Middletown transcript., 1909-05-22
WASHINGTON LETTER

WAsH4NaroN, D. G. May 18th, 1909.
IN fea weeks President Taft will be
called upon TO decide The question Of
detailing navai surgeon 10 command a
naval hospital eldp. Itis the intention
of the Surgeon General Of the navy to
have surgeon George Pickrell to COM
mand the i. hospital ship. Solace. That
vessel is at pr sent being fitted ont, at the
snayy "a d at Charleston, s. O.. according
10 the plans OF the naval constructors, as
modern hospital ship so far as that is
possible. Surgeon Pickrell is one of the
ablest officers Of his corps and was nonl-
mated, recently. by the Surgeon Gen.
eTai to take charge Of she special installa-
-tion necessary on the Solace for its new
duties, and the Surgeon General has
asked, also. that Surgeon Pickrell be de-
tailed to command The Solace when COM
missioned. This has precipitated the old
question which Surgeon General Rixey
induced President Roosevelt to decide in
bis favor at the time Surgeon Charles F.
Stokes was detailed TO command the hos
pital ship Relief. The line officers of the
navy are quite convinced that it is unde-
sirable to detail naval surgeon or any
staff officer for that matter, to command
a ship in commission, as such duty is the
special prerogatiye of line officers. As
Surgeon General Rixey no longer enjoys
the personal influence at the White House
that he exercised in the Roosevelt ad-
ministration, there is every indication
that President Taft will sustain the view
of the officers Of the line and place the
senior hawai- surgeon in charge but not in
command Of the vessel.
~
The vote taken in the Senate this week
on the iron ore paragraph in the metals
schedule OF the tariff bill is construed to
mean that the Republican leaders will be
able 10 make good their assertion that no
amendments to the tariff bill not approved
by the Finance Committee win be adopt
ed. After debate lasting all day, the
paragraph recommended by the COM
mittee was adopted 81 to "a. Eighteen
of the sixty-one votes recorded for duti-
able iron ore came from the Democratic
side.
~
President Taft and the Attorney Cen
eral have formulated a plan for buying
supplies for all the government depart
ments through central board. This
movement is in the interest of economy
in government purchases and is in keep.
ing with the suggestion made by the Pres
ident at his first cahinat meeting when
be created budget" committee COM
posed of three cabinet members, with the
Secretary of the Treasury az chairman, to
supervise all estimates for federal expenses
before they are submitted to Congress.
The President is of the opinion that many
thousands of dollars can be saved by q
collective purchase Of supplies for all de-
partments. On investigation it has been
shown, for instance, that in the case of
rubber bands one department. was paying
fifty per cent. more for the same article
than another department, and it has been
foond, also, that great discrepancy exists
in the prices paid by the various depart.
ments for waste baskets, stationary, pens,
ink, mueilage, glue, inkstands, clips, etc.
Another feature of the proposed plan is
government ownership of an ice plant as
it is claimed that the ice combination has
fixed such prices as it pleases for supply
ing the departments.
~
James J. Hill was in Washington this
week and alter paying bis compliments
10 the agitation and oratory" prevalent
in the Senate wing of the capitol over the
tariff bill, declared that the 'tWest end
the South are to be the great sections of
this country in the future. The West is
now, for that matter. and the South is
coming forward with leaps and bounds.
The South exhausted her soil before the
war by her methods of improVident agri-
culture, and is now struggling to restore
the soil. She is succeeding too, and has
great future" Senator Scott Of West
Virginia, was so impressed with the truth
of Mr.. Hills remarks anent the superfiu-
GUS speechmakiDg on the SUBJECT Of that
tariff that he had them read, as published
in one Of the local papers IN the Senate.
Many prominent people in Washington
are greatly interested in the success of the
new social settlement house for colored
people which was formally dedicated this
week with appropriate exercises, Secre-
tary BalliDger of the Department OF the
Interior being one OF the speakers. He
indorsed social settlement work among
the race, and gave assurance that any
thing he could-d do through the Interior
Department for the improvement or en-
couragement of the negro would be done.
This is the first settlement house to be
built in Washington aud is the result
largely OF the efforts of the colored peo.
pie themselves. The movement was be-
gun in 1902 and was crowned with success
this week in the dedication OF this build
ing which coet 5000, the ground cost
ST. 900 and the equipment will cost about
$500 or more. Il is believed that this
settlement work will help to solve the
problem of the negro in Washington and
that its influence will be felt throughout
the community,