Alaska sentinel., 1908-03-19
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 The Postoffice Department is going to seek the aid of Congress to prevent the railroads from putting into service "bluff' trains with a view to capturing mail tonnage and later abandoning them. This fact is disclosed in the re- port of the department regarding the transportation of the mails for the cur rent year. It is alleged that prior to the reweighing periods, which deter mine the routes and compensation ev- of some railroads to put on new fast trains with a view to capturing the mails. Having been successful, such a road, under the present law, must re- ceeding four years wehther it contin- ues to carry 1t or not. Accordingly some of the railroads have been accus- toned to take off their bluff trains mails to be diverted to another road, but continuing to receive pay for trans porting them until the next reweighing eriod, when the trick is repeated
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 Speaker Cannon announced his AT, engagement of the new committee on appropriations, with Tawney of Mime sota at its head and Livingston of Georgia as the ranking Democrat. Taw- ney has come out squarely for the pol icy of retrenchment, which the Speak er was known to favor. and he will be the recognized watch dog of the treas ury" during the life of this Congress. In statement Chairman Tawney re- ferred to the estimates for the next years expenses being over $1OO,OOO GOO over the estimates for the current year, and said this would mean a deficit of SS3,0OO,0O0. Hence the necessity of rigid economy and the avoidance of new enterprises.
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 The roller skaters of Washington ar> an interesting sight. There are 50OOC children of skating age in Washington and 30.000 are whizzing around the streets mounted upon two skates, while the balance of them. more or less con tent with an equipment of one skate q child, are doing complicated hoH whizz. undismayed by the frequent complications which ensue. The asphalt llt. tnn q mi easily resisted. and after dark the roll CT skaters seem to have grown sudden " and mysteriously taller.
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 In order to make army service more attractive for the enlisted men, the War Department has determined upon certain reforms, some of which may be put into effect by executive author ity and others only with the co-opera- tion of Congress and increased appro- priations. One of the changes proposed is that the soldier shall receive his first razor, tooth brush, soap and sim liar articles from the government with out charge, but after the first supply he must maintain his toilet kit at his avn expense.
 In the Senate the committees hay, been changed so as to fill vacancies and make places for the new members Knox goes to the front, as expected, by becoming chairman of the rules com mittee. where he will have the duty of defending the legality of the measures proposed by the majority. Other ,m' portant chairmanships are: Appropr,a- tions, Allison finance, Aldrich foreign relations, Cullom; interstate commerce Elkins; naval affairs, Hale; postofiices uenrose, and Philippines, Lodge.
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 Postmaster General Meyer believes that his work in efficiency is impaired by following the custom of sitting at a desk. When he was the presiding off cer of the lower branch of the Massa- chusetts Assembly he used a massive desk. made of walnut, highly em' bellished, and standing more than four feet high. This has been brought to Washington and installed in his office. This he will use hereafter, standing up qt his work.
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 The cash balance in the treasury haL been reduced to about S17,0O0,OOO by the distribution of funds among na- tional banks during the recent crisis, and the officials have decided to cut down the amount of the balances stand ing to the credit of disbursing officers. Thus, by a simple act of bookkeeping, the available cash is increased for the lime being by many millions of dollars.
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