Gilpin observer., 1901-11-21
WASHINGTON GOSSIP.

The secretary of the interior has af-
fir1ned the decision of the general land
office in rejecting the appeal of An
thony Barnett against rejection by the
local land office of his claim for desert
land entry in Glenwood Springs land
district.
In his annual report, which will be
completed soon, Postmaster General
Smith will ask for an increase of the
livery service from the present sum of
$3,5OO,00O to $6,OOO,OOO. He will ad-
vOcate the extension of the service as
far as possible.
The secretary Of the interior has di-
rected that the Black Hills timber re-
serve of Wyoming and South Dakota
be placed under the sole control Of
Supervisor Seth Bullock, relieving Su
perintendent Garbutt of this part Of
his charge. The change was made ON
account of excessive work entailed on
the superintendent who heretofore had
charge of all reserves in Wyoming and
South Dakota.
About 200 employees in the executive
branch of the rural free delivery SER
vice of the postoffice department will
be brought into the civil service by an
order of President Roosevelt. These
employees are clerks, special agents
and inspectors. The 6,O00 rural free
delivery carriers throughout the coun-
try will not be brought into the civil
service under this order, but they will
be taken in at some later day.
President Roosevelt has just been
elected first vice president of the Long
Island Bible Society. The address of
81 a H.. H. 4 H.
ciety last June at Oyster Bay had been
printed in a leafiet and had very
large circulation. 1t has been trans
lated into several languages, and has
been circulated in Mexico and the
Argentine republic. 1t was because of
his services to the society in making
the address that Mr.. Roosevelt was
given the office.
Representative Hepburn of Iowa,
chairman of the Interstate and For
eign Commerce Committee of the
House. and Representative Sherman of
New York of the same committee had
long conference with the President
recently about Isthmian canal and Pa
cific cable legislation. AS a result they
announced that it was their purpose
to press legislation on both subjects at
the earliest possible moment. The
canal bill which passed the House at
the last session will be reintroduced
in substantially the form in which it
was passed last winter.
President Roosevelt is said to have
announced to Clinton Rodgers Wood
ruff of Philadelphia of the National
Civil Service Reform League that in
making civil appointments in the insu-
lar possessions of the United States
he would adhere to the principles of
civil service reform. Mr.. Woodruff is
chairman of the committee on depend
encies. and called to ascertain what the
Presidents policy would be. President
Roosevelt told him in the most en-
phatic manner that absolutely no ap-
pOintments in the insular possessions
would be dictated or controlled by po-
litical considerations.
w. o. Smith, ]. b. Atherton, f. NJ.
Swansey and r. p. Rithel, citizens of
Hawaii. called on the President last
week to discuss with him the condi-
tion of industrial affairs in the Ha-
waiian islands. They told the Presi-
dent that Hawaiians generally were
opposed to reciprocity arrangement
between the United States and Cuba
which would admit sugar from that is
land at low customs rate. The in
terests of Hawaiians in this respect,
they declared, are identical with those
of the beet sugar growers of the West
and the cane sugar producers of the
South, and they expect to join with
them If the matter should come to an
issue during the approaching session
of Congress.