Omaha Daily Bee Newspaper, July 13, 1902, Page 27

Sp— HE athletic girl must look to her laurels this scason, for the lan- guishing girl is coming back, they say. The frivolous, dainty, truly femimine creature that once turned men's heads and diverted because of their contrast to everything vigorously masculine, threatens a new invasion, and the athletic girl dies hard, therefore, a rather composite type. The vanity of the athletic girl has stood a strenuous cam- paign and she has shown no end of pluck in a brave display of yellow-brown arms and freckled nose and hair tanned in streaks It was hard for the girl of last sea- son's victories to make innovations until ping pong furnished a practical reason, and that has become the excuse for a dozen new and fascinating little extravagances. Being a drawing room game, the drawing room girl is having somé glorious innings, with the graceful long skirts, smart shoes and stockings and other accessories of an un- usually elaborate fashion year. She was never seen to better advantage, this indoor athletic girl, with her skirts Vast N ESTIMATING the national debt of the United States considera- tion is never given to a large volume of floating indebtedness, the sum total of which runs into millions of dollars. The government owes this money to its citizens and many of these debts date back to the foundation of the government. The United States is an elu- sive debtor, relates the Washington Star, and it has often been said that if the gov- 'nment were an individual and conducted 1s Lus.ness as it does as a government it woull soon get into the penitentiary. Ciaims against the government are pro- ve.bially hard to collect. The United States cannot be sued under the ordinary furws of law for the coliection of an ac- count against it, and the machinery for such collection through legislative channels 18 so complicated that vexatious delays are inevitable., The number of claimants who have ac- counts against the United States and who are seeking relief through legislation and who have bills before the Fifty-seventh congress exceed those of any prior com- gress since the close of the civil war. Over 1,100 bills have been presented in the senate and referred to the commit- tee on claims for action. An equally large number, most of them, of course, being duplicates of the senate bills, have been introduced in the house. These bills em- body the claims of several thousand In- dividuals, the claims of nearly every state in the union, the claims of a large number of schools and churches, and of many cor- porations, and aggregate in amount over $13,000,000. These claims are classified by the claims committee into seven classes, as follows: State claims, French spoilation clalms, churches and schools, personal in- jury claims, claims under Bowman and other acts, Selfridge board findings and miscel aneous claims, Bill Defore Congiess, This $13,000,000 represents only those claime which have been put into the form of bills and presented to congress for con- sideration. The clalm growing out of the recent war with Spain, the Chilean war claims and others not yet before congress represent an additional alleged indebtedness of the United States amounting to probably $26,000,000. It is probable, therefore, that the United States has a floating indebted- The A thletic Summer Girl of 1902 THE PING PONG GIRL. held tight in one hand while she plays with the other. If she is wise she will pay particular attention to the frills on the bottom of her frock and petticoats, for they will show and be very dainty and chic on the reverse. Her shoes are the newest things in patent leather, her stock- ings are as fine as real lace, with her ini- tials or monogram worked in silk, beads and even hand painted. If she plays in one of the public rooms, she wears a hat, and then she suggests in the poise and swing of her body a well rigged ship under full sail. The most fashionable women in New York are wearing charming frocks at ping pong, and Mr. William C. Whitney, who was among the first to have private ping pong outfits for both his town and his country house, manages to have some mar- velously gowned »omen among the guests at his parties. Mrs, Mackay, Mrs. O. H. P. Belmont and Mrs. Stuyvesant Fish are devotees and each has a room in her house fitted up for the game. The golf girl is still on the tapis and threatens to go on forever. Her playing is more scientific than ever. She is much THE GOLF GIRL. more in earnest than ever as to both game and costume, and there is not a particle of nonsense about her. Her costume is al- ways a short skirt, shirt waist and belt, low-heeled calf or canvas shoes, and when she has a hat cn her head, which is sel- dom, it is a salor one of the many severe Alpine shapes. But there is a chance for the most ultra little touches about the costume. Shoes must be as mannish as possible, every other sort looks absurd. Stockings are a very important item, and very ex- treme styles may be worn becomingly that would be out of place for any other occa- sion. Clocks and stripes make the smart- est and are most becoming to pretty ankles. Some women wear heavy linen in white or natural shades, duck or pique skirts for the hot weather, but it is con- sidered very good style to wear Scotch homespun or tweed, and soft white Oxford or gingham stocks are the thing, and should be fastened with a pin in some sporting design. There is every chance for the newest thing in belts and buckles and buttons, and the very severity of the costume 1iakes it imperative that every THE RIDING GIRL. . detail should be absolutely correct. The driving girl always