Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-12-07
CAPITOL TOPICS.
To Protect Forest Re.erv.,,o,

A number OF the western members of
Congress, including Messrs. Cofreen of
wyoming, Picker of South Dakota, Her.
man and Ellis Of Oregon. Doolittle and
wilson of Washington, McRae of Arkan-
sas, Caminetu of California, Hartman of
Montana, Hall of Minnesota and Wells and
Lynch of Wisconsin, have agreed upon a
series OF amendments to the bill to protect
forest reservations, to be offered to the
bill when II Is called up. The amendments
provide that for the sole purpose of pre-
serving the living and growing timber on
the forest reservations the Secretary of
the Interior may eliminate therefrom SO
much only of the dead or matured trees
thereon as may be necessary to preserve
the remaining timber. The Secretary is to
designate appraise and advertise for sale
the dead or matured trees in limited guam
Titles TO each purchaser. The proceeds of
the sales are to be expended in the care
and management of the reservations Upon
the recommendation of the Secretary of
the Interior and with the approval of the
President and after due notice any public
lands embraced within the limits of any
forest which shall be found better adapted
TO agricultural than forest uses NAV be
restored to the public domain, and lands In
any forest reservation the mineral char
acter OF which may be shown in accord
ance with the mining laws may be re-
stored to mineral location and entry. Pro-
spectors and mineral claimants are to have
access to the forest reservations for the
purpose of prospecting. locating and deyel-
oping their mineral resources.
To Incorporate Labor Unions.
Representatives McCann.chairman of the
labor committee, Springer and Erdman,
who are interested in the passage of the
labor arbitration bill. were In consultation
for several hours yesterday with Labor
Commissioner Wright, considering the ad-
Instability of Incorporating in the bill GER
tain recommendations made by the COM
mission that Investigated the labor trou-
bles growing out of the Pullman strike.
The conference was not conclusive, /. and
further meetings will be held.
The principal amendment suggested by
Mr. Wright refers to the incorporation of
labor unions, thus increasing their import
ance and responsibility. All the members
of the committee favor this, and 1t will be
incorporated In the bill. Mr.: Wright. aided
by MIR. Herman of the strike commission,
who Is expected here soon, will formulate
this and other minor recommendations and
submit them to the committee.
Representative Erdman is of the opinion
that there seems to be no real opposition
to the bill, and that ii can be passed east
ly. 1t can be called up any day.
The Urgent Deficiency Bill.
The appropriation committee yesterday
afternoon received from the Treasury De-
partment the estimates required to carry
the income tax provision of the tariff bill
into effect for the remainder Of the present
fiscal year. beginning January 1, 1895. The
estimates for the collection Of the tax un-
til July i. 1895. aggregate s245.O95. and in
clude provision for one statistician, s., 500;
an additional head of division, s., 800; six
clerks, 81, 400; eight clerks; at 81, 200; seven
clerks, at $1,000: one messenger, at $40;
salaries and expenses Of 30S additional
deputy collectors S211, 500, and salaries and
expenses of ten additional revenue agents,
$4,000 The appropriation to provide for
the collection Of the income tax win be IN
corporated In an urgent deficiency bill.
The bill will be ready on Monday, and will
be Immediately passed The bill will prob
ably precipitate the first general political
skirmish of the session. The eastern men,
bers, irrespective Of party, WILL as a rule,
oppose the appropriation, and the debate
will probably bristle with acrimony. Al
though 1t is expected that the republicans
generally will vote against the appropria-
ton, the democrats express themselves as
entirely satisfied that 1t win carry.