Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1903-08-06
FROM WASHINGTON.
Correspondence Of the Alexandra 0ahes'e'i
Washington, D. c., August ..

the IfOff BrOlncTs Will pllDOiJ III o"'
nection with the sale Of patent letter box
fasteners to the Postoffice Department.
Attorney Charles A. Douglas represent
ed Macon. and Samuel Maddox the
other defendants. Douglas, in his ar
pument against theindictment, contend
ed that it charged no crime because IN
all the accounts except the hrst IL Ialleo
TO state that Machen was an employe OF
the government at the time the alleged
ofFenses we're committed. Assistant DIS
trict Attorney Taggart, who drew up the
indictment. represented the government
at the hearing. 1t is expected tnal
Judge Pritchard will uphold the validity
of the document, whereupon counsel iof
the defense will have to content them
selves with taking an exception. Inc
trial of the case on its merits VIII not
come ND until the October term Of court.
At12:3O the argument Of the attorneys
was concluded. District Attorney Beach,
who concluded the arguments for the
government following Mr.. Taggart, com.
bated the plea of Attorneys Douglas and
Maddox that the counts Of the indict-
ment other than the first count were de-
fective. He said that each subsequent
count had direct reference to the hrst
count Justice Pritchard, after the close
of the arguments, announced from the
bench that, in his opinion, the inelct-
,norts we're not faulty and therefore
oyerruled the demurrer. The attorneys
for the defense noted an exception. II
will be necessary to bring the Croft Bros
and Machen into court to plead again to
the indictments, they having withdrawn
the plea of not guilty when be filed the
demurrer on Saturday. This will prob
ably be done late this afternoon or to-
morrow.
Consul General Richard Guenther, OF
Frankfort, has made report to the State
Department discussing the result OF tht
German meat inspection law which
went into effect in April and which has
seriously affected the American imports
The importations of prepared beef IRON
the United States for May 1902, amount
ed to 466. 900 pounds and for May 1903,
to 90. 6OOas toprepared pork. The figures
for Nav 1902 show an importation o
500. 400 pounds and for the same perioC
of 1908 only 80, 200 pounds. The i'm
portations Of American hams has practl
cally ceased. During May 1902, 2O2, 6OC
pounds were imported, while the stats
tics for May 1908 show only 200 pounds:
In the months of April and May 1909
only 2.13S tons of fresh meat were I'M
norted into Germany, against 4, 100 tons
during the same period Of 1902, and
only /. 800 tons of simply prepared
meat against 4, 1852 tons in April and
May 1902.
Assistant Secretary Charles II. Keep,
of the Treasury Department, views with
some alarm the situation of the STOCK
market and the frequency with which
failures are reported on the exchange.
He does not think there is danger OF
panic, but says the condition of the mar
ket is bound to materially affect the sta
bility of business generally throughout
the country. What he fears most is The
effect of commercial stagnation, result
ant upon the tendency Of large interests
to delay building enterprises and post.
pone the organization of new commercial
institutions in the face of breaking mar
kets. At the same time he does not believe
that the business of the country has neec
to fear more than temporary st9gnatlon'
Mr.. Keep does not think the situation
serious enough to warrant the Treasury
Department in taking action. The FAC
that the President has not called Secre'
tary Shaw to Oyster Bay, since the
weakness on exchange became defined
is taken as an indication that there is M
need, for the present at least, for the adj
ministration to offer aid.
The Turkish government in reply tC
representations made in April 1900, by
Mr.. Griscom, charge d affairs. and in
March 1901. by Minister Leishman, has
removed the prohibitions against the I'M
poftations of American pork products
which were interdicted because of the
alleged existence of trichinae, on April
20, 1881. Importations OF this character
must be accompanied by certificates by
the Turkish consul, showing that the
article has been microscopically examined
and found clean. On arrival in Turkish
port the shipment will be examined
rgain and admitted if found perfectly
sound otherwise it will be returned.
Senator German spent yesterday in
this city and left in the evening for
his home at Laurel, Nd. He was look
ing we'll and feels much benefited by his
trip to Europe.
Acting Secretary Of State LOOMS to-
day received dispatch from the Chinese
reform association of San Francisco,
CAL, requesting that the United States
do all in its power to protect the lives OF
the Chinese reform prisoners, whom it is
stated the Empress has demanded for
thepurpose ofputting them to death. The
communication is signed by Chen Ching,
the president of the organization.
Assistant Secretary of State LOOMS
leaves Washington this afternoon for
Oyster Bay where he will tomorrow pre-
sent to the President Baron Speck Won
Sternberg, the newly made accredited
German Ambassador. Baron Won Stern
berg came to the United States accredit-
ed as a minister on special service and
Was not made German Ambassador until
the last month on the date of the retire
ment of Ambassador Won Hollenben.
A committee Of the National Association of
Letter Carriers called on Postmaster General
Payne this morning and presented memorial
from the association in behalf bill 10 in
crease the salaries Of letter carriers. The
Postmaster General said that he would con-
slider and make a recommendation in the