The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1900-11-22
AT Washington.

Postmaster General Emory Smith has
framed his estimates to be submitted to
Congress and will ask an aggregate of
about 1921 600 900 as the appropriation
for the entire service for the fiscal year
ending June so, 1902 This includes an
estimate of s., 500, 900 for the rural free
delivery service. By the close of this
fiscal year 1890 rural free delivery
routes throughout the United States
will have been established and the gen
eral extension contemplated for next
year will involve about 400 additional
routes. The Postmaster General to-
gether with other officials, is investi.
eating the feasibility of putting the ser
vice in operation at every point through
out the country not reached by the
regular free delivery services in opera
ton in the cities
Steps have been taken for resuming
the important work of the Angelo Amer
lean commission made up of representa-.
tives of the United States, Great Britain
and Canada, and consideration of tire
subject now in progress will determine
within a few days what course will be
pursued. Correspondence has passed
recently between Ottawa and Washing
ton, relative to resuming the work and
now that the elections on both sides of
the border are over, there is felt to be
more time and opportunity to devote to
the serious questions involved before
this commission.
Secretary Gage has announced that
his estimates complete would show an
excess of receipts over expenditures for
the present fiscal year of $4,000, 900
and an excess of receipts for the fiscal
year, ending July l, 1900, of $40, 900, 900.
This estimate for the next fiscal year,
however, is based upon the theory that
the present revenue laws will remain in
force.
At recent cabinet meeting Attorney
General Griggs made the formal an
nouncement that on the 4th of March
next he would retire from the cabinet.
MIR Griggs will leave the President s
official family for purely business rea
sons.
Minister WI has received from Direc.
tor General Sheng the following cable
gram, which he communicated to Sec
rotary Hay "An imperial decree of
Nov 10 deprives Prince TuAn and Prince
hwang of their ranks and offices and
orders them to be imprisoned for life
Prince Yih and secondary Prince ing
to be imprisoned; secondary Prince Lien
to be deprived of his rank; Duke Ian
and Yiug Men to be degraded in rank ;
Kang VI being dead, no penalty can be
imposed upon him; and hao Shu CHA
to be degraded hut retained in office,
and Yu Hsien TO be exiled to the far
thest boundary"
Gen. Joseph X Hawley of Connect.
at ,ha; ,,f ha mil Z IN
on military affairs, says that as soon as
Secretary Root returns from Cuba, a
bill re organizing the army on perma-
nent basis will be prepared and intro
duced in both houses. Senator Hawley
is quoted as saying dIn my opinion an
army of not less than 100000, and per-
present time. In the near future of
course there may be cause for reduc-
ton | think a measure might be passed
empowering the President to use his
discretion to great extent in determin-
ing the exact strength of The army, not,
of course, to exceed the maximum fixed
by Congress
Quartermaster General Ludington re-
ceived cable dispatch, Tuesday, from
Col. Miller, chief quartermaster at
Manila, confirming the press report of
the grounding of the transport Indiana
ON the east side of Isle de Polillo, one of
the smaller islands of the Philippine
group east of Luzon,
According to an unofficial table of the
next House of Representatives, compiled
at the house postoffice, the Republican
will have POI members and the Demo-
Gratis and all others 1856, giving the Re.
publicans clear majority of forty five
votes.
The report from the post Office de-
partner shows that 800 565 domestic
money orders were issued at offices in
the state of Maine, last year, for total
of 81, Alp 396 II on which the govern
ment realized from fees aud taxes the
comfortable sum of $26, 91S17. There
were 1929 international money orders
issued in Maine during the same period
for a total of Sis, 239 80 and on which
the government realized from fees and
taxes, the sum of 81, 447 As. The do.
nestle money orders paid at Maine
post offices last year were 1922 059 in
number for total of 2,055, 1856 81; the
number of international money orders
paid in the State last year was 3, 9j1 for
a total of SCI, 6Gl 81
Representative Hopkins of Illinois,
chairman of the House committee on
census, states that a majority of the
committee favors basis of 1913, 600 for
congressional apportionment. In that
case Maine would have enough of a
| fraction for margin to hold her fourth
congressman
The Republican members of the Ways
and Means have held their first confer
ence to consider the reduction of war
taxes. The only action taken was with
| reference to custom duties. 1t was de
cided, without much discussion, that
there should be no change in the tariff
on imports, and that any reduction
which might be made should be in in
ternal revenue taxes The considera-
ton OF details will come later, after Sec
rotary Gage and other Treasury officials
have been heard. BY leaving the Gus
tom duties untouched, tongress will
avoid any possible business complica-
tions which might result from an at
tempt at even slight tariff revision.