The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1906-12-21
NOTES FROM WASHINGTON
Especial Correspondence)
rs in Porto Ricsn messaqe-The

presidents message 20 congress, civ.
lng the result OF his recent observa.
lions ia Porto Rico and making rec.
concentrations concerning the govern.
ment OF that island. was delivered 10
the senate the other day. II was read
at length anl received careful atten.
ticn. The principal points of the mes
| sage are as follows lie calls Porto
| Rico veritable tropic Switzerland in
| beauty. Asks that San Juan harbor
! be Immediately dredged. Says work
| done for education in the island has
| been noteworthy. Praises excellent
| character Of native troops and police
Says native Porto Rico regiment
| should be perpetuated. Urges con-
ferring Of full American citizenship
on the islanders. Believes all insular
governments should be placed under
one separtment-war or state. Ex-
presses admiration for work Of con-
gIess in devising law for administra-
tion Of Porto Rico
Reveals an Admirable Spirit-Pres-
idcnt Roosevelt is the first American
10 receive one OF the Nobel prizes.
There are five Of these prizes. each
Of an average value of $4,000, which
are awarded annually. The prize
which the president has received is
that which is bestowed on the person
who has done the most for the promo
tion OF peace and the determination
Of nations. IL is interesting to recall
that the founder Of these prizes, Al.
fred r. Nobel. was the inventor Of
dynamite, the most destructive Of ex-
Ilosiyes. He was a learned scientist
who 2t his death 10 wears ago left
100000 for a fund, the interest Of
which annually should be distributed
10 those who had most contributed TO
the GOOD OF humanity" Not less ad-
miTable than the spirit of the donor
is that which President Roosevelt re-
vcals in accepting the prize. He an
nOunces that he will devote the money
10 the founding OF a fund for the pro-
motion Of industrial peace by bring
ing together in conference AT Wash
in@ton from time TO time representa-.
tiyes of labor and capital for the pur-
pose OF discussing industrial prob
lens.
Strength CT Regular Army-Secre-
tary Of War Taft in his annual report
says that at the date Of the last re-
ports received from the military de
partments (Oct. Is, 1906) the actual
strength Of the regular army was 37O9
officers and 5i,G59 enlisted men, dis
tributed as follows: In the United
States, 3S.G7l; in Alaska. 1872: in the
Philippines, 1852; in Porto Rico, .;
in Cuba, 1850; in Hawaii. 237; troops
en- route and officers at other foreign
stations, 1857. Total, 5S,36S. This is
a total net decrease Of the regular
army during the year Of 14i6. These
figures do not include 3l77 men OF
the hospital corps, who under the act
of March /, 1887. are not to be count
ed as part Of the enlisted strength Of
the regular army. Therewere also in
the service - officers and 554 enlisted
men Of the Porto Rico regiment and
116 officers and 5013 enlisted men Of
the Philippine scouts. This is net
increase Of in the Porto Rico reCi-
ment and net decrease of 45 in the
Philippine scouts. Including the hos
pital corps, Porto Rico regiment and
scouts with the regular
""'1v t'oro wHs . total net decrease
from last year Of 1871.
The Pensioners-The secretary OF
the interior reports that the number
Of pensioners decreased during the
past year from 1,033.415 to 9S5.971.
There were 34.974 new names put on
the rolls and 47,444 taken off through
death and other causes. the largest in
any history of the pension office. OF
the names now on the rolls, G6G.345
were actual soldiers or sailors. the
rest being widows or other depend
ents. There was an uneXpended bal
anCe Of s1.512.000 returned TO the
treasury. But the number of pension
ers is still about as large as il was
10 years ago. and the cost of the list
above s1i0.OOO.OOO. Twenty years af-
ter the close of the war for the Union
I ne ulSUul StIltIlS were putN Co 4 ,'VNs-
0oO, and the number of pensioners
$4,000.
Report on Rural DeIivery-Among
the national annual reports just APP
pearinS is that of p. v. de Graw,
fourth assistant postmaster general.
to whose department were added Dec.
I. 1898. the division Of supplies. dead
letters and topography. II was for
the year ending June 30. 1906, and its
most interesting feature Is an eX-
haustive report on the rural delivery
system for the 10th year OF its op-
Grafton. The demand for rural deliv-
cry routes has fallen off somewhat
from former years: not because there
is less demand. but because the de-
maud is rapidly being supplied. Also
IL is not so easy as it once was to get
a free rural delivery route established.
Now. to get even an inspection Of the