The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1884-01-17
NOTES FROM WASHINGTON.

NOIES FROM WA0AlN0 VI 4kSNs
senator HEiiPs Public Building BiIF The
Bankruptcy Convention shipbuEiding
Enterests-scnatOr Frye on Coasgres-
sional GrOg shops.
Special to the Press)
WASHINGTON, Jan .s16.
Senator Hills bill providing for the creation
of public building at every point where
there is presidential postmaster is atFac-
ting good deal of attention, and it wouF rot
be surprising to see it adopted. Such large
sans Of money are being paid out every yessE for
rent Of buildings many OF which are unat for
the purpose, and many believe the plan would
be cheapest in the end, and put stop to
very disagreeable feature Of congressional life,
the struggle for public buildings. The cost Of
the enterprise would be probably fifty millions
of dollars, but as that amount would thus be
pretty thoroughly distributed over the eoun-
try among the working people to great ex-
tent it would be by no means lost or thrown
away. The plan would increase the number
OF public buildings about ten fold. There are
now less than two hundred of these buildings
in the country. This scheme would bring the
number up to about two hundred.
The Hot Water Cure.
The rage for hot water drinking has struck
Congress and very hard too. just adjoining
the members lobby of the House is toilet
room with marble fountain in the centre,
which runs both hot and cold water. There
you may see at almost any hour Of the day,
grave lawmakers absorbing steaning goblets
of water hot as can be swallowed, and evident
ly enjoyed.
s'What do they drink it for,'' was asked of
the sable attendant at the fountain
Everything was the reply" from 1ndiges-
tion down to consumption. It's great cure,
can tell you, or at least they thing it is, and
that is all the same"
Glow many of them drink it?"
"About fifty, should think. The number
is getting larger every day."
There are all sorts of excuses given for this
startling use of water as a Congressional
beverage. The most frequent, however, is
that Of indigestion. Many members who have
tried it for considerable length of time ex-
press themselves as satisfied of the value Of
this remedy, and add that they now prefer it
as beverage to the iced water with which
they formerly courted Indigestion and death.
Territories Knocking for Admission.
ber of territories knocking for admission to
the Union as States. Dakota, Arizona, New
Mexico, Washington and Wyoming, all want
to come in, while the other two, Idaho and
Montana, are also looking wistfully this way,
and indications point to an early endeavor by
each of these to be united to the sisterhood of
States. How successful these making the
effort are to be only TIME can tell but the
present indications are not at alf en-
couraging to their ambitions. Probably the
territory of Dakota, if it would stop its sqaab
bling over its internal @ffeizs, asad como up
with united front asking and demandiB 30
admission would come nearer than any of the
territories to getting in.
Bankruptcy Laws.
A convention of business men of the eoun-
try wss held here to-day to urge the
necessity for the adoption of proper bank
ruptcy act by Congress. A large number OF
bills looking to the enactment of such law
have been introduced, and there is pretty
good reason to believe that law Of this kind
will be enacted before the session is ended
The judiciary GONNA ittee of the House has al
ready given the subject some attention, and is
gathering material for proper bill upon the
subject. 81 think We shall get a bill before
the House before the session is very DID, said
ore of the members of the committee, and as
there is a general feeling that there ought to
be bill Of this kind I think we may feel
pretty safe in predicting action upon it. We
have been for years trying to get proper law
of this kind enacted, and hepe we may sue
ceed in it this time.
Eighty-fiye commercial bodies representing
2S States and three national associations were
represented at the meeting to-day, A. B.
Miller, president of the New York Board OF
Trade, called tie convention to order. Com
mittees were appointed and the convention
then adjourned till tomorrow.
Notes.
II is very evident that pleuro-pneumoni in
cattle must ''go'' if this Congress can make
it. Whether the effort will be successful can
only be told later on. A bill for the prevention
of the introduction of this disease will be
pushed through at a very early day. The re-
Gently discovered fact, that many of the cattle
brought into this market are affected with this
disease, and that the average Congressional
steak is liable to be from ccnsumptive COW,
has tendency to awaken proper activity on
this topic.
Miss Nettie Hooper, daughter of the
American Vice Consul at Paris, whose mother,
"Lucy Hooper," is known everywhere, is to
be guest of Mrs. Lander on Capitol Hill
The report that Senator Conkling has lost
heavily on the Northern Pacific, calls to mind
the fact that good many Statesmen with
names not half SO prominent as his have also
had a similar experience. There have been
some pretty deep wounds, and the ticker is not
SO closely watched by statesmen this winter as
twas year ago. On the other hand there have
been some gains. A prominent man here,
once q cabinet officer, said recently in the
hearing of your correspondent that friend
of his had made 5000, 900 on Northern Pacific
by "selling short" before the stock reached the
bottom.