Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1897-12-13
THE SENATE ADJoURNs UNTIL
NEXT MONDAY.
HOT DEBATE ON PENSIONS
Chairman Gallinger Advises the Sen
ators to Act with Great Care in In
PRODUCING Pension Bills-Western
Solons Pleased with Pacific Sale
House Debates Pensions.

did a considerable amount OF business,
although no important measures were
considered or passed and there was
little debate. Mr.. Gallinger (rep., N.
iH.) chairman of the committee on
pensions, called attention to the in
creasing demand for private pension
! legislation and requested the senators
to be careful in the future to see that
their bills for private pensions were
meritorious before they were intro
duced. He thought that the practice
of pensiOning remarked widows and
several other similar classes of claim
ants ought to be stopped. An attempt
was made by Mr.. Mcbride (rep., Ore.)
to secure am appropriation for the re-
| lief of Klondike miners, but the net
result was a resolution calling on the
/ secretary of war for all the informa-
ton that he had on that subject. An
hour was devoted to the consideration
of private pension bills and IS were
passed. A resolution by the Pacific
railroad committee asking for infor-
nation regarding the sale of the Kan
sas-Pacific was adopted. This gave
Messrs. Gear (rep., Ia.) and Thurston
! (rep., Neb.) opportunity for short
speeches congratulating the country
upon the settlement of the Pacific
railroad question. Mr.. Gear said that
| too much credit could not be given the
present administration for the admir-
able manner in which it had handled
and disposed of the Pacific railroad
matters. Mr.. Thurston congratulated
the country upon the result Of the adj
ministration' efforts regarding the
Pacific railroads. He said that if the
plan proposed by Mr.. Harris (dem.,
Tenn.) had been adopted the United
.. States would not have received any
thing approximating the magnificent
sum which has been paid for the main
line Of the Union Pacific. He said that
he noticed in the presidents message
that the administration is committed to
q policy of purchasing the Kansas-Pa-
ciflc branch unless a better bid is Of
Tered. He did not believe in govern
ment ownership of railroads and he
was of the opinion that the expert
ment OF such ownership, If it was to be
tried, might better be with some other
than the Kansas-Pacific railroad. He
suggested to the Pacific railroad COM
mittee that the authority asked for by
the president to bid in the road be
coupled with full power to resell it.
Mr.. Carter (rep., Mont.) secured
unanimous consent for consideration
on Monday next of his census bill.
Mr.. Lodge (rep., Mass.) had the i'm
migration bill made the unfinished
business during the week. Mr. Hoar
(rep., Mass.) presented a petition
signed by 21,269 native Hawaiians,
protesting against the annexation of
Hawaii. Adjournment was taken un-
til next Monday
HOUSE.
Washington, Dec. 1O.-The house
entered upon a consideration Of the
pension appropriation bill and stirred
up a debate that promises to continue
for several days. Several southern
democrats offered criticism on various
classes of pensioners and Private John
Allen (dem., Miss J, who led the as
sault in a speech replete with his char
acteristic humor, presented series of
amendments designed, as he said, to
correct some of the most glaring evils.
They prohibit granting pensions to
widows whose applications were not
filed during their Widowhood and the
granting of pensions to widows whose
applications were based on marriages
contracted after the passage of this
act, and to permanently insane or idi-
otto minors who had reached their ma
jority. It was admitted on both sides
of the house during the discussion
that the 100000 carried by the bill
for pensions would not cover the ex-
penditures but, as congress would be
in session, Mr.. Cannon (rep., lid said
l. would be easy to make good any de-
flclency that might occur. Mr. Stone
(rep., Pa) in charge of the bill, yield
ed to Mr.. Cannon, chairman Of the
committee on appropriations, who
took occasion to make a general state
ment of the estimates submitted by the
secretary Of the treasury for the public
service in 1899 for the purpose, he
said, CT disabusing the minds of mem
bers and the country of the false i'm
pressicn made by a comparison of
these estimates with those of preced-
Ing years. 1t was estimated revenues
for 1899 would be $482 100000, the
expenditures 1904, 100000, showing an
estimated deficit of $21, 100000. Under
the last sundry civil act of the secre-
tary of the treasury he pointed out
that he was compelled to estimate this
year for $48 ,0O0,O 900 of river and har-
Dor work. If the $33 100000 which
had not been authorized by law were
deducted there would be an estimated
surplus of $8,O00,OO0; instead
of deficiency. Last year the
estimated deficit under the last tariff
act was 9A6 000 00O IF CIT mn nm