The Brandon news. (Brandon, Miss.) 1892-1961, 1903-04-09
TREND OF EVENTS
AT WASHINGTON.
Transpiracies of Note, News and
Views OF National Interest.
OFFICIALS LEVIED ASSESSMENT
Postal Bosses Alleged to Have Taxed
Employees for Political Funds, and
Required Them to Canvas for Votes
Regardless of Political Affiliati0n.

civil service commission has made
public statement claiming that the
recent supplanting OF Surveyor
General c. g. Goodale, OF Colorado,
by the appointment OF j. Vivian to
be due to an investigation made by
that commission. TIE complaint W as
for violation OF the civil service law
by collecting assessments from en-
ployes OF the department. The pay
ments were so regularly demanded
that they we're called 1.-THE dog
tax. says the statement, and they
were apportioneu among the clerks
so that each had to pay one. two or
three days salary per month, as the
needs of the campaign demanded.
Employees paid these assessments ir-
respective of their own political be-
liefs and under botn Democratic
and Republican administrations.
The clerks also were directed to &C
from door to door and ask persons
who were strangers If they had reg
istered, etc., work which thew
found very disagreeabIe. Lin addi-
ticn to the retirement of Mr.. Good
ale, two clerks in the office, Charles
j. Christian and john &. Fleming.
who were most active in collec ting
tie assessments, have been dismissed.
The marine hospital service has
received report from Assistant. Sur
geon Grubbs, who is stationed at the
quarantine station giving the re-
suits of his inspection of vessels ar
irving from ports likely to De IL
fected with yellow fever germs.
The observation covered the period
from June to November, 1902, and
during that time eighty-two vessels
were inspected. On three of these
infected mosquitoes were found.
DR.. Grubbs draws the following
conclusion from his observations:
First, that mosquitoes can cone
aboard vessel under favorable
conditions when the vessel is not
far from shore. Second, that stego-
mia can be carried from Mexican
or West Indian ports to those of our
Gulf States Third, that they can t
board vessel lying at anchor a
half mile or sc from short, being
conveyed by the open lighters used
for loading and finally that vessel
moored a short distance from land
may become infected with yellow
fever, Notwithstanding other beliefs
to the contrary.
Advance prints of Volume Is, Sc
ries w, of the official records of the
Union and Confederate navies in
the civil war. have come from the
government printing office. They
are published by Charles Stewart,
acting superintendent of naval war
records, under direction of the Sec
| rotary of the navy. This vol ume
gives the operations of the Southern
Atlantic bIockadlng squadron from
October l, 1863, to September 80,
1864. Among the interesting fea-
lures is the report of an attempt
made by the Ccnfed crate submarine
torpedo boats David" to blow up
the new ''Ironsldes. Descriptions
are given Of the Doat showing it tc
have been about 30 feet long cigar
shaped and with only about two feet
showing above water.
Commissioner Richards, Of the
| general lard office, has taken prac
ticalIy the final step in the settles
ment of the long drawn-ont conten-
ton between the United States ard
the State of Florida over the owner.
ship of lands located in that part il
the State known as tie Ever
glades." The entire land ir dispute
includes about 5000, OOO acres, all Of
which goes to the States IN fee sim
pie ard will be at its disposal. The
| lands are all within the frostless
belt, and 1t is believed that with
drainage they will soon become val
liable for fruit growing purposes.
According to figures sent the
state department by Minister LORD
at Buenos Ayres, the decrease in
Argentine imports for 1902 amount
ed to SO, 508. 275. and the. increase
of exports to 81, 1886. 665. Imports
from the United Kingdom and Bra