SALARIES TOO LOW
I'oor Service Rendered by Cheap
Clerks In PostoIIIces.
MONEY ORDERS SHOW INCREASE
Large Amount of Money Received In
Dead Letters Mailed to Fraud
ulent Concerns.
Washington, Dec. 2H. In his an
Dual report made today Fl rat Assistant
Postmaster (ieneral Hitchcock say
that the low sslar'es all clerks In
drat ami second claaa t'ni-m are de
creasing the standard of efficiency. It
I Impossible, ho nay, to induce effi
cient men to enter hi branch of the
service, when tlm salary to begin with
li hut I0() a year, with no certainty
of ironi(ttlon for pcrlinpn aeveral yearn.
Mr. Hitchcock strongly rin-om iniiilB
a discontinuance of the practice of In
stalling poatofllce In public buildings
devoted in pnrt to other branches of
the KovtTti mcnt service. The best type
of quitrtcii fr poatofllce purpose, he
says, in a single large room in a one
atory building.
Much embarrassment ha been oc
casioned the postal authorities to pro
vide -imriic-y mail facilities in min
ing towiie, and Mr. Hitchcock recom
mends an emergency appropriation of
$7o,()00 to meet such rMii irt-niciiln.
There hait been an increase of more
than IH.ono, ()()() in the amount of do-ini-Mtic
and of more than fJ5, 000, 000 id
the amount of foreign money order!
issued during the year over the year
preceding.
While the number of undelivered
letter which ate mi their way to the
lead letter office during the year wan
mailer than during the previous year,
the number of undelivered letters with
valuable enclosure greatly increased,
(ieneral prosperity of the country is
given a one reason; another in the
suppression hy the departmetit of ron
cerna using the maila for fraudulent
purpose. Mail for such concern con
taining money, money order and com
mercial paper was received at the dead
letter ofllce in unuual quantities.
Nearly 11,000,000 piece of mail were
received at the dead letter ollice during
the year, including 1 , ((1H that failed of
delivery in the Panama canal lone.
Over l.oOO.OOO caaea of alleged in
decent and scurrilous matter received
attention. In the aummer the inllui
of offensive pictorial ot carda lecame
no great a to rail for a special order
by the department looking to the abate
tnent of the nuisance. Aa a result of
this order, many thousands of objec
tlonahle card have leen withdrawn
from the mail hy postmasters and for
warded to the department for duet ruc
tion.
FLOUR TRADE MENACED.
Puget Sound Mill's Oriental Business
Falls 30 Per Cent.
Tacoma, Wash., Jec. 2H. Accord
ing to Huperintcndcnt Armstrong, of
the Tacoma Warehouse A Hperry Mills
company, the Itoycott in China la prov
lug a serious menace to the milling
interest of Tacoma. Where years ago
full cargoes of flour were being shipped
to China and mill were running over
time to fill orders, shipments to the
Orient have fallen off over 30 per cent
and mills are running only part of the
time.
"The boycott in China has knocked
the bottom out of the flour business,
as far aa exports are concerned," said
Superintendent Armstrong. "Ixxal
freight keeps up well but we need for
eign shipments. It would be good
business policy to get that boycott out
of the way as soon as possible.
Ralph. Hinith agent of the Puget
Found Flouring Mills company, says:
"We are shipping less flour than
usual to China, ami the Itoycott ia re
sponsible for it. I don't know what
else could be the trouble. Home trade
keeps up about as usual."
Volcano Smothers Savail.
Kan Francisco, Doc. 28. According
to the pHsnengers who arrived yester
day on tho liner Ventura, the volcano
on the Island of Havaii, in the Ha moan
if roup, ia atill in vigorous activity
The blaze from the crater at night, it
ia said, ia visible at sea many miles
away. The lava has covered an area
of HO square miles. This niolton flow
baa filled 11 miles of a deep valley
and la heading for the seashore. a
tives whose homes are near the beach
are preparing to abandon their houses
and cocoanut groves on short notice.
Many Horses Fall Dead.
New York, eo. 28. Afllloted with
spinal meningitis, more than a score of
liorses dropped dead in the streets of
Williamsburg today, and at least half
of them succumbed to the disease be
fore a veterinary could reach them.
