The Grit-advocate., 1901-11-08
WASHINGTON GOSSIP.

Ellis ii. Roberts, treasurer OF fHe
United States. in his report of the
transactions of his office during the
last fiscal year. says the treasury was
never stronger than at the close of
that period. The operations. which
were of the first order. both in variety
and magnitude. resulted in noteworthy
changes in the paper currency. as well
as steady and healthful growth of
gold in the treasury and in the general
stock
Brigadier General Fred c. Aims
worth chief of the record and pension
office, in his annual report to the secre-
tary of war. shows that 1S1.362 cases
We're received and disposed of during
the fiscal year. His report relates main
ly to records of officers and soldiers
kept for the army and the pension of
flee. 1t also deals with medals of
honor. as the record of soldiers receiv-
ing medals are furnished the proper
officers through General Ainsworths
bureau. He reviews at some length
the subject of medals of honor. and
the laws under which they are
granted. General 4AinswOrth says the
past year has witnessed the practical
completion of the work, so many
years in progress, of the publication
of the official records of the Union and
Confederate armies during the civil
war. They make total of 12ol30
pages of text.
Chief Greely. chief signal officer in
his annual report says: ,,rhe opera
tions of signal corps have been CO.
existent with the operations of the
army of the United States, not
theoretically, but on broad lines
and activities which have comprised
practically the entire area. not only of
the United States proper, but also of
Alaska, Cuba. Porto Rico. the Philip
pines and portion of China Gen
eral Greely says the corps should be
increased to meet present demands.
There have been constructed 1856 miles
of telegraph line in Alaska, and ar
rangements have been made with the
Canadian government to use its lines
to Alaska. The signal corps operates
3,34S miles of telegraph in Cuba. an in
crease of 1862 miles during the year
The operations of the corps in the Phil
ippnes have been very extensive,
there having been 1851 miles of tele-
graph line, an increase of 2.O54 miles
during the year The military cable
lines in the Philippines connect with
Mindoro. Martinique. Mashate. Sa-
mar, Leyte. Cebu, Negroes Mindanao.
Jolo and Siasi.
There is Il strong probability that the
Forthcoming message of President
Roosevelt to Congress will contain a
recommendation in favor of irrigation
legislation. Such Il recommendation
would be of decided Importance and
influence. Professor ElwooG Mead of
Wyoming is very confident of such a
result. lie had an extended interview
with the President recently on the gen
eral subject of irrigation. and found
him much interested in the subject.
The Washington Star says of this in-
terview: "Elwood Mead had Il talk
with President Roosevelt and natural
ly the matter under discussion was
that of the irrigation of the great arid
lands of the West. Mr. Mead has sew
eral plans for irrigation and will sub
nit some of these to the President. 1t
is understood that the President who
lived many years in the West. and is
well acquainted with the arid condi-
tion of that section. will say Il good
deal in his message on the subject of
irrigation. Western members of Con
grcss are extremely hopeful that Con
greSS at the coming session will extend
national aid to some rational plan for
irrigation. President McKnley's visit
to the West last May had done much
to increase the friendly feeling he had
for the West and in Il number OF
speeches he referred to the need OF
irrigation in that section. 1t was gen.
prallv thought hy western rnnuro.c