The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-05-08
LIVE TOPICS ABOUT TOWN.

| Many interesting relics are being sent
| to the War Department by army officers
| stationed in the Philippines. The latest
| one received is the hagpole which was
| planted on the walls of the Spanish ar
senal at Manila. The pole is made of
dungeon wood and is highly polished. I'm
| like American flagpoles. the staff is
square. The relic was sent to Secretary
Root by Col w. S McCaskey. Secretary
! Root will turn it over TO the National
Museum, with number of other articles
sent him by other officers. They include
silver and copper coins once in circulation
in Manila and a number of curious stamps
issued by the Philippine Government in
1888
Government jobs, especially those under
| the civil service. do not seem to be as
| desirable as they once were. There are
| now number of good vacant berths with
nobody Offering to fill them. 1t seems
| that there is much trouble in getting
young men to join the clerical force of
the government in that much heralded
| field. 1.-THE Philippines The Civil Service
| Commission is bewailing the fact that
| not single applicant has made his APP
pearance for the post of steamboat boiler
inspector at Manila. The salary is s.. $50.
| animation to be held May % was made
two weeks ago. no applications have been
| received. Closer at home there is trouble
The Commission announces that there are
not enough qualified candidates for the
| ONCE of meat inspector of the Bureau of
Animal Industry in the Agricultural De-
partment. These places pay 81 200 and
sl,4Vo with a good opportunity for pro-
motion The impression seems to be that
the salaries paid by the Government for
skilled work are much below those which
the same could command in the open
market, and this is understood to be the
reason for the lack of applicants for the
positions under the civil service.
An interesting fact in connection with
| the elevation of Monsignor Martinelli to
| the cardtnalate is that he Is the second
member of the Augustiaian order now
in the family of the Popes councillors.
The appointment of two Augustinians to
cardinalates is a matter of rejoicing
| among the monks in the order. who con
| slider that they have been most unusually
honored. The fact that any order has
been given such double representation
| is taken to mean that the attitude of
| the Pontiff toward such organizations is
changing from administrative consld-
Grafton to friendly kindness. The House
of Cardinals is not yet full, and there is
opportunity LOT the appointment OF halt
| dozen more. some of which are expected
to come from the monastic bodies. 1t has
been fully 150 years since the Augustinians
had two of their number wearing the
! scarlet hat at the same time and the
| fact that Martineli Is the second one
| chosen is at least a high tribute to his
ability and his earnest work for the
! Church. Cardinal Ciaca, who is an Au-
Gustinian, was appointed about a year
| ago.
That is the legend on the sign that stares
in the face everyone who passes down II
Street, between Fourteenth and Fifteenth
northwest. 1t is not .as large as a house,
nor as deep as a Welt" but it will certain
ly serve. A little farther down the street
is a store where antiques are Sold and of
the two signs which explain what business
is carried on in the two buildings the one
on the Government building is much >ehe
more conspicuous. 1t cries aloud, meta
phorically speaking, that Spanish
claims are to be settled within. and it is
particularly prominent because it is
placed right over the door of a very I'M
pretentious building. There is no other
public Office building in the city so labeled
and therefore the sign upon the ordinary
plain fronted house in which the Commits
sion has settled itself seems all the more
out of place. 1t takes two banks of let
tiers fully six inches in height-done in
god-to tell the story. The whole sign is
some seven feet long and two feet high.
That. however evidently in the estima-
ton of the members of the Commission.
was not sufficient TO call TO the attention
of the public the fact that war claims
are being settled within There is still
another sign. 1t is of brass, with black
letters, quite modest affair, such as
other buildings have, and II has been
placed just outside the entrance. 1t bears
the same legend as the big billboard
above.