Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1905-12-26
Keep Commission Finishes
Cotton Investigation.
OFFICERS LEAVE
TO HANG UP STOCKINGS
Action Of Congress in Reinstating
Cadet May Have Caused
Annapolis Trouble.
Correspondence Morning Journal.

Correspondence Morning Journal.
Washington. Dec 21-Congress and
all of the departments have been MAX
ing preparations as rapidly as possi-
BILE for the Christmas holidays. There
has been little doing IN congress this
week but oratory and there will be
practically nothing till after the hol-
idays. The departments, where the
clerks have to work till 1890 instead
Of 4, As formerly, Will be given an ex-
ira half day on Saturday and paid
up to Saturday night to enable the
employees TO spend all of their money
falling on Monday gives them with
the Intervening Sunday practically
three days vacation. Most of the
cabinet officers are going out of town
for Christmas. Secretary Wilson Is
one of the few exceptions and will
stay and try to catch up with the work
of the agricultural department which
has rather accumulated of late.
NIay Abolish Cotton Estimates.
The Keep commission which has
been working on he agricultural de-
partments system since the cotton
scandal several months ago, has fin-
ished its business. 1t Is rumored that
the commission will recommend the
abolition Of the departments crop es-
timates and That the statistlclans will
be ordered hereafter to eonfine them
selves TO statements of crop conditions
and not be allowed to prophecy what
the various crops will amount To.
This, however, is mere guesswork, and
has been set afloat, not by the COM
mission. which for government COM
mission has been wonderfully retieent.
hut by some of the congressman who
do not bear the agricultural depart
ment amy good will and would like to
see It's power curtailed. CONGRESSMAN
Livingston of Georgia is one of those
who has been interesting himself late
ly In having the crop work of the de-
partment reorganIzed and recently
came cut in long interview in which
he recommended the appointment Of
paid crop reporters after the manner
of the census enumerators to gather
statistics. When IL was pointed out
by the secretary however. that It
would cost about $4,000 a month to
do this work which Is now paid for
by few department publications and
a few packages of seeds the matter
was dropped. There was a serious
question whether the paid statlsticlans
would be more accurate than the vol
unteers anyhow.
Up To the Secretary,
II looks now as though the secretary
of the navy would be empowered to
deal with midshipmen of the naval
academy who are guilty of running"
'haaing," ist-hghting and the other
gentle practices that It has been found
they are IN the habit of enjoying.
There was a considerable talk of
wholesale Investigation by congress of
the conditions at the academy. Had
there been II more lenient secretary
of the navy this might have been
done. But Secretary Bonaparte had
said, and said emphatieally, that he
would stop fighting aud hazlnE very
promptly II he were given the power.
So The thing probably will be nut into
his hands and guilty cadets in the flu
ture VIII be punished by summary dis
misSal. II is not likely either that
congress will dismiss any more dis
missed midshipmen, as 1t did IN the
case of young chaffee and others a
year ago. Had congress not inter-
fered IN that case. the chances are
that the Branch -Merlwether fight
which brought about all the present
trouble would never have taken place.
The postofflce fraud cases have not
been proceeding very speedily lately.
but another of them was tentatively
disposed of this week, one may say
tentatively, as a motion was entered
for a new trial and the defendant re-
leased on $4,000 bail. II was the
case Of William q. Crawford. who was
accused Of conspirlng with August Ma
chen aud George L0renz 10 defraud
the government Crawford has been
convicted and II held viii be liable to
a fine of 500, 600 and seventeen years
imprisonment OF course he win not
get all of that. Machen who was the
most thorough going and artistic
CRATER Of the whole lot, got off with
$4,000 ane (Which he swore off under
the pauper conyict's 0ath) and two
years in the pen" which he Ii now
working out Crawford, of course. has
Il chance Of going free on his next
trial. but the government declares that
Il viii be able to secure final con-
vlrton.
May Change inaugural.
THE proposal for change of date
IN the Inauguration ceremonies has
come up again. Identical resolutions
have been introduced IN both the
house and senate providing for the
postponement of the inauguration to
the last Thursday In April. These
measures are on the line Of the late
Senator Hoar's resolution which twice
passed the senate. The change his
been urged by the inaugural commits
Tee. hacked by letters from the gov
ernorS Of Is states. The measure also