The leader., 1900-03-07
WASHINGTON LETTER.


From the Newspaper Correspondence Division
C. y. G. Siggersl
WASHINGTON, February q, 1900.--
The new Philippine commission is
practically complete. Unless there is
some unexpected change il will con-
sist of Judge William Ii. Taft of Ohio,
Prof. Dean c. Worcester of Michigan,
Gen. Luke +. Wright of Tennessee,
Judge Henry c. Ide of Vermont, and
Prof Bernard Moses of California.
Every section of the country is thus
represented. The commission will
soon sail for Manila, where one of its
first tasks will be to enact new regis.
tration law. By this means a long
step will be taken toward divesting
the clergy of the almost despotic pow
er they WELD, and toward freeing the
people from oppressive charges. At
present, the registration of all vital
statistics is compulsory and is placed
in the hands of the priests, who charge
81 for each entry, whether of births,
marriages or deaths. Nearly thirty
years ago law was enacted in Spain
reducing these rates, giving justices of
the peace power to register, and pro-
hibiting the priests from continuing to
do so. But, owing to the enormous in
fiuence of the priesthood, this law was
never put into effect. The first Phil
ippine commission was requested to
adopt the old Spanish law but the
matter was allowed to go over for the
time. Now the new commission will
almost certainly put it into effect, as
it is distinctlyin line with American
methods of separating church and
state.
The fact that the United States has
become the worlds greatest producer
of coal at cost far below that of any
other part of the world is attracting
great attention everywhere, especially
with British producers and consumers
of coal The British Board of. Trade
Journal, a copy of which has just
reached the Treasury Bureau of Sta
tistics, quotes the President of the
Halifax Chamber of Commerce as say
ing in his annual address to that body
on January "a, 1900, that "the present
coal output of the United States is
larger than that of the United King
dom, and that coal can be bought in
America at the pit mouth at As. Cd. per
ton, as against 5s. 1019d. in Great Brit
ain. The result of this is that people
in Lancashire were talking of bring
ing coal from America to Lancashire"
At the same time United States con-
suls abroad report that American coal
is finding profitable sale at several
points on the continent, probably
owing to the enormous demands on
Cardiff coal by the British navy. The
consul at Marseilles reports that some
thing like 6,0O0 tons of Pocahontas
coal are coming into the Mediterranean
and that judges of prevailing condi-
tions think that American coal may
continue to arrive for at least year,
there being no likelihood that normal
prices will prevail within that time.
Coal, he says, sells readily at any price,
and large American sales have been
made in spite of the fact that the very
causes at work in Cardiff have also
brought on higher prices in the Uni
ted States.
Within a few days, Congressman
must make their selections for APP
pointments to the United States Naval
Academy, in order that the boys may
be ready for their examinations in May
next. About a hundred vacancies
must be filled by the nominations of
candidates and alternates. This how
ever, will probably not be all. The
lack of Junior officers for the navy is
most marked and it is probable that
Congress will pass bill allowing a
hundred more cadets to be appointed.
This year there are less than fifty
graduates to fill some 10 places as en-
signs and junior lieutenants and the
deficiency is likely to continue unless
made up by some unusual means. AT
present, each congressional district
has one representative at the Academy
continually, the place being refilled by
the Congressman whenever it becomes
vacant either by graduation or by the
cadet leaving the Academy for any
reason. Senators have no appoint
ments, and if each were allowed to ap-
point one cadet and the Pres ident
were given ten additional "at large"
appointments, the rolls would soon be
refilled. The usual method of selec-
ton is by competitive examination
from the boys of each district, but the
congressman can disregard this and
select any one whom he may choose.