The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1911-12-29
WASHINGTON.
Legislative and Gen
eral Topics from
the Capital.
Washington, December &c, 1911.

Washington, December &c, 1911.
Among the things that Santa Claus
brought to the White House was mail
bag that contained what the office force
estimated at three times the usual quota
of Christmas mail. In addition to the let
tiers. scores of cable messages and tele-
grams from the outlying countries of the
earth and from various parts of the Uni
ted States came in over the White House
wires. The usual Merry Christmas and
Happy New Year wishes came to the
President, but there were many express
sions OF faith in his administration and
hope for the future.
President Taft celebrated Christmas as
did many other Americans, quietly and
with his family. All the Taft children
Robert, Charles and Miss Helen-were
home. The White House had also as
guests Miss Harriet Anders, Mrs Taft's
niece, and Miss Edith Morgan, of New
York. The gifts for the Taft family were
distributed at breakfast time, and in the
family breakfast room. that being the first
order of the day. After breakfast the
President spent an hour in the library
reading the morning papers. Later, he
spent two hours in his office before
luncheon. debating and signing letters,
and was unable to attend church.
Miss Clara Barton, founder and first
president of the American National Red
Cross Society, was showered with greet
ings and good wishes upon the ninetieth
anniversary Of her birth. Although fee
BILE from her illness this year, Miss Barton
was able TO celebratee the day with her
relatives and friends who are spending
Christmas with her at her home, RED
Cross" in Glen Echo, Nd, d suburb of
Washington.
A preliminary statement of the general
results OF the Thirteenth Census, relative
10 mines producing iron ore, including
summary for 1902 and 1900, was issued
by Director Durand, of the Bureau of the
Census.
The reports were taken for the caen
dar year ending December 81. 1909,
wherever the system of bookkeeping per-
mitted fgu es for that period to be Sc
cured; but in case the fiscal year of a
mine differed from the calendar year,
report OF its operations was obtained for
the fiscal period falling most largely with,
in 1909.
To avoid duplicate inquiries, the Geo
logical Survey, which collects annual sta
tistics of production, and the Bureau of
the Census co-operdted in collecting the
data. The inquiries on the schedule re-
latlng to production were formulated
Jointly, aud the data secured was used by
both bureaus
The summary shows increases in all the
items at the census Of 1909 as compared
with that for 1902, except for number of
mines
The value Of products increased 63 per
cent; the quantity of iron ore produced.
AZ per cent; cost Of materials. 81 per
cent; number OF Salaried officials and
clerks, 10 per cent; average number of
wage earnerS, FL per cent amount paid
III salaries, al per cent; amount paid in
wages, SO per cent; miscellaneous eX
penses, I7S per cent; primary horse
power, 1872 per cent
The decrease in number Of mines was
AZ, or s per cent
The capital invested aggregated $780,,
$50 900 i'll 1909, and averaged approx
metelv 100000 per mine; the value of
The INNING property or actual capital in
vested was not reported in 1902.
Unless something is done to rehabili-
tate turkey growing there will be no such
thing as Christmas or Thanksgiving tur
Keys in the United States within ten
years. The Census Bureau has issued
bulletin showing that in 1910 there were
only 1868, 7oS turkeys on farms in this
country. while in 1900 there were 1884
o95. AT this rate the turkey will be in
the dodo class by 1920. There was also
during the ten years and the number of
geese dropped considerably Chickens
increased. however. the total for the
country going from 233,466, o2I in 1900,
to $50. 345, 1888 in 1910.
Senator LaFolletie left here Tuesday
on short speechmaking trip in Ohio. He
will speak in Youngstown "Wednesday
noon, in Cleveland Wednesday night and
in Cincinnati Saturday night utilizing the
interim to make addresses in several
small towns. He may make few
speeches in Indiana and Illinois before
returning.
President Taft has dispensed Christmas
cheer to four federal prisoners through
Communication of sentence. The pathetic
appeal OF the prisoners SO year old moth
er for the son she had not seen for Is
years caused the President to commute
to expire al once, the sentence of William
J. Key, who pleaded guilty in 1906 at St.
Joseph. Mo, TO counterfeiting. His
elght-year term would have expired
April 81 next.
The President also committed to ex-
pire at once, the life sentences of Howell
Cobb, an Indian who pleaded guilty to
murder at Sapulpa. |. T., in 1905 and
Charles Hopk u.s., a negro, convicted of
murder in the District of Columbia in
1894.
The sentence Of Fayette F. Armstrong.
convicted at Fort Smith, Ark, of vioat-
ing the retail liquor license law, sched-
uled to expire May 90 was shortened by
month and d half.
Secretary OF the Interior Fisher inform
ed President Taft that final adoption of
the Sherwood dollar-a day pension bill as
1t passed the House would increase the
governments annual pen>inn expendi-
lures at least SIS. 600. ooo Pension Com
missioner Davenport will send detailed
report 10 Congress Mr. Taft has refrain
ed from stating definitely that he would
veto the Sherwood bill if 1t came to him,
but close friends believe that he would.