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VOLUME NUMBER It
The Commoner,
h
X
The Commoner WASHINGTON CITY LETTER
ISSUED WEEKLV
WJJJiTAM J. HHYAN
Editor and Proprietor.
OHAHMCS W. JJKYAN ')
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THE COMMONER, Lincoln,. Nob
Mi. Hamilton not only came back but brought
n ro'drbuclr. l''w
, The way to reform congress is to begin at
your qwu hearthstone. ' ',
The battle for the people in 1908 must, be
won by preparations in 1906 and 1907.
Between tlio Hamilton comeback and tho
New York Lifo putback, tlio people are enjoy
ing thomsolves quite nicoly, thank you.
The coal mine operators declare for the
"open shopTfor their employes but steadfastly;
adhere to the "closed Bhop" for themselves.
Mr, Cleveland is down in Florida keeping
a stern eye on the insurance directors who meet
within call of 2G Broadway, New York City.
It is said that John D. Rockefeller is suffer
ing from nervous prostration. If lie is ho is now
well aware . of what ho has caused a lot of
would-be competitors to suffer.
Speaking of freak measures Introduced into
state legislatures, have you over noticed the re
sults upon the United States senate of freak
voting in tho aforesaid legislatures?
Now that monkey talk is to be added to the
linguistic curriculum of Chicago university the
Washington Post is interested in knowing the
monkey who will bo tendered, tho professorship.
It is not to be. expected that Mr. Dalrymple
of Glasgow will be able to appreciate the subtle
humor connected with tho simultaneous publi
cation of his report and the decision of the su
premo court.
Six hundred Moros have boon benevolently
assimilated, but the benevolent gentlemen re
sponsible for tho work have not devised any
method of conveying information of the fact to
the assimilated.
TN
Great Britain has ' taken out insurance pn
her warships to tho amount of $60,000,000. The
insurance companies consented to taking the risk
after learning that there was no probability of
war with Uncle Sam.
m-3he report that a poulterer in New "Jersey
omc &..ised a breed of hens that lays eggs with
T 1 ? ? tuoroon reminds lis that what most of
.ivr J"vij n j lium iu iuu; uuw.
Washington, D. 0., March 26. In spite of
the recommendations, of high officials of the de
partment in their last annual reports that the ap
propriations for the rural free delivery service
could be curtailed without injury to the same
tho disposition in congress is to increase the
amount as shown by the house bill reported the
other day. In round numbers it is proposed to
spend for this service during tho coming fiscal
year $28,000,000.
Some of the congressmen have thought that
the railroads have been getting more than their
just share for carrying the mails, and efforts
wore made this session in the committee to cut
down the allowance, but they failed.
Men and women of advanced years employed
in tho Washington departments are much excited
over the efforts being made in congress to not
only reduce their pay, but to put them out of
the service after they reach the age of seventy.
It is very doubtful if there will be any legisla
tion on the subject this session, however. In
nearly all the departments the work is so behind
that there is constant complaint on the part of
tho lawmakers of the nation. The fault does
not lio with the older employes in reality any
more than with the younger set. Each session
the high officials go before the committees of
congress with ronuests for ti" slflrks. The
.expend" Ateps piling up in the face of a well
known fact that the average government clerk
in this city does not perform,- half the labor in
a year that ought reasonably tp be exacted. The
salaries paid are better than the . compensation
in private occupations, Each clerk besid.es has
an annual leave of thirty days. Jn reality under
a system of counting the Sundays the leave is
nearer two months. There. ard also a great many
holidays, and for almost three months in the,
summer season the departments close at 1 o'clock
on Saturdays. The sick leave is', energetically
worked in all Of the departments, and the clerks
seem to have- little difficulty In remaining' away
from office day after day. And yet the average
employe here thinks that the lot of the "govern
ment hireling," as they like to style themselves,
is a hard one. They constantly complain that
they are not paid enough, and a systematic move
ment has been on foot for several years to ulti
mately bring about a retirement plan that if. put
into operation would virtually mean a civil pen
sion list.
