The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1898-05-11
CONGRESS-.


The Senate committee on appropria-
tions Monday reached a conclusion on
the postofiice appropriation bill. IN
creasing the total appropriation to the
extent Of $442.0O0 and reducing II $780,
900, leaving net increase OF Sl12,000,
and making an aggregate OF 99,224, 300.
The senate committee on finance re-
sumed its sitting Tuesday, hearing Sec
retary Gage on the necessity for In
Guiding In the war revenue bill author
ity for the Issuance Of bonds. The sec
retary supplied the committee all the
information In his possession as TO the
cost of the war up to date. and also the
best estimates obtainable Of future
expenses. He told the committee that
the best estimates obtainable indicate
that for the next two months the war
will increase the governmental expen-
diture about s50O00.00O.
BY that time the entire amount of the
treasury with the exception of the gold
reserve would be exhausted, and $780,
100000 of the reserve taken. Mr.. Gage
also stated II to be his opinion that the
revenues would decrease on account OF
the war. In view of these facts he con-
sidered some authorization for the Is
sue of bonds necessary He said no es-
timate had been made of the cost of
the war for q year hence, as no one
could say how long IL would continue.
When the amendment of the commit
tee striking from the bill the appropria-
ton of 100000 for rural free delivery
came up Mr.. Quay explained that In the
opinion OF the committee the results of
the experiment thus far scarcely war
ranted Congress In going forward with
the experiment. 1t meant the abolition
OF the country postofiices. Mr.. Petit
grew declared that the farming people
OF the country were not demanding
rural free delivery, and he regarded IL
as a humbug. Just before adjournment
the senate passed without debate an
important war measure authorizing the
president and general officers of the
army to supply the Cuban insurgents
with arms and munitions of war and
empowering officers of the army serv-
Ing I'm Cuba to supply needy inhabit-
ants of the island with medicines
The Senate committee on military af-
fairs gave some attention Wednesday
to the question of furnishing arms and
other supplies to the Cubans. The bill
before the committee authorizes
American officers in command to make
the distribution proposed. A confer
ence with the House committee has
been arranged on the bill providing for
engineers and yellow fever immunes to
go to Cuba.
The Senate conferees all insist on a
consolidation of all measures author
izing special forces. including cowboys,
immunes and engineers, so as to make
the total number 10000, and leave the
distribution of them to the President
House.
The passage of the emergency war
appropriation bill was the feature of
| Mondays action by the House. The
naval appropriation bill. with the Sem
ate amendment (providing for the
| payment of officers of the navy for the
use Of their inventions by the Govern
| ment stricken out. was reported from
| conference and passed. 1t now goes to
| the President. A significant feature OF
| the army emergency appropriation bill
| Is an appropriation of S150034 for the
| expeditionary force to Cuba. With II
| Is a foot note from Major General
| Miles urging that the fund is required
with the least possible delay, explain
ing that the s50,000,000 appropriation for
| National defense has been allotted and
| there Is no money available for this
particular object. The Cuban expedi-
| ton paragraph includes $4,000 for
Unforeseen contingent expenses"
which involve immediate expenditures
for purposes of urgency; $2S.225 for
portable electric outfit, and s13,095 for
intrenching tools. The largest item
under any head Is that of $1O00o,o0O for
| X,
| Wheat promised to be an uneventfu
and uninteresting session of the house
| last Tuesday was thrown suddenly. af-
ter three hours consideration of pri-
vate bills, into session of spirited
| speechmaking among Democratic
members that savored at times much
| of acrimony. The storm was precipi-
| tated by Mr.. Lewis CDem.. Wash.). who
| referred in the course of a speech tC
| the recent vote of Mr.. Cummings oi
| New York in support of the wal
revenue bill with its Incorporated bond
feature. He made reference to Mr.
Cummings assertion that this period
was a time for placing country above
party, intimating that the New York
member had served the Republican
party and perhaps contributed to thu
| satisfaction of unpatriotic monopolists
and capitalists. This brought an i'm
passioned and patriotic speech In reply
from Mr.. Cummings, interspersed will
some sarcastic comments that intensi
fed the interest and called an outpour.
ing Of members from the cloak rooms
The House Thursday passed tn,
Alaskan land bill and the labor arbltra
tion measure, which had received wild,
Endorsement by labor organizations
The bill provides that the commissioner
of labor shall. upon the request o
either party, endeavor to amicably set
tie disputes. and in case the endeavo
shall fail, then the controversy may b,
submissed to arbitration Of a board o
three persons, each party to the con
troversy to name one arbitrator ant
the two thus named shall name a third
The agreement to submit must contain
stipulations that the arbitration shall
be begun within five days and tn
award shall be filed within 20 day
from the appointment of the third ar
bitrator; that the award shall continu