The Brandon news. (Brandon, Miss.) 1892-1961, 1905-11-23

Secretary Taft and the general staff
of the army are likely to clash over
the proposition to increase the artil-
lery forces at the expense oe the cav
airy. IF the secretary urges such a
measure, as he is expected to do, there
will be no end of bitterness. For
long time the war department has
been complaining of the lack Of
enough artillerymen. The shortage is
felt especially In the coast artillery.
The Notifications about New York, for
instance, lack 20 per cent of having
enough men to man properly the heavy
guns. All along the coast the situa-
tion is as bad. Last winter, Senator
Scott of West Virginia, who has a
son in the artillery, introduced bill
to transfer five regiments of cavalry
to the artillery, thus remedying the
lack Of artillerymen without increas-
ing the strength of the army as a
whole. This bill went to the senate
committee on military affairs, and new
er saw the light again. Of course the
cavalry officers who were watching the
bill exerted a quiet influence against
Not a single foreigner has been ap-
pointed to the American consular SER
vice abroad since Secretary Root as
sumed Office. With the intention of
meetings the demands Of the
business world for a general i'm
provement of the consular service as
far as he can without waiting for con-
gressional action, this marks one Of
the reforms that the secretary has
adopted. Aside from the fact that
foreigner naturally might be expected
to take less interest than an American
IN the development Of our trade
abroad, it is felt that in time of polit-
-lcal stress, where international rela-
tons might become strained, no such
test should be placed upon The 10y
atty of the foreign consular agent to
his native country as would be impos-
ed by requiring him to do his full du-
ty to the country which merely en-
ploys him.
The Interstate Commerce Commits
sion announced its decision in the mat
ter OF the minimum percentage Of cars
in trains required DO be operated with
power on train brakes. The decision
states that increasing the percentage
Of airbrakes in the cars in trains from
30 to Is per cent would result in ear
lier operation Of trains fully equipped
with airbrakes and accelerate the re-
moval from the service of the old
small capacity and comparatively use
less cars now not equipped with that
appliance. It is ordered that the min
mum percentage of airbrakes in the
cars in train used in interstate COM
merce shall stand increased rs per
cent on and after Aug. 1, 1906. The
number Of freight cars in the service
Of the railway companies as reported
to the commission on Oct. / was 1,790,-
113, of which 1,564,396 were equipped
with airbrakes.
The United States Court Of Claims
rendered decision in the case of the
Harvey Steel Company against the
United States, in which the company
IS given a judgment on contract en-
tered into in 1900 of $650,OOO as roy
atty for permitting its patent process
es IN the manufacture Of Harverized
steel armor plate to be used in the
construction of war vessels by govern
ment contractors. In May 1903, the
same company obtained judgment In
the court Of claims against the govern
ment of $60,SOO royalty then due, and
an appeal was taken to the Supreme
Court of the United States, which af-
frmed the action of the Court Of
Claims fixing the liability Of the gov
eminent.
The examination and appraisement
Of the presents received by Miss Alice
Roosevelt during her visit to the ORR
ent has begun. The officials at the
Georgetown Custom House have be-
run to pen up the twenty-seven boxes
in which the presents were shipped
and other souvenirs of the visit which
resulted in a social conquest of the
Far East by the presidents daughter.
The customs officials say the task is
anything but an easy one, owing to the
necessity laid on them to appraise the
goods on their foreign commercial val
ne. Only about one-third of the boxes
have so far been opened, and Collec-
tor Nyman and lbs staff are said to be
somewhat surprised as the valuation
IF their contents will exceed scarce
" a few thousand dollars.
Representative Hepburn, chairman
Il the interstate and foreign commit
tee Of the house, on arriving here an
bounced that he expects this winter