Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1900-02-23

ans latest report OH Senate bills granting
pensions to attaches of the lifc-saving
service, increasing the pension of those
who nave lost hand or foot or have been
otherwise mutilatcd is not designed TO
heal the breach. The United States pays
nm excess of 500, 532 900 in pensions over
the combined payments OF Germany,
France and England.
Efforts to load the twelfth Federal cen
suS with u mass of unnecessary statistics
have been successfully discouraged by the
census chiefs and the machinery for the
enumeration of the population of the
country is being perfected. The assistant
director has adopted a set of instructions
and rules by which the census takers are
to guide themselves. The principal diff
Guilty is the enumeration OF the floating
population in the large cities of the corn-
try. To Judge from the manner in which
the big task is being attacked the twelfth
census will be 81 correct basis for the pur-
pose of apportionment in Congress and
in the electoral colleges. Estimates are
being made that the returns will show II
population of from 10000, 900 to 7S,OUO.-
600.
Honorable and learned Senators are
not disposed to take the War Depart
ment's word for it that the way to spell
the name of our new island possession in
the east is P-l-e-r-t-o Rico. The Secre-
tary of War announced Il while ago that
such would be the official spelling. But
when Senator Forakcr's bill for the gov
ernnlent of that island came from the
committee the other day there were black
marks through all the "Puertos'' aud ital-
icized "Portos" had taken their places.
1t may be inferred that this is u hint
from the Legislative branch that the Span
ish method of spelling was left behind
when the Spanish method of governing
was abandoned.
The imports OF merchandise for the
month of January were valued at S75.-
S26,415, which exceeds by SIT, ,2O4
those for the same month last year. The
exports of domestic merchandise for Jan.
uury We're $115,31S.49S, an increase of
81, 4G2, Cos over those for the same month
last year. For the seven months ending
Jan. 81 the imports were valued Mt $780,
lO2,9O5, an increase of $119. 459, 524, and
the exports of $S0O,151 .OSS, an increase
of $3O,554,073 over the like period of the
previous fiscal year. The balance of trade
in favor of the United States for the
seven months was $313, IDS, 1S3.
There will he extensive shipments of
military supplies to Manila. Already the
officers in the Philippines are behind in
their acquisitions for these stores, calcu-
lated to last six months. There will be
no d%iminution of the shipments for a year
mr. ,torn onl tim on.t or f,,,,:t.:.- A..
troops with clothing and equipment will
be Il substantial one.
Elaborate designs for the proposed me-
mortal bridge across the historic Potomac
river will be submitted shortly to the
special board of army engineers and civil
architects just appointed by President
Mckinley.
The War Department is considering the
ACCESSIBILITY of establishing in the near
future a regular transport service be-
tween San Francisco and the Philippines.
the vessels to be run ON Il ~semi-munthly
schedule.
Secretary Dick of the Republican ma
tional committee has announced that
George n. Wiswal OF Milwaukee has
been selected as scrg%cant-at-arms for the
Republican national convention at phila-
delphia.
While i'll Washington w. j. Bryan told
some OF his friends that for the past two
years his mail had averaged 1000 letters
per week. During January, this year,
the average has boon about 1000 letters
per week.
Light moves 102, goo miles per SECOND.