The islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1891-1899, 1894-07-05
WASHINGTON CITY NEWS.


In the deficiency bill the appropri-
atoms for completing public buildings
under way are: Ell Paso, Tex, $1,000;
Port Townsend. WASH, $11, 900; Sacra-
mento, CAL, $4,000; Sioux Falls, s. D.,
$4,000.
At the request of Senator Teller his
amendment to increase the duty on dia-
monds from Is to 80 per cent ad valorem,
which would restore the rate fixed by
the House in the Wilson bill, was passed
over. 1t will be considered again before
the bill is reported.
The House Committee on Pensions has
ratified the report of the subcommittee
in favor of Representative Bryan's bill
to pension widows whose names were
taken from the roll because they had re-
married and whe. the second husbands
have died or have been divorced.
The report of the Board of Visitors at
the United States Naval Academy at
Annapolis, Md, will suggest that the
course of instruction be six years in
stead Of four, with two years cruise,
as at present Occasional practice cruises
of four months each are recommended.
The Secretary of the Interior has
granted permission to the management
of the New York Museum of Natural
History to allow it's representative en-
trance to the Uncompahgre and Uintah
Indian reservation, Utah, to obtain fos-
sils for exhibition. The request was de-
MED last winter, owing to the excited
condition of the tribe.
A delegation of the International Ty-
biographical Union appeared before the
House Committee recently to advocate
government telegraph. William Nc
He urged that the government control
of the telegraph lines would lead to the
establishment of more newspapers,
thereby giving more employment to
printers now out of work.
Professor Mendenhall, in charge of
the coast and geodetic survey, has ten
dered his resignation to the President.
1t is said that the professor, in his letter
to the President, puts his action on the
ground that the Secretary of the Treas
urv has interfered with the working of
the bureau by the retirement of experts
and the substitution of inexperienced
men to such an extent that it is impos-
sible to do good work.
The Senate Committee on Commerce
has heard testimony concerning the re-
spective merits of Santa Monica and San
Pedro as place to build breakwater
on the Coast near Los Angeles. E. L.
Corthell, civil engineer, stated break
water at Santa Monica would cost 49,
729, 199, while he quoted the report of
the Board of Engineers showing the cost
at San Pedro would be 81 845, 440. En-
gineer Ramona spoke on the San Pedro
site.
The Acknowledgement of the United
States has instructed Acting United
States District Attorney Platt of t4tns
southern d;ftrrfct S g. vi < Is at oiYee
institSure suit in that district before Dis
ftrict Judge Wallace against the Northern
/ Commercial Company to recover$ 81 81, O0C
| for the last three years. rent and premi-
um on seal skins due to the government
from the company. This action is taken
| by mutual consent of the contendine
no.; =
There are Indications that Ezeta's
case will cause our government to as
sume definite position in the matter
of the right of asylum. Although the
Salvadorian refugees, with one excep-
ton, are safe on board the Bennington,
the Salvadorian provisional government
surrender of General Antonio Ezeta,
It is likely that the other refugees will
not be included in the demand.
The prediction that the reforms insti-
tuted by the Democratic administration
of the pension bureau would result in
covering into the treasury at the end of
the fiscal year several millions of dollars
is about to be realized. Commissioner
Lochren has had prepared careful esti-
mate showing that the surplus will be
$25, OOO, 600. Commissioner Lochren's es-
innate for pension disbursements in the
fiscal year 1895 has been reduced from
$165, Zoo, 900 to $40, OOO. 900, so that the
coming years disbursement will effect a
saving equal to another $25, 900, 900.
The details of the Nicaragua canal bill,
which will be reported to the House, were
| practically closed up at meeting of the
subcommittee the other day. There will
be recommended directorate of eleven
members, eight being government direct
ors, one representative of the company,
| one from Nicaragua and one from Costa
RIGA. Three government engineers will
have charge of the work. 1t will be pro-
| vided that dividends shall not exceed 5
per cent, so that sinking fund may be
! established. The government share of
dividends will be credited to a sinking
| fund. Some members of the committee
think the debt can be raised in twenty,
five years on the lines laid down. Bonds
were practically decided upon for the
whole amount, as the proposition to coin
silver involved troublesome complica-'
tons and opposition. However, that
section of the bill is subject to change !;
so that, if any plan involving the use OF
silver seems practicable, it can be
adopted.
Charles s. Craig of Edgewood Park,
Pa, has been before the Congressional
Committee investigating the armor
plate frauds. He was associated with
G. E. Sill in giving the main informa-
ton of irregularities at the Carnegie
works. Craig's evidence was much like
that recently given by Sill and corrob-
orative of it. He testified that he made
reports of the work on armor plates
from the workmen's states giving the
acICal work done. Inc reports were
submitted to Superintendent Kline,
who changed them to bring the work
within the government contract. The
altered reports were then furnished to
the government officers. Craig gave
from his note book a list of plates which
had been doctored after they had been
turned over to the government as test
plates. He gave details of the retreat
ment of each plate. Many of them
were retreated after the government had
rejected them. He testified that he
had been instructed hv Sunerintendent