Middletown transcript., 1903-04-25
WASHINGTON LETTER.
WASHINGTON, April 20. l9l

President Marroquin may seek to ratif,
the Panama canal treaty with the help o
his ministers and without waiting for th,
action Of Congress. As much actor
would be wide deviation from til,
American conception of PRESIDENT
powers, the constitution of Colombia il
being carefully studied in order to ascer
tain, if possible, on what ground the
President OF Colombia assumes to have
this power. 1t is known that public
order has not been restored in the Re
public Of Colombia and that every meter
ial consideration would indicate the ad'
visibility of the ratification of the treaty
but considerable doubt is expressed as to
whether this country would be warranted
in accepting treaty ratified by so un.
usual procedure. Admiral Walker and
other members of the Commission have
arrived in Colon and the engineers in
the party are already engaged in looking
over the ground and inspecting the work
performed on the Culebra cut.
~
The wholesale investigation into affairs
at the Post Office Department still con-
tinues, and in the opinion of the Post
master Generel will occupy another two
months before they are completed.
Since General Payne returned to Wash.
ington there has been a considerable de.
crease in the news obtainable by the
newspapers and when your correspon.
dent asked the Postmaster General if he
could not arranged to give out few news
items daily, Mr.. Payne replied lacol.ically
"Would you have me bell the cat? Mr.
Payne is most courteous to the news
papermen and receives them daily at
P. NJ. He appears to have become &C
customed to the cross questioning te
which the twenty or thirty correspondent
submit him and seems to enjoy what he
calls his 'press receptions" 1t is evi
dent that, regardless of irregularities and
such rascality as may have been prac'
ticed i'm the past, there will be general
reorganization of the system. The Post.
master General is authority for the state
ment that when this is completed it will
be impossible for one official to make al
lowance and then pass upon the expen-
ditures therefor and sign the vouches.
As no general reorganization has taken
place since Mr.. Wanamaker was Post
master General and the gross receipts in
the interval have increased from $50, 900, .
600 to $140, 900, 900 annually, the neces.
sity for an overhauling is but natural.
*x*
The Northern Securities decision con-
tinues to occupy the attention Of the f.
naHciers and of the legal lights in Wash
ington and several New York attorneys
have come to Washington to ascertain if
there was no means by which relief could
be obtained from the decree Of the Court
Of Appeals. The Acknowledgement very
wisely left town sooE after the decision
was announced and his exact where
abouts is not known. 1t was rumored
that he had gone west to consult the
President but that has been denied and
It is now believed his western trip is in
with the Beef Trust. Mean
while, the capitalists Of the east are cry
ing out against the Sherman antitrust
law, which they formerly regarded with
,corn, and their newspaper organs are
oudly demanding its repeal or at least
It's amendment SO that its provisions shall
not apply to railroads. The Interstate
Commerce Commission will meet in New
York on Tuesday to investigate the alle-
,ations that coal trust exists and that
he railroads are violating the antitrust
aw in their operation of the coal mines.
It is believed here that the Attorney
General is responsible for the present
,nergy OF the Commission and that their
Investigations may be followed by legal
proceedings against the Goal roads?'
~
The members of the Financial Com.
mission, which is charged with the duty |
+ meeting representatives Of foreign
,owers and adjusting the ratio of silver
0 gold, have had conference in Wash
ngton and lave consulted Secretaries
lay, Root and Shaw. The members Of |
he Commission will visit London, Paris,
'erlin, Saint Petersburg, Peking and the
,ity OF Mexico to confer with the officials
( foreign governments with view to
ffeoting an international agreement, if
ossible, for the maintenance of silver at
ratio, yet to be determined but pre-.
lmably in the neighborhood of 80 to /,
he commissioners confidently believe
,at the joint interests Of nations have
~ silver using colonies will prov
,ffcient to enable them to accomplishing
lis important work.
~
OF the North Atlantic feet OF seven
attleships, which, at the conclusion of
10 winter manoeuvres, was pronounced
10 most efficient squadron that ever
lied under the flag of the United States,
10 are badly disabled as result of tar
t practice and this result is the occasion
the grayest anxiety on the part of
wal officials. The gun which exploded
the Iowa had been fired but 127
mes and yet it would appear from the
ports thus far received that it was worn
t. If the life Of the great guns is to be {
short as that it means fearful expense 8
their maintenance and it means too
at many of the guns now in use are un. 6
fe and q menace to the men behind s
EN-. Ifalf the guns which have been
ed that number of times must be re-
aced it will present most difficult prob.
u as the capacity OF the government
n factories is now oyertaxed, all are !:
,rking three shifts Of men and even at /,
at, it is feared that the armament for
Q vessels now under construction can
L be completed in time. The wrench.