Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1902-01-02
The. "PIOUS FUND"
The State Department Has Had An
other American Claim Settled.
1HEPOS1NASTER GENERAL EXPLAINS
Light Thrown ON the Ruling Concerning
Subscriptions to Newspaper and Pc
ri0dicsIs-Ths First Volume Of the
Census Reports Ready.

Washington, Dec. 2S.--Ihe state de-
partment has just added another to
the long list Of arbitrations which
it has arranged within the last few
years for the settlement of Ameri-
can claims. This arbitration will pro-
vide for the settlement OF the "pious
fund.-" which has been a subject OF
diplomatic exchange between the
United States and Mexico since the
Mexican war. The claim arose
through the failure Of the Mexican
government to pay to the archbishop
of California interest on lands be-
longing to the Jesuits, for which the
Mexican government acted as trustee.
The claim was submitted to the Mexi-
can claims commission in 1877 and
judgment given in favor of the church
for about $l,OOO,0OO. The Mexican
government claimed that that pay
ment extinguished the claim, but the
state department held that the inter-
est began again from the date of the
award and has run until at present it
amounts to another million dollars.
The Postmaster General Explains.
Washington, Dec. 2s.-The post
master general said yesterday that
the department had received large
number of kilograms and letters
asking if ruling had been made that
only subscriptions to newspapers and
periodicals which are paid in adj
vance are legitimate. lie said that
no such ruling had been made and
that he supposed the inquiries were
the result Of ruling made by the
third assistant postmaster general in
the case of New York publication,
the subscriptions to which were main
~ induced by premiums, and which
ruling applied only to the conditions
of that particular case, or the SINH
lar conditions in other cases. The
publishers Of the New York periodical
and also publishers in Chicago, the
postmaster general said, had sent cir
culars disappearing the ruling
made. He said that no ruling what
ever had been made which interferes
with reasonable credit on subscrip-
tions to legitimate publications. The
postmaster general added that pub
fishers should not take alarm at false
reports which, he said, are designed
to embarrass the reform in progress.
First Volume Of Census Renorts Ready.
Washington, Dec. %. The director
OF the census announces the compile
tion and publication Of part one Of
the report on population. being vol
umc one Of the census reports. This
volume contains Loo pages and com
priscs statistics on population Of the
states and territories by minor civil
divisions, center Of population and
its median point; population of in
corporated places; urban and rural
population; population by SEX gen
eral nativity, country of birth, for
eign parentage, citizens and years in
the United States and an appendix
giving Il statement of territorial ac-
questions. II has been possible to
issue this first report about 3b years
earlier than in precious decades, ow-
ing TO the fact that the legislation
Of 1900 gave much better opportu-
nifty to those in charge of the census
Office to expedite lis labors. The
completion of this report required
force Of 1000 people during the latter
part of 1900 and more than 900 per-
sons during the greater part of this
Npnr