The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1905-09-15
WASHINGTON.
Legislative and Gem
eral Topics from
the Capital.
September 8, 1905

the O0ll6u OtdlOS uoo OOA
Executive been faced with such a
number of irregularities in the
government service. The acting
Secretary of War has now come
to the front with prosecutions
in the Schuykill Arsenal case.
This case has been rather Obscur.
ed in Washington by nearer up
heavals in the Federal service,
but the Judge Acknowledgement
has now been instructed to pre-
pare for the criminal prosecution
of Morris Busch, contractor,
and Robert Charlton, an inspector
in the arsenal middle. Busch
holds a contract for furnishing
fur caps and gauntlets to be de-
livered OF the Schuylkill Arsenal,
the action will be for conspiracy
to defraud, based on a recent
report of Major Strong, acting
Inspector General. The report
alleges a conspiracy bet wee,n
Busch and the inspector Charl-
ton. Hereafter a commissioned
officer will be detailed as in.
spector Of the clothing material
furnished. The order of the act.
ing Secretary of War provides
that the contractor be compelled
to work out his contract and fail
ure to do so or the Offering of in.
ferior goods will be made the
basis of civil suit. The Quar-
termaster- General of the Army
will have an investigation made
of the other depots in the service
among which is that of New
Orleans, also under a civilian in
spectOr. 1t is not believed that
such a state of affairs as that ex-
listing at Philadelphia will be dis
coved, but General Humphrey
intends to be on the safe side.
The question of successor to
DR.. Salmon, the late Chief Of the
Bureau of Animal Industry in the
Department of Agriculture, has
not yet been settled and it is not
likely to be for some time to
come. DR.. Alonzo E. Melvin,
assistant in the bureau, will act
in DR.. Salmon's place, but it is by
no means certain that he will
receive the promotion perma-
nently as it is said that Secretary
Wilson has his eye on another
man to take DR.. Salmon's place.
Meantime good deal of gossip
is going around as to the exact
reason for Doctor Salmon's resig-
nation. The phrase "unfortu-
nate connection" was used by the
Secretary of Agriculture in speak
ing of DR.. Salmon's relations
with the Howard Publishing
Company that had a contract
for meat labels with DR.. Salmon's
bureau. 1t is now said that
there were some phases of the
Doctors financial transactions
with the Howard concern that
were neither actually culpable
nor altogether praiseworthy from
departmental point of view.
1t is also said that DR.. Salmon
managed to save the whole of
his salary while chief of the
bureau, aud that he leaves the
department well provided fnan.
cially. DR.. Salmon himself re-
fused to discuss the matter fur
ther than to say that all he had
to make public was contained in
his letter of resignation to the
Secretary of Agriculture.
The selection of a permanent
Public Printer to succeed Mr..
Palmer has not yet been made.
Both the ex-Public Printer and
foreman Ricketts, with whom he
had the difference that led to his
removal, called on Chairman
Keep, Of the Investigation Com
mittee, at the treasury today,
and the friends of the foreman
insist that he is going to succeed
his old chief as Public Printer.
This is not thought likely al
though be has been temporarily
appointed, as it is believed hat
President Roosevelt for reasons
of policy, if for nothing else, will
pick an outside man who has had
nothing to do with the row in the
big printing office.
There is great deal of inter
est In Washington over the Taft
party from their tour, inspection,
Junket or whatever it NAV be
called through the Philippines.
More interest tnan usual has
been taken in this trip be-
cause of tie expression of great
interest that has been made by
the members of the party In favor
OF closer trade relations with the
islands. 1t is more than posi-.
BILE that after the members of the
expedition get back and have
heart to heart talk with Uncle
Joe Cannon that they will find
that their views on trade rela.
tlons nave been misunderstood