Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1882-02-09
7 HE REPORTER.
Official County Paper.
Grand Rapids, Feb. 9, 80.
THIS PAST WEEKS NEWS AT
WASHINGTON.


presented in the House of representa-
tives during the past week, by the
Wisconsin members, viz:
Hon. /. B. Caswell, of L. E. Stone
and 26 other citizens of Wisconsin for
legislation to regulate the charges for
railroad transportation.
Hon. George G. Hazelton, of E. NJ.
Wright and others, praying that pen
sions be granted to certain disabled
soldiers who served during the rebel
lion.
Hon. Chas. G.. Williams, setting
forth the grievances of employees of
the railway Postal service.
Hon. Peter V. Ducster relating to
the pension claim of Peter Foster.
Hon. Fl. L. Humphrey. of Leonard
Lottridge and others, census super
visors for additional compensation.
On Monday last Mr.. Cobb, of In
diana, introduced bill repeating all
laws granting public lands to certain
railroad companies and to certain
states for the benefit of said railroad
companies, and declaring the right
and interest of said railroad companies
and states in said lands forfeited; and
also declaring said lands to be a part
of the public domain subject to sale
as other public lands at price to be
fixed by the Secretary Of the Interior.
This bill is introduced In the interest
of J. Gould & Co. to prevent i posi-
BILE, the completion of the Northern
Pacific railroad which will give healthy
competition to the present Pacific rail
road, which now have control of the
pacific travel and traffic and where
beyond the influence of competing
lines they charge ten cents mile for
local travel
The United States Government has
been great gamer by the aid given
to the construction Of railroads, by
the rapid Development of the coun-
try which the land grant roads have
opened up to cultivation and homes
for the emigrant. What would be
the condition to-day of the states of
Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa,
Nebraska, Kansas and Texas without
the building of railroads for which the
public lands were donated. There
can be no better use made of the
public lands than to give one half for
the Development and improvement of
the other half, which will in the
future, as 1t has in the past, add so
greatly to the wealth and prosperity
of the country. The building of the
Northern Pacific railroad so far has
opened up and utilized one of the
richest and largest wheat fields on
this continent and it is the vast rich
ness of this heretofore supposed worth
less frozen region. which excites the
Jealousy of other roads and their
determination to cripple it all in their
power. The Northern Pacific railroad
company will eventually make at the
head of Lake Superior, in Wisconsin,
one of the largest cities in the great
Northwest
Yesterday, when the Post Office
appropriation bill was under consider
alton. Hon. Chas. G. Williams made
an earnest, eloquent and stirring ap-
peal for an increase of salary to the
railway post-office clerks showing that
many of them after paying their house
rent and living expenses of their
families they only had ST. per month
for clothing, schooling and other
necessary expenses of their families.
That their pay had been reduced by a
Democratic Congress in order to 90
before the country as having saved a
large expense to the eountryin salaries
to Government Clerks. When the
facts are the salaries paid said Clerks
before the Democratic reduction was
the same as established by a democrat
ic Congress in 1856 when the expen-
ses of living, especially in Washing
ton, was but one-half of what it is
to-day. When were the democrats
ever known to reduce the salaries Of
their particular political friends?
President Arthur sent the name of
George E. Bryant, as postmaster at
Madison yesterday.
In the apportionment bill as pre-
scented by the Committee Wisconsin
has only eight representatives, not
withstanding on the same basis
Illinois has an increase Of members
Wisconsin lacked less, two years ago,
than three thousanS IN optitIo bor to