Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1900-10-31
WASHINGTON LETTER.
Years Work of the Land Omce-A
Siege of Typhoid Fever-Pay-
ment For Samoan Rifles,
Especial Correspondence

past year. The total cash receipts of
the land office for the past year amount
to S4,319,1 ,15S, which is an increase
over the previous year of $1,3O9,621
and over the fiscal year Of 1898 of $2,-
1o1, 763.
There was proportlonate increase
In the amount of land disposed of, the
total this year amounting to 13,453,-
SS7 acres, an increase of 1000, 900 acres
over the previous year. The homestead
entries for the year aggregated S,47S,-
400 acres, an increase of 2,300,S22
acres over the previous year. There
has been also large increase for the
year in the number of final homestead
entries made.
There has been q decrease In the
number of mineral land entries made
during the year, but this is to be ac-
counted for largely by the number of
suspensions, notably in Colorado and
Montana, under late rulings made by
the secretary Of the interior. While
there has been Il diminution in the
number of mineral land entries In gen.
eral there has been an increase in the
land entries.
Important work has been accom-
plished in the forestry division. Two
of the existing forest reserves, the
Prescott reserve in Arizona and the
Big Horn in Wyoming, have been en-
larged by 1886 acres and 1,1S0,SO0
acres respectively. The Olympic for
est reserve in Washington has been
reduced by 1923, $40 acres in response
to the urgent requests of representa-
tive citizens and commercial bodies in
that state on the ground that the re-
serve included great deal of valuable
agricultural land which had been en-
tered upon by bona tide settlers. One
new reserve was created, that Of
Santa Ynez, In southern California,
comprising $4,000 acres of land The
object of the reservation was to pro-
tect the watershed upon which num-
Der Of thriving communities depended.
Siege of Typhoid Fever.
Washington Is suffering from a siege
of typhoid fever. The hospitals are
taking care of an unprecedented num-
Der Of patients suffering from this dis
ease, which also has entered scores of
Washington homes.
There are 30 typhoid cases at Provi-
dence hospital, % at Garfield, IL at the
Children's hospital, 6 at the Homeo-
pathic, 6 at Georgetown university, 2
at the Washington asylum, at the
Columbian university, at the Colum-
bia, 3 at the Founding, l at the Sibley
and l at the Naval. This makes to-
tai of SS existing cases of typhoid fe-
yer now being treated at hospitals.
'In my opinion" said Health Officer
Woodward yesterday, "the cause of
the spread of typhoid in this city is due
to the dry spell we have had, which has
caused the ground to have an INSULT
cient amount of moisture The wells
have been obliged to absorb from lar
ger area of country and ofttimes have
drained through impure places. In
other cases the wells have run dry, and
the people have procured their drink
ing water from the Potomac river.
Il notice that large number of ty-
phoid cases are among men and wom-
en- having just returned from their va
cations. They probably were at places
where the wells ran dry and where the
obliging landlord gave his guests water
from the nearest stream"
Payment For Samoan Rifles.
Baron Speck Won Sternberg, German
charge d'affaires, was at the state de-
partment the other day in reference to
closing up that branch of the Samoan
agreement relating to the payment to
the native Samoans of the value of the
rifles surrendered by them. When the
Samoan commissioners arrived at
Apia, they deemed it eXpedient first to
secure the disarmament of the bellger-
ent native factions. This was agreed
to by the natives on the understanding
that $3.50 for each rife would be paid.
Some 5000 rifles thereupon were turn
ed over. The natives now are asking
the payment of the money, and DR..
Solf, the governor, has proposed that
the payment shall be made under re-
strictions proposed by the foreign con-
suls in order that the considerable
amount of money involved shall not
lead to disorder among the natives.
The three parties interested In Samoa
at the time of the surrender of the RI
fles-the United States, Germany and
Great Britain-will jointly contribute
the amount required, and no difficulty
Is apprehended in making the settle
ment.
Civil Service Information.
Acting President John B. Harlow of
the United States civil service commits
sion has issued n statement to the spe-
cial committee of the National Civil
Service Reform league denying the
charge that the commission is holding
back information. An agent of the re-
form league recently attempted to pos
sess himself of information, but was
refused permission to consult the files.
The reason assigned for this action, as
given by Acting President Harlow, Is
pursuant to a minute adopted at a
meeting of the commission July IA, re-
uuirinU thot oil in tiop cbo,,lJ bo