The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1906-08-10
WASHINGTON LETTER.

man the new battleships that are being
put in commission aud to bring the en-
listed force up to the maximum allowed
by law. Congress, in order to avoid the
enlistment of boys under age and the
necessity for their subsequent discharge
when it is learned that they fraudulently
enlisted, incorporated in the last naval
appropriation act provision making it
mandatory that every candidate for en-
listmeut in the Navy should submit to the
recruiting officer his certificate of birth,
to show his correct age.
This provision, it is said at the Navy
Department, has put the recruiting officers
to endless trouble since the beginning of
the fiscal year, and has caused the re-
lection of about 40 per cent of the appli-
cants for enlistment who would other
wise have been eligible and made good
seamen. The trouble is that very few
men carry around with them in their
pockets their certificates of birth. 1t is
not always easy, either, for man to pro-
cure such a certificate and, as recruiting
officers are no longer allowed to accept
any man, no matter how apparent it may
be that he is of age, unless he submits
his certificate of birth, the navy is losing
large proportion of the good men who
are applying for enlistment.
~
The monthly report issued by Fourth
Assistant Post master General De Graw
shows that on July 81 there were in
operation in the United States S5,o73
rural mail routes, an increase of 2o5 over
the number in operation at the close of
the previous month. Of this number 24I
were established during the month and
81 routes discontinued. There were.Aug.
total of 2,e38 petitions pending.
The amount expended in rural delivery
since its establishment is $26, 593,769 20.
Of the $2S, 1855, 900 available July last,
there is now an unexpended balance Of g.
sol, 23o.So, which is available for new
service.
There are now in operation in Maryland
377 routes, divided among the Congress
sional districts as follows: First, 1874;
Second, III; Third, o; Fourth, I; Fifth,
10, Sixth, II. Fifteen petitions for
routes in the State are pending.
Virginia has in operation S42 routes,
an increase OF nine over last month.
One route was established in West Vir-
ginia, making total Of 226 now in opera
ton.
President Roosevelt has given Public
Printer Stillings a free hand" at the
Government Printing Office, and this has
been followed by two dismissals from the
service. The Public Printer announces
lat he has dismissed w. A. Miller, for
merly assistant foreman of the bindery,
and Milo Shanks, formerly foreman of
the second typesettiug division. These
dismissals followed quickly on the heels
of that of J. w. Powers, who was in
charge of the waste paper division.
The case of w. A. Miller has attracted
more than ordinary attention because it
was he who figured in the "open-shop"
controversy at the printing office several
years ago, when he was suspended be-
cause he did not belong to trades union
aud was reinstated by the President, who
then put into force his "open.shop"
notice.
In reinstating Mr.. Miller at that time
the President made it clear that his action
was not personal one, but that princi-
pie was involved. The President took the
ground that, as the Government was
greater than trades unions or other or
CARNATIONS, the dismissal of Mr.. Miller
at that time, if allowed to stand, would be
tacit acknowledgment that the Gov
eminent was controlled by trades unions
IN the operation of the big printery. Mr..
Miller was suspended from duty ON July
FL last for alleged insubordination and
the use of insolent language to Acting
Foreman Ashton, of the bindery division.
*x*
The foreign commerce of the United
States has grown much more rapidly
during the last decade than its population.
Completed figures for the fiscal year 1906
Just presented by the Bureau of Statistics
of the Department of Commerce and
Labor, show that while the population
has grown but 20 per cent since 1896,
imports have grown 81 and exports 100
per cent.
~
In report to the Bureu of Equipment
of the Navy and also in paper printed