The Weekly Tallahasseean., 1901-01-31

nus of $2,332,O24 yearly for being
so good as to continue in a profitable
business-this, too, without under
taking to give additional facilities to
our commerce, either in character of
service, number of trips or lower
rates. An obligation is imposed on
the company in the bill to build 12,-
O0O tons of shipping in this country,
but this seems to be a sham Obliga-7
ton, since tile vessels already under
construction here if not completed
too SOOn-can be used to offset the
statutory obligation. Of course the
same end could be obtained by delay
ing the completion of the ships until
the sumer of 1902 and passing the
bill next winter but the company is
unwilling to let the extremely profit
able trade of the next year pass
without being able to use its new
ships, although Mr.. Hanna states
they are now run at loss. :.
The enemies of General Miles,
who include pretty nearly all the
members of the staff department of
the army the men who were so bit
terly scored by him for dereliction
in duty during the Spanish War-as
well as the members of the embalmed
beef ring, recently congratulated
themselves that they were to have
their revenge at last. The army bill
had been sent to conference so drawn
that it would be possible for the
president acting under it to degrade
General Miles and appoint General
Otis as Lieutenant General of the
Army. Unfortunately for them,
they talked TOO much of their COM
ing triumph and the Conference
Committee amended the bill so as to
block the little game. The bill now
reads: "Nothing in this act shall be
held or construed so as to discharge
any officer from the regular army or
to deprive him of the rank or COM
mission which he now. holds therein. D
This provision, as amended, will re-
quire the appointment of General
Miles as Lieutenant-General of the
United States Army. The provis-
ion as originally inserted in the act
omitted the word crank" As Lieu
tenant General Miles has no commits
sion as "Lieutenant-G General" merely
a certificate assigning him to the rank
as the. senior Maior-General, the
president would have had the power
to have nominated any officer he saw
fit to this office as created by the pro-
posed law. The idea was to appoint
Generals Otis and Brooke, retire
them and then appoint General Cor
bin Lieutenant-General.
Another session of Congress is
nearly at an end without any at
tempt even being made to correct
the outrageous ills that the country
is suffering from, the knocking
: out of the Interstate Commerce Act
by the courts some two or three
years ago. AS matters stand now.
; the railways can make and unmake
rates at their own sweet will and
, they do not hesitate to exercise the
, privilege. Statistics in the possession
of the Interstate Commerce Commis'
sion show that of LII changes in
, classification made by carriers during
the year, 1889 produced raises and
only 128 reductions. In over hall
the increase was over 40 per cent
and in less than one tWenty-ffth II
was as little as Is per cent. In a
number of cases the rates were
doubled, while the average increase
J was nearly one-third. By these
!, changes in classification, therefore,
rates upon a considerable part Ol
, freight traffic in all portions Of the
United States, many of them apply,
! ing on the most common articles ol
t merchandise, were very materially
t advanced. These changes were ad
mittedly made, not because OF any
3 inequality in the classifcatiOns bu
: simply because the railways haC