The Holly chieftain., 1902-10-10
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The secretary OF the navyhasaNaF6-
"a the contract for the construction -
he battleship Louisiana r. tbs Now.
port Ship Building Company at IT. bid
of S3.9s0. 900. 4
The estimates for the rural free D.
livery service for the next fiscal year
has been finally framed They aggre-
gate &12.d66, 500. q net increase Of -.
'126, 400 over the appropriations made
for the current year. N
Secretary Root to-day approved ths
elaborate plans prepared BY the engi1
neer corps for the war college build
tnu In Warrington and at Fort Riley
Kansas. The department will At ouos
advertise for construction work
The monthly statement OF the public
debt shows that at the close Of busi-
ness September 30. 1902. the debt. less
cash In the treasury. amounted to
1857 ,S87. which Is q decrease Of
;310. .676, ,434 a. compared With septem-
ber 1st.
The feature Of the naval estimates
of 1904. which have been made public
Int the Navy Department is the hber-
ality Of the recommendations for each.
of those branches of the service which
have to provide for the equipment OF
lighting ships. The total estimate calls
for ss2, ,426 .0306s. @T @5{ =.
1t was decided that the order Of Pres:
ident Roosevelt directing a census to be
taken Of the Philippine Islands should
be cabled to Governor Taft, so that
work in the islands may begin at once.
Arrangements are being made by the
bureau Of insular affairs to carry out
the presidents orders.
Bids for the construction OF the bat
,tleship Louisiana were opened at the
Navy Department October LIST. The
lowest bid was that OF the Newport
News Ship Building and Dry Dock
| Company of Newport News. Virginia.
which offered to build the battleship
within forty-one months from the date
of contract for $3.990.000.
Indian Agent Hazlitt of the Fort De-.
f1ance agency, Arizona, has made re-
port to Commissioner of Indian Affairs
Jones, denying the reports that 6,O00
.Navajoe Indians in San Juan county
are starving. He says he wants to hire
100 Indians at $1.10 per day to work
on a railroad, but cannot get one, from,
which he infers that none Of them can
be very hungry.
On his return from New York Secre-
tary Root, in answer to q question as
to whether there was any truth IN the
Irumor that he intended to leave the
cabinet, said: 1.-THE rumors about my
retirement are false. have given the
matter no consideration, and do not In
tend to retire. When do decide to do
so there will be no rumors. l will,
simply resign and that will be all, and
the public will know all about It,"
In recognition Of their long and hon.
orable service in the army the Presi-
dent has directed the advancement to
the grade of brigadier general OF Col.
Amos 8. Kimball Of the quartermas-
ter's department; Col. Chambers Nc
Nbben, Twenty-fourth infantry, and
Col. Charles G. Hood, Sixteenth tnfan-
try. This action is made possible by
the retirement Of Brigadier General
William H. Bisbee, who is now on his
way home from the Philippines.
Secretary Cortelyou, upon being
asked as to the condition Of the Presi-
dent said the coal conference was a
severe strain on the President. While
in the Judgment OF his physicians his;
| progress toward recovery has been,
satisfactory, they consider that to
avoid the risk of setback he should
be relieved OF any undue tax upon his
strength. Therefore for the next week
Of ten days only such matters will be
brought to his attention as 1t may be
imperatively necessary for him to con-
slider.
Postmaster General Payne has ad-.
dressed circular letter to the officers
and employees of the postof1ice and 9th,
ers concerned regarding the extent OF
the prohibition put by the department
on political activity on postoffice en-
ployes The letter says: "Postmas-
ters or others having unclassified po-
sitions are merely prohibited from us
Ing their omces to control political
movements from neglecting their du-
ties or causing public scandal by pol
litical activity. A person in the class
sifed service has perfect right to
vote as he pleases. and to express pri-
vately his opinions on all political
subjects but he should take no active
| part In political management or in po-
litical campaigns"
Though recognizing in the request OF
the Cuban government for the with
drawal Of the remaining American
troops In Cuba, very natural desira
to remove all traces OF foreign occupa,
! ton, the indications are that the aui
thorities will order the withdrawal only
upon the completion OF the permanent
treaty contemplated in the Platt
amendment. Both the amendment and