Gilpin observer., 1899-05-11

| IL suHerlng from slight attack of
rheumatism and Is also feeling the
strain which has been upon him for
many months. He is anxious to enjoy
/, perfect rest and at the same time avail
| himself of the hot baths. which will
| remove the rheumatic tendency. The
President and his wife will be domi-
| ciled at the Homestead hotel, us none
| OF the cottages at the Springs are yet
| ready for occupancy. The hot springs
are only eight hours railroad ride
from Washington, so that the Presi-
dent could return at once to the capi-
| tol II any occasion arises for his pres
ence here. During his absence the
PRESIDENT will transact only such bus
| mess as absolutely requires his per-
sonal attention.
Legrande Power for eight veors In
bor commissioner of Minnesota, was
before the industrial commission
Thursday. He spoke especially of
farming conditions in the Northwest
ern states, saying that the present ten
| dency among farm hands was toward
the ownership of the lands, and that a
greater percentage of farmers now
owned their own land than fifty years
ago. He also expressed the opinion
that the farmer who is in debt to-day
has ten times the opportunity to dis
charge his obligation than the farmer
at the beginning of the century had.
Mr. Power thought the tendency was
toward small farms, and added that
the wheat and cotton and other prod
ucts grown by the small farmer con-
trolled market prices. Mr.. Power also
said that many of the agricultural col
leges of the country were conducted
upon lines calculated to attract boys
educated by them away from the
farms. Speculation in grain. he said.
did not affect the prices, except tenn
porarily, nor affect the farmers except
so far as they engaged in speculation.
You don't mean to say suggested
Governor Harris, that the farmers
speculate|" "They do" replied the
witness. Very largely they are the
lambs which are shorn on the stock
exchanges. Stop the farmers from
gambling and you will stop it all.
Three-fourtbs of the money thus lost
is lost by farmers
There is a growing belief among
prominent members of Congress that
the President will call Congress to
meet in extraordinary session this fall.
probably early in October. The ques-
tions which will come before the next
Congress for settlement, including, as
they do, everything growing out of our
possessions acquired as n result of the
war with Spain and the general legis-
lation, including that relating to cur
rency reform, the Nicaragua canal,
merchant marine. etc, are of such
great Importance that the President is
inclined to regard it as advisable that
Congress should act earlier than the
regular session in December in order
to get the work under way. The re-
tirement of Speaker Reed will natural
ly entail considerable delay in the ap-
pointment of committees in the House,
as it Is customary to allow new
speaker four or five weeks to make up
his committees. and this furnishes an
additional reason why Congress should
be convened before December. OF the
several senators and members of Con-
gress who are going abroad this sum-
mer. the President has particularly
inquired the length of their stay, and
has hinted that it was advisable that
they should be back in the early fall.
as the necessity for an extra session
might arise. With others, it is said,
he has discussed the subject, and more
over it was upon the Presidents di-
rect suggestion that the caucus COM
mittee appointed by the House Republ-
cans to formulate a currency reform
measure met when it did.
BY direction of the President, who
approves the findings. Acting Secretary
of War Meiklejohn has made public
the report and findings of the military
court appointed to investigate the
charges made by Major General Miles.
commanding the army, that the beef
supplied to the army during the war
with Spain was unfit for the use of the
troops. The most important features
of the report are: The finding that
the generals charges that the refriger-
ated beef was treated with chemicals
were not established; that his allega-
tions concerning the canned fresh or
canned roast beef were sustained as
to its unsuitability for food as used
on the transports and as n long contin-
ued field ration; censure of General
Miles for "error" in failing to prompt
ly notify the secretary of war when
he first formed the opinion that the
food was unfit: censure of the commits
sary general dhen General Egan) for
the too expensive purchases of the
canned beef as an untried ration; cen
sure of Colonel Maus of General Miles
staff; the finding that the packers were
not mt fault nnd that the meats sup
piled to the army We're of the same
quality as those supplied to the trade
generally and the recommendation that
no further proceedings will be taken
In the premises. The report places the
quantity of canned roast beef pur-
chased for the war by the commssary
department mt 6.357, ia pounds. includ-
ing 100000 pounds which was brought
from Liverpool and other English
points. This amount is characterized
as excessive and the commissary gem
ernl General Egan) is severely criti-
cised In several parts of the docu-
ments on this score. One of the sever
est rebukes Is as follows: considering
the little use that has been made OF
this beef In the regular army, the
probability that the volunteers We're