The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1900-03-29
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.
WASHINGTON, D. c., March 26, 19t

bill, to which the House Bill had been
attached, be sent back to committee,
that it was desired to have his bill re-
main in committee until the Senate
was given an opportunity to vote on
the House bill alone, which deals with
nothing but the tariff Mr.. Foraker
believes the House bill will be pass
ed
The Senate carried out one of Pres
ident McKinley's recommendation
when it passed the bill authorizing
the appointment by the President of
q Commission to visit Asia and study
and report upon the best methods for
increasing American Commerce with
China and Japan.
A bill appropriating $4,000 to pay
the expenses Of securing a proper de-
sign for memorial to General Grant,
to be erected in Washington, was pass
ed by the House without a dissenting
vote.
Senator Gallinger, who is member
of the Committee on Porto Rico, in a
speech advocating the Is per cent.
duty on Porto Rican products other
than coffee, which, by the way, CON
stitutes four-fifths of the islands ex-
ports, said 1--WE are proposing to
treat Porto Rico better than we treat
any territory of the United States.
We collect internal revenue taxes in
Oklahoma, New Mexico, Indian Ter
ritory and Arizona, and every dollar
of it goes into the United States Treas
ury. We shall collect internal reve-
nue. taxes in Porto Rico, too, but eve
ry dollar so collected will be returned
to the Porto Ricans and be used for
their benefit" OF the connection of
trusts with the question and their al
legged control of Republican policy,
Mr. Gallinger said: I'VE heard the
same when Hawaii was annexed and
free entry to our ports was given Ha-
waiian sugar. Now it is raised again
when we propose to place a small du-
ty upon the products of Porto Rico,
for the benefit OF the Porto Ricans
themselves. The trust which is suf.
fering, the trust which we are Cypress
ing by this legislation is composed of
some gentlemen at the Arlington ho-
tel in this city, trust headed by the
British ViceConsul at San Juan.
That trust is suffering considerably.
Those gentlemen brought up the sug-
ar under the full Dingley rates, and
il they can get it into this country
free Of duty, they will make the full
100 per cent. of the tariff; but if we
succeed in putting a tariff duty of Is
per cent. of the Dingley rate on at
sugar, the trusts profits will be cut
down by that much, and the people
of Porto Pico will benefit to that ex-
tent
Chairman Hit, of the House Com
mittee on Foreign affairs, agreed
few days ago for that Committee to
make an investigation of the charge
made by ExConsul Macrum, that |
official mail from Washington to the |
United States consulate at Pretoria, |
had been held up and opened by the
British Military officers, without the
adoption of a formal resolution by
the House, and the investigation will
be started this week
Secretary Roots answer to the Sen
ate resolution asking if he had given
any exclusive permit for dredging the
gold sands Of the ocean off
the Alaska coast shows that no exclu-
sive permits have been issued for such
dredging, but that under authority |
OF law, as interpreted by Mr.. Root
and every member of the Cabinet, |
permits have been issued to several |
from the line of low water outwards
off the Alaskan coast, when it may be
done without interfering with navi-
cation, and will be issued to others
who may apply for them. Inasmuch
as these permits have been issued to
all applicants, there is nothing exclu-
sive about them. Thus, another
mares nest is disposed of.
The past week marked the retire.
ment from public service of the ablest
and best equipped man that has ever
acted and served as Commissioner of
Patents, Hon. Arthur P. Greeley His
resignation emphasizes the utter in
adequacy Of the salaries Of the Com
missioner of Patents and his staff of
expert Examiners. Mr.. Greeley,
though only 39 years old, is a writer
on patent law. He leaves office to
practice in Washington, where he will
make speciality of trademarks and
foreign patents. The loss to the pub
lie service of such man is irrepara-
BILE, and the government would bet
ter pay the head Of the Patent Office
the salary of member of the Cabinet |
than have man like Greeley resign.