The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1907-08-23
NOTES FROh WASHINGTON

| days ago after a vacation OF about
a month, spent at Murray bay, Can
ada. He went early 10 the war de-
, partment, reaching his Office before
S O'Clock, and at once plunged into
the great mass Of work needing his
| attention. The secretary has con
siderable 10 do before he leaves the
city on his western trip, which is TO
end In Seattle, where he is TO en-
bark for the Philippines. The most
! important matter On hand Is that Of
! pairing his annual report and the es-
| Inmates OF appropriations for the war
| department for the next fiscal year,
! which he is anxious TO finish up be-
I fore again leaving the city. He has
| been denying himself 10 all callers,
except war department officials.
Cannon's Autobioeraphy-Speaker
Cannons autobiography in the Con-
gressional directory takes up only
eight lines. There are not few mem
bers who fiji nearly an entire page
with their sketches OF course,
they are not the speaker and are not
likely 10 be. So according 10 the viii
lage. they have to tell who they are.
All the sketches Of the members are
written by themselves, and they gen
rally reflect the character of the au-
one occasion Speaker Cannon was
one occasion Speaker Cannon was
asked for an authentic autobiography
Of himself, and this is what he said
"Mr. Cannon was born Of God-fearing
and man-loying parents. He made
himself and he did darn poor Job
Of IT,"
The Old Man Enjoys It-There IS
an elderly but well preserved clerk in
one OF the departments here whose
extremely martial bearing together
with the red face and white hair so
intimately associated in the popular
mind with the military, has on more
than one occasion caused the old
gentleman TO be taken for some dis
tinguished officer or other This mis-
take on the part of his fellow citi-
Zens is source of much gratifaction
TO the old gentleman, and he never
loses an opportunity TO heighten the
illusion on their part. Recently
this clerk was in Pullman attached
TO train for New York. when the
usual mistake occurred. Several men
saluted the distinguished clerk, which
salutes he returned with military
gravity. Finally a man giving evi
dence of having dined bit too free
ly greeted the old chap with: How
are, General?" The old gentleman
did not reply but gave the unknown a
glance OF great severity. Then turn
ing. to the train boy who chanced to
be passing at the moment he called
out: Here, boy! Give me a copy of
the Army and Navy Register"
viii Make Fuel Tests-The fuel
testing plant of the United States geo
logical survey, which was moved from
ST. Louis, Mo-, severay months ago
to Norfolk, Va, will soon begin a Sc
res of experiments on eastern and
southern Goals that may be of far
reaching importance TO the government
and to the people in general. Already
the government experts connected with
the plant have indicated the possibili-
ty Of saving 10 percent of the coun-
try's coal bill EACH year-the sum Of
$50, ,000, 0,000-through increased eff
cheney in burning coal. Now the fuels
of the east and south are TO be tested
under the steam boiler, in the gas
producer and gas engines and by bri
quoting, in the hope that this saw
ing may be further demonstrated. Per-
haps the most important tests will be
those comparing the amount Of power
obtained from a certain amount Of coal
under the steam boiler and in the gas
producer. The gas engine has demon
strated in former tests its ability to
do from two to nearly three times as
much work with pound of coal as
the steam engine. A considerable por-
tion Of the fuel testing plant is 10 be
given over 10 testing fuels for the
navy. and the entire briquetting plant
will be at it's service. The experts
hope to show that the briquettes have
more efficiency than lump coal from
smokeless. the latter condition being
as big factor 10 the navy as the
first.
Inefficient Clerks Must Go-Negli
gent and inefficient government clerks
who soldier" on their jobs will be
dismissed, as orders have been given
to all bureau chiefs TO make report of
all clerks whose records for efficiency
fall below the standard IL is proposed
TO weed out the incompetents. Presi-
dent Roosevelt desires 10 put the ex-
ecstive departments on a better work
ing basis. The result of the discussion
Of this question has been the issuance
of orders by number of chiefs of bu-
reaus bearing on the law of 1890.
which requires the heads of depart.
ments TO report to congress each year
the number of employees in each bu-
reau. and the salaries of each. who