has the whip hand literally, punning aside, and she has no better chance to show to advantage tailor made togs, chic coats and hats than on the seat of a trap, with the reins in her own hand. There is the greatest possible contrast between her polse and that of the girl who doesn’t appreciate the little tricks that do it all. The driving girl sits with her knees close together, with her skirts pulled smooth from under, forming a fan of folds at one side, and with the toes of two patent leather boots or colonial shoes peeping from just beneath the hem of her gown. She keeps her elbows tight against her body and holds the reins in one hand straight in front of her, on a line almost level with her chin. Long, half- fitting coats in cloth, black, mode, tan or gray, are the regulation driving wraps for cocl days, and a model shown in the photo- graph is one of the best seen this season and the wearer tastefully supplements it by a stock of white eilk, a horseshoe pin and her favorite hat is a brim shape made in corn flowers. The girl who rides well is always the belle of the avenue in every age and gen- eration and she is having a greater vogue this season than she has enjoyed in twenty years. She no longer rides mod- estly and shyly, but gallops through the park with an escort or groom or other women friends, and makes the soft eques- trian roads interesting at almost every hour of the day. The best style woman wears black riding habits and provide white or twine colored linen for the country, pro- vided the country does not mean Newport or some equally cosmopolitan place. The light mode shades, especially the old standby, coachman's drab, make beautiful and most becoming habits and one oc- casionally sees one in blue or brown cloth, Since the derby was discarded at the end of the spring weather, the sailor hat is the only style seen on horseback and it has two advantages, that of comfort and of giving a woman a very youthful appearance. An elastic band fastens it on and is worn showing plainly about the hair that is braided and coiled at the back of the head. Sums Due Citizens from the General Government ness not yet adjudicated and some of it of doubtful legality, amounting to nearly $00,~ 000,000. In the business of a private cor- poration the floating debt is aiways in- cluded in a statement of liabilities, but not so with the United States. It is also true that in the case of an individual or corpora- tion the floating debt causes the most trouble and is the liability which generally leads to bankruptcy. The United States government, however, takes into account its bonded debt only and lets its creditors do the worrying over the floating debt. The greater number of claims and amount c¢f money claimed, to which the attention of congress has been called, come under the classification of the Bowman and other acts. These are claims for use of stores and sup- plies, the occupation and destruction of property and other obligations incurred by the government during the civil war and not immediately paid for by the army of the United States. The claimants are mainly residents of the southern states, and much of the testimony introduced In their support is for the purpose of proving the loyalty of the claimants to the govern- ment at the time the property and stores were taken. War Ciaims, The history of legislation under which claims for property and stores taken by the government during the civil war are and have been collected is of interest. The supreme court of the United States decided in 1862 that the war began with the presi- dent's proclamation of blockade, April 27, 1861, consequently all claims growing out of the war have been incurred since that date. Under act of congress approved July 4, 1864, claims of loyal citizens for stores furnished the army were referred to the quartermaster general and the commissary general of the army for adjustment. Under this act 58,283 claims, aggregating $40,135,- 160.556, were filed. Of there 19,635 were ap- proved and pald, the amount being $6,010,~ 745.33. There were disallowed $6,832,038.64 and left unadjudicated 38,647 claims, amounting to over $27,000,000. Under the Bowman and Tacker Aects, It was found that the quariermaster gen- eral and the commissary general had not the proper facilities to properly adjudicate the great number of claims presented, and on March 3, 1871, congress created a com- missicrn, kn: wn as the southern war claims commission, which was given powers of in- vestigation, and was required to report its findings to congress. In all claims for stores, supplies, etc., not exceeding $10,000 testimony was taken by agents of the com- mission in the state where the claimant resided; in claims over that amount the claimant was required to come to Washing- ton to testify orally before the commission. Thise commission disposed of many of the claims which it inherited from the War de- partment, but its term expired by limita- tion on March 10, 1880. On March 3, 1882, congress passed what is known as the Bow- man act, providing that when any claim or matter is pending before either house of congress or any committee which involves the investigation or determination of facts. the same may be transmitted to the court of claimse for hearing. The court construed this act in such a manner as to prevent the consideration of certain claims for rent, use and occupation of schools, churches and other buildings, and on March 3, 1887, an act was approved, known as the Tucker act, which broadened the Bowman act and gave the court of claims jurisdiction to investi- gate any claim which might be referred to it by congress. It