Hutchinson gazette. [volume] (Hutchinson, Kan.) 1895-1902, 1896-12-17
LODGES BILL.
It Provides an Educational Test for
Immigrants Over - Years Old.
CONTEMPLATING QUESTION.
OGicials in a 0uandary as to How to Stop
the Making of bogus DOiIars-Enlist-
ments for Cuba attleship Tex
as-PensiOn Legislation.

WASHINGTON, Dec 16.-The first bill
of national Importance likely to be
passed this session is the Lodge immi-
grafton bill. 1t is now before the SEN
ate, and an agreement has been
reached to take vote on it tomorrow
afternoon. The bill provides an edu-
cational test for all persons over IA
years of age. There are some few eX-
emptions, such as the illiterate parent
or grandparent of an immigrant, but
these exemptions are few. In gen.
eral way every intending immigrant
must be able to read and write his own
or some other language. The test is
to be made at the port of final entry
and is ingenious The inspection
officers are to be furnished with
a number of pasteboard slips, on
which are printed in various Ian
guages five lines of various Sec
tions of the constitution of the
United States. These slips are put
into box, and every immigrant must
draw slip from the box holding the
slips printed in his native tongue or
any other language he may select In
full view of the inspector, the imJni-
grant must draw out slip, read it
correctly and afterward write out the
FIVE lines During the last IA years,
Mr.. Lodge says, of 30, 162 Italians, Is, 436,
or more than half, were unable to read
or write, while out of 25,441 Germans,
almostan equal NUM- Der of immigrants,
only 636 were illiterate. Ireland sent
nearly 40, 900 immigrants, while Russia
sent only about half as many, but the
percentage of ignorance among the
Russians was nearly Ave times as great
as among the Irish.
The COunterfeitlng Question.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 16. Treasury Of
ficials are in q worse quandary than
ever over the question of how to stop
the counterfeiting of silver coins. 1t
has been ascertained and proved, to
their great dissatisfaction, that the ex-
pensive engraved dies used for stamp
ing the coin can be duplicated at a
trihing expense from. the coin itself by
what is known as the "hot metal" pro-
cess. These shot metal" dies will do
as good work as will the engraved
dies, the only difference being that
they have not as long life. A set of
these dies was made by mint employee
in Philadelphia and coins were struck
from them so perfect that they with
stood all tests. This was done at the
suggestion and in the presence of mint
officials, who had doubted the posi-
bility of the feat.
The Enlistments for Cuba.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 16-The atten-
ton of officials here has been attract
ed by the stories coming from all por-
tions of the country indicating that en-
listments are going on of parties of
men to go to Cuba to join the insur-
gents in their struggle against the
Spaniards These eulistments are in
direct violation of the neutrality laws
aud are prohibited under severe penal
ties. For accepting commission to
serve against Spain, a country with
which the United States is now at
peace, the penalty prescribed by Sec
ton 1891, Revised Statutes, is $1,000
fine and three years imprisonment,
while for enlistiny to serve against
Spain, or hiring anyone to enlist, the
penalty is almost as heavy, being a
maximum of 81 900 fine and three years
The Battleship Texas.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 16.-Secretary |
Herbert has issued a very full state
nent as to the condition and seaworthy
qualities of the battleship Texas in
which he states she is the equal, if
not the superior, of any vessel in the
navy. In this he is sustained by Charles
q. Cramp and naval officers who have
been connected with the construction
Ind navigation Of the ship.
Pension Legislation.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 16-The house
ind senate committees on invalid pen.
ions have arranged to hold q joint
Meeting next Friday to hear delega-
ion from the Grand Army Of the Re-
IL