Jasper County Democrat, Volume 5, Number 16, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 26 July 1902 — WASHINGTON GOSSIP [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

WASHINGTON GOSSIP

Washington is at this time and season a great educational center. Millions of documents designed to enlighten Hie voters of the land are being prepared and shipped to constituents. Nearly every member of Congress has one or more speeches delivered by him in the House and Senate which he desires to distribute. They may be remarks upon the great question of the day or merely a spread upon some local subject, but the Congressman does not think that he has done his duty unless he piasters his district or State with speeches. It he did not his constituents would ask him upon his return what he had been doing in Washington. The speeches go through the mail free, of course, but it is quite a task to get them ready for shipment. They are taken from the capitol by wagon loads at a time, and for the next two weeks the mail trains leaving Washington will tarry extra cars to accommodate the increased traffic. In addition to the large volume of political literature sent out by individual Senators and Representatives, the two campaign committees will distribute this year millions of pamphlets. In the presidential campaign of 1 ASH! the Republican committee sent out 22.000,000 documents. No such number will be distributed this year, but the total will probably reach several million, and the Democrats will do as well. The office of the .supervising architect of the Treasury has an unprecedented amount of business on hand. No firm of architects, no dozen firms combined, ever had so much to do or so great a responsibility. as now rests upon James K. Taylor, the head of that office. During the last session of Congress lie was commissioned to erect 185 public buildings at a cost of $52,00Q,(XM). Of these buildings 125 will be erected after competitive designs. the competition being open to all the architects of the country, but the sixty smaller buildings will be designed in the architect's office, because there is not enough in them to justify a competitive tes f . The architect’s office, under the direction of Assistant Secretary Taylor, has already commenced to acquire the necessary lands for the erection of the new buildings, the first lot bought being at Greenville, Tenn. In addition to these, the government will erect at Washington a new agricultural building, at a cost of $2,500,000, the plans for which have already been adopted by competition, a new building for the national museum, of fireproof steel and brick, to cost $1,500,000; a municipal building for the District of Columbia, which will cost $1,500,000; a building for the new war college, to be erected on the arsenal grounds by MeKim, Mead & White, to cost $250,<XX.1. and several other buildings of lesser importance in the district. Director Walcott of the Geological Survey has written a long letter to the Civil Service Commission asking for permission to employ the services of a competent hen, that will lay one egg a day for the survey. The egg is needed for making the albumen coating for photo-lithograph-ic work. Tire letter states that the survey is in immediate need of an egg and says: "In making a requisition on the Interior Department for an egg we always experience much delay in getting authority to purchase from the lowest bidder, and tlie goods, owing to the methods of purchase, are not always in prime condition. It would seem wise, therefore, to take some definite steps in the matter. The hen of the United States Geological Survey should be capable of a steady daily output. One egg per day is all we ask, but there should be no question about its delivery on time." The Civil Service Commission will give the request careful consideration. The Treasury Department has issued the tirst order under the new Philippine civil government act. That act provides that all taxes paid upon articles subject to internal revenue taxes shipped to the Philippines since Nov. 15, 1901. under tlie decision of the Secretary of the 'Treasury of that date, shall be refunded to the parties who paid the same under regulations to be prescribed by the Secretary of the Treasury. Those regulations have now been issued. Charles J. Jones, popularly known as “Buffalo” Jones, has been appointed buffalo warden for Yellowstone Park. Mr. Jones has devoted much attention to the preservation of the American bison and was largely instrumental in securing an appropriation during the last session of Congress for the establishment of a government buffalo ranch iu the Yellowstone Park. This establishment will be in Mr. Jones’ charge. During the fiscal year ended June 30, 1902, the .bureau of navigation reports that 1.057 vessels of 473,081 gross tons were built in the United States, compared with 1,079 vessels of 498,016 tons for the previous fiscal year. The decrease in tonnage is in sailing vessels, canal boats, barges, etc. New steel steamers aggregate 275.479 tons, compared with 235,265 tons last year. Secretary Shaw lias set a big wind blowing through the Treasury Department by his widely quoted remark that he was opposid to keeping persons in office there longer than five years. Not si,me Logan Carlisle gave it out that he had loaded his dismissal gnu and started on a litmt for "indispensable*” lias so much nervousness been visible a living the old-timers. The census bureau has issued a report containing statistics regarding the manufacture of bicycles in the United States, which shows that iu 1900 there were 312 establishments with a capital of $29,783,(159 as compared With twenty-seven establiahmejits with a capital of $2,058,072 in 18lX>. The value of product* for 1900 wm $31,915,908. The greatest increase in the number of factories during the decade was in New York, where the number of establishments grew from four to sixty-two.