Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1899-12-05

gress enact such legislation as will en-
able the department to make contracts
early IN the coming year for armOr of
the best quality that can be obtained in
this country for the Maine, Ohio and
Missouri, and that provisions of the act
of March 8, 1899, limiting the price of
armor to $500 per ton be removed. In
the matter of naval construction, it is
said Italy and Japan, of the great pow
ers laid down less tonnage in the year
1899 than this country, and Italy alone
has less tonnage under construction. 1
heartily concur in the recommendations
for the increase of the navy as suggested
by the secretary. Our future depends
upon II ability to equal, if not surpass,
other nations in the enlargement and
advance of science, industry and conn
merce. To invention we must u as
one of the most powerful aids to the ac-
cO!nplishment of such a result. The at
tention of congres is directed to the
report of the COMMISSIONS of patents,
in which will be found valuable sug-
gestions and recommendations.
THE PENSION ROLL.
On the S0th Of June, 1899, the pension
roll of the United States numbered 3d.
$50. These include the pensioners of the
army and navy in all our wars. The
number added to the rolls during the
year was 40, All. The number dropped
by reason of death, rernarriage, minors,
by legal limitations. failure to claim
NilIiii lliiCG 1oifo ullu OlIS 1atSIS as
a., 1856, and the number of claims disal-
lowed was 107, 81. During the year So
054 pension certificates were issued, of
which 1907 We're for new or original
pensions! The amount ~disburseN for
army and navy pensions during the year
was $13S, 355, 052. 95, which was 81 ,65l.4 AS
less than the sum of the appropriations.
The Grand Army of the Republic at it's
recent national e~nca1lpment, held at
Philadelphia. has brought to my atten-
| finr1 cnl 70 fhof Of noGJ.nG tho wiC3np,
and justice of a modification of the third
section of the act of June 81. 1890, which
provides pensions for the Widows of Of
1icerS and enlisted men who served so
days or more during the war of the re-
bellion and were hOllorably discharged,
provided that such widows are without
other means of support than their daily
labor and were married to the soldiers,
sailors or marine on account of whose
service they claim pensions prior to the
date of the act.
The present holding of the department
is that if the Widows income aside from
her daily labor does not exceed in
amount what her pension would be, to-
Wit. $96 per annum, she would be deemed
to be without other means of support
than her daily labor and would be entitled
to a pension under this act, while if the
Widows income, Independent Of the
amount received by her as the result Of
her daily labor exceeds $96, she would not
De peISlOIdDle uI1Uer the ACT. l. am al
Nised by the commissioner of pensions
that the amount of the income allowed
before title to pension would be barred,
has varied widely under different admin
istrations of the pension office, as well as
during different periods of the same adj
ministration and has been the cause
of just complaint and criticism. With
the approval of the secretary of the in
terror the commissioners of pensions rec
ommends that in order to make the prac-
tice at all times uniform and to do justice
to the dependent widow, the amount of
income allowed Independent of the pro-
ceeds of her daily labor should be not
less than $3.50 per annum and he urges
that congress shall SO amend the act as
to permit the pension office to grant pen
SiOnable status to widows under the
term of the third section of the act of
June p. 1890, whose income aside from
the proceeds Of daily labor is not in ex-
cess of $3.50 per annum. I believe this to
be a simple act of justice and I heartily
recommend it.
THE COMMISSIONS WORK.
The Dawes commission reports that
gratifying progress has been made in it's
work during the preceding year. The field
work of enrolment of four of the nations
has been completed. I recommend that
congress at an early day make liberal
appropriation for educational purposes
in the Indian territory. In accordance
with the act of congress approved March
>, 1899, the preliminary work in connec-
ton with the twelfth census is now fully
under way. The officers required for the
proper administration of the duties i'm
posed have been selected. The provision
for securing a proper enumeration of the
population as we'll as to secure evidence
OF the industrial growth of the nation is
broader and more comprehensive than
any similar legislation in the past. TIL
director advises that every needful eff
fort is being made to push his great
work to completion in the time limited
by the statute. Tt is believed hi the
twelfth census viii emphasize our re-
markable advance in all that pertains to
national progress.
CENTRAL PACIFIC DEBT.
Tnde the authority of the act of con-
gress approved July II, 1899, the commits
sion consisting of the secretary of the
treasury, attorney general and secretary
of the interior, has made an agreement
of settlement which has had my approval,
of the Indebtedness of the government
growing out of the issue of bonds to aid
in the construction of the Central Pacific
and Western Pacific roads. The agree
ment secures to the government the prin-
cipal ard interest of said bonds amount
ing TO $5S, ST., 5.4s. There has been paid
thereon 81, 762, 543.12, which has been
converted into the treasury, and the re-
HldlIiutI, pdSdDie Nlollil IL years with
interest at the rate of three per cent per
annum payable ~selni-annually, is secured
by the deposit of an equal amount of first
mortgage bonds of the Pacific railway
companies.
The amounts paid and secured to be
paid to the government on account of
the Pacific railways are: Union Pacific,
cash, Sas, 44S ,233.So Kansas Pacific, cash,
Sc, 303, 600; Central and Western Pacific,
cash. 81, 79s, 314. IA; notes secured, SAT, O5O,-
1I2.36. Kansas Pacific dividends for de-
feiency, due United States. cash. SS21.-