The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1906-12-11
WASHINGTON LETTER
ESPECIAL Correspondence.l

= be accommodated by applying to As
sistant Secretary of the Treasury Rey-
nolds. AS an inducement Mr. Reynolds
will throw in guarantee that these
animals are reasonably well trained.
A imam named Thompson brought
three elephants in by way of New
York in August, 1905, for exhibition
\ purposes and. not being very well ac-
4 quainted with the tariff law valued
them al $4,000 The Dingley law in
one Of its innocent paragraphs, after
1 fixing the duty on horses, sheep, hogs
and cattle at specific amounts in each
case, Jumps everything else under
animals not otherwise specially pro
vided for and assesses a duty Of 20
! per cent ad valorem. In this particu-
lar case it meant an expenditure for
MI Thompson Of $1,000.
Elephants bother OmciaIs.
subsequently Mr.. Thompson took his
elephants to Canada and then brought
them back by way Of Buffalo. Hav-
ing grown wise, as he thought, Mr..
Thompson placed valuation of $1,000
on his elephants. The customs in
spector at Buffalo, not much of an ele-
plant expert, either, ran the valuation
up to $4,000, and pending the decision
of the authorities the animals were
permitted to be taken into the state.
The authorities investigated the matter
and found that the owner had asked
$4,000 for the three elephants just
before bringing them back into the
United States.
Another provision Of the Dingley law
confiscates articles imported when the
valuation placed upon them is 80 per
cent less than their real value Mr..
Thompson had violated this provision
of the law, and the customs officers
seized the animals
Cats In High Favor In Capital.
II the love for cats continues to grow
the White House prohibition relating
to dogs will have to be extended to in
clude the tables. Even men in Wash
ington are not averse to showing their
liking for the cat Guests III the home
of Admiral Dewey must make the ac-
quaintance of a big Manx cat usually
stretched before the open fire. Mrs.
Elkins has. bobtailed cat, named To-
go because it was born on the day Of
that Jap's big sea fight. The Roosevelt
children took to the White House from
Oyster Bay a pretty Maltese to take
the place of their six toed cat, which
died last spring. The newcomer wan
ders around the mansion and the exec
utive Office and frequently strolls into
the cabinet room when councils are in
session and sits on the hearth, yawn-
ing in way that sensitive statesmen.
might consider positively insulting
Engine smoke Barred.
Steam engines will be prohibited en-
trance to the District of Columbia on
the completion of the new Union sta
ton in Washington.
The commissioners Of the District Of
Columbia recently took final action In
an order prohibiting the use of any
thing except electric engines in draw
ing trains into the new Union station
This applies to all railroads entering
the city and is made in the interest Of
the antismoke crusade which has been
waged here for several years. There is
already law imposing heavy fines on
perpetrators of the smoke nuisance.
For Sanitary Diaries.
Strict regulations for the govern
ment Of dairymen and dairles is EN-
bodied in bill which has been draft
ed by Health Officer Woodward and
approved by Commissioner Macfar-
land.
The proposed bill provides that no
person shall sell milk or cream or hold,
offer or produce milk or cream for sale
as such or after being manufactured
into any food or drink for sale in the
District without permit to do so from
the health officer. Before granting a
permit the health officer must be sat
istied of the healthfulness of the cows
and Of the cleanliness and character
Of all apparatus and utensils used in
connection with the dairy and with the
delivery of the milk
Milk Must BE Pure.
Provisions are also made for the
revocation Of a permit from any per-
son who sells or offers for sale any
milk or cream which has been exposed
to Infection by Asiatic cholera, an
thrax, diphtheria, erysipelas, scarlet
fever, smallpox, splenic fever, tuber-
culosis or typhoid fever so as to rem
der its distribution dangerous to public
health. Inspectors of the health de-
partment under the authority Of the
new bill are to be permitted to enter
and inspect all places in the District
where milk or cream is sold. Amy
milk which is found to contain pre-
servative, coloring matter or gross dirt
or filth may be treated by the health
officer with some nonpoisonous, odor-
Gus substance or colorlng matter so as
effectually to prevent the sale thereof
for use by human beings
December weather Record.
The weather bureau has just issued
a statement showing the weather con-
ditlons In the District Of Columbia for
the month of December during the last
thirty-flve years.
The warmest December during that
period VAS in 1889, with an average
Of 46 degrees. The coolest was in
1876, with an average OF 90 degrees.
The highest temperature was 70 de-
/ grees above zero ON Dec, A, 1873 and