The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1898-12-28
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it is impossible to ascertain what organ
izatons will be first selected for dis
charge. Nothing definite has been decid-
ed by the war department upon the
regiments which will be included in the
30 900 volunteers to be mustered out. II is
said, however, that they will be distributed
as equitably as possible among the several
States and In a general way, the first regi-
ments mustered in will be the first to go out.
INQUIRY was made recently at the State
department at Washington in regard to the
report that Judge Day and Mr.. White
law Reid are each to receive 800, 900 for
their services as members of the Paris peace
commission and that the officers OF the COM
mission are to receive compensation on the
same liberal scale. 1t was stated in the
most positive terms that the question of the
compensation of the members and officers
Of the peace commission Is entirely in the
hands CT the President and so far as known
he has not indicated to anybody his plans
in the matter. Although disclaiming any
knowledge on the subject, the opinion is
expressed that it is exceedingly improbable
that any member OF the commission will re-
ceive nything approaching 100000 for his
services.
BOTH houses of Congress adjourned last
Wednesday until Wednesday, January 4.
AT the closing session the Senate passed
several private pension bills. The absence
of quorum saved Senator Proctor's reso-
luton providing for the appointment of a
committee of senators to investigate the
conditions in Cuba and Porto Rico during
the approaching long recess of Congress
from decisive defeat. An effort was made
by Mr. Daniel, of Virginia, to obtain con-
sideration for the resolution, but his mo-
ton mustered only eight of the thirty-eight
votes cast. In the House Mr.. Henderson
of Iowa, from the committee on rules re-
ported favorably the Bailey resolution di-
recting the judiciary committee to inves-
tigate and report upon the question as to
whether the members of the House who
bad accepted commissions in the army dur
ing the late war had by so doing vacated
their seats in the House. He asked for it's
immediate consideration and the resolution
was adopted without division. Mr.. Wheel
or of Alabama, Mr.. Colson, of Kentucky,
Mr. Robbins, of Pennsylvania, and Mr..
Campbell of Illinois, are the members OF
the House who volunteered for the Span
ish. American war. None OF them were
present when the investigation occurred.
SPECIAL INDIAN AGENT JENKINS, in his
report submitted recently to the commits
sioner of Indian affairs on the investigation
of timber operations on the Chippewa res
ervation, Minnesota, makes some state
ments radically differing with those Of other
reports. Ill SAYS that during the last fiscal
year, 48 919, 946 feet of reservation pine tim
Der, cut and banked, were sold at an aver
age of SAT 80 per thousand feet. There were
thirtytw camps in operation and there
was S83 per cent of wages due laborers in
the camp after settlement. On one reser-
va'on, the special agent says, there were
% 1862, 800 feet cut and banked, sold at
$49.96 per thousand feet and the laborers
were paid 954 per cent of the amount due
them on settlement. He states that the
trouble was in the management Of the
camps and in the system itself. Owing to
the inability of many C amps to pay out aud
under lahOrHrS'
ing there did not receive the wages they ex-
pected and hence serious complaint arose.
or the fifty-three camps in operation the
past fiscal year, many employed less than
ten per cent Indian labor and very few had
over, fifty per cent, the Indian labor aver
age being from ten to twenty per cent.