Bisbee daily review., 1902-09-13
WASHINGTON LETTER
LsnecLal Corresnonaence.l

bars has been completed the naval board on awards is busy with the "meritOriouS service medals. which are attended to go to those officers wh" rendered particularly telling services kl the West Indian naval campaign. Four persons have for some time been decided upon for the meritorious serv- ice medals These afe Captain Rich. mond Pearson Hobson for his well known feat with the Merrimac. Lieu tenants Ward and Buck for their peril ous secret mission into Spain, and Lieutenant Victor Blue for his famous work in connection with the location of the Spanish fleet in Santiago har- Dor. It is understood that meritorious service medals also are intended for the American officers and men who rendered exceptional service in the res cue of the drowning officers and men of th. defeated Spanish fleet at San tiago.
 More Liberal to Travellers.
 According to q ruling made by Set retary Shaw. residents of the United States returning from abroad may
 
 up to the limit of S100 in value any article they choose without payment of duty. This is a more liberal con- struction of the law than has hereto fore been made. Mir. Shaw insists only that the examination of such baggage at the port of New York and other places shall be honest and thorough. with the least possible annoyance 10 the passengers
 The tariff law describes exemption of SlO0 as including wearing apparel. ar ticles of personal adornment. toilet ar. ticles and similar personal effects. Secretary shaw in his new ruling says that the SlUO worth need not be strict ly confined to wearing apparel. articles of personal adOrnment. toilet articles and similar effects. but may include any article intended for the personal use of the passenger.
 No More ..Laborers' as Clerks.
 By the time the politicians return to Washington for the next meeting of congress they will find that one of the last remaining avenues by which clerks have been slipped into the government service without regard to the civil service examination has been block aded The heads of the various depart ments are getting out regulations gov erning the appointment to positions of mere unskilled laborers and prohibit ing such appointees from performing clerical work.
 One of the favorite dodges that have been worked for years past to avoid the civil service law has been to get men appointed as labOrers. this posi- tion not being classified. and then have them do the work of clerks. steadily promoting them in salary.
 Negro Has the Job.
 One of the most earnestly sought messenger positions IS that of the Brit ish embassy. and it is now for the first time in the history of the British lega- tion in America occupied by a negro. Always in the past the berth has been given to some retired English soldier who has during the best part of his life served the crown on battlefelds. This recommendation has in the past bean deemed necessary on account of
 
 All state papers. secret reports and pri- vate documents are given to the mes senger He is held responsible for the safe delivery of these messages to an English vessel either at New York or some Canadian port.
 War Records to Be Publiahed.
 The war department has arranged Hnr ho 1i<o of hn I~ of the conflict between this country and Spain. The set of works. which will be compiled from the documents in possession of the war department. will embrace the military operations in the Philippines since the close of the war with Spain and in China dur ing the relief expedition to Peking An officer has been selected for this work. and orders have been sent to Manila requiring that all records in the possession nf the authorities there shall be forwarded to Washington.
 The Contract Labor Law.
 Instructions for the strict enforce ment of the alien contract labor law have been given by Commissioner Gen eral Sargent to the immigration com. missioners at all the ports of ent.y where immigrants land From this time on few immigrants who come to this country under a specified or i'm piled contract will remain. as the in spectors are now keeping a vigiIant outlook for those who violate the law. and if sufficient evidence can be SC. cured they will be sent back
 Railway Casualties.
 The interstate commerce commission has issued bulletin showing colli- sions and deraiiments of trains and casualties 10 persons for the three months ending March 31. 1902 The number of persons killed in train acci- dents was PIP and of injured 2.111. Aaidox,4s L-i.,dc