Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1885-11-20
THE FATHER OF A

Iuc lshDOT HbuFeiAus
THE FATHER OF WAITER
WASHINGTON, Nov. 2.-The Mississippi
River Commission reports that the total
cost of bank rcvetment between Cairo and
Vicksburg up to June 80. 1885, has been
S., 240, 900. and of works for contracting
channel 50. 500, 600. A very considerable
portion of the sun expended for bank re-
vetment was designed to give protection to
certain building sites and harbOrs, Mem
phis. NickSburg and others.
The report says it has been claimed that
the caving of banks should be arrested by
works of channel contraction at the wide
places above the point of danger, but claims
that mattress revetmeMt or other equiva-
lent device is necessary from the fact that
the results of channel construction have
proved small. The report says:
The fun measure of approach to uniform
depth attained by these results consists i'll
this: That where there formerly existed, as
between the deep bends and the shallow bars,
a difference ranging from seventy to ninety
feet in depth. there now exists after the i'm.
nrovemcnt Il difference of sixty to. eighty feet
of former conditions. which, although suf-
tlcient for the purposes of navigation. is evil
IDENTITY too small to effect i'll any considerable
degree the cross-currcnts. eddies and tluctua-
tions resulting from constantly varying
depths.
OF the S75, 900 appropriated for the sal
aries and expenses Of the commission for
the last fiscal year there remained on hand
at the end Of the year S2,272. OF
the $4,000 appropriated for surveys
there remained SIG, las. The expenditures
for Improvements from October 1 to
the end of the year were $1,636, $50,
and there remained Oh hand on July j. 1885,
$3S9,91S to meet liabilities and carry on the
work of Improvement. The estimates for
the fiscal year 1886, which were transmitted
to the Secretary of War in July OF 1884, are
repealed. The estimates for 1887 are as
follows:
For continuing surveys of the Mississippi
River between the head of the passes near It's
mouth and its headwa,ers. Sl00,000: for salar-
les and travelling expenses of the commission,
Sl0O,000; for continuing the improvements
from Des Moines Rapids to the mouth of the
Illinois River. S500,0W: from the mouth of the
illinois River to Cairo, Sl90,o0o; IRON Caro- to
the head Of the passes, S5oO,oO; for the i'm
provement of the harbor at Columbus, Ky,
$4,000: ut Hickman, Ky, s27O,op0; at Mem
Phis. $4,000; at Glecnville, Miss, sls6,Ooo; at
TIE UTAH COMMISSION.
WASHINGTON, Nov. 2.-The Utah Com
mission, through its Chairman, Alexander
Ramsey, have submitted to the Secretary of
the Interior their annual report upon the
transactions and proceedings OF the
Commission since November, 1884, the
Nulc VI llclI laSG lcpOIt. Auc IT.
port. states that the usual annual
revision OF the registration lists was
made, and the names OF all polygamists
were stricken out. The point has been
surely reached Where no person living in
polygamy can vote or hold any office. Not
! withstanding this nearly all the officers
chosen at the elections were Mormons, who,
although they do not actually live i'll polyg-
amy, subscribe to the doctrine Of plural
unions.
The Commissioner say there have been
but few polygamouS marriages during the
past year, but that this arises from the en-
forcement of the present law, and not from
any change OF sentiment Oh the part of the
Mormons. Should any weakness be shown
in inforcing the law, the report states that
po)ygamous marriages would be as fire.
quent as ever. The course OF certain po-
lygamists in declaring their intention of
obcying the law in the future has aroused
dencc OF internal dissension and is an en-
couraging sign. The commission urges
that no step backward be taken in
legislation, as it would give great aid to
the church in crushing out this grow
ing spirit of opposition. The report paws
high tribute to the zeal of the present Off
GERS OF the United States Court, and says
that within two years eighty-three indict-
ments have been found for polygamy and
twenty-three convictions, While for
The appointment of All additional
Judge is strongly recommended, as is also
an increase in the pay of the courts
officers. The commission recommends
that all persons who attempt a settlement
or location upon any lands of the United
States be compelled to take oath be.
fore proper authorities that they do
not practice polygamy, and that the
laws with reference to the immigration of
contract labor and Chinese be so amended
as to prohibit the immigration of any per-
sons who claim that their religion teaches
and Justifies polygamy. 1t is claimed that
this would shut off the chief source of sup
ply of the Mormon Church.
THE LABOR BUREAU.
WASHINGTON, Nov. 2.-In his first an
nual report to the Secretary Of the Interior
upon the operations Of the Labor Bureau
since its establishment Commissioner Car
roll d.. Wright begins with a statement of
the organization OF the bureau and a re-
view OF the line of policy outlined for the
conduct OF its investigations. The principal
features of that policy We're: A refusal
to recognize parties; that the bureau
from dependence on organizations, wheth-
er OF workingmen or of employ
crs, and from the support of economic the
cries, individual views, or class interests.
The Commissioner believes that this policy
generally has been approved throughout the
country. The investigations outlined re-
lated to the questions of industrial depres-
sion, involving a study of their character,
their causes. and whether as to duration,
severity. and periodicity they are all alike
i'll great producing countries. Such
an investigation concluded the
question OF influence of depres-
sions on the cost of living, the extent to
which Industries are involved, the cost of
production as influenced by the use OF ma
chinery, and other kindred questions. Be-
tween March II and June 81 twenty special
agents were appointed, and at the close of
the fiscal year fifteen of these agents were
actively employed in the United States
and five in Europe collecting the informal
ton required. The results Of the investi-
cations will be embodied in the first an
nual report of the bureau, which will be
submitted early in the coming year. The
appropriation for the expenses of the bu-
reau for the year ended June 80, 1885, wa
ample for its expenses, and nearly SIS, 900
was covered into the Treasury. In conclu-
cIHn fhn lNs~. N-I