Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-10-14
Senator Hopkins Here in the
Interests Of Constituents.
NEEDS OF PHILIPPINES
REPRESENTATIVE CURTIS TELLS
OF HIS OBSERVATIONS.
Controller Ridgely VIII Be Reappoint-
ed-Ingenious1y Inscribed Cane Pre-
scented to the President.

Chicago people are up in arms at the sug-
gested proposition that the government.
upon the recommendation OF the Keep
commission. establish a central purchasing
agency in New York for the purchase and
distribution OF supplies for the various de-
partments of the government. Senator
Hopkins has come on here to look into the
story, and was at the White House today.
Later in the day he called on Assistant
Secretary Keep and talked with him ABOUT
the matter. AS heretofore stated In The
Star. the Keep commission is considering
this proposition of central purchasing and
distributing agency. but has made no rec
concentrations to the President and is I'M
decided what It will do In this direction.
The proposition to establish a central
agency Is due to the fact that the va.
rious departments of the government are
paying different prices for the same arti-
cles, besides the freight charges to WASH
ington and freight charges when the matter
Is distributed to government officials in
other parts OF the country. The suggestion
that freight charges would be saved on To-
eating the central station at New York
has aroused the Chicago business men, who
assert that Chicago Is nearer the center Of
the country, has every advantage possessed
by New York as to freight rates and prox-
| unity to the place of production.
1t Is declared to be unlikely that the
Keep commission idea can be carried out
except by act Of Congress.
Senator Hopkins also came to Washing
ton to see the Post Office Department Of
1cials about the recent order that the boxes
along free delivery routes in the country
should be numbered and that mail would
be delivered if addressed to the number Of
the box. 1t has been claimed that the
effect of this would be to give the big
| mail order stores of the country an oppor-
tunity to reach the people by sending their
catalogues simply to numbered boxes
Small merchants everywhere oppose the
plan.
AS Curtis Sees the Philippines.
Representative Curtis of Kansas. who
| went to the Philippines with the Taft party.
today called on the President. 1.-THE country
is great one" said Mr.. Curtis. speaking Of
the islands "rhey need some help from
this country. though. and I think it prob
able that Congress will pass a bill at the
coming session permitting sugar and to-
| bacco from the Philippines to come to the
United States at 25 per cent Of the Ding
ley rates. AS to articles going into the
island 1t would not do to admit them free
until our treaty with Spain expires That
provides that Spain shall have the same
privileges as the United States until 1902
What the Philippines need more than
anything else is American machinery. They
could develop things a great deal II they
had modern machinery. Before the war
with Spain they used to export great deal
of coffee. None Is exported now. The c0f-
fee industry could be revived as coffee
grows wild along the roads and the climate
| Is well adapted to 1t.
Americans should make greater efforts
for the Philippine trade, as all the other
countries are doing everything they can for
| 1t. The most disappointing thing OF my
whole trip was the lack of American flags
on the shipping. In all the harbors of the
%I, .-s@ &C.
| thing ought to be done by this country to
encourage the shipping industry"
Will Reappoint Ridgly.
The recent statement that the Kansas del
egation was grooming man for controller
Of the currency. to be appointed in case of
| the retirement of w. B. Ridgly, has led to
the announcement that Mr.. Ridgly will be
named to succeed himself when his first four
years expire next year. Mr.. RidgIy is a
son-in-law of Senator Cullom of Illinois, and
his record controller has been such fine
one that there is demand in banking cir
Giles that he be retained There was some
talk that Mr.. Rfdgly did not care to stay in
his present position, and this led to few
candidates appearing in the field.
a Task Of Many Months.
The Presidents vast collection of gifts of
all kinds was added to this morning by the
presentation of a remarkable cane. An old
man from the mountains of Virginia. who
did not give his name, called at the door of
the Presidents office and left the cane with
Maj. Loeffier for presentation to the Presi-
dent. The stick was deliberately carved with
the names of all the battles of the civil
war, the names of all the PRINCIPAL conn
manders and the dates of their death If they
We're killed in battle. The cane represented
probably many months of work by the old
man who made 1t.
Other Callers.
Secretary Taft introduced to the Presi-
dent j. III. Leroy, who was recently ap-
pointed United States consul at Durango
N NJ Later in the day Mr.. Leroy had a
talk with the President about conditions In
the Philippines. He is said to be well
posted as to Philippine affairs
Edward Rosewater of Omaha presented
to the President set of resolutions adopt
ed by the telegraphers Of the civil war
asking that they be put on the same foot
ing as soldiers of the war and be allowed
pensions. The President proposes to give
the resolution consideration
Representative DalzeiI of Pennsvlvania
presented to the President John Eaton,
president of the PittsburS chamber of
commerce, and George Fl Anderson vice
president and general manager of the same
organization. The Pittsburg men came here
to get some speakers for the founders day
banquet. November 3. The Chinese min
lister, w. Graham Bell. Gen. A. w. Greedy
and Melville E. Stone will be among the
speakers
Came on From Harvard
Theodore Roosevelt, jr., walked into the
White House this morning. He came from
Harvard with school friend, and arrived
at the White House about 10 o'clock. II
| is suspected that he came to bid his father
and mother goodbye before they leave for
| the south next Wednesday. His visit, how
ever. was evidently unexpected. as no MEM
| Der of the family was at the depot to meet
him.
TUNNEL CUT THROUGH.