St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1906-03-14
Our Washington Letter.

From our Regular Correspondent
The Government Printiug Omce-Ru-
raj Mail DeIivery-The Army ApprO-
priati0n Bill-lnterOceanic Canals
The Usage lndians-Gen. SchOfie dps
Fuueral-J Browns Resig1a-
tiOn-SecPeiary Tau for Supreme
COurt-A QuestiOn of Franchise-The
Dead Letter Onice-The House ApprO-
nriation Rill-The Double Statehood
Bill.
Congress is studying economy and
retrenchment in many OF the bureaus, by
cutting down appropriations in the
various departments. 1t is ielt that
there is a great amount of waste matter
in thegovernment printing Office, and the
increased expense of government print
ing from two to seven million dollars
within IL years demands some re-
trenchment. Mr.. Perkins of New York,
one of the committee on government
printing, reports that they nave pro-
posed bill to revise the laws and lessen
expenses for the report of 1905 which
will be $4,000 less than the previous
year in the report of the comptroller OF
the currency; and probably full as much
can be saved by condensation and other.
wise in the report of the commission OF
education, which gives in detail yearly
full accounts OF every school in the
United States. They also judge it would
be wiser to reduce the number of govern
ment publications, rather than to print
million copies perhaps and then hire
rooms and cellars to store those books
and pamphlets away, because no one de-
sires them. They believe that in this
way they could save $250,0OO per year
and possibly much larger amount if the
needed reforms were made.
The proposed change in the rural mail
delivery by perhaps having a tri-weekly
mail in very sparsely settled sections,
with reduction in the pay of the car
riers, may make difference OF over a
million of dollars in the expense. The
city carriers ask $40 a year while the
rural mail clerks claim that they keep
two horses and carriage and should
have the same pay. 1t is stated that out
Of force of $4,000 clerks, 1000 have
resigned.
Last week when the army appropr.
alton bill was under discussion in the
House, they ruled out the appropriation
to have 800 more clerks, declaring that
that increased force was without
any authorized law. Mr.. Williams, mi.
nority leader in the House, affirmed that
the army had been reduced from 100 900
to $1,000, yet some were continually
trying to increase the clerical force in the
war department.
The committee on agriculture by eight
to seven votes decided not to make the
large appropriation for free seeds to dis.
tribute to the farmers. This is liable to
create a discussion in the House, for
many representatives like to be generous
with their friends in the distribution.
William Nelson Cromwell has been for
some days before the Senate committee
of lnteroceanic canals. Although Sena-
tor Morgan is old and apparently feeble
with his 80 years, yet his mind seems
very active, and he is determined to
probe the interests of the Panama canal
to the bottom. Sullivan and Crom we'll
ofNova Scotia have been counsel for the
Panama railroad for IL years and nine
years for the new Panama Co., but not
connected with the DeLesseps Company
which failed in 1889. There have been
some amusing and some pretty sharp
encounters between the old Senator and
Mr.. Cromwell and the Investigators
The chairman of the canal commission,
I. P. Shonts, has been before the COM
mittee this week. He ackno wledged that
he held over 81 900 900 worth of prop.
erty IN the Clover Leaf railroad, and he
had told the President be could protect
his interests better by remaining presi-
dent of the road, but if the President oil
the United States wished he would try
to get rid OF this property. The other
officers had also been or were now con-
nected with other great roads. He was
very desirous that the committee should
decide upon the type OF canal soon, so
the canal commission would know what
to do; whether a sea level canal or lock
canal, should be adopted; so Chief Engi-
neer Stevens could arrange his forces
accordingly and for the interest of econ
omy demanded some legislation soon.
Mr.. Shonts. the chairman, receives a
salary of $50, 900 for his supervision.
Rep. Nicholas Longworth has return
ed from his wedding trip; during his
absence some of the guides in the House,
have played a joke on tourists, by point.
ing out different congressman each day
as the husband Of Alice Roosevelt.
delegation of Usage Indians, present
ed quite picturesque appearance, in
their visit to Washington; they rejoice in
such names as Nun.tea. nah-hu and O-loh.
mote. They seemed very happy in draw
ing sec from the United States treasury
TO pay for their expenses.
f1n 81 II. M Col1 81