Kvory veterinary surgeon in Williams
burg was called into service, and they
were kept busy from before daylight
until tonight trying to check the spread
of the disease. Up to 0 o'clock one
had been called to attend 18 cases.
Will Adopt Extreme Measures.
8t. Petersburg, Dec. 28. After an
exciting meeting of the workmen's del
egates to the Union of Unions, it was
decided to continue the strike and adopt
the most desperate measures.
BATTLE IN MOSCOW.
Rebels Receive Reinforcements From
Neighboring Cltlss.
Ht. Petersburg, Dec. 27. The battle
In Moscow Is still raging, tho victory
being undecided. Considerable reln
forct menla for the revolutionist have
arrived from the neighboring district
of Yaroslav, Vladimir and Tazihov.
The loyal troops of the government now
in Moscow number 8,000 cavalry ami
Cossacks, while the Infantry regiment
there Incline toward the revolutionist.
The number of killed and wounded
in the fighting thus far exceeds 10,000.
The artillery and fires lighted by the
revolutionist have destroyed many
block of houses, and it la feared that
Moscow will ha involved In a conflagra
tion before the present struggle la over.
Member of the government are re
ported to Ix-lleve, from Information
which has reached them, that the Mos
cow affair la only a demonstration, and
that the decisive battle with the revolu
tionists la to be fought in Ht. Peters-
burg Indore many day. In this city
and ita suburb and on the frontier of
Finland are concealed large quantities
of revolutionary arms and ammunition.
Highly thousand laborers are expected
to march on the capital from Narva
nd Heval at the appointed time. At
present, however r, the city ia compara
tively quiet.
Kncounter with strikers in the sub
urbs have lately caused the death or
injury of several hundred victim. The
chief city surgeon, M. Kosen, says be
examined the wounded and killed and
found among them many achoolltoys
and young girls. This fact further
affords proof of the cruelty of the Cos
sacks.
NO INTERVENTION.
Civil War In Santo Domingo No Affair
of United States.
Washington, Dec. 27. For the pres
ent there will not be any interference
by the United Mates in the difhculty
which has arisen in Hanto Domingo.
The trouble is regarded by the State de
partment officials as entirely an inter
nal one, and so long as outside interests
are not menaced this attitude of nonin
tervention will Im maintained.
If, however, conditions should change
materially and lawless acta should be
om milted against Americans and
American intereeta,'lnvolving the col
lection of the Dominican customs by
this government, or other violence
should occur which, in the opinion of
the ofllcials here would make it proper
for this government to interfere, this
step will be taken, and measures adopt
ed to quell the trouble.
This decision was reached by State
department olhciala during the day and
was confirmed at a conference at the
white house late this afternoon, in
which the president and (Secretaries
Taft, Hoot and Bonaparte participated
The cabinet ofllcere remained in the
white house until nearly 8 o'clock
The gathering, however, was not called
jKcillcall7 for the purtwse of diBcuss
ing matters bearing on the develop
menta In Santo Domingo, but to talk
over a nunilner of questions which the
president was anxious to dispose of
preliminary to hi departure for an
outing of several days in irginia.
SMITH TO BE GOVERNOR.
Will Soon Succeed Wright In Philip
pine Possessions.
Washington, Dc.!7. Despite de
nials and assurances recently credited
to (iovernor (ieneral Luke E. W right,
there is no longer serious doubt of the
administration's purpose to make a
change in the head of the Philippine
government. James F. Hinith, formerly
of San Francisco, now a member of the
Philippine commission, ia the man
picked for the succession aa governor
general. Ilia installation in the post
is likely to be accomplished in the not
distant future.
There ia high authority for the state
ment that American prestige in the
islands has waned seriously fn the last
year. The fact is hardly disputed by
those familiar with conditions there.
It was recognized by mepitwra of the
Taft party, some of whom have ex
pressed grave concern about it.
Abolish Hanging in Jersey.
New York, Dec. 27. Assemblyman
Berg, of New Jersey, has drafted a bill
to abolish capital punishment in that
state, and will go to Trenton tomorrow
to ask (iovernor Stokes to grant re
prieves to all condemned murderers un
til the legislature shall have acted on
the question. If Governor Stokes ac
cedes to the Assemblyman's request,
two women, Mrs. alentine and Mrs
Lotta, and a man awaiting death in the
Hackensack jail, and three men under
sentences in other county jails, will be
given reprieves until well into spring.
