The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1893-09-07
Wants to Establish a College Of
Scientific Learning"
CALLS FOR A TRIFLE OF $SO0,000.
senator Allison Wants to Refund Money
to Various States for Expenses In
Cured During tho War-Ways and
Means Committee Hearings.

WASHINGTON, Sep. 7.-Although the late
war has been part of the history of the
country now for upwards of 80 years, all
the bills incurred by the States are not yet
settled and every Congress sees some prop
osition introduced ON the subject. The
most recent bill OF this character was Of
fered ia the Senate yesterday by Mr.. ALI
son of Iowa, and authorizes the Secre-
tary of the Tr easury to audit and report
to Congress the costs, charges and expenses
properly incurred by any State, for en-
rolling, subsisting clothing, arming,
equipping, paying, transporting, etc., its
troops. commissioned or enlisted for the
purpose of aiding In repressing the late
insurrection against the United States. A
similar bill passed the first session of the
Goth Congress, and at that time the third
auditor Of the Treasury in his written
opinion on the proposed measure, said
that "such expenses as the United States
would have incurred had the secretary Of
war raised the troops direct should be
reimbursed to the States and this bill
provides for the reimbursement Of
this class OF claims. The committee there
upon recommended the passage Of the bill
and it was favorably acted upon. 1t is
probable that the measure now before the
Senate will pass that body, but whether it
will get further is doubtful. Mr.. Allison
also introduced bill to refund to the State
of Iowa $16, 399, the amount paid by the
State to the non commissioned officers and
enlisted men of the Second and Third reg
iments OF Iowa infantry for the purchase
of gray uniforms which were afterwards
discarded by the government and the men
required to purchase blue uniforms in
their stead.
Brief mention has been made of Mr..
PETERS latest bill, but brief mention can
hardly do justice to that remarkable pro-
duction.
It's title is: "a bill to advance Learning
the Arts and Sciences, and promote the
General Welfare by founding College Of
Scientific Learning in the District OF Co
lumbia" The bill consists Of 10 sections.
The first provides for department of edu-
cation, under the control of Secretary of
Education. The second provides for the
construction within three years in the Dis
trict of Columbia of a college Of scientific
learning in which shall be taught all the
classical and professional studies,
and arts and sciences, necessary to
give students knowledge of the highest
courses appertaining to such education and
learning Another section appropriates
$50, ,000, 600 for the cost Of constructing
the college and providing it with the neces-
sary appliances. The eighth section ap-
propriates $500, ZOO, 600 TO be carried to the
credit OF the fund-the interest thereof to
be applied menthly. The fourteenth sec
ton provides for the purchaseof aluminium
for coinage of the currency to tho amount
of the appropriation. The coins are to be
1, 8, 10, 20 and 80 cents, and /, 3, 10,
90 land multiples of 20) dollars This
currency is to be the legal tender for all
debts, public and private.
The hearing before the Ways and Means
committee was opened by w. q. Witcomb,
president of the Witcomb Metallic Bed
stead Company of Birmingham, Conn.
Before entering upon the manufacture OF
bedsteads he had been an importer of these
articles. The industry, which was started
three years ago with an investment of
$16O, 900 in buildings and plant, had as
vet yielded no profits. 1t was just getting
on its feet. He asked that no change be
made in the present tariff, which was con-
sidered fair, and was necessary to enable
them to compete with the foreign manu-
facturers. The workmen here received
tnTtt VI kOuT os huSh ih WaSTc 40
those abroad. The manufacture of these
goods here had proved decided
advantage to the consumer. The price had
been reduced and goods that sold for 81. so
or So when imported were now being made
here and sold for So. The domestic goods
were also superior.
Mr.. Bynum asked what his company
would do il the duty was taken off and
the wages now paid here continued
Mr.. Witcomb replied that they would
probably have to go out Of business. 1t
was his opinion that il the industry here
was destroyed the prices of the imported
goods would go back to what they were be-
fore domestic factories were started.
A. j. Toomey, member OF the New
Produce Exchange, and manufacturer OF
high grade macaroni, advocated the reten-
tion of the present duty Of two cents n pound
on imported macaroni. He based his request
on the difference in wages in the United
States and Italy. In his factory sixteen
men received $3.50 in a week an average
of $40 a week esch--and twenty-five girls
received $9S--an average Of about $4. so
each per week.
Since the manufacture of the domestic
macaroni had been begun the price of the
imported article has been reduced. IL the
tariff was removed he did not think the
American manufacturers could exist and
II they did, they would certainly have to
reduce wages