, 1880-03-14
THE HON. A. B. CASWELL.

The Tax on Paper.
There was at the Grand Pacific yesterday the
Hon. l.. 3. Caswell, member of Congress from
the Second tMadison) Wisconsin District The
gentleman took brief run to his home to at
tend to imperative private business, aud left for
Washington last evening. Mr.. Caswell fs serv-
ing bis third term, and Is apt to be returned
again, though he Is not O candidate for Teelec-
ton. 4 TRIBUNE reporter. ran across the gen
tlemnn last evening and had conversation with
him, of which the following are the salient
points. The reporter asked:
"What Is the status of the BILL removing the
tar on paper and the chemicals that enter into
its manufacturer"
"Thcre has been nothing done about it yet,
and nm sorry for it. The bill seems to le dor
1nant in the Committee nf Ways md Means.
There has new opposition grown NV up agninst III
ufacturers Claim that the removal of the duty
on soda-ash will injure them. as this Is used IN
the manufacture Of cloth. There IS a dsposl-
relieve knowledge Of Its onerous tax There IS
nn opposition to tampering with tho tnrtn BY
i.' tie ieiay. Ii Il the W Ways VS. and Mea1s Committee
would report the bill have no. doubt that 1T
would pass, as there is q. disposition to do away
. the peos Ppef %ho Sae M @
rnittoe." ,s,
"Id Be glad to vote for it, and believe our
whole delegation would favor it..
"WhatAro the prospects for
GENERAL LEGISLATION
by tha present Congress?"
the Democrats to go mighty slow. They are
afraid to step out for fear that they will stumble
Tesn @ ns tSeS are ] Gsi a o
time of doing something that may in1ure them
in the next Presidential campaign. think that
the e T. Of ha the Ra M rT Ss Saond
they go into general legislation they Will start
fight at once, and, OF course, got scorched as
: The Republicans are anxious that something
shall be done, are they not:'
'.Of course the Republicans IN the House are
ready at nll times to take hand IN general leg~
report They are anxious 10 get up the weaver
BILL proposing to equaltze the pay OF soldiers on
gold basis That 6ll Is s. sham. m IL Is NE
ou it. but Speaker Randall won't give Weaver a
he ns + f hs ees
against it. but It is not 50 with the other
side, and hence Randalls anxiety to prevent
record Of the vte II f5s Sin Ply snoq a nf
Then We would also have to equni!ze the pension
payroll and put It on gold basis. 1t is the
enlisted in our armies never enlisted for the pay
They sacrificed everything to lore Of country,
and the Nation has done what it could Justly to
repay I19U 1bT 1uAL HclflE&. AA 1A AA' " ~
the soldier, and always ready to help him. but
the Weaver bill is ouly intended as capital for
the Grecnback party, which Is now, fortunately,
boeathing its last
81 believe you are on
THE COMMITTEE ON PENSIONS.
Why IS there so much delay in the auditing Of
claims?'
'Til explain that to you briefly. When the
Committee on Pensions WIS orgaulzed, tt Wns
under the impression that there was something
wrong in the Pension Bureau,-that there vas
fneIIicienoy and wrong doing somewhere N the
off1ce, But some OF the Committee, and | be-
lieye the majority. have become convinced tnae
the Office Is well conducted The business mas
been simply immense the past year. one
h,,ndred thousand new applica lions were re-
ceIyed, and M3,m0 pension claims are now
pcnding They ARE coming in at the rate
Of l0,0m applications per month. Inere we're
1900 cases settled during the last year The
mail receipts consisted Of over s00,oo packages,
and UPWARDS OF 600,0N packages were cent OUT
In l6I6 and - there were only from su0u 70 ~
600 applications received against iu9,UU as tae
present time. and this accounts for tho delay,
and claimants must rest easy, as thero Is MOI
force in the Office sufficient TO cope W1tn I'M. lnis
vast volume OF business. Considering me toreo
employed, they arc doing well in the Pension
Office. and cannot, ut present, do better
"HoW Is your district on
PRESIDENTIAL SOMIEAT10NsT'
II think that my people in Wisconsin incline
towards Blaine. That is the sentlnene tnaI
seerns to prevail, or did some time ago. bnl
am not so well posted now. ,,,
1Who do the Democrats seem to fayor?'
1.-THE Democrats In Wisconsin don't seem to