Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 36, Number 106, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 2 September 1904 — WASHINGTON GOSSIP [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

WASHINGTON GOSSIP

Rear Admiral Manney, acting In behalf of the government, signed a contract last month for the equipment of wireless telegraph stations to provide communication between Key West and Panama, Porto Rico and Key West, the southern coast of Cuba and Panama, Pensacola and Key West, and southern Cuba and Porto Rico. The shortest distance Is four hundred and fifty miles from Pensacola to Key West, and It is a thousand miles from Key West to Porto Rico and to Panama. It will soon be possible to communicate with Alaska by the wireless system; and, when the stations are established on the Aleutian Islands and In Kamchatka, It will be easy to talk with Japan. Great progress has been made In the perfection of this new system within the past year or so. The steamer Campania, on its voyage to this country early in June, on one day received messages from Poldhu In Wales, Cape Breton In Canada and Cape Cod In Massachusetts.

The government has failed to prevent the Immigration of the undesirables from Europe with all the restrictions force to keep them out In consequence there are 20,000 Insane and criminal persons In our prisons who are supported by our taxpayers. The Insane are three-fourths of the whole. Of the 15,000 mentally afflicted by far the largest portion are from Ireland, although the proportion of criminal Irish Is very small. Of the 5,000 In prisons and reformatories a large proportion comes from Italy. The startling fact has been developed that no less than 90 per cent of all the murderers now confined In jails and prisons In New York State are Italians. Most of the Italians who reach this country stop in New York City or the Immediate neighborhood. In Pennsylvania, where the proportion of Italians received Is not so large, It was found that Italians constituted 50 per cent of the murderers awaiting trial or under sentences of death or imprisonment. These facts would make It appear that Italy Is now sending to this country the dregs of her society. Records of the public land office for the fiscal year ended June 80, 1904, show that 16,258,892 acres of public lands were disposed of during the year, as compared with 22*650,928 acres last year. The total cash received for these lands was $8,795,893, as compared with $10,557,618 last year. The number of entries was 172,857. These figures Indicate, according to officials of the land office, that the public land boom of last year Is subsiding somewhat. Last year was the record year for twenty years and the present is next highest In the number/of acres disposed of by the government Lands were taken up in twenty-four States and four Territories. North Dakota led In the number of acres and Oregon in the amount of cash received. In North Dakota 1,798,551 acres were disposed of, the money received for the same being $1,234,218. In Oregon 1,170,655 acres were taken up and $1,442,576 received for ths same.

Just now there Is considerable agitation among professional guides in Washington on account of the spread of the ‘seeing Washington” idea in street cars and automobiles. These gentry formerly had a good thing of it with tourists, whom they would take in hand when they first reached town and conduct them al) around and through tiie various government buildings and to see the other sights. A few years ago some of the departments shut down on the professional guides. The treasury forbade them to steer parties through its buildings. The National Museum and other places followed suit When they take parties to any of these buildings the guides have to wait at the entrance while the visitors find their way around as.. best they can or secure the services of a government messenger. There are government guides in the treasury, capltol, bureau of engraving and printing nnd other buildings. The annual report of the Pension Commissioner for the year ending June 30, 1904, shows that 47,374 persons were added to the rolls and 49,157 dropped, a net decrease for the first time in the history of the department. The appropriation for the year was $140,419,296 and the expenditures only $144,712,787, leaving a balance of sl.706.508. Of the 47,374 persons added to the pension rolls. 326 were by special act of Congress, and of the 40,157 pensioners who were dropped death claimed 43,820, of whom 81,728 were soldiers.. 30.071 being volunteers of ths civil war. The total number of pensioners on the rolls as covered by the report is 720,315 soldiers, 273,841 widows and dependents, and 606 army nurses. Hint sudden cabinet changes an* sometimes confusing to United States officials in other parts of the world Is shown by a message received recently at the Navy Department from Admiral Stirling, In command of the Asiatic squadron. It read: “Instructions received; will be carried out Who Is MortonT’ The admiral had not been Informed of the appointment of Paol Morton, of Chicago, as Secretary ot the Navy.