Show DOINGS 1 washington A very interesting bit of unusual summer gossip concerning changes in the personnel of the supreme court of the united states connects the name of james S harlan member of the interstate commerce commission with an asso date la succession to his distinguished father john marshall harlan who has been on the supreme bench since 1877 and who recently celebrated his seventy sixth birthday it would occasion no surprise should one or two changes in the per bonnel of the highest federal tribunal take place at the beginning of the tall term chief justice fuller now in his seventy seventh year and associate justice harlan have been credited with retirement inclinations at various times for some years past it became evident however after much talk of this character that there would be no retirements from the supreme bench during the roosevelt administration and latterly it has been said that neither the chief jus alce nor justice harlan was disposed to relax the labors which are so con genial to them but with mr tatt in the office of appointive power many we inclined to believe there Is a probability of a change of mind at fectea also by other developments president taft himself a former federal judge aaa in the same circuit from which justice harlan was appointed to the supreme bench and there doubtless Is what may be termed a bond of judicial interest between them it Is felt that ju distinction be bestowed upon jamea 8 harlan who has inherited the judicial temperament the honor would be something peculiarly appreciated by both father and son tor obvious reasons aside from the general considerations pertaining to a supreme court appointment that conditions have arisen which may cause justice to decide to take up duties in the service of the presbyterian church which would be possible only through his retirement from the bench Is part of tha latest gossip james S harlan it appointed to the supreme bench would take to that body expert knowl edge of interstate commerce matters which will more and more occupy the attention of the court the late gossip also connects chief justice fullers name with revived plans to make an international trial court out of the hague tribunal which Is said to be an aim of dent taft should matters eventuate as gossip suggests illinois still would have a representative in the highest court of the land and the way still be open to fill another vacancy from the circuit of which ohio and kentucky the latter the state from which justice was appointed 32 years ago form a part diplomatic sinecures Sine cures to be abolished HEREAFTER there will be no pure ly ornamental places in the foreign 0 the united states while this cannot be said to be new policy it is the declared intention of the present administration and especially of the state department that there shall be no deviation from it this rule will not be made to apply only to the diplomatic service but to the consular offices of the united states from the highest to the lowest in years past there have been many complaints that the consular service of the united states was gen brally speaking inefficient and of a much lower grade than that of many foreign countries having re presenta lives in the united states the state department officials themselves in previous years have acknowledged this and while the service has im proved of late it has not made the rapid advance that Is noticeable in the service of some of our foreign trade competitors at present this government has in foreign countries consuls and con general with a large number of vice and deputy consuls interpreters etc making a total of about 1200 and it la the expressed determination of the state department to elevate the service in every possible way A working familiarity with the subjects with which they will have to deal la demanded to a greater extent than ever before it Is the purpose of the state depart ment to unify the work of the diplo marlc and consular services in the in terest of greater efficiency for many years it has been a matter of regret to the government that so many na alve foreigners occupy subordinate positions in our consular service as deputies and clerks this however has been largely a matter of inadequate compensation but the policy from now on will be to substitute americans for foreigners wherever it Is possible to do so and considerable progress has already been made in this direction within a comparatively short amo the percentage of foreigners in our consular service has been reduced from per cent to per cent and the percentage of americana in that service has been increased from 63 9 to per cent these percentages however apply only to clerk ships p a year or less but the work of weeding out foreigners will continue as long as americans of the requisite capacity can be obtained to fill the places value of tariff menagerie imports t ru r t tariff menagerie a term used THE by congressional humorists to dea ignate a miscellaneous assortment of articles of import threatens to be an issue between the united states bu reau of statistics and the tunny men of the senate and house in wash ington the management ot the bu reau which keeps an accurate account ot every article imported its name value and the duty paid la per because some of the articles in the menagerie list have been made the basis of many jests by the con gressmen who see abo humorous side of the thing in a statement issued recently the bureau maintains that these articles which have a lecog value illustrate the scope ot the i commerce ot tha united states and present some ominous facts for instance reference la made to dial leeches rose leaves dragons blood palladium musk birds wild animals and cabras cobras the value of the imports of the last decade of which la used tor tanning purposes Is at in the same period the value of leech es brought in was rose leaves and largely used in the manufacture of gum during the year 1908 am exceeded SO while the quantity of palladium a rare metal used in the manufacture of astron instruments and by dentists represented a value of r pains have been taken to explain that dragons blood Is really not drag ons blood at all but a mere name for a deep reddish resinous substance ob talked from a variety of trees in the 1 orient and used extensively as an in gred lent n varnishes stains and for ij making etchings on copper and zinc the value of the importations of this C article during the last la t placed at 60 old sea dogs are learning new tricks T SOLITARY horseman rode rapidly A down the street a good many times in washington the other day he waa a solitary horseman because be was not particularly anxious to bae any ono ride with him he could sill a mano war maybac aad brave the perils of the balmy deep but hla horsemanship vae scarcely at par the solitary horseman was a cem officer ance juaa bavy OB july 4 tb der by yawl adt that UM baem should ride 90 miles on horseback in three consecutive days walk BO miles in the same length of time or ride miles on a bicycle in three conseco alve daya became effective the ar der was issued january 4 last but the president gave the officers several months in which to for tha tests president taft has been ached to rescind the order but he has agreed with bla predecessor that tha testa would be ot benefit to the navy A large number 0 ensigns ants lieutenant commanders captains and read stationed la and about washington have bean the the state war and avy building Is the usual starting point the younger men are tb horseback teat but uw olda baw to tt IB to keefa aa old dag adf drieke t |