The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1909-02-02

TO which these appropriations, aggre-
eating something like $20.0o0,0oa a
year for inspection work, have been
put.
Bringing the Electoral Votes.
Every dav or two now traveller
from afar pushes into the big, bank
like-looking room of the Cashier of
the Treasury. A Senator or member
of the National House usually accom-
panies him. There is a little talk at
the paving teller's window or in the
little side Office, during which the iden-
tification of fhe traveller is establish
ed. Then he is handed a roll of bills.
Sometimes it is a large roll, sometimes
it is small roll.
The traveller departs IN good humor;
proper entries of the disbursements
are made in big books provided for
that purpose. The payment of p cents
to the traveller for every mile he has
come to reach Washington from the
capital of his State is all the COM
pensation he receives for this more or
less important quadrennial errand to
the Federal capital.
Frequent scenes like this mark the
closing of the delivery of the votes of
States for President and Vice Presi-
dent. The electors of the divers
fortv-sx States met at their capitals
in early January. A few days ago
certified copy of the ballot IN each
Stale was put into the mails. These
copies began to reach the Capitol on
January II and are still coming IN
daily. For while all the electors met
ON the same day. it takes longer for
some letters to reach Washington In
fact. some are net vet IN, especially
the votes from The Far Western States.
Soon after the letters are put into
the mails messenger from each OF the
States starts to Washington with an
other certified copy of the ballot ms
wear the messengers have been two OF
three days behind tae mails, but they
are now coming in every week day and
| incidentally, having nice VISIT III
Washington at the public expense. OF
| course. the messengers do not hurry
Theirs is a leisurely errand. The mes
| senger from Maryland was one of the
/ very first to arrive, but it IS only 9
short ride from Annapolis to Washing
ION. AS it is but thirty-eight miles
the Maryland messenger drew down
only about $3.50.
Southerners Coming Slowly.
Several New England messengers
/ came along with the mails that brought
1 certificates and some of them have moi
come yet. The same was true OF tht
! messengers from the Middle Western
| States, but the Southerners, who have
/ the bulk of the Bryan vote, are coming
/ very slowly. as are the Far Westerners
who necessarily need a little time L
/ arrange their journeys Most of th'
Westerners will get nice bit of money
/ for their travel. and therefore the Office
| of messenger. who is chosen from th'
list of electors Of each State, Is muel
| sought after. The California eleetor
| for instance, will get STATS from tn
! Treasury Department as his share TO
| carving the ten electoral woes of tina
State to Washington The trip, allow
ing ample time for seeing the sights Il
Washington and visiting with friend
| at the Capital and en- route, will occup,
not more than three weeks-if b
wishes to hasten he can easily max
the trip in two weeks-and there VII
he $500 left to him for his time.
As much is true Of STATES like Ore
gon. Washington, Idaho, Wyoming an
Nevada. and in less degree the State
little farther east All in all, II VII
cost the government about $20.eo0 t
collect the electoral vote by which Wi