The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1903-05-21
At Washington.

The new Aldrich bill will have the
support of the Secretary of the Treas
ury and of the prominent fnanciers.
Its purpose is to permit national banks
to issue emergency circulation, up to
within 20 or % per cent of their capital
ization This emergency circulation
will pay per cent tax, to force the
retirement of the extra notes when the
emergency has passed. The national
banks now have $735, 000,0 of circula-
ton. If they were authorized to issue
20 per cent on assets for emergencies,
about $40, 00C, 900 of new money would
be added, against which they hold not
only bonds but $4,000, 900 surplus.
Commissioner Wright. as was an
nounced some time ago, will soon resign
to devote his attention to the presidency
dergraduate department of Clark Uni
yersity, Worcester, Mass. Commission
er Wright will take no notice of partisan
criticisms of his work other than to give
place to somebody else who, it is to be
hoped, will prove as efficient, despite
criticism.
Recruiting in the navy has been sus-
pended for the present, owing to the
prevalence of contagious diseases at va
rious training stations and aboard re-
ceiving ships on the Atlantic and Pa
cific coasts.
Hon. John D. Long, ex-Secretary of
the Navy, is making short stay in the
capital.
1t is thought Assistant Secretary Tay.
Tor of the Treasury Department will
Ia "a Of
health,
In the agricultural appropriation bill
is provision which gives the Secretary
of the Treasury power to prohibit the
importation of injurious foods, liquors
and drugs into the United States. This
law is loaded, since it gives the Presi
dent means of retaiating ON any coun-
try discriminating against American
products.
Postmaster General Payne thinks chat
on or before the middle of June General
Bristow's Investigations of the Post
office Department will have been com
pleted. He says that there will be some
surprises when these SO called scandals
are fully investigated Touching Mr..
Tulloch's charges against the Washing
ton Postot1ice, he has IA letter from ex-
Postmaster General Smith, which he
thinks will not be good easy reading for
Tulloch
The latest word from Colombia is to
the effect that after much talk the
Panama canal treaty will probably be
ratified prior to September. European
influences want the treaty ratified. The
idea is that the Executive will let OPP.
out ratification.
The oleomargarine tax seems to have
had the desired effect. Dv. 26, 600 900 lbs
less of this butter has been used in this
country during the past year than the
year preceding. Doubtless one of the
causes of the decline in the use of
oleomargarine is the remarkable pros
perity of the people, which enables
them to buy butter straight from cream
rather than butter cooked from tallow.
The State department has rece we'd a
long letter from Miss Ellen II. Stone,
demanding damages from the Turkish
government on account of outrages per
petIated upon her by the brigands who
captured and held her prisoner, while
she does not fix any amount as a
basis of her claim.
Recruiting for the United States navy
has been stopped temporarily, on ac-
count of the sickness and overcrowding
at all receiving ships and stations. The
accommodations for receiving and quar-
tering recruits in the navy today are
not as good as they we're when the navy
consisted of only 1000 men. The actu-
al strength of the enlisted personnel is
over 2S, 500.