Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 36, Number 118, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 14 October 1904 — WASHINGTON GOSSIP [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

WASHINGTON GOSSIP

When Congress meets in December It will renew its consideration of a bill which provides that California return the Yosemite Valley to the United States government, so that It may be Incorporated in the surrounding national park. The most Potable national park is the Yellowstone, which was set apart by act of Congress in 1872; less widely known are two parks in southern California, the General Grant and the Sequoia, and the Mount Rainier Park in the State of Washington. There are also many forest reservp.tious in which, for esthetic or economic reasons, the trees are protected from the ax of the woodman. Several beautiful regions, still under private oNvnership, have been proposed as worthy of government reservation, notably certain great groves of redwood in California, the Mount Washington range In the White Mountains of Nfew Hampshire, and a splendid section of the Appalachian Mountains. It is fitting that nature’s greatest aud most beautiful gifts should belong to the people as a whole, and the proposition to add the Yosemite Valley to the Yosemite National Park is in line with the general movement for national control of the great tracts of mountain, valley and forest. Desertions In the navy are Increasing to such an extent as to give the naval authorities the gravest concern. No one is able to understand why there should be such illegal withdrawals of the men from the service. It Is all the more surprising when it is considered that the payment and privileges of the enlisted men have bees made as attractive as possible, and all 'for the purpose of creating content ment among the bluejackets. One reason given is that the punishment o( tlie culprits who are apprehended is altogether inadequate and amounts to an easier existence than that of those who do their duty. The situation is so menacing that the authorities are‘devising some means of keeping the enlisted force up to its required strength.

The government crop report for September was encouraging for all Important crops except spring wheat. A shrinkage of 21.3 per cent in the average condition of that cereal during August was reported. This represents an estimated loss of 07,000,000 bushels, and brings the total for winter and spring growths down to 539,000,009 bushels, which is about 100,000,000 bushels less than last year's yield. Corn, on the other hand, although its condition fell off slightly in August, promises a harvest oil 2.458,72.8,900 bushels, which is u 250.000.00') bushels more than last year'- - ‘large crop. There is promise of an abundance of oats and minor cereals, and of hay, potato and other food and feeding crops. Colorado has an official snow inspector, the only officer of the kind In the country. His duty is to inspect the snow' in the Rocky Mountains, and report its condition to the State Department of Irrigation. From his reports the officers of the department estimate the amount es water that w r ill be available for irrigation purposes each year, as the streams are fed by the melting snow's. The inspector is a trained mountaineer who spend five or six months at his work every year, going over trails known to no other white man, and feeding on raisins when no other food is available. The enlisted force of the navy Is coming more and more largely from the great body of native-born American citizens. Last year the proportion of natives had risen to more than 90 per cent. In 18,80 it was about 50 per cent. It is thought that the current fiscal year will see an advance to 93 per cent. The Army and Navy Journal notes the suggestive fact that most of the naval recruits nowadays come from the Inland States, a naval officer mentioning with special commendation the recruits obtained from the farms of ludluna, Illinois, lowa and Kansas. Chief Engineer Wallace has been making estimates of the cost of the Panama canal work he hns with the result that he feels safe th asserting that the cost of.tlie canal can be reduced greatly belo’w the French figures through the employment of modern high-grade American machinery as a substitute for manual labor. Chicago lithographers are angry nt the lnck of orders for pictures of the candidates. Both parties are to blame. In recent Presidential campaigns Sl.GUO,OOO was expended with the ernft In that city alone. Tills year the Republicans have spent loss than SI,OOO aud the Democrats practically nothing. • -<-> S S. Wnen the mint at Philadelphia was cleaned during the past summer the sweepings “boiled down" to two neat chunks of gold and silver. The floors had secreted nearly fifty thousand dollars’ worth of dust, and the chimneys of the nineteen furnaces had stolen more than $20,000. Many people ».>iv'e picked up money that they have dropped on the floor, but very few recover what has “gon« up la ■moke.”