The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1893-11-04
FROM WASHINGTON CITY.

Secretary Lamont received the annual
report Of Brigadicr-Gcncral X. Brookes
commanding the department Of the
Platte, Speaking Of the Indian AZ q
soldier General Brookes says tile
principal difficulty seems 10 be that the
Indians do not speak English.
The Secretary Of the Interior has ap.
proved the decision Of the Assistant
AttOrney-Gcneral that half-breeds who
paid scrip under the act OF 1854 are not
now entitled as "Indians" ~ allotment
! The ease came up under disposition oil
the Sioux lands under the act of 1899.
The Treasury has issued an advance
statement Of the imports and exports
for the first nine months Of the present
year, Value Of imports, sG25, 1856, ,623
exports, 1903, l64, 1873; excess of imports
over exports, $22 22l 40. For the first
nine months Of 1892 the excess Of ex-
ports over imports was $29, ,2O4, 900.
In the case Of the United States
against Bailey and others, involving
twelve timber land cases near Seattle,
Wash. Secretary IIoke Smith reversed
the decision OF the Commissioner Of the
General Land Office, and holds that these
entries were frauduIentIy made for the
purpose OF speculation, and therefore
he directs the entries 10 be Cancelled.
The lands involved are said 10 be very
valuable.
Representative Doolittle OF Washing
ton, has introduced resolution asking
the Secretary OF State for information
regarding the Nicaraguan canal, as TO
the amount OF work done and the ap-
prOxlmate amount OF money expended (.
what steps the government has taken 10
protect the interest of American citizens
and investors in the canal, and the
status Of the Maritime Canal Company
Of Nicaragua.
The Committee on Pacific Railroads, Of
which Senator Brice is Chairman, has
been preparing, since the appointment
OF receivers OF the Union Pacific rail-
road became assured, to undertake an
investigation into the condition OF the
governments security. Senator Brice
has been in consultation with the Attor-
ney-General, and they have procured
the appointment OF George II. Hoadley
as special counsel TO represent the gov
ernment.
Curtis of Kansas introduced a bill to
discontinue the Office of Collector OF
Customs at number OF ports in the
United States. Among the places
specified are: Humboldt, Eureka, Cal. I;
Southern Oregon, Coos Bay, Or, and
Iaquina, Or. The work at these ports
is TO be completed in thirty DAYS and
consolidated with adjoining districts, as
TIE Secretary OF the Treasury may deem
prudent. Curtis says that the receipts
at these points are less than the ex-
penses.
Samuel Blackwell, Third Auditor of
the Treasury, in his annual report
states that during the past year there
has been an enormous increase in the
pension disbursements. The number
OF vouchers paid by the pension agents
has increased year by year from ,226,-
ll9, involving $50, ,906, sol, in 1888, to
1869, ,0O9, involving $l55, OIL 800 9S, in
1893. This is an increase OF 200 per
cent in ten years, while the clerical
force has increased from 40 to GA, 80 per
cent only, in the same period. At the
close OF the fiscal year there were in the
Office unexamined l,2S4,310 pension
vouchers, representing about four
months work.
An important decision has been
rendered by the Secretary Of the Inter-
ior on the appeal of James r. Daniel,
involving the right to purchase certain
forfeited lands in the La Grande district.
He holds that the purchaser is entitled
to purchase technical half section of
such land when so surveyed, irrespec-
tive OF the actual acreage, but if the
land lies in different sections the acreage
must then approximate 320 acres. The
Secretary also decided that lands here
tofore patented to The Dalles Military
Road Company were originally granted
the Northern Pacific Railroad Company,
and that the patents were without
authority. He orders the institution
of proceedings looking to their cancella-
ton.
In the Senate the Finance Committee
presented a report from the Treasury
Department in response TO resolution
for information as to the probability Of
deficiency in the revenues of the gov
ernment. The report shows the deficit
for the first three months of the current
fiscal year is over $21 ,000, 900, or at the
rate OF over $S4, 100000 for the entire
year. 1t shows the usual expenditures
OF the first three months were over $685.
100000 At the same rate the expendi-
lures for the year would aggregate about
1894, 900, 900, or about $2l 900, 900 more
than the estimated expenses, and would
show expenditures over the supposed
actual receipts of over $77 100000. The
Secretary says definite forecast for the
whole year would be impossible, but it
is apparent that should the present
conditions continue, the deficit at the
end of the year will be about $50, ,000,-
900.
Senator Mcpherson, for the Senate
Committee on Coinage, presented a
statement from Secretary Carlisle, show
ing that the estimated receipts of public
revenues submitted to the last Congress
for the present fiscal year was $405, ,000,-
900, not including the postal service,
and the estimated expenditures, also
excluding the postal service, was $307,-
900, 900, showing an estimated excess in
receipts of $32,000,000 for the year.
The estimate shows average monthly
receipts of 1888, 750, 900 and average ex-
penditures of $31, 100000 The actual
receipts so far during the year do not
reach the estimated figures by over
100000 per month. The Secretary
attributed the falling off to the finan-
cial disturbances. He says careful
inspection of the figures will show the
deficiency is due to the falling off in the
revenues and not to an increase in ex-
penditures.