Milford chronicle., 1903-09-18
WASHINGTON LETTER.

L he AldSkdu boundary OOulmlS-
sion is now in session in London
and the proceedings are being fol-
lowed with intense interest both by
officials ofthe State Department and
by those citizens familiar with the
ofthe United States and
Great Britain. Already the Amer
ican commissioners have made
strong point. 1t is that the United .
States has from the time of the
cessiOn of Alaska to the present /
day, maintained but one interpre-
tation of the treaty of 1925. The
Canadian or British contentious,
on the hand, have varied repeate-
dly. From a demand that the
dividing line be drawn on the 4Ist
meridian, down to the contention
that the line be drawn straight
across such arms of the sea as
Glacier Bay aud Lynn canal, the
British have been modifying their
demands and giving evidence of
possessing claim which must de-
pend for success on skillful diplo-
macy rather than on an equitable
Interpretation Of the facts. The
presence of ex-Secretary of State
! Foster as agent" Of the American
commissioners is a source of graft
hcation to State Department as it
is realized that he is, more than
any other individual, able to pre-
sent the case of this country in its
strongest light and hopes are run
ming high as to the eventual out
come of the proceedings.
President Roosevelt has announ-
ed an important policy which is
hereafter to govern the American
consular service. With the greatly
increased extension of the foreign
trade of he United States, it ha.
become daily more apparent tha'
greater efficiency in the consular
service was required and the Pres
ident has determined to take a Ions
step in the direction of promoting
that efficiency by adopting a policy
of promotion for consuls who have
their ability. Hereafter, it is an
| nounced, no one will be appointed
, consul at an important post unit
he has served at a post of less I'M
= pOrtance for a sufficient time tc
demonstrate his ability and genera
fitness for promotion. While thi'
policy does not extend to the con
f sular service the protection of tn
s civil service regulations or neces
sarily extend the tenure of Office c
= the consuls, it is claimed that
does give to the commercial intel
ests of this country assurance ths
6 in comparatively brief time all in
) portant consular stations will /
IS filled, not only by men of charactt
and ability, but by men who, b
l. training and experience, are e
r pecially fitted to advance the trad
Il interests of the United States.
Another important decision e,
~ pected almost daily from the Pre-
sr ident is in the case of Villa
Miller, the Public Printing Off
le foreman who was expelled by Il
t. bookbinders union, was discharg'
by Public Printer Palmer, was su
IN sequently reinstated by order
l" the President and against who
IN charges have since been prefer
a bv the union. Palmer has re
commended Miller's discharge
on the grounds furnished by t
Its charges and his recommended
'w together with all the details OF
case have been sent to Oyster B;
With this material there also we
~ u to Oyster Bay the results of
special investigation of the methc
IS employed in the Printing Off
ere These are said to include a reco
cit mendation that type-setting L
rd- chimes be installed in the Office
rd- at least a portion of the work a
cal also that the task system be alb
ished, the task system being st
isi js ulation on the part of the uni'
The he that only a limited amount of w
be performed bv each man per d
His objection to Eliot.
ing That President Eliots force of cl
an' acter is nowhere more fully ap
ciated than in his native state is il
4rn+nd hr the following story: wv