The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1903-04-17

schools to be selected through some
method of competitive examination
will encourage other boys to endeavor
to do something along the same line
and many a waste back yard may
druing the summer as q result. bloom
into a miniature truck farm.
Silk Culture for the South.
In speaking of his southern trip q,
few days ago Secretary Wilson said
that, his department is doing all it
can to encourage the culture of the
silkworm in such localities where it
can be accomplished.
"The culture of the silkworm," he
said, has become quite a profitable
industry in many sections of the south
and we are willing to encourage and
foster it in every way possible. We
have recently received a consignment
Of eggs and are now engaged in dis
tributing them where they will do
the most good. We are also sending
out quite a number of slips of the
white mulberry tree, the species OF
burberry best adapted for the silk
worm. The department has also ta-
ken another important step to aid
the silk culturists. We are import
ing the latest improved Keeling ma
chine from Italy and will have people
trained to s it and then they in turn
will teach others. We expect upon
the arrival of the new Keeling machine
to secure a young woman from the
Tuskegee institute in Alabama Book
er T. Washington's school) and she
will be taught the art OF silk Keeling
in the department. AS o o as she
becomes proficient in the workings
of the machine, or an expert, in other
words, we will send the reel and the
operator to Tuskegee and there 9th
ers will be taught"
The secretary is very enthusiastic
over the future of the silk culture
industry in the south and during his
southern trip will personally investi-
gate the whole subject, visiting var
ious places where the raising of the
| silkworm is being tried.
Pension Commissioners Mistakes.
Commissioner Ware, head of the
pension bureau of the government,
succeeding Henry Clay Evans, who is
now consul general in London, &C.
| o~v,1i,r IN tho roon VryhN horyo d0oliroo
with the pension Office, is not max
ing the success which was expected
of him. Mr.. Ware came into the Office
as an old soldier from an old soldiers
state-Kansas-and it was expected
that he would correct many of the
evils alleged against his predecessor,
but Mr.. Ware has failed to make good.
He has been arrogant in the office
over which he presides and dictatorial
to those under him. Pensioners have
suffered at his hands, as well as news
papers. 1t was but a few months ago
that Mr.. Ware suspended the issuance
of proof slips containing the names
of the persons granted pensions and
the allowances. Former commission
ers believed that the pensions granted,
original pensions and increases, n
tanned features which the newspapers
might comment upon or use in their
news columns. Mr.. Ware, however,
took it upon himself to suspend the
issuance of these slips, with the re-
. suit that he has on file in his office
hundreds of protests against his rul-
ing.
Speaking of pensions, the pension
bureau has now taken up claims under
the act of congress approved March
2, 1908, relating to an increase OF the
pensions of those who have lost limbs
in the military or naval service of the
became effective it appears that the
commissioner of pensions in his last
annual report shows that there were
B., upon the rolls at the close OF the
last fiscal year 1888 men Of old war
service, civil and Mexican, who were
drawing pensions of $36 a month for
the loss of an arm or a leg, and fifty
nine who lost arms or legs in the war
with Spain, making a total of 2,417
in this new class of pensioners provid-
ed for by the recent act. All OF these
men, under the act referred to above,
will receive an increase of $40 per
month, calling for an increase in pen.
sion disbursements of $290,04O on this
account alone. The pension roll fur,
Their shows that at the close of the
last fiscal year there were 1914 per.
o-a xaufi ;raa4od in tho niJril or