The Rathdrum tribune. (Rathdrum, Idaho) 1903-1963, 1905-08-04
ROTTENESS Being PROBH.
In the Agricultural Depart
nent.
GUILTY WILL BE PUNISHED.
Porto Rico-Yellow Fever
War Taxes.

WEEKLY LETTER FROM WASHINGTON.
The crop investigation in the Agrl-
culture Department is being vigorous
ly pushed The special grand jury
which Is Investigating the case has
had a numter of witnesses before it
and it is promised at the conclusion
If its work that IL will be able To find
indictments against more than one
person both for conspiracy to defraud
and for bribery and the acceptance Of
pribes. The President is very earnest
in the matter and 1t is a very fair
conclusion that any persons guilty Of
complicity in the frauds are going to
be severely punished.
Tue Agricultural Department has
issued the revised acreage estimate
for the cotton belt. This was re-
port that had been prepared under
tie supervision Of ex-statistician
Hyde with the assistance and prompt
ius OF the dismissed ASSISTANT Holmes.
The figures were naturally subject to
suspicion and the new board from the
old data figured reduction ia acre
aye Of l+.0 per cent instead 0f ll.4
yrr cent as in the doctored report.
Il j. stated that no effort VIII be
made 10 collect fresh data from the
field as these figures are not subject
to suspicion and it is not thought
necessary to 20 to the extra expense.
The announcement that the Porto
Ricans had held mass meeting, de-
manding a different form Of govern
nent with more of native control and
less Of American influence in it was
was not any great surprise In Wash
lngton. The action of the delegates
had been fore ;hadowed by the officials
Of the Bureau Of Insular affairs for
some time. 1t is not thought, how
ever when the resolutions of the
meeting come to the war Department
which they will do III the course of
time, that they will cause any great
stir. The discomfort manifested at
the meeting does not represent the
feeling of Il majority OF the popula-
tlon SO the officials here say, and it is
certain that conditions OF all sorts,
business and sanitary, are In better
shape now than they have ever been
in the Island.
Both Porto Rico and Cuoa have
shown the effects OF American sani-
tatiiOn which IS doubtless little irk'
some to the islanders, and SO thor
oughly has the disease OF yellow fever
been stamped out during the Amer.
can occupation that it is no Longer
felt necessary to maintain a strict
quarantine against Cuba and Portt
Rico in the summer time. This may
be responsible in some measure To-
the outbreak of yellow fever IN New
Orleans, which has set the Marin'
Hospital Service here humming lik'
a swarm of bees. The officials seen
to have been lulled into false Securit.
by the good conditions in the tw'
great islands of the Caribbean ant
allowed the fever 10 creep In iron
south American Ports. Surgeon
General Wyman does not think tina
the southern outbreak is serious tai
year, but several OF the officials Il
the Marine Hospital service have a.
already received severe carpetings fo
not having kept a better watch o
cundit,0Hs.
Representative Livingston OF Geol
gia came out today In long Intel
view on the subject Of the Treasur
Deficit, recommending the reimpt
sltlon OF the Spanish War taxes i
the form Of stamp duties aud tax
IN patent medicines to meet ii
hiatus IN the revenue. He was aske
whether an additional tobacco ia
might not be q good thing, but ;
they raise tobacco down his way,
was quite certain that it would n,
and preferred to have the tax put G
medicines man Gtactured furth
north.