The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1904-09-01
At WASHINGTON.

Luxury will be sacrificed for fighting
strength in the new armorsd cruisers
authorized by the last Congress The
plans now in preparation in the Bureau
of Construction and Repair show i'm
portant changes in the interior arrange
ments of these vessels. The water-tight
subdivision was made complete and
there will be no piercing of bulkheads
by ventilating pipes of other openings.
This change is intended further to pro-
teot the vessels from the damaging
effects of torpedo attack.
Great interest Is manifested through
out the country in tho recent announce
ment of Postma er-Gensral Payne that
negotiations are now on foot with view
to reducing letter postage between this
and foreign countries from to 2 cents.
This is one of the subjects that will
come up for consideration at tho Inter
national Postal Congrsss to be hold in
Rome next March. Exchanges already
had with Germany and Great Britain
indicate that those countries will assent
to the proposal.
It appears that up to juno 80 last
Al 100 claims were filed under executive
order No. 7S which increased the allow
ances to pensioners passing tho age OF
90 Year,. Under that order pensioners
who have passed the age mentioned are
paid SO a month; after 65 years of age,
IS per month after IS years of age, $40
per month, and after 10 years of age, S12
per month. or the claims filed under
the order 1927 were allowed in the
months of April, Nay and June. OF the
81 800, 900 appropriated by ongrsSs to
carry out the order only per cent was
called for, and the unused balance went
back into the treasury at the close Of
the fiscal year.
The annual report of Pension COM
missioner Ware, covering the fiscal year
ended, June 80 1904, was made public,
ednesday, by the acting secretary of
the interior. The report shows that in
the year the cost of maintaining the pen
sion system of the government was
$144 TIP, 1877. The appropriation for
this purpose was $146, 419, 296, leaving
an unexpended balance of 81 706,608
In tho year, 1874 persons were added
to the pension rolls-328 by special act
of Congress and the rest by tho pension
bureau. In the same period, 40, 1877
pensioners were dropped from the rolls
or these death claimed 1890, of whom
81, 728 were soldiers, 30,071 being vol
unteers of the Civil war. The total
number of pensioners on the rolls as
covered by the report is 720,3l5 sol
ders, 273 BAL widows and dependents
and 600 army nurses The report re-
fers to the order issued by the commits
sioner on March Is last, in which age is
made on evidence of disability, and says
that in three and half months OF its
operation only 2 per cent, or %, 300 out
of the 375, 900 pensioners, have asked
for increase under the terms The re-
port says the order introduces no new
principle, and "is in the direct line of
economy, as 1t certainly 10 in the line of
precedent" Less than per cent Of the
appropriation of $1,200,000 was issued
TO pay claimants under the order, the
balance being turned back into the
treasury.
1t is learned that the American minis
ter to Panama, John Barrett, acting
uuder instructions from the State de-
pariment, has assured the Panamaian
government that the United States will
DO nothing in its Interpretation of the
treaty regarding the troublesome port
question which is in any way incon
sistent with the honor and true interests
of both countries and that it will not
adopt any permanent policy as to the
main issues in the port matter without
fully comforting with the Panamaian
authorities This announcement has
had good effect In the isthmus.