Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1884-05-30
WASHINGTON WARS.

WASHINGTON WAITS.
oeport of tl,c House Committee on Psbtbs
Lands-Decline In Government Donds-
Butler-on Labor-Induetrial ExpssitioA-
Threatening Consul.
WASHINGTON, May ia report he's
been submitted to accompany the bill TO
ported from the House Committee on Public
Lands, providing for the repeal of the Pre-
emptiou and Timber Culture laws, and an
amendment TO the Homestead law. The
committee says: We believe 1t should b
the policy Of the Government to give those
of our citizens who are without homes, such
amount of the public domain as will mako
them comfortable homesteads, where they
enter upon it in good faith, intending to
make 1t Their homes, and cultivate and live
upon the same for fixed period Of time.
and we believe one hundred and sixty acres
should be the maximum under the Pfe-emp-
ton Homestead and Timber Culture laws.
As they now stand one person may become
the owner of four hundred and eighty acres
OF the public domain, one HUNDRED and sixty
acres under each. This Is TOO large an
amount of land, in our opinion, for any one
person to acquire in this manner. We
think the policy Of the Government should
be to furnish as many of its citizens with
comfortable homes as long in the future as
possible, and one hundred and sixty acres is
sufficient for this purpose BY giving them
this amount it will not be many years until
oil our public domain will be taken up.
The Presumption law was passed in 1S41,
the Homestead law in 1862 and the Timber
Culture law in 1879. When the Homestead
law was enacted the Presumption law should
have been repealed. The Timber Culture
law should never have been passed. We
have, therefore, in the substitute, provided
for the repeal of the Presumption and Tim
bee Culture enactments and amended the
Homestead law.
DECLINE IN GOVERNMENT BONDS.
Some establishment is expressed at the
Treasury Department. over the decline in
government securities, and is only accounted
for on the theory that bonds were being
rapidly converted into money to be used In
more profitable investments. Secretary Fol.
ger said he had received no information
from New York on the subject, and was
consequently unable to explain the decline
The fact that only $1,000 worth of called
bonds were offered for redemption in New
York is regarded as an indication that PEG
pie who hold bonds are not in great need OF
money at present. A conference was held
at the Treasury Department as to the best
method of relieving the financial pressure in
New York. In view of the decline in foul
per cent. bonds, it was proposed the Secre
tary authorize the purchase of these bond.
IN open market. 1t was virtually decided tc
pursue this course in case the decline coll
tinueS.
GENERAL BUTLER ON LABOR
General B. +. Butler addressed the Sen
ate Committee on Education and Labor on
the general features of the labor problem
lie asserted that the present difficulties
were due to over-productiOn. We had, he
said. years crop of grain on hand anc
were within three months of another crop
nearly a years crop of cotton was now
stored i'll the warehouses. After referring
to other commodities which were in stock
in excess of current requirements, he said /:
why we have q twenty years supply OF
whisky on hand" He was factiotsly re
minded that this was delicate subject and
admitted that for one who was supposed to
be Presidential candidate it was necessary
to be cautious.
THE INDUSTRIAL EXPOSITION.
The Board of Management of the Worlds
Industrial Exposition elected DIR. G. B
AOliliE, COMMISSIONER VI ASIlCultuTp, az
Chief of the Department of Agriculture
John Eaton, New Hampshire, as Chief OF
the Department of Education and Instruc
ton; Captain James I3. Eads, Special Com
missioner to the Great Britain and London
Exposition. The American Exchange il
Europe, limited, was appointed to act as the
agent for the Exposition i'm Europe, Asia
Africa, Australia, South America and West
India Island for the distribution Of informa
ton and forwarding exhibits.
THREATENING A SPANISH CONSUL.
The Secretary of the Treasury has re
eeiyed a telegram from Special Agent
Hubbs, at Key West saying a mob there
interested in the Cuban Instruction have
publicly announced their purpose of using
personal violence to the Spanish Consul al
that place, and he had offered the Consul
the protection of his house, but the offer
was declined. Secretary Folger telegraphed
the special agent to confer with the naval
authorities at Key West and cooperate with
them in protecting the life and property OF
the Spanish Consul.