Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-12-29

give them GOO year. which IL equivalenS
to 81 500. The other parliaments OF Eu.
rope have a per diem varying from So -
SO day during the time they are occus
pied with their legislative duties.
1t would seem fair in this period of our
great national prosperity that there should
be general increase in the compensation
OF public servants from one end of the
country to the other. If an omnibus Dill
were passed giving horizontal increase
of twenty per cent to all permanent em-
ployes of the government, In the army.
navy and civil service, 1t would be only
Just. considering the increased cost OF liv-
ing on the one hand, and the prosperity OF
the nation on the other. The bill mighe
include everybody from the President
down to the charwomen and the janitors
of public buildings.
1 heard the other night a story of one
of the aids-de-camp of the President. He
is an accomplished and ambitious young
officer ard is gradually growing great.
When he was relieved from duty last
spring he put his special full dress uni
form away in moth balls and has been
engaged all summer in the performance
Of arduous duties in the field, which have
so expanded his tissue that he couldn't
climb into it when he got back to WASH
ington this fall The waist band of tho
trousers was too short, and the legs were
too small while the tailor couldn't set the
buttons far enough forward so that he
could button his coat across his manly
chest. Nor had he the funds to provide
himself with new suit, because uniforms
cost a great deal of money and the pay
of his rank Is small 1t was desperate
emergency. He must either ask for q
change OF duty to some distant semi-civil-
lied post. where he would not need any
thing but khaki suit he must reduce
his weight sufficient enough to make the
old clothes At him. He decided upon the
latter alternative and for three weeks. at
the close Of Office hours. he went daily to
Turkish bath where he received heroic
treatment with complete success. And
proof by examining the brilliant group OF
young army and navy officers who super
intend the social functions at the White
House.
What Japan Buys Of Frisco.
Colonel Whitney of the bureau OF
statistics has furnished me the figures Of
the exports of merchandise from San
Francisco to Japan, SO that it is possible
to measure the degree of commercial
damage which the Japanese might do in
retaliation for the attitude Of the Sam
Francisco people toward them.
OF our exports to Japan during the fiscal
year 1906, merchandise to the value OF
$40, 40 was shipped from San Fran
cisco, and OF our imports from Japan Sl0.-
49, 40 were received there This is re-
markable equality of trade; there being
difference Of only S1.0o5 in the value Of
| the imports and the exports.
The Puget Sound ports. Seattle and Ia
San Francisco their total being S20,0S1,-
| 61O, chiefly flour and raw cotton; but they
| received from Japan only S2,365, ABB.
Secretary Taft received a funny letter
| from Cuba the other day. 1t was written
| by one of the foremost statesmen of that
| island. who suggested naively that the
| United States government arrange to turn
| over the authority to the Cubans and with
| draw the troops on the Goth Of May next,
which is the anniversary Of the evacua-
| ton Of Cuba by the United States forces
| after the Spanish war. If this date was
| selected, he suggested, both events could
| be celebrated by future generations at the
same time. without adding another to the
| long list Of national holidays.