Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-01-01
VENTS OF 1911 IN THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

mint, the highest position and salary ever
given a woman in the Treasury.
Capt. Worth G. Ross retired COM
l mandant of the revenue cutter service and
was succeeded by Capt +. P. Bertholf.
) The Treasury sold s5O.OooOoO Panama
canal per cent bonds in June The
amount offered was oversubscribed many
times. the average price received by the
government being 1O2.26'
Attorney General wickersham carried
on an unceasing warfare against the
trusts of the country throughout the
year. He was successful in most Of his
legal operations. Late in the fall suit
for the dissolution of the steel trust was
filed in the United States courts. The
! case will be some time in coming to
final trial. Mr.. Wickersham worked so
hard that he became i'll at a'cabinet
meeting early in December and is now on
| a vacation in southern waters.
John G. Thompson. for many years as
sistant attorney general in charge Of In
dian cases, resigned In March and PresI-
dent Taft appointed W. II. Lewis. Bos-
ton negro lawyer of prominence. as his
successor. Lewis qualified some time
later and assumed the duties of his Of
fee.
Attorney General Wickersham defended
his bureau OF investigation against in
situations that it was guilty of intim-
idating United States marshals and 9TH
ers and that it had brought charges
against United States attorneys and other
| officials as a punishment TO these Of
fcials, because they did not act to suit
the bureau. This bureau conducts the
| investigation into all the trusts in the
! country and likewise investigate charges
that are made against employees of the
department.
In the Post Office Department the year S
! most important feature was the Inaugural
| ton of the postal savings system, which
| has been successful in its operation even
beyond the expectation of Postmaster
General Hitchcock. The methods OF
handling the deposits and the regu!a-
| tons. 1t is declared. have worked with
| smoothness and satisfaction throughout
| Another big achievement was the abso-
| lutte wiping out OF the postal dehcn ana
placing the department on a self-sustain-
| ing basis. This was accomplished. the
| Postmaster General says, without in any
degree impairing the service or prevent
| ing its extension where found necessary
| The railway mail service was also reor-
| ganized and troublesome condition met
! and overcome. according to the depart
ment'S reports.
improvements or notifications in near
ly every branch Of the service. it is said,
have reduced the cost Of operation and
expedited the service. Salaries have been
largely increased in many directions, in
surfing more willing and efficient service:
For the first time in it's history the
aeroplane was authorized as a mode OF
mail transportation. and although rather
in an experimental way is said to have
given such satisfaction that the Post
master General has asked appropriations
for it's extended use where other means
of mail conveyance fail to meet the con-
ditions. Still further innovations arc con-
templated, according to the Postmaster
Generals preliminary announcements.
and the coming year may find parcels
post system inaugurated.
OF deep local interest is the fact that
during the year plans were approved and
he work begun of furnishing Washington
with new city post office. UP to date
in every respect and a model Of its kind
in the world. Months were spent in pre-
pairing the plans and ascertaining the
latest and best devices for the safe and
expeditions handling OF the mails. Post
master General Hitchcock gives assur-
ance that the result of this work will he
to give the National Capital in the course
Of year or so the best city post office in
the country. II will adjoin the Union
station and be OF substantially the same
architectural design as that monumental
structure.
Quite the most sensational development
in the Department Of Agriculture during
the year was the sudden demand July -
for the resignation of DR.. Harvey Wiley.
chief of the bureau OF chemistry. There
had been friction between the chief chem
list and Solicitor George p. McCabe for
long time and this eliminated when DR..
Wiley hired DR.. II. II. Rusty of New
that there was some technical irregularty
in the employment of DR.. Rusby. and the
personnel board Of the department.. con-
sisting of Solicitor McCabe Assistant Sec
rotary w. NJ. Hays and DR.. +. l.. Dun
lap. demanded the immediate resignation
of Dr. Wiley and the resignation of DR..
u. W. Bigelow and the discharge of DR..
L. r.. Kcbler
After a long congressional investigation
the reference of the whole case to the
President. and other official inquiries. it
was decided that the orig nal charges
We're based on a Misrepresentation OF the
facts. and the bureau of chemistry was
allowed to run along much as it had been
doing, with the exception that Dr. Wiley
was placed more firmly in command and
the personal friction between him and
Solicitor McCabe and DR.. Dunlap was re-
moved by a REORGANIZATION Of the pure
food board, of which they had all been
members.
The resignation Of Secretary Richard A
BalliIger and the appointment of Walter
i. Fisher his successor were the
principal events in the Interior Depart
ment during the year. This occurred
early in March and it was source of
much regret to many of the older Off
Gals of the department, who had been
associated with Secretary Bal!inger dur
his service as commissioner of the general
land Office. and later in his duties as
Secretary to part company with him
to get first hand Information into the
coal situation there was one of deep
Importance. as 1t placed the new Secretary
In a position to handle many difficult
phases of that situation with a direct
knowledge of the vast mining fields at
stake.
On the return trip the Secretary stop
ped over in Yellow Stone Park, where a
number OF the department officials We're
discussing the scheme for bureau OF
no ,ov1xc whit rh for
had been advocated by Chief Clerk
Clement Ticker Of the Interior Depart |
ment. Late in October the Secretary
went on record as In favor of a retire |
ment bill for government clerks.
During the year the year the millioneth
patent was issued by Commissioner Moore |
Of the patent office to F. II. Holton of |
Ohio. giving protection TO a rubber tire |
for automobiles.
cries service in accordance with the act :
of March 4. 1911. including the fur seal. |
salmon and other fisheries and the minor
fur industries of Alaska. was one of the
important features of the work of the De- |
partnlent Of Commerce and Labor during |
the past year. And, as a result of the i
efforts of the department.. together with |
those of the Department of State. a treaty |
was signed July by representatives Of !!
the United States. Grea. Britain, Russia |
and Japan. effective December IL. where !
by II is hoped to break up pelagic sealing |
In the northern Pacific ocean. T.
The tabulation of the work of the thir- !
teenth deCennial census was another i'm |