Washington Correspondence

Special Capítol News Co. Corresponüuuce. Washington, D. C, May 2, 181H. The treasury department has just given its approval to a bilí now pending in the house, that Congressman Richardson believes should be amended in at least one item, if it is to pass. There are in the country thirty-nine customs districts in which the annual expenses to the government are far in excess of the receipts for customs, and the bill proposes to abolish all those districts and consolídate them with those nearest by. Among the districts thus proposed to be wiped out is Grand Haven., and to prevent this wiping out, so far as that city is concerned, is the task Mr. Richardson has undertaken, and which he feels quite confident he can accomplish. The figures at the treasury department show that during the fiscal year of 1893 the total receipts of the thirty-nine offices was only $5,097, while the expences of running them fóoted up to the snug sum of $60,601. The expenses at Grand Haven were about $5,000 and the receipts only about $200, so the cost of collecting each dollar was something over $2K. The recent establishment of an extensive plate glass works and several other large factories and industries, has so far increased the imports at that port that during the nine months of the present fiscal year, the receipts have been onehalf as great as the expenditures. Mr. Richardson feels confident from this showing that the district will soon be self-sustaining and should not be abolished. Assistant Secretary of the Treasury Hamlin assures Mr. Richardson that when he recommended the passage of the bilí he did not know all the facts, and that he will go over the papers as now presented to him, and if he finds he was wrong as to Grand Haven, will see to it that the bill is amended so as to leave that district as it now stands. Congressman Griffin has studied out a scheme by which he believes the civil service law can be made rauch more practical than it is at present. He thinks the departments should be filled with clerks as the cadets are appointed to the military and naval academies. He would have a certain number of places in the departments assigned to each district, and whenever the quota feil short he would have the congressman notified of that fact. Then the member could select someone to take the vacancy. This plan, he thinks would do away with much cumbersome machinery, would afford congressmen an opportunity of knowing iust how much patronage they might expect to control, would save a great deal of annoyance now consequent upon the search for office, and would in every way be a desirable reform. Whether or not Mr. Griffin is really serious enough to make the attempt to amend the law according to bis ideas, time alone will teil. He is hardly likely to succeed, however, if he tries. Mr. Burrows had a narrow escape from serious injury, if not instant death, a few days ago. He jumped from a cable car while in motion, and his foot caught in the car step, throwing him headlong to the pavement. He marvelously escaped with only a slight bruise to his right arm and shoulder. Congressman Linton has accepted an invitation from a G. A. R. post at Richmond, Va., to speak in that city on decoration day. Dr. Thomas has also promised to make a speech on the same day at Hastings, one of the live little cities up in his district. Hotel Lafayette, Lake Minnetonka, Minn., opens June 30, under the management of Capt. E. V. Holcombe, who has been in charge of this magnificent hostelry for several years past. The season of the Lafayette promises to be unusually brilliant this year. '