Bisbee daily review., 1903-04-08
WASHINGTON LETTER
Especial Correspondence.l 1

announced recently that he would dis
 miss any postmaster found guilty oi collecting or aiding another postmaster to collect double commissions on sales of stamps. It has become the practIc, of some fourth ~iass postma sters lOcat ed near presidential offices to hay, mail originating within the limits. oi the latter deposited in the fourth class Thus the fourth class postmaster de riyes great benefit from this plan when the department makes its annual re. classification of salaries, and as the stamps are purchased at a presidential postotiice the government thus pays twice on this class of business, to the presidential postmaster for sales of stamps and to the fourth class post master on cancellations made.
 Single cases of this kind have been found at intervals for some years. but of late the practice has attained such large proportions and become so seri- Ous that the law officials of tbe depart. ment were attracted.
 It is a violation of the postal regula- tons for a postmaster to solicit. and while in no single case has such vio- Ation been proved the department will hereafter take 1t for granted that there Is an ulterior motive where mail is de- posted outside the limits of the office where it originates, and the offending postmaster will be dismissed accord ingly.
 An owl Self Betrayed.
 A Mexican owl of the species com monly described as monkey face" flew through an open window of the photo- graph room on the top of the war de- partment building some time during the night a few days ago and was cap tured by the photographer in the morning. The latter was puzzled to know what kind of a bird he caught It looked both like an owl and a hawk. It was smaller in the body than an owl. was fawn colored. beautifully marked with spots of lavender. and it's plumage was bright and iridescent. A large white crest terminated at the base of long. sharp heak, and It's two round white eyes were fringed with white feathers branching outward, giy- Ing the face a peculiar appearance.
 The bird was taken down to the Smithsonian institution. and the scien- lists there declared it to be Mexican owl. which very rarely comes so far north as this. It Is supposed that 1t es- caped from the custody of some one added to the ornithological collection at the National Geological park.
 Alaskan Fisheries.
 George NJ. Bowers, the fish commits sioner, had a talk with the president the other day regarding the work of the fish commission. Mir. Bowers told the president that next spring be Is going % send the fish commission steamer Albatross and commission of experts to the salmon waters of Aiaska to thoroughly investigate the salmon business. One of the purposes of tue commission will be to ascertain the best means of replenishing the stock Of salmon and preventing the go- ing out of the supplies of this great commercial fish. "The catch of salmor, tEis year was an immense one" said MT. Bowers. "and this would indicate that salmon are plentiful. But we want to know all about the fish and the best way of keeping the Alaskan waters thoroughly stocked"
 Mrs. Roosevelt Likes Green.
 Green appears to be Mrs. Rooseyelt's color, for the long upper nall in rhe redecorated White House is done in this shade. and several >f the newly arranged apartments in the east end of the house are decorated in coiors Of brown and green. The decorations of tue family dining room will be red, which is the color used in it fer r.any pears. What was once the cabinet room will be used by PresYdent Roose- reft as his private study. and it has been decorated in soft shades of brown. Ia 1t will be the desk presented by Queen Victoria and made from the aken timbcrs taken from her ma tstys steamer ResOiute. which was the ship Ised in the search for Sir John Frank Hn's expedition which was shipwrecked Iii is46. The Resoiute was abandoned m ttie ice and was picked up n 1854. Held Until December.
 President Roosevelt and his cabinet Jficers have agreed to make as few as possible until the ses- Ilc@ Of congress. when a great batch sf nominations will be sent iR. This is be muse Of the cost and annoyance to .ppointees of giving two bonds. one fol- owing su appointment and the othes following the nomination. To avoid he dorbie bond business oifieehoiders ire being allowed to hof: cn cnac- c,d without being >earpoint. 'd This is also the case with vacan- .ies. tf.e president preferring not to put IppoiRtees to the trouble of making . ,ond ROW and of going through the nmn thirg iB less than two months