The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1903-04-03


year the Secretary will buy and pay Eu-
ropean prices for all the cocoons produced
and thereafter he hopes the product will
be sufficient to establish a market in this
country.
~
The President has authorized much
needed investigation in the Postoffice De-
partment and has announced that it would
be carried TO a conclusion regardless of
political pull" or influence. There has
grown up in the Department system of
abuses, due largely to the growth of the
country, and especially of the free deliv,
cry system, without the reorganization of
the Department, which should have ac-
companied the increase of responsibilities
developing upon certain divisions. For
some time it has been in the power of
certain officials to grant numerous favors
to members of Congress, thus placing the
latter under obligation, and whenever a
reorganization has been attempted polit-
ical influence thus obtained by these Of
ficials has been exerted 10 Illustrate the
effort. This situation has continued until
now there are grave charges of corruption
made against the heads of these divisions
and it is even alleged that ring has been
formed which has profited by the sale of
every supply sent to country postoffice.
every mail box placed on free delivery
route, etc Already strong pressure has
been brought to bear on the President to
cSrtail the current investigation, but he
has declared himself determined to Probe
the matter to the bottom.
~
There is also an extensive reform In the
Treasury Department being worked out
by Assistant Secretary Armstrong The
reorganization of the entire customs SER
vice has been undertaken. Assistant Sec
rotary Spaulding has been removed, Mr..
Walter S. Chance is said to be slated for
transfer to less responsible position than
the one he now holds, as chief of the
division of special agents, the Assistant
Treasurer at Chicago, Mr.. William P.
Williams, is likely to go and a general
shaking up is impending. Mr.. Wilbur F.
Wakeman of New York, who gave the
Department much information with re-
gard to the now famous silk frauds, is
still in close touch with the Department
and it is believed that when the present
renovation is concluded the customs SER
vice will have been much improved, al
though the President may have lost some
influential political friends as result of
his insistence OH the appointment of men
with unsullied records
~
Secretary Root has made public a re-
port of the War College on the best
method of putting into effect the new
militia law, and the Secretary hopes that
all militia officers will send for copy of
the report and submit any criticisms they
may have to offer General Young
president of the War College, says that
there is nothing in the law whereby CO.
ercion is authorized and every state is free
to use its discretion about patting the law
into effect. but in those cases where a
state or territory is unwilling to comply
with its conditions the Secretary of War
is free to omit that state or territory in
distributing the annual federal appropria-
ton for the assistance of the national
guard. As in the opinion of Secretary
Root and General Young, the law will
not only benefit the United States as
whole, but will materially increase the
efficiency of the militil in each state,
there is every reason why the states and
territories should hasten to conform to its
provisions.
*x*
Representative Brooks Of Colorado, the
new representatiye-a-large. received
severe shock this week. Assuming that
the old method of distributing federal
offices still prevailed, he wrote to the Sec
rotary of the Interior stating that two
clerks had been dismissed for soliciting
campaign funds from other clerks. Mr..
Brooks requested that the clerks be re-
instated at once and reminded the Secre-
tary that as representatives t.large, he
should control the patronage of the state.
The Secretary replied that there would
be no reinstatement of the offending
clerks and failed to recognize Mr.. Brooks
right to dictate in the matter of patronage.
He was informed that his recommends.
tons would always receive attention but
that appointments would continue to be
made for the best interest of the
~
There is grief at West Point due to the
Presidents approval of court martial
sentence dismissing Cadet Berry of Ken
lucky. This is not that Cadet Berry was
SO exceptionally popular, but because his
dismissal is blow at what the cadets