Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1901-09-05
WASHINGTON LETTER.
Iron our Regular Correspondent
WASHINGTON. Sept. >. 1870

WASHINGTON, Sept. 2, 1901.
General Woods report as Governor
General Of Cuba, has just been made to
the War Department 1t reviews the
administration of the affairs of the islands
during the past fiscal year, paying atten-
ton to resources, education, the Judiciary,
the steps taken for new civil government,
etc. But the most significant portion of
the whole document contains an uncon-
scious arraignment of the high tariff policy
of the United States Government. He said
that the present system does not favor good
commercial facilities on account of I'M
favorable duties on tobacco and sugar
They keep the prices up in this country
and if they are persisted in in regard to
Cuba it will mean that development of
Cuba will be slow if at all, as the changed
conditions in commercial relations since
the time of the Spanish War make her
now market her principal products in the
United States, and she must have lower
duties ''if she is to live and prosper. .
Comments like this are the best arguments
that low tariff can have, and they are
particularly forcibe when they concern the
vital welfare of an island that our promises
and our national honor compel us to foster
and protect.
The Summer is Uncle Sans house-clean-
ing time, when there is nothing else in
Washington of sufficient importance to
distract his attention from this imperative
task. During the hot months the annual
renovation takes place, and about the first
of September sees the work completed.
This year the changes have been particu-
larly sweeping, almost all of the interior of
the Capitol building being repaired and
made modern. The Supreme Court room
was about to emerge from chaos of plas-
ter, when only few days ago the temper
AIRY plaster ceiling, under the new steel
one, fell and hurt several workmen. A
party of tourists under the direction of one
of the Capitol guides, got out in the nick
OF time. One of the most ticklish jobs has
been the putting in of steel counterpart
of the plaster ceiling of Statuary Hall
This hall has peculiar acoustic properties,
there being many whispering galleries.
that are the delight of the young married
couples that make Washington their honey
moon Mecca. These galleries are also
prolific sources of income to the Capitol
guides who reveal their mysteries to the
uninltiated. On account of all this there
was clause in the ceiling builders con-
tract that the change should in no wise i'm
pair the whispering properties. recent
test shows the mystic echoes still intact
The usual new carpets will appear in the
Senate and House, and the old ones having
been removed. Absolutely unique carpet
designs-though always in red-are lux
uries that Uncle Sam allows his legislators
The Schley-Sampson CONTROVERSY is
attracting but little attention now, and
everybody is letting it drop for breathing
spell until the Court of Inquiry convenes
at the Navy Yard, September IL. On
account of the dearth of news just now the
yellow journals are trying to keep the feud
alive, but the public is apathetic.
The politics of Virginia are attracting
some local attention, for one of the candi-
dates for Lieutenant Governor, Mr.. Willard,
who is furnishing the campaign ''bar'l, F" is
business man Of this city. and the owner
OF the historic Wizards hotel. He gained
legal residence in the Old Dominion, it is
and, for the express purpose of getting into
politics, and seems to have succeeded.
The Treasury Bureau of Statistics and
the other departments of the government
service, continues to receive proofs of the
growing foreign trade of this country, and
OF the increase of cordial relations between
this and other nations. This neighborli-
ness is shown particularly in regard to the
adjacent islands of the West Indies In
formation from the Treasury Department
shows growing disposition on the part of
the island of Jamaica to trade with the
United States, until now we have the bulk
OF the islands commerce. The facts and
figures given out have an added interest
hpnaII9n Jamaica 10 Rrificb
the data comes from the British colonial
report. The value of exports shows con-
slant increase from the island to the United
States, and where Great Britain has almost
a third OF the jamaican exports in 1896 she
gets now less than one-fifth, Americans
taking the rest. Her imports to the island
are always decreasing steadily in proportion
to the volume Of trade while the United
States gain
Another trade gain for this country is
shown in the latest advance sheets of Con-
sular Reports, obtained from the State De-
partment. One of them shows the largest
single item of trade between our country
and Korea is kerosene, which for the past
year amounted to almost million dollars.
The Americans have lately been annoyed
by the importation of inferior oil into
Korea, in the tins and cases in which their
own product had been imported into Japan.
Orlentals have no respect for unregistered
trade marks or laws against authorizations,
so the only redress is to employ reliable
agents and to maintain strict surveillance
over them. The imports of kerosene other
than American amounted to about $780,
600; Or little more than one-tenth of the
American trade