Big Factory Building Burns.
New York, Dec. 27. Five alarms,
summoning 32 fire companies and the
reserves from nine police precincts,
were sent out tonight for a blaze which
completely gutted the six-story factory
buildings, Noa. 102, 104, 100 Wooster
street, entailing a damage estimated at
$300,000. Five firemen sustained
slight injuries. No one was in the
building when the tire started and ita
origin is unknown. Borne insurance
was carried.
China Makes Demands.
London, Dec. 27. The correspondent
of the Morning Post at Shanghai says
that the Chinese foreign ollice has in
structed the Chinese minister at Lon
don to negotiate with the British ffov
eminent reirardinir the mixed court dis
pute, to demand the dismissal of the
British ambassador, and to Insist on
the punishment of the police concerned
In the recent outbreak.
CAMPAIGN OPENED
Senators Plan Attack on Tatt U
Aid Own Candidates.
CRITICIZE HIS OFFICIAL RECORD
Outcry About Canal Salaries Will Be
Followed by Crusade Against
Philippine Administration.
Chicago. Dec. 2ft. Walter Wellman.
In a dispatch from Washington to the
Record-Herald, saya In pari:
" 'Tail is next on our list. We're
going after him as oon as congress re
convenes next month.
"So said a prominent Republican
senator. He added that it wa the In
tention of the leader of the aenate not
onlv to continue their criticism of Pan
ama management, but to take up the
administration ot Mr. I at. In the rim-
ippinea and subject it to rigid scrutiny.
The meanirnr of this and of the whole
course of the senate toward President
Roosevelt and his associates in the ex
ecutive branch of the government ib
that the presidential game of 1H0H has
already opened. There are candnlates
for the next Republican nomination in
the senate, plenty of them, ami they
are already maneuvering to bowl out
all aspirants for the nomination.
"Now comes the threat to 'make it
warm for Tatf.' It ifoea without say
ing that against the secretary personal
ly no one has any harsh feeling. He
is everywhere recognized as a man of
great ability, of extraordinary sincerity
and devotion to the public interest.
He is noled also aa the cheeriest, most
refreshing, sweetest character In the
ruiblic service at this time. Aa a man.
almost everyone loves him. It is im
possible to do otherwise.
"Hut Taft the man. and Taft the
probable nominee of the Republicans
for president in JiiUN as a product ana
representative of the Rjosevelt admin
istration, are different, and the schem
ing, plotting, maneuvering, intrigue
ing, senators would like to cut his
comb."
FIGHT TO DEATH.
Russian Rebels and Troops Clash in
Streets of Moscow.
Odessa, Dec. 26. Russian soldiery
is unable to overthrow the dauntless
spirit of tho Moscow townspeople, and
despite superior arms, enormouus ad
vantages in military training and a
complete supply of all warlike appli
ancea, the truopa are hardly holding;
their own. Fighting ia now going on
in every section of the city, and the
dead number hundreds some reports
say thousands and the end is not in
sight.
A terrible slaughter of revolutionaries
took place during Sunday night and
early Monday, when the terrorists at
tempted to capture the enormous am-
munition factories held by ttie soldiers
Hy order of (ieneral Mistchenko, the
famous Cossack chieftain, who is now
in command of the garrison, the artil
lery was instructed to mount rapid fire
guna in every window and on the roof
so that they would command all ave
nues of approach to the stoiehouses.
The ord r was given that these rapid
Brers should not be unmasked until the
people actually began breaking into the
structures. The result was that the
mob packed the open street in front
when the signal was given to fire.
Immediately, as one, all of the wood
en shutters fell back and withering vol
leys poured into the crowds, while the
guns on tie roofs were turned on the
crowd that had been unable to get into
the immediate vicinity. The carnage
was something awful, according to pri
vate advices received here.
Justice Van Dyke is Dead.
Oakland, Cal., Dec. 26. After an
illness of only 24 hours Justice Walter
Van Dyke, of the Supreme court of
California, died yesterday afternoon at
his residence in Fast Oakland. The
eminent jurist was stricken so suddenly
that his life of 82 years had ended al
most before there was a realization that
he was ill. Justice Van Dyke was born
at Tyre, Seneca county, New York, on
October 3, 1823. He was admitted to
the bar at Cleveland, 9., in 1848, com
ing to California across the plains in
184!).
