The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1893-11-18
FROM WASHINGTON CITY.

Postmaster-Gcncral Bissell has trans
mittcd 10 the Secretary 0f the Treasur,
estimates for the Post0liice Department
for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1895
The total amount II 0O,3J0, ,485, 81
against $S4 ,004,3l4 for the present fsca
year.
Advices received at the Treasury De
partmcnt state that the United States
immigration arrangement with Canada
for inspecting immigrants at Quebec il
working most satisfactorily. Every con
venience and courtesy has been extended
10 the United States officials. The class
Of immigrants is said to be improving
Brigadier. General D. W. FlagIer, chic
Of ordinance, has made his annual report
TO Secretary Lamont. II shows the
amount Of expenditures during the fsca
year 1893 was $3,702,2 202. Among the
first matters treated in the report is that
relating to the inadcquacy Of the gen.
craI appropriation for armng and equip.
ping the militia OF the United States.
Secretary Herbert says that there il
no truth whatever in the report that
Brazil has been actively negotiating
with the United States for the purchase
OF the new United States war ships
Machias, Montgomery and Marblehead
that the Navy Department is utterly
without power to sell the vessels, for
only Congress could do that. No nego-
tiatons TO that end are pending.
Senator Butler has introduced a bill
which has for its object the establish
mcnt OF a government system Of tele-
graph lines. The bill directs the organ
izatOn Of a board, to consist OF the Sec
rctary OF State, the Secretary Of War
and the POstmaster-General, who are
directed TO arrange system OF trunk
line telegraphy connecting the various
sections Of the country with the city oi
! Washington, with connections along
these lines at such cities as shall best
serve the public good. The system is to
be carried on as part OF the postal sys-
| tenn OF the country, and discrimination
IN rates il prohibited, except that less
rate is allowed for press messages than
for current business. The carrying on
OF the telegraph business by individuals
or corporations is not prohibited. The
bill il voluminous, and deals largely
with the details OF how the lines shall
be constructed. An appropriation OF
50 900, 600 is made to begin the work.
The Chinese extension bill, as it goes
to the President for his signature, re-
| quires all Chinese laborers in the United
States, entitled TO remain before it's
passage, to secure their certificates OF
residence within six months Of the time
| fixed by the Geary act. Cinnamon fail
ing to register within six months shall
be deported under the former act, except
| that the requirement OF a white witness
is removed. All proceedings for viola
| tions Of the Geary act az originally en-
acted, except as to criminals, are sus-
pended. The word "laborers in the
act is construed to mean skilled and un-
skilled manual laborers, and the term
merchant" is defined to mean per-
son engaged in buying and selling mer-
chandise at a fixed place of business,
carried on under his name. 1t is pro-
vided that the certificate shall contain
the photograph OF the applicant, to-
gether with his name, his local residence
and his occupation.
The House Committee on Territories
| has been busy several weeks perfeCting
a bill for the admission of Utah. Though
the administration has not wished to see
| the admission OF the Territories pressed
just now, the fact that the men who viii!
come to the Senate and House from all
| the proposed new States would be silver
men has caused the promoters OF the
Statehood movement to pause. In order
to get around any such difficulty as this
Delegate Joseph of New Mexico has pro-
posed to have the bill admitting his Ter
ritOry changed SO that admission will
not become operative until 1895. For
Utah, Arizona and New Mexico it is pro-
posed TO grant them double the amount
OF land granted the last Territories to be
admitted. The reason for this is there
were grants made for the purpose OF es-
tablishing fund for various institutions,
and it is claimed the lands which the
three Territories now knocking at the
door will receive are mostly, if not en-
tirely, arid and fit for nothing until they
have been made valuable by a costly
system OF irrigation, The last six States
admitted received as grants for various
State institutions about 100000 acres Of
land each. The three Territories asking
for admission think they will need at
least 100000 acres.
Representative Hermann has been in
consultation with the Postoffice Depart
ment rs to numerous applications from
his State for contracts to carry the
United States mails for the next four
years and for the addition OF many
routes not included in the published
proposals. In the course of the inter
view Mr.. Hermann represented to the
department how in his State many con-
tractors have heretofore bid so low for
the mail service as to be rendered unable
to comply with the law, and as result
the people have received wretched mail
convenience. He stated to the depart
ment officials that should such low bids
again be accepted he proposes to see that
the contract shall be complied with both
as to the manner as well as the time con-
tracted for. He says the people also
complain that contractors sublet at such
low rates as to compel persons to use ill
fed, overworked and unsuitable horses
and also cheap and exposed conveyances
and are unable to deliver the mails on
schedule time or in protected condition.
He believes that the law should be fear
lessly enforced in all cases of fine or
otherwise, and that postmasters should
be directed 10 report every violation or
failure of schedule, and they should be
investigated in any case where they
should fail to make report. He thinks,
if the law were more generally enforced,
reckless and improbable bidding for
mail contracts would cease.