday
relative to the question of reinforce
ments for General Otis. A definite
was reached to continue the
recruiting of men at all the recruiting
stations for service in the Philippines.
Alger said when he left the
White House after the conference that
General Otis would have 10000 men
when the rainy season closed for the
of active operations.
While no decision has yet been
reached as to the number of men to he
raised for the provisional army, the
President has authorized a continue
ton of enlistment beyond the num-
ber required for the regular army. This
means that the President proposes to
have enough soldiers ready for service
should further consideration show the
of providing General Otis
with additional troops. 1t seems to
be the impression in army circles that
nine regiments, sufficient to form three
brigades of a total of 14.13O men, will
be organized and put in condition to
be sent to the Philippines in time to as
sist in the operations in the fall.
The Due d'Arcos and his assistants
are gratified at the reception they have
received in Washington and express
with deep feeling their appreciation
of the courtesy of the nation with
which their government was SO recent
ly at war. 1t is true that special eff
forts have been made to convince the
Due d'Arcos that there is no resent
ment or prejudice on the part of the
United States against any Spaniard in
this country, and everybody is glad
that the war is over. The duke has
this sentiment both to
his government and to his personal
friends in Spain, and it will certainly
be to the advantage of both coun.
tries.
The board of officers appointed by
General Brooke to investigate and
make recommendations regarding the
army ration has completed its work.
The report has been received at the
War Department and recommends that
no change be made in the ration itself.
A slight modification in the manner in
which men may use savings is suggest
ed. General Brooke does not indorse
this section of the report, but says that
1t will be impracticable while men are
in the field. 1t will hardly be satisfac>
tory to the commissary department,
and its adoption is therefore considered
very doubtful. 1t relates mainly to
system by which the savings of the
men on rations allowed shall be invest
ed and presents a credit instead of
company fund. A credit system would
involve a great deal of work and would
necessitate the employment of a large