Bluejackets Guard Concessions.
Shanghai, Dec. 20. The mixed court
was reopened Saturday. The German
assessor and armed foreign guards were
present, but everything was normal
All is quiet today, but bluejackets and
guaids are still posted around the for
eign concessions. There are rumors of
another riot to occur tonight, but all
precautions have been taken. Reports
of Japanese complicity in the recent
trouble are generally considered with
out foundation.
Dowie's Mexican Deal Fails.
El Paso, Tex., Dec. 26. Manuel
Gonzales, with whom Alexander Dowie
was negotiating for the purchase of
plantations in Tamaulipaa for the Zion
colony, has given out a lengthy state
ment in which he says Dowie wanted
long time payments and other condi
tions, which were rejected.
Massacreing Tartars.
London, Dec. 20. A dispatch to the
Evening Standard from Constantinople
says that the Turkish consul at Batoum
reports that the Armenians are niasea
crelng Tartars at the rate of 600 daily
MACKENZIE PROMI8E8 AID.
Recommends Total Appropriation of
1,400,000 for Jetty.
Washington, Dec. 2ft. Henatora Ful
ton and Oearln today called on (ieneral
MacKenzie, chief of engineers, in re
gard to the need of the Columbia river
etty. General MacKenzie gave them
renewed assurance of hit friendliness
and said he wa dohig everything in hi
power to secure money to keep work in
progress.
He ha recommended not only an
appropriation of $400,000 in cash, but
has urged that authority be granted for
the expenditure of an additional $1 .
000,000. He explaina that $400,000
ia required for "rooking" the jetty aa
far out aa the end of the present tram
way, but will riot be ample for any ex
tension. If authority can be secured
for the expenditure of 11,000,000 addi
tional, it will be possible nrxt season
to push the jetty much farther sea
ward, and in fact approach the point
where it is expected to end.
Major Roessler, in his report, re
commended an appropriation of $1,-
"00,000 to complete the jetty. This is
higher figure than the previous esti
mate, but his estimate is reduce ma
terially by the War department.
The Oregon senators will exert their
belt efforts to secure the appropriation
recommended hy General MacKenzie,
and will furthermore insist upon the
authorization of additional work to
the extent of $1,000,000.- The other
Northwestern senators and representa
tives will work in accord with them.
INVESTIGATES INSECT PESTS.
Government Solves Problems of Cot
ton and Wheatgrowers.
Washington, Dec. 26. According to
the annual report of L. C. Howard,
in charge of the Bureau of Entomology
of the Department of Agriculture, the
main work of the bureau for the past
fiscal year, ended June 30, 1905, was
in connection with the cotton boll wee
vil, the cottion boll worm, importation
of beneficial insects from abroad, in
vestigations of insects damaging forests
and deciduous fruit trees, work on in
sects injurious to vegetable crops and
effecting the great staple field crops,
and work in silk and bee culture.
The investigations into the cotton
boll worm were such that cotton plant
ers will, it is stated, be enabled to con
trol that injurious pest.
Experiments on a large scale, extend
ing over practically the whole of the
w heat g ow:ng area, have been looking
toward the elucidation of certain as yet
unsolved problems in the propagation
of the Hessian fly and of the joint
worms of wheat, and also to determine
the beet time to sow wheat in the au
tumn in order to ward off the autumn
attack of the fly. Investigations of the
same insect in the spring wheat re
gions have been begun, since only re
cently has the Hessian fly spread into
this new country.
IRRIGATE YAKIMA RESERVE.
Jones' Plan to Secure Water and Ad
mit White Settlers.
Washington, Dec. 26. As the first
step iu the direction of adjusting con
flicting water rights on the Yakima In
dian reservation, Representative Jones
will introduce a bill, when congref re
convenes, authorising the Yakima In
dians to sell 60 acres of their respective
allotments, and directing the secretary
of the interior to apply a portion of the
proceeds to the purchase of water rights
for the remaining 20 acres of each al
lotment.
The passage of this bill will perma
nently provide for the irrigation of In
dian lands and at the same time open
the way for the settlement of a large
portion of the Yakima reservation.
