La Junta tribune., 1898-12-24
NEWS FROM" THE
NATIONAL CAPITAL.

senate of the next Congress. Mr.. 81
mon. the new senator from oregon,
| wns sworn in on Monday. Mr.. julius
kahn of San Francisco was elected to
the seat now occupied by Representa-
tive Mcguire. making gain of 11,OOO
votes for the Republican party. Mr..
Kahn Is a lawyer OF conspicuous abil-
ity and promises to be an influential
man In the House.
Governor-elect Thomas was the re-
cipient Of n handsome compliment
from the Senate last Tuesday. Under
| the rules of the body. governors OF
states are entitled to admission to the
| floor but the privilege does not extend
| to governors elect. This afternoon SEN
ator Hoar, in Il few gracious words,
moved that the vice president be nu-
| thorized to extend the privileges of the
| floor to Governor-elect Thomas during
| his stay in the city, and the resolution
| was carried.
The War Department has ordered
| the following regiments to Manila: The
| Twentieth at Fort Leavenworth, KAN,
the Third, at Fort Smelling, Mimi; the
| Twelfth at Jefferson barracks, Missou-
ri, and Fort Riley, Kan; the Seven
teenth, at Columbus barracks, Ohio;
the Fourth. Mt Fort Sheridan, and the
| Twenty second at Fort Crook Neb.
They will go forward to Manila as soon
as transportation can be provided. 1t
may be that the two regiments still
held In reserve. the Twenty-fourth ana
the Twenty-fifth infantry, will join the
| others before they sail.
Representative Mcclellan of New
York has introduced in the House
| bill for the reorganization OF the
| army. 1t was drawn after consulta-
| ton with many army officers, and is
supposed to represent the ideas or the
younger element OF the army. 1t makes
some very radical changes in the stnff
and has some novel features. 1t con-
solidates the adjutant generals depart
ment In the general staff, nbsorbs the
ordnance department into the artillery
corps, and abolishes the signal corps,
transferring the duties OF that corps TO
| the engineer corps and the officers to
the infantry.
| Regarding the Nicaragua canal bill, n
| correspondent writes: THE Presluent
| does not insist upon the Morgan Dill,
but Is extremely anxious to secure
some Legislation during the present ses-
sion which will allow work to be com
menced Immediately before the con-
| tract OF the Maritime company expires.
| Is based upon the provision that allows
| that company the sum of $5,OOO,OOO as
indemnity for the money 1t has already
| expended. That amount Is believed by
many people to be excessive ana there
| is natural objection to paying for
lot of dead horses.
Delegate-elect Peren of New Mexico,
and ex-Delegate Catron are here work
ing to secure the passage of an admis-
| sion bill at this session. They will be
| Joined later on by Governor Otero, who
| will labor to the same end. They are
making the argument among Republl-
can leaders that New Mexico, II now
admitted, will surely send two Repub-
lican senators and thus reinforce the
party in the new Senate. Delegate
! Ferguson is cooperating with them.
mt their request. While he does not
believe there is any hope that Re-
| publican Congress will admit New
| Mexico. he promises the solid Demo-
cratic vote for such n measure. as it
has been cast many times before.
| What may be termed the federal or
| insular government of Cuba Will be
conducted under the immediate super
vision of experienced otiicials sent from
the United States. They will manage
the customs houses, the internal reve-
nue. service, the treasury, the post
| Office, and will be placed in other po-
sitions of trust and responsibility until
the residents of the island have demon
strated their honesty and ability. Large
numbers of men are leaving here daily
! for Cuba and Porto Rico to undertake
| this work, and they are all men of
| experience. After n few weeks trial
| In Porto Rico the President has decided
that green hands cannot be trusted TO
organize government down there, and
| that 1t is n great deal better to select
| tried and competent employees from the
various branches of the government in
| this country and fill their places here
with new men.
The annual report of General Du-
| mont. supervising Inspector of steam
/ boats, shows that Go0,0O0.0oO passen-
gers were carried on the water by
steamboats, and steamships sailing un-
| der the United States Gag during the
last fiscal year. Those carried on sail
| ing vessels are not included. OF this
| number only eighty-four lost their lives
| from all causes. which is an average
| of about one in 7,13S,O00. The number
| of officers and sailors of steam vessels
| lost during the year was 199, which
| makes n total of 2S3 or exactly 100
more than the casualties in 1897. On
the great lakes thirty y-nine were lost, on
all the rivers eightyseven and
on the ocean 157. Comparing
this with the reports OF the
accident insurance companies 1t
seems much safer to go to sea than to
stay on land or even sit at home or in
your office. Last year the Travellers
Insurance Company paid indemnity to
1923 persons for injuries received In
their residences or In their offices.
1t Is not intended by the President to
disturb the present municipal organiza-
tions in Cuba, except where 1t Is ne
cessary to remove men who interfere
with the plans Of the government and
mako mischief In making appoint