The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1902-08-21
At Washington.

A cable dispatch has been received
from Gen. Chaffee stating that in his
judgment an active campaign against
the Moros in Mindanao was necessary
in order to curb the opposition that has
been growing against the United States
authority. Gen. Chaffee has been d.
rected to use his own discretion In the
matter and will no doubt engage in an
aggressive movement against the insur-
gent Moros.
An important order providing for
military education in schools and COL
leges has just issued at the war depart.
ment One hundred army officers are
to BIZ apportioned to the colleges and
schools of the states and territories to
carry on q system of military instruction
along lines adopted by war college board
Details of officers are to be for a period
of two years. No detail of military In
structor shall be made at any institution
which does not guarantee to maintain at
least 100 pupils under military instruc-
ton.
The State Department has received a
letter from Minister Squiers at Havana,
showing the percentage of increase au.
thorized In tho new Cuban bill. 1t shows
that the new tariff is aimed directly at
American products, the increase being
applied almost exclusively to goods of
American importation. Cuba imported
last year $36 OFT, 978 worth of flour, corn,
potatoes, beans and peas, lard, eggs,
coffee, butter, oleomargarine, hams.
shoulders, salt meats, fresh meats and
condensed milk, as against an importa.
ton of the same articles amounting to
only $2,468,274 from all other countries
combined, and Minister Squies' state
ment shows that each of these articles is
affected by an increased duty ranging
from so to 100 per cent.
What will practically amount to re-
opening of the whole oleomargarine
question soon will be submitted to In
ternal Revenue Commissioner Yerkes.
That officer already has decided that the
use of palm oil as an ingredient of oleo-
margarine Ia unlawful, because IL used
as submitted to him In samples it would
be deleterious to health, while II used
in small quantities Its effect would be
solely to give the color of natural but.
ter to the product. Instead of taking
this decision to the courts, the oleomar-
garine interests have decided to place
before the Commissioner the further
question whether palm oil can be used
at all in oleomargarine, If the oil is pure
and not used to obtain the color of but
ter.
Alaska was not regarded as a promis-
ing field for agricultural pursuits until
the Agricultural Department at Wash
ington undertook its systematic study
Now Sec. Wilson is convinced that in
the course of a comparatively short time
the value of the Territory's agricultural
products will exceed the output of min
eral wealth.
Lieutenant Richard Strong of tho
Army Medical Corps is studying the
cholera bacillus in the laboratories es.
tablished by the Bureau of Insular
Affairs in the Philippines and Is making
excellent progress. The Bureau of In
sular Affairs will hold examinations
through the civil service In September,
to select bacteriologist and a patholog.
list to go out to Manila to assist Lieuten-
ant Strong The Philippines afford an
excellent field for the study of the chol-
era germ, as it has been checked by the
army in cities, while in the native dis
tricts 1t Is comparatively free.