About a year ago President Roosevelt ap
pointed what is known as the Keep commission,
tho object.being to make an examination of the
departments with a view of finding out the best
means of improving the efficiency among the em
ployes. From his own investigations the presi
dent does not believe that much corruption ex
ists, but he has made it plain in some recent talks
to officials that he is strongly of the opinion
that in nearly every big bureau there is a slack
state of affairs. The government printing office
is a notable instance. While it is true that the
printing office, is the largest of its kind in the,
world it has been apparent to nearly every one
of sense and judgment for some years that it
has been too extravagantly operated. This is
partly the fault of congress which has not adopt
ed the suggestion repeatedly advanced by some
members that there should, be a rigid Investiga
tion of the big shop. If this were brought about
it is the belief of many that fully $1,000,000 a
year could be saved. Representative Charles
Landis, of Indiana, chairman of the house print
ing committee, has contended that this would,
be the case; but the trouble is that the average
republican knows that if a saving is effected. at
the printing office it means a heavy reduction in
tho force, and they have the establishment filled
with, their partisans whom they are cautious
about offendlng.
.The passage of the bill to reorganize the
consular service is bad news for a number of
the office-holders who are filling the more im
portant positions like London, Paris, Berlin, and
Liverpool, as the enormous fees will be cut off.
In future tho government will get all the fees
that have been going into the pockets of the consuls-general.
London and Paris will have a
straight salary of $12,000 attached. In years gone
by the London consulate has-been worth any
where from $25,000 to $60,000, depending upon the
condition of trade. In March of last year the
president appointed Robert J. Wynne to this pos
ition and at the time it was easily considered
the best office from a money view tho executive
had at his disposal. Mr Wynne had just re
tired as postmaster general, and before going into
the cabinet had been the first assistant postmaster
general. - While in the latter office he was instru
mental In unearthing the frauds in the depart
ment. A number of the officials were indicled?
tried and sent to the penitentiary, It was. on
account of his activity In exposing this crooked
ness that President Roosevelt determined to re-'
ward Mr. Wynne by sending him to London. ,
Since congress has passed the bill referred to ..
there is talk, here that Mr. Wynne will not reW, ,
main long in London. The bill generally 'raises ,
the pay of the consuls, and that was accomplished.-
by lopping tiff the fees that were allowed at tlte'
-big posts, ";.;;:;
The, Jamestown exposition will receive sub-; -
stantially all the recognition asked by the offl-
cials of the company, and it is expected that con-"
gress will vote about $1,600,000 in addition to the
sum of $260,000 that was appropriated by the .
last congress for the entertainment of tho offi
cers and men in the foreign armies and navie's ,;
expected to visit us next year. From an Indus- -trial
standpoint the Jamestown exposition will not'
be a Mg affair like that held two years ago at"
St. Louis. It was never intended by its pro
motors that it should be. It will be different from '
anything of the sort ever undertaken in the Uiii
ted States, and it is expected that the naval H
features will be- the mostr interesting of the ex-.
"Trfbllfon. A's" is well known the expolsTtttomsg
ue neiu on Jtiampton uoaas, unquestionably one
of the finest harbors in the world.
Many months ago President Roosevelt offi-;"
daily invited the nations of the earth to par-'
ticipate in the celebration in honor of the plant"-"
ing of the first English speaking colony on the
American continent. He has done all in his.
power this session to impress upon congress the:
necessity of extending the aid that was asked by :,i
the exposition company officials, and largely: ;.
through his efforts and several members of the
cabinet who appeared before -the house commit--' .
tee a favorable report was ordered on the billi '" '
In 1913 the people of the Pacific slope pro-:
pose to hold an exposition at San Francisco. That -X
will be in honor of the discovery of the Pacific
ocean by Balboa in 1513. ' " .:;- i'UiCt: v,
ALFRED J. STOFER.C," . '
, '
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