This Indian land has been Belling for
from $40 to $50 per acre, and a large
surplus will be realized for the benefit
of the Indians.
Indian Commissioner Leupp is in
favor of this plan and will lend his
assistance to secure its favorable con
sideration by congress.
New York Traction Mare
New Y'ork, Dec. 26. A consolida
tion of the subway, elevated and sur
face traction lines of Manhattan island
is believed to be probable, as a result
of the sale of the interests of Thomas
F. Ryan in the Metropolitan Street
Railway system to August Belmont.
The Metropolitan sybtem includes
practically all of the surface roads on
the island, and Mr. Belmont is presi
dent of the I liter borough Rapid Transit
company, which operates the elevated
roads and subway. The price paid
was not made public.
Irish Leaders May Get Together.
Dublin, Dec. 26. William O'Brien
is making overtures to the parliament
ary party, led by John Redmond, for a
working agreement and the adoption of
a common line of action in the forth
coming general elections. The over
tures have been received in a friendly
spirit, but so far there has been no in
terview between the leaders. Mr. Red
mond and John Dillon have issued an
announcement that nothing has yet re
sulted from Mr. O'Brien's action.
Alfonso Betrothed at Last.
Paris, Dec. 26. The Figaro this
morning declares that a definite agree
ment has been reached between the
British and Spanish governments re
garding the betrothal of King Alfonso
and Princess Ena of Battenberg, but
that the official announcement will not
be made for several weeks.
Ho Attachment.
Amt'rtrBn agricultural Implement
are known the world over as the beat
procurable, especially for saving time.
This I true both aa to the large appli
ance used on farms and the smaller
garden Implement. A Texas farmer
is the Inventor of a hoe attachment
applicable to hand weeding or garden
hoes of various forma and size. The
nttiichment consists of a cutting blade,
which la designed to be used In detach
ing clinging vines and runnera from
the growing plants. The Improved de
vice comprise a weeding blade of the
tisiifil form, and connected to Die han
dle by a shank which curves upward.
Extending from the shank Is a cutting
bhide. curved away from the handle
ii nd shank.
In using the Implement the cutting
blade Is forced forward or away from
the operiitor by a pushing motion,
and by Its peculiar form and position
is very convenient for severing vines,
runnera, creepers end similar plant
life from the stalkM of the growing and
valuable plants. The Implement will
also be found very convenient for
chopping corn, or thinning cotton and
CCT8 DOW THE WEEDS.
other plants, and will also be found
very useful In working corn and alm-
llar cropa, tipuu which Tines and crrcp-
ers are liable to be found, and whose
removal Is generally attended with
much labor and annoyance. The cut
ting blade being made Integral with
the ahank will not be a cumbersome
or objectionable addition to the hoe.
Amateur Moihroom Orowlof.
The Cornell experiment station has
undertaken to tell aniuteurs how they
mny grow mushrooms for profit In a
small way in old stables, available cel
lars and similar out-of-the-way places.
The fundamental requisite la a dark
room of uniform temperature, that Is,
one that does not go below 55 degrees
or above 05 degrees, Fahrenheit. Con
siderable success was obtained In
growing mushrooms In boxes under
benches In a greenhouse, and under
benches in a basement of the college
buildings.
The beds, spawned Nov. 23, and cov
ered with dirt a week later, produced
the first of the crop Jan. 1, though the
regular pickings did not begin until a
week later. The boxes contained
about 00 square feet of surface and
yield at the rate of 2 pounds of mush
rooms for each square foot.
A word of warning Is Included not
to attempt to grow mushrooms In the
cvllar of a dwelling, as the odors aris
ing from the compost in the beds U
sure to permeate the living apart
ments, despite the best efTorts to pre
vent It
Protecting- the liarneaa.
Every farmer appreciates that the
expense for harnesses and for harness
repairs is considerable during the
year, hence should be pleased at the
suggestion of some plan which will
enable him to keep the harness In goad
condition. A harness should always
be hung up. Here Is a simple plan.
