The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-03-11
LIVE TOPICS ABOUT TOWN.

late years. has been brought again to the
front by the trouble at the Observatory
| between Captain Davis. the superintend-
| ent. representing the Naval Department,
| and Prof. Stimson J. Brown. in charge of
the Nautical Almanac" and representing
| the purely scientific side of the institu-
ton The heads Of departments of such
| character at the Naval Observatory be-
| ing under naval or military rule are sub
! jeCt to removal to another place of duty,
| and though they may he excellently
| equipped for the service to which they are
| put their efficiency is impaired by the
| temporary nature OF their employment,
and their liability to assignment to some
different form of work
The difficulty at the Observatory has
been a cause of worry to Secretary Long,
who has always advocated the appoint
ment of scientifically equipped men to
head such institutions.
II have always felt that man trained
| for work on a ship at sea could hardly
| be expected to he efficient head of
a scientific institution as a man whose
| education had been specially directed to
| the special problems of science" said the
/ Secretary yesterday.
! Il have repeatedly recommended that
/ something should be done TO correct a
/ condition which seemed to me an evil
/ one In 1899 | attempted with reference
| to the Naval Observatory, to bring about
/ an amelioration of conditions there Tn
| der the management of men from the
! navy, it seems that the scientific results
| did not represent the equivalent of the
| appropriations made. Numerous RENE
| dies were proposed and a committee was
! appointed with instructions to collect the
| opinions of American astronomers and to
! bring the subject before the Navy De-
! partment. The opinions collected by the
! committee We're most instructive, and all
! were in favor of a change in the manage
ment of the Observatory. Nearly all adj
| vised that the entire direction of the in
| stitution should be entrusted to a trained
astronomer and it was emphasized that
he should be of marked executive ability.
The oire argument in favor of having
naval officer at the head is that he is
much more likely to have executive ability
| than a man of science. 1t was suggested
also that the Observatory should be trans
ferred from the Navy Department to some
other department of the Government. As
measure tending to alleviate existing
| conditions 1t was advised that a visiting
| committee be appointed, and in March,
1899. / appointed such a committee with
| Senator Chandler as chairman. The work
Of the committee was most satisfactory,
and its report. issued in 1899, has thrown
much light on conditions. Nevertheless,
| am still of the opinion that a scientific
man at the nedu OF Ine institution WOulu
make it more productive, and would man.
age it perhaps with greater harmony
| Members of the Naval Committee of
! the House and members representing
Louisiana were at the Navy Department
Saturday with invitations to the Secre-
tary and to other prominent officials of
the department to be present at the in
stallation of the hugh drydock at Algiers.
La, near New Orleans. The ceremonies
will take place in the middle OF May and it
is to be the occasion Of a great gathering
| of prominent naval, military. and political
personages
The South is going to make just such
an event out of the installation of this
drydock as the West is making out of
the launching of the Ohio at San Fran
CISCO" said Representative Meyer. This
big floating drydock represents the be-
ginning of the United States naval power
in the Cuff, as II is the only dock on the
Southern coast having capacity to handle
a big warship. II is supposed to be able
to take care of 5000 tons, though it is
rated under the contract at 1900 tons.
it is now being constructed at Sparrow
Point, Md, by the Maryland Iron Works
Company, and will be towed around
Florida some time next month
Senator Mitchell. of Oregon, who was
sworn ia during the last hours of the ex-
ira session Of the Senate, has had a long
service in the Senate, broken. however,
by an occasional skipping of term or
two 1t is now four years since he oc-
cupied a seat. His election, was the out
come of long and obstinate struggle in
the Legislature, and it was only at the
last moment that there was any thought
of his being the choice of the Republic
cans His appearance on the scene avoid
ed a deadlock, which promised to be as
disastrous as that in Delaware.
1t was anexample of the irony Of fate
that Senator Mitchell should step in and
straighten out the tangle over the cleo
tion of Senator, since he, almost from
the very first. has been against the cleo
ton OF Senators by the State Legisla-
lures, and in favor of the election by pop
ular vote.
and speaking yesterday of the attempts
which have been made to alter the Con-
stitution in such a way, as to allow pop
uldr election of Senators, said:
Il have always been in favor of it.
believe that / made the first speech in
advocacy of the popular election OF Sen
ators- 1t was made on the floor OF the
Senate about twenty-five years ago. /
did not. however. introduce the first
amendment. That was introduced by Mr..
Weaver of Iowa about a year before L
maze my speech pTtSStu Il COiSlutid-
ton of il during my entire service in the
Senate. and when | was Chairman of the
Committee on Privileges and Elec-
tions. carried the committee with NJ.
polled the Senate on the subject just be-
fore | left the last time and found nifty
five members in favor of il, not a sufh-
cient number for the required two-thtrds
vote. you see. With the example of Del
aware, Nebraska, and others before US.
/ think that the amendment may be
adopted next session.
Senator Mitchell deplOres the failure OF
th, River and Harbor bin, and Is in
favor Of some sort Of cloture rule
Sitting in the lobby Of Willard Ho-
tel Judge Bedford. of Denver, was liter
ally barricaded and surrounded by sheets
of newspapers. The truth is. he said
after he had extricated himself far
enough to greet a reporter; the truth
is that the only institution that mas not
kept pace with the tendency of the times
to condensation. is the newspaper. Here
/ am in the middle of the Sunday edition
of "A great daily. and VOW, have not
been able to tind the news yet W hen !
some one discovers that the man OF to-
day wants his news concise and to the
point. briefly told. but clear. that some
one will make money
WASHINGTON A HOLY CITY.