The National tribune., 1907-08-29

crafty the rank and file of the party
by sending a man like Maj. Hemphill
TO Washington.
Again it is rumored that the Cabinet
ranks are to be broken and that Secre-
tary Taft. after having circumnavigated
the globe, will retire from the Cabinet
to push his Presidential campaign. The
other is that the President is not pleas
ed with the work of his Attorney-Ge
eral, and that Mr.. Bonaparte Will re-
tire very soon. OF course, both rumors
are denied.
The President comes back after the
nature fakers' in a magazine article
this month which is signed by himself.
1t is written in his usual givorous man
ner and there is likely to be another
eruption of adjectives among the writ
ers about nature. Meantime nature,
plant and animal, goes right on doing
freak things now and then exactly as
people do.
Small pay is the main reason for de-
sertions from the Army, according to
the annual report of Maj.-Gen. a. w.
Greely. commanding the Northern Divi-
sion, which includes the Departments
of the Lakes, the Dakotas and Missouri.
This factor, Gen. Greely says, is sec
sultant trouble in dives surrounding the
Army posts and .tthe low standard ana
general worthlessness of recruits. The
moral deterioration of the recruits is
characterized as a corollary of the small
pay
Gen. Greely urges increase of pay of
officers and men. a five-year term of
enlistment, material increase in
strength of the infantry. and restora-
ton OF the canteen privileges to the ex-
tent of selling beer. He says if the
canteen is not restored that there should
be legislation similarly restricting the
use OF liquor by all Federal officials and
employees He says it is beyond reason
able doubt that the establishment of
the canteen decreases drunkenness, and
that its elimination has largely increas-
ed liquor drinking and dissipation
among enlisted men.
The President was fog bound on the
Mayfiower on his return to Oyster Bay
after the trip TO Provincetown, Mass.
and was delayed in getting home about
five hours. Of course. the people of
the town nearly had fits when the hour
scheduled for the Presidents arrival
came and he did not put in appearance.
When the fog lifted ne came in all
right, sound in wind and limb.
Capt Joseph c. McElroy, of Ohio,
Postmaster of the House of Representa-
tives since 1893. died suddenly last
week at Delaware, O., where he was
Capt. McElroy was one of the best
known officers of the House. and had
many friends among the members of
Congress. He served thruout the civil
war in the 18th Ohio. He was Il
Republican and tireless worker for
his party in his home State. He lived
in Syracuse, o. During the sessions of
Congress he resided in Washington.
This being long, hot Summer, with
nothing much doing in politics, men,
bers of Congress who belong to the
Committee on Appropriations are said
to be planning another junket to Pan
anna
The ostensible purpose of such n trip
would be to ascertain the reasonable
ness of the War Departments forth
coming estimates for canal expenditures
for the next fiscal year and the deSir-
ability of permitting Col. Goethals, Chief
Engineer, to exceed this years allow
ances.
The distance to the Isthmus from
New York is about 1000 miles, and
Government steamers make the trip in
six or seven days. The Canal Zone is
now attractive and salubrious, and the
equable, seldom exceeding
s. or dropping below ~ degrees Fahr-
enheit.
\ week on the strip would mean a
three weeks vacation at Government
expense.
The Navy Department has arranged
to place time ball upon a tall mast at
the Naval Station at the Key West Navy
-aI lan
atory in this city, for the benefit of
ships that pass thru the Florida Straits.
1t is the intention to make the ball suf-
large to be seen across the
straits in fair weather.
The Treasury Department and the
Navy are having Il little bout over ''ju
Efforts have been made
by the Navy Department tho up to this
time unsuccessfully. to intercept the
naval transport Buffalo, which two days
ago LEFT Puget Sound for the Pribilof
Islands, to assist in patroling the waters
there. and in preventing seal poaching.
The explanation for recalling the
Buffalo given at the Navy Department
is that the revenue cutters under the
jurisdiction of the Treasury are ade-
quate for the work.
Vice President Fairbanks has accept
ed an invitation to deliver an address
before the National Irrigation Congress,
at Sacramento, Cal, on Sept. 2.
He is considering invitations to make
4 number of speeches on the way, and if
he has lime he will accept all of them.
He has accepted an invitation to deliver
an address before the Union League
Club. of San Francisco, following his
engagement.
Your Uncle Joseph Cannon, Speaker
OF the House of Representatives, left
the Summer home of Repre-
sentative Joseph C. Sibley whose guest
he has been, for the Thousand Islands.
where he will be the guest of Represen-
tative Lowden during the next 10 davs.
He Will then return to Valcour, where
he will remain until Sept. 5.
The Joint Panama Commission, two
members of which were appointed by
Secretary Of War Taft and two by Pres
ident Guerrero, of the Panama Repub-
lie, failed to reach any decision on the
values Of several important pieces of
private property desired by the Isthmian
commission in the Canal Zone. The
two Panama Commissioners have given
up all hopes of coming to any agree
ment with the American members, and
have submitted report of their own
TO President Guerrero.