The National tribune., 1906-08-23

meeting enabling its agents to buy sup
plies N the open market and withou
advertising for bids.
Members of the Commission discov
cred that all the dealers in provision
who had sufficient capital to furnish
the bond required of bidders on sup
plies had pooled their interests and cor
nered the contracts for all vegetables
meats and fruits required for the Com
mission hotels and messes. The com
bination was in position to demand pro-
hibitive prices, and the Commission wa!
forced to change its methods and enable
small dealers and producers to compete
for the business.
As a safeguard. the Commission reso'
luton provides that not more than $500
worth of supplies is to be bought daily
in the open market without asking fol
bids. This limits the purchases in oper
market to perishable provisions.
Mrs. Belva A. Lockwood, of Washing.
ton, has been apprised that she has beer
elected Honorary Vice President of the
Universal Peace Congress. which con-
venes in Milan. Italy. Sept. Is. Mrs
Lockwood announces that Immediately
after the Annual Convention of the In
ternational Peace Congress in Denver
in August she will leave for Milan. She
has also been invited to make the well
coming address.
How about this? Importations oi
diamonds into the United States reached
the record-breaking figures of $35,0OO,-
900 last year, according to report OF
the Bureau of Statistics. There has
never been anything steady about the
of cut diamonds. Year be-
aIrtn Of
was s27.000,000, the year before s19,-
900, 900, and in 1903 s26,000,000, and
so on. The importation does not even
seem to vary in proportion to the wealth
of the country, but follows some mys-
terious law of its own.
There was s10,000,000 worth of un-
cut diamonds imported last year, and
this class of import has shown more
steady growth. A few years ago there
were no diamond cutters in the United
States. Now there are a good many.
The census of 1890 showed only 80 dia-
mond cutters in the United States. That
of 1900 showed 49S. There are more
and more of the uncut stones imported
and of the remainder the
larger number are imported unset. Most
of the diamonds used in this country
come from South Africa, but are inn
ported through England and European
countries.
The Federation of Labor people are
now bending their efforts to defeat
Speaker Cannon for reelection to the
House. They argue that if they can
defeat him for the House he will not
have a ghost of show for the Presi-
dency. Well, p'raps.
During the past year the export of
cheese from this country has fallen off
about 100000 pounds. This does not
indicate a diminution of the industry,
for the country has quadrupled its out
put in the past four years. But it does
show that there has been a largely
increased home demand. This country
is a manufacturer of dozens of different
grades of cheese, most of which are
grouped under the designation of
American cheese" But as matter of
fact, a good many of them are exported
and then brought back here and sold as
genuine" Stilton and other well-known
foreign brands.
They are at it again in Delaware
and little Senator Alice. Seems
as though IL they keep on fiouncing
round over there one or the other or
both might back off the shore, and
well, there will probably be peace when
both are out of the running, and not till
then.
The largest fleet of battleships, ar
cruisers and torpedo craft ever
under the American Flag will
pass in review before President Roose-
velt in the waters off Oyster Bay on
Sept. 3 next. In addition to all the bat
tleships in the Atlantic fleet under
Rear-Admiral Evans, four of the new
ships. all of them bigger and more
powerful than any in Admiral Evans's
cruisers now being made ready for the
ASiatic service will be reinforced by the
cruisers Washington and Tennessee. The
Tennessee was put in commission last
week. The Washington will be COM
missioned this week.
The Navy Department has been al
work for weeks perfecting the plans for
the review. Admiral Evans will be in
command. his flag flying from the
Maine. AS ii passes in review the Maine
will be followed by the Missouri, Ken
lucky, Kearsarge, Alabama, Illinois, In
diana and Iowa in the order named.
The last four ships comprise the second
squadron of the battleship division OF
the Atlantic fleet.
The order in which the four new bat
tleships will pass in review has not been
1t is probable that this di-
vision will be headed by the Louisiana,
which will be followed by the Rhode
Island Virginia and New Jersey. These
four ships are the finest in offensive and
defensive strength ever commissions !
for the United States Navy. Their ap-
pearance at Oyster Bay will be the be-
ginning of their services as ships of the
line.
All Of the armored cruisers, with the
exception of the Brooklyn and the New
York, now in Asiatfc waters, will prob
ably participate. The four sister ships
the West Virginia. Colorado, PennsyI-
vania and Maryland. which are under
orders to proceed to Asiatic waters 70
relieve the Ohio and Wisconsin. will
make their last appearance in home
waters for several years to come. I'm
mediately after the review these ships
with Rear-Admiral Brownson In COM
mand. will start for the Far East
The torpedo vessels that will be re-
viewed by the President are those in
the second and third fiotilla of the At
lantic fleet. the former under command
Of Lieut.-Commander Edwin A. Ander-
son and the second commanded by
Lieut.. Wills Mcdowell. The vessels are
the Hopkins, Lawrence. Macdonough
Whipple, Truxtun and Worden. com
prising the second fiotilla, and the
wilkes. Blakesley. De Long, Rodger'
and Stockton, which make up the third
flotilla.
The President will probably review
the ships from the deck of the dispatch
\. nv Ii.
tary of the Navy Bonaparte. Assistan'
Secretary Newberry and probably othe,