is under the Tucker act that most of the bills introduced in con- gress for claims are now adjudicated. In- cluded among them are the claims for churches and schools. The total amount of these claims authorized to be paid by congress since the war is $214,628.59. The claims still pending aggregate over $100,000 and are mainly for rent and damage to property occcupied by troops during the war. Claims aggregating upward of $500,- 000 have been disallowed by various con- gresses since the war, and undoubtedly many of the claims now pending will be re- jected. Some of the larger allowances since the war have been: Willlam and Mary college, Virginia, $64,000; Kentucky university, Lexington, Ky., $25,000; Roman Catholic church at Chattanooga, $18,729.09; Episcopal eeminary, Alexsndria, Va., $20,- 000; Washington college, Lexington, Va., $17,484. State Claims. The claims of various states against the general government aggregate $9,000,000. These Include advances and expenditures made by various states and the city of Bal- timore in the war of 1812 with Great Britain, these claims amounting to $309,- 499.37; claim of the state of Florida for sup- pressing the Seminole Indian outbreaks, amounting to $716,667.156; the Nevada s.ate claim, amounting to $468,003.99, for moneys advanced in aiding in the suppression of the rebellion in the civil war; clalm of the state of Wyoming for protecting the Yel- lowstone Natlonal park, $7,000. The re- mainder of the state claims are for furnish- ing troops to the general government in aiding in suppressing the rebellion. The French spoliation claims, which ag- gregate $1,000,000, are claims against the government for losses incurred through the depredations of French privateers in 1800. Under the acts of March 2, 1891, and March 8, 1899, French epoliation claims are not payable if held by assignment or by insur- ance companies. Of the claims now pend- ing over three-fifths are owned by insur- ance companies, The French spoliation claims properly payable by the government amount to upward of 85004(:004 The Selfridge Board. Claims under the Selfridge board findings are for accounts against the government of bullders of naval vessels during the civil war. Changes in contracts on the part of the government, the rapid rise in cost of material and rates of labor during the war caused many contractors to lose heavily in carrying out their contracts with the gov- ernment in constructing war vessels. Under act of March 9, 1865, congress created the Selfridge board, coneisting of Thomas O. Selfridge, chief engineer, United States navy, and other officers, with power to in- vestigate the claims of the contractors and determine the amounts, if any, properly due them. The findings of this board, still unsettled by congress, aggregate $900,000. The personal Injury claims are few in number and amount to but $18,000. These claims arcose from Injury and death of per- sons in the government employ where death or injury was caused by the carelsssness of other employes. The miscellaneous claims against the gov- ernment aggregate $1,600,000 and are for every varlety of cause imaginable. They include a large number of claims for reve- nue taxes fillegally ccllected from owners of private dies by the revenue bureau, these claims aggregating $153,5626.37. A large claim included in this classification is that of Smithmeyer & Pelz, the architects of the Library of Congress building, the amount being $111,200. It will be noticed that the greater part of the claims against the United States are of long standing. Many date back to the earlier wars of the country, and many are the inheritance of the civil war. The individual claims also are most of them ancient. That the government is slow in settling these claims is not the fault of the claims committees of the house and senate, but the fault must be lald at the door of congress itself. Every session the claims committees pass upon hundreds of bills referred to them only to have their labors unheeded by congress. During President Cleveland's administration con- gress included several million dollars in the general deficlency bill for the payment of claims, but the president vetoed the bill. Since that time the procedure has been to include meritorious clalms in a general measure called an ‘“omnibus bill,” and under this method a large number of claims have been adjusted and paid. The first om- nibus bill was passed by the Fifty-fifth congress and carried appropriations aggre- gating $3,146,143.97. In the Fifty-sixth congress the house passed an omnibus blll carrying an appropriation of $2,989,008.63. The bill was amended by the senate, but failed to pass that bcdy, being shut out by the time given to the consideration of the river and harbor bill, which failed to pass after a memorable all-night speech against it on the closing day of the session delivered by Senator Carter of Montana. The claims committees of the senate and house are now engaged in framing an om- nibus bill which will include all the meri- torious claims before congress, which have been adjudicated by the court of claims and the various boards created with power tc pass upon claims. If congress will view with favor the efforts of the committees to clear up the indebtedness of the gov- ernment in these particulars the govern- ment will stand better in the estimation of a large number of its creditors than at present. It is the intention, it is stated, of the clailms committees of the present congress to eliminate all of the bills which are with-, cut merit and to include in the omnibus bill now prepared all claims which should be paid by congress.