Middletown transcript., 1905-08-12
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER

on reciprocity are well known and tn
same were held by Mckinley and befor
him by elaine. The Presidents earnes
interest in the matter was shown by tn
reciprocity treaties which he negotiate,
and sent to Congress and which wer
killed by the Senate. Capital is now be
ing made out the statement that tn
whole of the administrations is agains
the reciprocity congress and that its III
difference has become matter OF "activ,
hostility" This is not true. The Presi
dent at Oyster Bay has had his hand
full recently with both the peace envoy
and the troubles in the Agricultural de
partment. But he has made time to re
ceive the president of congress and what
ever the administration can properly dC
toward futhering the work it may be de
pended on to do. This is a very delicate
time However to 90 into reciprocity mat
ters at all. The Congress claims to be Oh
strickly non-partsian basis, but it is
hardly likely that the discussion will end
without politics being largely injected in.
to it. Neither the President nor the cab
met want to get mixed up in political
matter of that sort just now, but it is
quite certain that if the congress succeeds
in doing anything practical it will have
the warm support of the executive dur
ing the coming session Of Congress. Mat.
tiers aboard ere rapidly shaping them.
selves so that there will have to be some
action on expiting treaties and on the
threatened discriminating uutlcs against
the United States and if action settling
the matter OH an equitable basis is not
taken during the coming winter, it will
be the fault of Congress and not for
lack Of interest OIL the part OF the eXecu-
tive.
The movement to secure foreign labor
ers for Panama has come to temporary
halt. 1t will be remembered that it was
originally decided to advertise for 1900
laborers each from Italy. China aud JAP
an. None of these governments came
out with open objection to the project
but quietly threw number of obstacles
in the way and finally Japan was stated
to have declared that she would hinder
in every way the participation of her SUBJ
jects in such an enterprise because of the
bad sanitary conditions prevailing on the
isthums. 1t did seem little hard at the
time for nation that only a few years
back was only just beginning to read, so
to speak, to be lecturing the American
government on the subject of modern
hygiene. But it will also be recalled that
the objection of the japanese government
was based on report that was made be-
fore the American administration had
fairly taken hold of the matter. 1t is
stated at the Canal Commission that the
objection of the japanese government is
groundess. Its sanitary experts were
sent to the isthmus months ago and
while their report was decidedly adverse,
the conditions there have materially
changed and there is now nothing for the
Japanese to fear However, it is quite pos
sible that tine plan of engaging oriental
laborers will be dropped altogether and
the canal may after all be dug by native
labor reinforced by workers from the ad-
jacent islands who are acquainted with
the climate and will rather improve their
condition than otherwise by going into
the canal zone.
~
A special sub committee of the joint
army and navy board on seacoast defenses
will soon start for personal inspection
of the various seaports OF the country
where works are contemplated or in
course of construction. The joint board
was appointed by the President with a
view to revising the plans of the Endicott
board. The committee consists of Maj.
Gen. j. P. Story, retired; Gen. Alexander
chief of engineers, Gen.
William Crozier. chief of ordinance; Gen.
A. w. Greely, chief signal officer, Gen.
Samuel Mills, chief of artillery; Maj. Geo.
w. Goethals, corps Of engineers, all of the
army and Capt Sperry of the navy. The
with exception of Gen. Greely
who is now in Alaska, will meet in Bos-
ton next week and after visiting the for
tifcations. there, will go to Portland,
Maine and to some other goints. Later
in the season they will go to the Pacific
coast to inspect the Notifications at San
Francisco and San Diego.
~
The work of investigation in the De-
partment of Agriculture has halted tenn
porarily, the grand jury taking a recess
and apparently awaiting the return of ex-
statistican Hyde from England. 1t is
not known just what testimony he may
be able to give in connection with the in
vestigation now going on in the depart
hOhU Oue II 10 OCiiCtCd W DC lui pOIt tdilG |
and it is known that Secretary Wilson |
urged him strongly to return at once and |
end his aid to the department in probing
,he Irregularities and thus clear himself |
IF any suspicion of completely in the |
wrong doing. Secretary Wilson has an
bounced that he is not going to take any |
vacation this summer but will stay at |
nome and work on the investigation in |
MS department. He is determined that |
shall have thorough airing
hat needs it.
*x*
There is particular connection be-
,ween one OF the complaints that have
.ecently been received in Washington in
connection With the Bureau of Animal
Industry and other complaints made by
tliat heads of departments
II Washington were exceeding their al
oWances for running their departments.
It has been claimed by several of the
mailer competitors OF the Beef trust that
hey could not get inspectors from the
Agricultural Department and so were