Rocky Ford enterprise., 1894-08-30
WHAT CONGRESS DID.
SOME OF THE BILLS PASSED.
Ono Financial Observation-Disclosures on
EnlIstmcnts in the Army. - Some
Changes In tho Land Laws Acts AZ
fecting the Indians.

Washington, Aug. 27.-All of the ap-
preparation bills have now become
laws. The general deficiency and the
sundry civil service bills were both
signed late in the session and the lat
ter measure embraces two important
pieces of legislation, the appropriation
of 100000 for government exhibit
at the Cotton States Exposition, to be
held ut Atlanta, and the ceding to each
of the arid land states and the states
which may be formed from the ter
ritories OF 10O0,O00 acres each OF
desert lands for reclamation, n plan
which Is intended to advance the
movement for irrigation in the West
and to particularly take the place OF
the scheme for irrigating by the gen.
eral government which has been fos-
tered by the Western members.
An act was passed extending from
four to five years the limit of time
within which final proof may be made
by settlers who have declared their In
tentiOn Of taking up desert lands. An
other law in the interest of Western
settlers was one enabling those who
desire to locate in other than mineral
lands to secure n survey by depositing
with the government a sufficient sum
to cover the cost of the survey. Affida-
Wits In land entry cases may be made
before United States commissioners,
instead of United States circuit
court commissioner, as provided by
law, were made valid by special en-
actment. Other legislation of import
vol To Io Is tn
m act to enable the state Of Montana
to select. us part of the land granted
to her on becoming state, any of the
lands in the Bitter Root valley above
the Lolo fork of the Bitter Root river;
m act extending the time of payment
to purchasers of lands of the Omaha
tribe of Indians In Nebraska to Dec.
|, 1897; an net authorizing the secre-
tary of the interior to lease for periods
If ten years twenty-acre tracts in the
Yellowstone Park for hotel purposes,
and an act for the resurvey Of Grant
and Hooker counties in Nebraska.
Two more important Investigations
desired by the house committee on
.abor have been authorized. One is
For an Investigation into the effects of
machinery on labor with reference to
It's productive power and effects upon
Nhs-Sc, NolN anu hltht
IF women and children; the second for
m investigation of the extent of. the
employment of women and children
und the conditions under which they
work Both inquiries will he conducted
by the commissioner of labor.
The only financial measure which
has been enacted by the Fifty-tlird
congress. except the repeal of the pur-
chasing clause Of the Sherman uct, be
came law on Aug. 13. 1t was the
bill introduced by Representative
Cooper of Indiana to subject to state
and municipal taxation the national
bank notes and United States treasury
notes under the same provision that
all gold, silver and all other money is
taxed. 1t is left optional with the
states, however, to tax these hereto
fore exempted forms of money.
Among the acts of the session relat
Ing to the military no one was more
important than the plan fathered by
Representative Curtis of New York
which recently became a law. regulat
ing enlistments in the regular army
upon new principles. the most i'm
portant of which are that recruits In
time of peace must be citizens of the
United States or have declared theil
intention to become citizens: must be
able to read, write and speak the En-
glish language and be under 81 years
of age. To promote the efficiency OF
the naval militia comparatively new
branch of the volunteer service, con
gress authorized the temporary loan tC
any state making application for 1t OF
any vessel of the navy which was moi
fitted for regular service.