Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1898-03-17
THE OLD FEDERAL BUILDING.

Many Obstacles In the Way of tha couEres-
sionai Ell, to give To the Mayor and Comm
ell of wilmington the Right TO Occupy
and Use 1t For Educational Purposes.
Special Correspondence of Ga2ette and Journal
Washington, March 12-President
Charles Baird of the Wilmington Board
Of Education came 10 Washington to-
day, TO see Representative Handy with
regard to the chances of passing liz the
House Senate bill No. 2,097, which
passed the Senate on February 2lst.
This is bill which Senator Gray in
troduced. 1t gives TO the Mayor and
Council of Wilmington tho right TO
occupy and use the old Federal Build
ing in Wilmington for school PURPOSES
and the accommodation of the Board OF
Education. 1t is understood that there
are many obstacles in the way of the
bill. The most serious obstruction seems
to be that the committee on public
buildings and grounds, to which the
bill has been referred 10 the House,
will not hold any meetings at this
session of Congress-. The deficiency 10
the public revenues under the Dingley
bill has forced the Republican leaders
in the House to policy Of limited APP
propriations. This policy is exhibited
by the vote OF the committee on rivers
aud harbors not to report any River and
Harbor bill at this session Of Congress.
The same policy is being followed by
the commmittee on public buildings
and grounds. That committee is trying
to block all legislation looking to the
appropriation of money for new public
buildings. In order to do this most
effectively, the committee refuses to
meet at all. The committee had one
meeting for formal organization and
the election of clerk, and it has never
| met since. One of the members OF the
committee. when approached by Mr..
| Handy and askad regarding the pros
pects.of the Wilmington bill, said that
he would be willing 10 favor the bill,
| nut that there was absolutely no
chance, that he could see. of its ever
receiving recognition. why" he
said, 1.-The committee has been pro-
rogued. / think the chairman never in-
tends it TO meet again. Such bills HI
Senate bill No. 2,097 have a rough road
to travel at best in the House, whom
the committee ia in working order.
Their passage SCENE impossible now,
for the committee refuses to meet and
consider them. This is a case where
Wilmington will feel directly the effect
of the deficit in the revenues caused by
the Dingley tariff.
The watchfuluess of Delaware's rep
reseD tatives in both Senate and House,
in regard to an appropriation for Will
mington hRrbor, was manifested by an
incident on the floor of the House yes
terday morning. Representative Tongue
of Oregon called up matter, asking
unanimous consent to pass an anpro-
priation for Coos harbor, in his State.
Representative Handy thereupon inter
posed an objection, intimating that
other cities and sections could not get
their harbors fixed up by unanimous
consent, and. unless Wilmington was
cared for at the same time, he would
have to object.
The abstract of the report made to
the comptroller of the currency, show
ing the condition of the 10 national
banke 10 Delaware at the close of bush
ness on Friday, February 18th, the
date OF the last call, is as follows:
Resources-Loans and discounts, IS,
407, 366; overdrafts, 50. 61S; United
States bonds to secure circulation,
sT95, 600; stocks, securities, &C., s6S2,
AGA; due from national banks, not
reserve agents, STA, Ill; due from State
banks and bankers, S62, 1853; fractional
paper currency, nickels and cents,
, Is, III; gold coin, sl5o. 1O7 gold treasury
, certificates, $15, $50; silver dollars, S31. :
+ 04l; silver treasury certificates, Sl22.
i 1879; total specie, s34S, 602; total re-
, sources and liabilities, SO, 542, 42l.
i abilitiea-Capital stock paid in,
+ 50, OS3, 985; surplus fund, 1854, Isl
amount outstanding, $693, 0s7; divi
. dends unpaid, SO, 1903; individual dc
a posits, S., go 557 average reserve held.
q 30. IS per cent,