Make three letter T's of stroug but
light lumber and especially making
the cross bar strong. Fasten these to
a Joint In a convenient place with the
cross bar at the bottom. Simply use
the arms on which to hang the differ
ent parts of the harness. If this ar
rangement Is not easy to put In opera
tion, then use hooks fastened to the
ends of stout ropes, but arranging
some way so that the ropes may be
looped back over a hook or nail during
the time they are not In use, so there
will be no danger of any one being
injured by them. The Illustration
shows both plans plainly. They are
entirely practical and the use of either
of them will add greatly to the long
Ufa of the harness. Exchange.
'I l J
i i)
FOB HANU1NO THE HARNESS.
An foal Stall.
When one ia financially able to have
the stalls which combine nil the con
venience they are very desirable, but
the average farmer must put up with
much less. The Ideal stall ha a apace
between feed rnck and gutter of eight
feet and Is five feet w ide. A feed rack
la arranged so that the animal may
get at the hay or roughage easily, yet
not waste a great deal of It. At one
end of the feed rack la a feed box
sufficiently large so that the cow ran
get her mouth to It without striking
her horns. The sides of this stall con
sist of a fence with three wide boards
and runs up four or five feet high, ac
cording to the Ideaa of the owner. Al
the rear there Is stapled to the floor
4
STAI.r. A5D FEED RACK.
a plpce of 2x4 material to keep the
bedding in place and the animal from
stepping back Into the gutter. The
Idea of the fencelike aides Is to Insure
ventilation, and If any two animals are
Inclined to quarrel they can be separ
ated by having an empty stall be
tween or by building up higher the
dividing fence. The Illustration showa
the Idea perfectly.
Value and L'ae of Pomace.
Hatch experiment station has been
experimenting with apple pomace to
determine its value for feeding pur
poses, and the opinion reached Is sum
marized as follows: Apple pomace is
a carbohydrate feed similar to corn
silage. It contains about the same
amount of water, rather less protein
and woody fiber and a larger propor
tion of non-nitrogenous matter. Ex
periments with six sheep have shown
it to be about as digestible as the beat
grades of silage. Experiments with
dairy animals show that twenty to
thirty pounds dally can be fed to dairy
animals with satisfactory results. It
Is not advisable to feed over ten
pounds at first per day, gradually in
creasing until the maximum amount is
reached. Thus fed, danger of a sud
den milk shrinkage, or of animals get
ting "off feed" is avoided. It Is be
lieved that four pounds of pomace
when fed In what has been termed a
"balanced ration" Is equivalent to one
pound of good cow hay, and to
to pounds of well-eared corn
silage.
A Simple Saw Clamp.
This simple saw clamp can be made
by anyone, and does not need any
bolts or screws. The two clamps are
made of 1-lnch boards, 5 or 6 Inches
wide, beveled on top and then dressed
down to nearly an edge at the bottom.
The saw is placed In the clamps In
SIMPLE SAW CLAMP.
your hands, and then inserted In the
beveled slot, and the hammer makes
it perfectly firm and rigid. The frame
can be made to stand on the ground
or floor, or can be made low to place
on work bench.
Boiled Timber.
A new process has been discovered
for warring against white ants, the
pests of the tropical regions. These
termites as they are called destroy
the woodwork of the finest buildings
within six mouths. Their action Is In
sidious, says the London Mall, inas
much as the outwarLunearance of
the wood does not betruyuhe rotten
ness within, and their rawfces, If not
discovered In time, lead tJt the total
collapse of the buildings. $ome time
ago it was suggested experiments
should be carried out by a London
wood-process syndicate. Specimens
were prepared nnd sent out to a num
ber of tropical countries. After a
somewhat protracted trial news has
been received from the Madras presi
dency that the specimens sent there
have successfully resisted the attacks
of the white ants. The process Im
proves, toughens and 6treugthens the
wood. This Is accomplished by boiling
the timber in saccharine solution, and
afterward drying It at a high tempera
ture. A revolution in the export tim
ber trade to tropical countries is prob
able, as in places where termites
abound soft wood will be used Instead
of the more expensive varieties.
Fltfhtluff Weed.
There Is nothing which hold to the
soil with such pertinacity as weeds.
It Is probable that the Egyptians are
to-day fighting the same weeds which
they were trying to exterminate by
the aid of the Israelites when they
were iu bondage. We must always
bear this in mind, that we manure and
cultivate all the weeds we do not de
stroy. Eternal vigilance it the pries
we pay for the extermination ot
weeds.
a