Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1908-01-06

law, is radical departure from eslao-
lished naval ussge, and is fraught with
danger to the efficiency Of the feet VIII
tend, believe, TO break down the mill
tary spirit of the service, and elbows
want Of your confidence in my advance
regarding q matter 80 vital to the best
interests Of the service. Lam lett, there
fore with no alternative bat to tender
nv resignation as chief Of the bureau oil
navigation much as | regret TO sever my
active connection with the service 10
which l have been devoted and 10
which have given my best efforts iof
over forty-six years"
The Presidents answer to this letter
WAS ss follows: "Sir: accept your
resignation to take effect Immediately.
Yon will this afternoon turn over your
cfice TO your assistant, Capt. WinSlow.,
informing him that ne is 10 act un'li
such time as your successor is appointed
and qualified"
The need of more officers and men 10
the army, and the reasons for the In.
crease in the number OF desersions ana
the decrease in eDlistments, are The
subjects OF sn earnest discussion by
Secretary of War Taft, 10 his annual re-
port. submitted to the President today.
The present enlisted strength of the
army is 80, 100 while the authorized
strength is 90, 1851. During the yesr
there were 4, 522 assertions. The Sec
retary declares that the situation is $50
serious in its ultimate consequences, as
TO compel careful consideration and
prompt remedial action" Another need
Is that of an increased number OF officers,
saws the Secretary. He shows that In
the past year, 1915 per cent. OF the
general and staff officers, and 27.45 OF
the line officers had to be detailed for
special service other than their regular
duties. He approves a recommendation
| of the general board, that there be an
addition of 6l2 officers to the number
already authorized by law. Another id
portant recommendation is the organ
! izstion of general service corps, TO in
clude wagons masters, engineers, fire
men, teamsters, blacksmiths, iaborers,
etc. This would relieve the regular en-
listed men of the performance Of many
on-militsry duties that are now re-
uuired of them. he approves also the
estimates for the construction OF bat
teries in the coming year, made by the
National Coast Defense Board, Of So,
600 600 for Manila and Subig Bay
81 .OO0, 900 for Honolulu and Pear
Hsrbor snd 81, 900, OOe for Guantanamo
Bay, Cuba.
Attorneys for the Standard Oil Com
pany today asked permission OF the u
Is. Supreme Court to file brief In th'
case OF the Great Northern Railroad
being argued this afternoon before tina
tribunal, testing the legality Of pros
ecutions under the Elkins act, which
were begun after the passage OF the Hep
burn railroad rate law. The Standard
holds that the validity Of the famou
| $29, 900, 900 fine assessed against 1t By
Judge Lands will doubtless be sfecteC
BY the decision. The Standards altor
neys also say that tomorrow they vii
apply to the Circuit Court of Appeals
for the seventh circuit, where the matter
of the fine is being reviewed, to certify
the case Immediately TO thu Suprem'
Court of the United States. Legal giant
we're pitted against each other this after
noon when the Great Northern case wal
called. Counsel for the road represent
ed arguments against the decision of tn
lower courts finding the Great Northern
guilty of granting rebates. Attorne.
General BOnspsrte aud his chief assist
ant, NJ. B. Purdy, the administration
crust buster" appeared for the govern
ment, contending that the Hepburn rat
law did no! repeal the provisions of tn
Elkina law. under which the road We
prosecuted.
Former Representative John Newton
Williamson, Of Oregon, will not have t
serve his sentence of ten months IL
prison for land fraud conspiracy, tn
Judgment Of the lower court being re
versed today by the U. S. Suprem'
Court.
The U. 6. Supreme Court today de
: clared unconstitutional the employer
liability act" passed by Congress il
1906, at the solicitation Of the President
By this law, it was sought to abolish tn
doctrine that tie responsibility OF
fellow employee for an accident, re
lieved the employer from suit for dana
gas for the death or perjury Of anOIhe
employee.
The U. s. Supreme Court is to ex
amiue into the principles that Secretar!
Taft, when he was federal Judge il
Cincinnati, laid down in his "strike in
junction decision" The bringing OF th
case at this time may have some politica
significance, in view of the campaig
the American Federation Of Labor il
wagiug against Mr.. Taft as a presiden
tial candidate. The case came befor
the Supreme Court today, through tn
application by labor unions of San Fran
cisco for review of the judgment o
Judge Morrow, of the Federal Court o
California, who Issued an injunction
prohibiting the Sailors Union, TIE Fire
mems Union and the Marine Cooks sn'
| Stewards Association, their officers o
members or any one acting for them
from interfering with the operation o
coating vessels against which a strik
was in force.
The federal grand jury today indicted
on the charge Of conspiracy to defrau'
the government, Edwin III. Van Dyck
until recently chemist and ink maker a
the bureau of engraving and printing
and Victor G. Bloe6e, ink manufacturer
| of Baltimore. 1t ID alleged that the ia,