Gilpin observer., 1901-10-24
WASHINGTON GOSSIP.


will put the rural mail delivery under
civil service rules about the first Of
next year.
Thomas L. Walsh of Colorado has ac-
cepted the secretaryship of the Nc
Kinley Memorial Arch Association and
Secretary Gage the treasuryship.
When Congress meets, Senator For
aker will introduce bill to pay Mrs.
Mckinley years salary, $4,000, on
her late husbands account, following
a precedent established in the cases of
Presidents Lincoln and Garfield. At
first proposition to pay her the sal.
ary of the unexpired term of President
Mckinley was discussed, but it was
decided to follow precedent, especially
as Mrs. Mckinley has no children. It
is 9lsO suggested that pension of $5,-
900 year should be voted to Mrs. Nc
Kinley. This will also be in line with
previous legislation in such cases.
Senator Teller had a conference re-
Gently with Land Commissioner Her.
mann in The interest of having the gov
ernment protect the unreserved timber
of Colorado and other states against
forest fires. To him the commission
er stated that the department is prac-
tically powerless to act under such cir
cumstances; that new legislation MAX
Ing adequate appropriation is neces-
sary If governmental aid is to be ex-
tended. A bill such as that recon-
mended by the commissioner will un-
doubtedly be introduced early in the
coming session of Congress.
According to the annual report of
Admiral Melville of the steam engi-
neering bureau of the navy, the cruis-
er Denver is to be complete June IA,
1902. Practically all pumping machin-
cry for this vessel has been completed
and is on board ready for installation.
Work is now under way in the shop
on the main shafting, bed plates,
steam cylinders and details, pistons
and rods, air pumps, turning engines
and boilers. If the Denver is to be
completed on contract time, however,
work will have to be pressed more rap
idly than heretofore, as the vessel is
now but little over half completed.
Shop work on the engines for the Colo
RADIO has not been commenced, and all
the drawings are not yet completed.
The annual report of Henry G. Cor
bin, adjutant general of the army, SUBJ
mits table to show that the army in
the Philippines is to be reduced by ex-
pired enlistments at the rate of about
1000 month from now on until June,
1902. The losses from all causes in the
regular army and volunteers from July
!. 1900, to June Both last, totaled 49,
924 officers and men in the former, and
S.191 in the latter The casualties to
the troops in the Philippines since the
date of the first arrival. June 30, 1898,
to June Both last. were 115 officers and
3.31S men killed. and 1872 officers and
2.646 men wounded. This report urges
abolishment of the transport service.
retirement of Brooke. Merritt and Otis
as lieutenant generals and the distribu-
ton of service medals to Spanish and
philippine war veterans.
Lord Pauncefote will sail for the
United States in a few days. and be-
fore the British cabinet council has had
an opportunity to review the protocols
which embody in principle the pro-
posed new -Pauncefote canal
treaty. 1t is thought, however, that
that will not delay sensibly the final
negotiations. which will take place
here between Secretary Hay and Lord
Pauncefote. as it is the intention that
the new treaty shall be finally drafted
and signed in the city of Washington.
1t is said that when the new docu-
IHtil tuc
clause will be found to have been
dropped out, leaving the United States
at liberty to fortify the canal. but it is
distinctly stated that it is not obligat-
ed to do so, and IN fact there is no
present intention of erecting fortifica-
tiOns, which it is stated would be
much more expensive than fleet Of
battleships and less useful.
fiscal year ending June 80, 1903, have
been made public at the Navy Depart
ment. The total amount is S9S.91O, 1884,
against S11,924.535 appropriated for
the current year. The chief increases
are S2,5OO,OOO for constructions; $2,-
100000 for armor and $122,355 in the
appropriation for yards and docks.
Secretary Long, in speaking of the es-
Inmates, said that they We're made with
n due regard for the needs of the navy,
and intimated that they had the ap-
proval of the administration. He spoke
of the increased cost of the navy, and
said the building of a battleship cost
ing S5O00,OOO was not the end of it's
expense, as Its maintenance was very
costly. Those estimates. he said, did
not cover any recommendations for in
crease of the navy over that already
authorized. but it is more than likely
that the secretary will recommend
three new battleships. two armored
cruisers and a number Of small gum
boats.
Argument was concluded on the 18th
instant before the Supreme Court Of
the United States in the well-known
lottery cases. Constitutional questions
of exceptional importance are involved.
The precise question is the power of
Congress to forbid the conveyance Of
lottery matter from state to state
through such agencies as express com.
panies. After lottery matter was ex-
cluded from the mails. the lottery COM