The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1901-10-29
WASHINGTON NEWS NOTES.

ton has taken a ece after acc0d-
ing to the suggestion of President
Roosevelt to reduce the number OF
their electors. The general election
will be held December 81 President,
Vice Presidents and the Senators
will be chosen February "a.
The navy department is now fran
ing its recommendations in regard
to increase in the Navy, which are
likely to be for more new construction
than has been hitherto anticipated.
The Secretary will submit several
sets of alternative plans for the two
cruisers and b~attleships in regard
to which the last Congress asked his
opinion.
Consul McCook, of Dawson, has
sent to the State Department a gen.
eral warning against fraudulent
mining companies which float stock
on alleged Klondike properties.
Most of these, he says, possess moth
ing of value and pay dividends out
of the capital of the company
their officers meanwhile living on the
fat of the land and drawing big sal
aries.
General Chaffee advises that the
number of troops in the Philippines
be not further reduced at present
and the War Department has acceded
to his ideas on the subject. It was
supposed that our army there could
shortly be reduced to "a, 900 men
but nov the full 10000 will remain.
About 10000 men, whose en1istments
expire shortly will return, but 9TH
will be sent to take their places.
The census management is trying
to get somb eetter statement of the
wages paid in this country for manu-
featuring work than the misleading
figures as to"average earnings" here
tofore given. These were obtained
by dividing the total payroll by the
number of employees and gave no
Indication of the real rates. The new
method will be to copy the actual
payrolls of. typical establishments
and average them.
Senator Morgan, known as the
father of the Nicaraguan Canal"
laughs at the report of an engineer
that he has discovered a new route
presenting less difficulties than
either the Nioaraguan or Panama.
Mr.. Morgan says that ten govern
ments have spent 200 years and hun
dreds of thousands of dollars in in.
vestigating this subject, and does
not believe that they have missed
any route of value.
Exports of merchandise for the
nine months ending September 3Oth,
amounted to the enormous sum of
81, O46, 228, 274, which is $14, 264, O36
more than for the same period Of
last year. The imports for the first
nine months of 1901 amounted to
1916, 957, 728, which is $22, 400, 295
more than for the same period of
1900. The balance of trade in favor
Of the United States for the first
nine months of the new century
amounts to 1893, 27O, $40.
While a majority of the members
of the Isthmian Canal Commission
believes that the Panama canal route
is not only the better but even the
cheaper of the two, provided the
work of the French Commission
could be bought for about $40, OOO,-
900, it is certain that they will not
recommend it in preference to the
other. The French Commission SO
far has not set a price on it's prop
erty and a favorable recommends
ton would lead to the most inordi-
nate demands on it's part.
It is not generally known that Mr..
Roosevelt applied for a post on the
staff of FitzhUgh Lee at the break.
ing out OF the Spanish American
War, but withdrew his application
in order to organize the Rough
Riders. A few days ago Gen. Lee
called on Mr.. Roosevelt and CON
graduated him IN his failure to go
On his staff. General Lee, it will be
remembered, did not get into action,
and had Mr.. Roosevelt joined him,
it is highly probable that he would
not now be President of the United
States n
The American delegates of til
Pan American Congress will present
q plan f T the uniform regulation of