The Holly chieftain., 1901-05-17
WASHINGTON GOSSIP.

Service Reform League which was Sc
lected to investigate the present cODdi-
ton of the federal service suggests
cnange in the method of appointing
Indian agents which might be COM
mended ON principl. even II II We're
not shown To hr advisable by particu-
lar abuses Of the office The appoint
mcnts a. ;hcy are made now are
wholly political. Senators from states
in which reservations and agencies are
located back their fa"orites for the
position. and the choice is decided by
the old spoils test. 1t may and does
happen that good men are sometimes
appointed under this system that il Is
n mere chance as IL must always be
where influence. not worthiness, Is the
determining factor. The change that Is
proposed is tina. appointments snail be
made by promotions from the super
intendents Of Indian schools and from
other high grades Of the classified In
dian service, and by details from the
army"
One of the most Interesting places in
Washington for tourists has been
point at the soldiers home. where the
dome of the capitol could be seen dis
tinctiy at distance OF three miles
through several hundred acres of inter
venine forests. IL has been called
The Capitol VISTA and the guides
and hack drivers always take their pa
irons there. Occasionally the growth
Of foliage would obsiruct the view in
the springtime but the officers of the
soldiers home would cut the branches
away and have il kept open. When the
atmosphere was clear and the sun was
\, ,,1I l... l1,
taincd, and probably no other view in
Washington has had so many films
wasted upon ii. But the attraction is
gone. The capitol vista is permanently
closed for the great frame of the new
government printing office has risen
Immediately III front of it and entirely
shuts off the view of the dome.
An extensive resume of the organiZa-
tion and varying conditions of the
Philippine native police force is con-
tained in n statement ty the War De
partment. Because of the poverty Of
the municipalities, the Philippine Com
mission appropriated S1J0,Oo0 TO pro-
vide increased pay for the body and
offered through General Macarthur,
further incentive in the way Of in
creased compensation for cases of
reports indicate that an efficient and
loyal force of native police has now
been organized. with prospects of fur
there extension and increased ability.
The total force numbers 6.349 officers
and men, n great many of whom are
on the ''meritorious list and receive
additional pay. The body rs concen-
trated principally in northern Luzon.
although the Niscayas. MindaDao, Jolo
and southern Luzon have police forces
of considerable strength. In many
towns the men are fully uniformed.
Attorney General Knox gave his first
official opinion to the Cabinet in con-
nection with the return of the Wash
ington relics TO the heirs of General
Lee. He has made thorough investi-
CATION of the circumstances under
which these family heirlooms came
into the possession Of the government,
and his report TO the President and his
colleagues was that Washington did
so much for this country that we ought
not to steal his silver" The Lee heirs
nave not yet called for the relics, and
it is hoped that they will have the
good sense to leave them in the ma
tional museum, where they have been
exhibited for the last quarter of n CEN
tury. in order that the public may
have the benefit. George Washington
Curtis Lee. 10 whom the President
has ordered them returned. is an aged
man, over ninety and almost blind. liv-
ing retired life in little farm house
down in Virginia. His only brother is
farmer near West Point in the same
state. and the other heirs. Mary and
Mildred Lee. have no fixed home. and
spend most of their time in travelling
and visiting friends. They have there
fore no proper place in which the relics
can be exhibited and will be compelled
to store them. The most important
and valuable of the relics are n set of
china presented to General Washing
ton by the Society of Cincinnati, his
walking stick and his watch.
The Postoffice has replied to an in
quiry recently sent to that depart
ment by Assistant Secretary Of the
Treasury Spalding relative to the Pc
tition of Chicago and Milwaukee mer-
chanTs for direct transmission from
Germany of parcels post packages. AS
outlined in previous dispatches, the
postmaster general is loathe to grant
the request made by the Treasury De-
partmcnt in this instance because of
the fear that II Chicago Is given this
favor every other large city will put in
n similar claim. The reply to Secre-
tary Spalding's letter to-day calls at
tentioI to the necessity of protecting
the revenues. and states that while the
officials at Chicago and New York arc