Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1906-09-14
WASHINGTON LETTER.
fprom our keguIar t;orresponoent.,

ouC cooIo'i iuttttsis Oh tIl0 SOutu udNt
been Invited, aud in all probability
will settle the question of whether OF
! not railroad rates on export cotton can
be changed with less than a thirty day
notice to tue Interstate Commerce
! Commission. Tue cotton industry in
| the south has grown accustomed 10 the
wifi changing of export rates aecord-
ing as transatlantic tonnage was avail
able at the various gulf aud Atlantic
ports. Under the new iii la " changes
In railroad tariffs cannot be made with
less than thirty days notice. and there
| Is a question whether or not this Inter.
probation of the la W might Work seri-
Gus hardship to the cotton interests of
the south. Heret ofore, if there was
shipping tonnageavailable at any port,
The railroad rates were made Oh basis
# The tonnage charges to English and
European Cotton ports. fhis gave
| cotton shippers the advan age of being
able to send their produce over any of
several lines of railroads. LII the thirty
day law must go into effect, it will re
suit in restricting cottou shippers in
any locality to one line of railroad and
one shipping port The Interstate
CommeIce Commission does not pre-
tend to be export iu the cotton ship
ping business, and is perfectly willing
TO hear all that both The railroads and
the shippers have to say on the subject
before making a final ruling as to the
thirty day notice.
A good many of the railroads evaded
the thirty day notice for the time be
ing at least by changing their rates
just three days before the new rate law
went into effect. Only three days no.
tice on the change of rate Was neces
sary under the old law, and as most OF
the changes were decided reductions,
it left the various competing lines of
road out in the cold Appeals were
Immediately made to the Commission
for suspension of the thirty day rule,
thus giving the OF DER railroads an Op
portunity to meet these reductions.
The appeal was granted in most of the
cases.
A very important notice has been is
sued by the Secretary of the Treasury
TO various National banks where Gov
ernment fluids are deposited Lobbying
them that these funds must
not be used for speculative purpos es.
The recent bull market in Wall st. has
made money scarce and call rates have
gone soaring around 10 per cent. The
Secretary of The Treasury states in his
lettt TO the banks that he recognizes
the right of individuals, or even of
banks, to loan money or 'p 'culation
on ample security and at reasonable
rates of interest, but he says empnatl-
calIy that the Government funds, re-
Gently deposited in various National
pop n hnSi-
ness and not for speculative purposes.
He SAYS that If banks nave more money
than they can legitlmately use in their
own locality such deposits will be re-
called and put where they will do the
most good. The effect of this announce.
ment was almost instantaneous. Call
money in New York dropped from a
point to point and One-half. iudlcat
ing that the money famine was Rather
of all artificial nature.
Extensive preparations are being
made by the Navy Department for the
trip to Panama. This will
not be until the end of October. or the
first of November, but IL is now uu-
derstOod that two warships Will be
sent to convoy the Preside It's yacht,
and one of these will probably be eth
er the Louisiana or the Connecticut,
the two newest and largest battleshlps
10 the navy. Secretary BOnaparte put
the situation rather neatly when he
said In discussing the matter that,
I'VE have more battleshirs than Presi-
dents, and we don't propose TO take
any chances. +"
The President will inspect the IstL-
mus and get down into the canal If be
can find it. No doubt a strenuous eff
fort will be made to nave the dirt Hy-
ing" so as to impress him with the PIT.
gress that has been made. The Chief
Engineer, MIR. John F. Stevens, is now
on his way back to the United States.
He probably will Stay here until the
President starts to Panama and Will
20 back with him There are rumOrs
afioat that after The Presidents visit,
Chairman ShOnts, of the Commission,
will retire, and that Mr.. Stevens will
succeed him as Chairman. Whether be
will continue as Chief Engineer has not
vet been deciued, but there will be d
certain satisfaction if he is placed at
the head of the Commission In having
a man in The Craftsmanship who Is
Thoroughly familiar with the work on
the ground. /
Some uneasiness has been caused at
the State Department by the report
that the instruction in cuba Was by
no means allayed and that the insur-
gents were fitting out warships in the
United States with view to making
trouble along the Cuban coast. There
are at least two, and possibly three
vessels, now in New York harbor for
which the Cuban Junta has been nego
The plan OF the insurgents Is
TO get one of th ese vessels ready i'll time
to gobble the Maria Herrera, Cuban |
craft which is now loading
with arms and ammunition in New
York. A firm of International detec-
tives, who have been employed tor
years by Santa Domingo, Hayti, Brazil
and other turbulant American |
republics have been keeping watch on !,
the Junta's agents and they have cabel- |
81 to Havana that the Maria Herrera |
is likely to be attacked on her way |
home. Of course, if anything like |
proof can be presented that the vessels |
In question intend 10 attack friendly |
no wer as Cuba is, it will be put to TN s
to prevent their sailing, |
but such proof is rather hard to pro-
luce and It is quite possible that the |
vess els NAV arm and slip out of New |
York hal Dor making serious trouble |
DoIh tor the Cuban government aud for |
,he United States.
All announcement has been made to
he Marine Hospital service that cure |
'ur leprosy has been discovered in the |
eper colony off the Massachusetts |
coast. This claim has frequently been
made. one of the last such discoveries
railing from the leper colony In Louis
ana. The Marine Hospital service i