The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-01-03
Chat Of the Capital
Washington Gossip, Political and
Otherwise, for the Readers
Of the Globe.

WASHINGTON. d. c., Jan. 2-(Spe-
cial)-President Mckinley may be COM
PEELED to sanction the passage of bill
carrying appropriations OF from Sic, 000, COO
to S20, 900 for water way Improvements
throughout the various sections of the
country.
1t was only week or two ago that
Chairman Burton, of. the house river
and harbor committee, announced that no
river and harbor bill would be forth
coming at the present session Of congress-
This announcement on the part of the
chairman of the house committee created
CONSERVATION among the rev members
of the present house and caused consider
able worry among interested members Of
the senate
Shortly after the chairman of the house
committee on rivers and harbors made
his announcement public, the president,
Speaker Henderson and Chairman Burton
We're flooded with petitions, letters, and
requests of every sort to permit some
measure to pass at this congress provid-
ing money to continue, if not to further,
improvements in the interests of water
ways all over the country. Without
doubt members of congress have been
Instrumental in having these petitions
sent to the three men who have the
power to permit or prevent the passage
Of a measure of this kind at the first
session of the Tifty-siXth congress.
Chairman Frye, of the senate COM
nerce committee, has always been a
strong advocate Of appropriating money
for the betterment of waterway improve
ments whenever it could be shown that
the appropriations asked for were not
injudicious. Senator Frye is this year of
the same opinion end will be a strong ad-
W cate in pushing forward any fair meas
IRE presented by senators asking for APP
preparations of this kind which may come
before mis- committee. submitted by men,
bers of the house and approved by the
lower branch.
1t is estimated by the war department
that river and harbor bill for an ap-
preparation not to exceed SIS, 100000 will
cover all the expenses asked for by
various representatives during this ses-
sion. and if the bill can be held within
this limit 1t is now predicted that Char
man Burton will agree to 1t. Speaker
Henderson will consent, and that the
president will approve the measure.
So much evidence has been presented
to President Mckinley, the speaker of
the house and Chairman Burton that ii
would be unwise to cut off these APP
preparations that the interested members
now seem satisfied that measures not
considered unTeG sonable by the river and
harl,or committee will be adopted, the
house will consent to a legitimate eX-
renditure Of money for this work, and if
so, President Mckinley will not veto any
measure of this kind having the sanction
CT both houses.
The chrysanthemum is apparently
rapidly becoming the favorite flower prac-
tically all over the world. United States
Consul John c. Covert sends an inter-
esting account to the state department
of chrysanthemum exhibition which
has been held in Lyons. France. He
says, writing under the date Of Nov. %:
At the chrysanthemum exhibition
which has been in progress in this city
during the last two weeks 1000 different
varieties were exhibited by fifty horti-
culturists in and. around Lyons. A prom
tinct varieties cultivated in France at
from 5000 to 10000 They are kept in
large houses open on all sides. but rooted
70 ower h in from rt RAIN 1aret They
form of petal. IT Is said here to be ex-
tremely difficult. to produce two different
shades of exactly the same form: ther.e-
fore. the exhibition. is exceedingly rich
in variety. leaves of tubular shape. fiat.
pointed. rounded at. the end curved in
and down at the sides With ascending
being shown. Some plants were over
three feet high, bearing but three large
flowers. One plant bore fifty blossoms.
Every horticuiturist in and around
ferent varieties of, chrysanthemums. They
are sold as house ornaments. and are very
largely used In decorating graves. Many
thousands of them are sold on All Saints
day and the Day of the Dead, which fall
on the 1st and I'd Of November.
Consul Thompson writes as follows to
the state department relative to railway
projects in Yucatan:
By reason Of the present high price of
sisal hemp. the principal product and
article of export for this district. Yucca
tan Is enjoying season of great pros
perity. There is a plethora Of money
Many commercial and other schemes are
being, projected. particularly in railroad
and kindred enterprises. Every one of
the present railroad companies is COM
mencing to purchase large quantities of
rolling stock, rails. etc. Several new rail
roads are planned; with every prospect of
ders to the United States. and IL our
manufacturing interests in this class of
supplies care to enter the field here. there
may be placed in immediate communiea-
ton with their possible future customers
| give below list of the various COM
paniess tt that are are purchasing or intend to
specttve lines: Merida Peto Ferrocarii
Redulf9 Canton; president; Merida a Pro-
greso Via Ancha;, Joaquin Peen, presi-
dent; Merida Tanal, Joaquin Peon.
president; Merida a Valladolid Via An
costa, Gen. Francisco Canton, president:
Sud Oriental de Yucatan. Rafael Peon v
Losa. president; Electric Light Company
Of Merida (Compania de Luz Electrical de
Merida). Rafael Peon, president. Other
companies and projects are in process of
formation, and. as they become of inter-
est to our merchants and manufacturers,
]. Will give the department due informa-
ton.
Cuba, Puerto Rico the Hawaiian, Phil
ippine and Samoan islands, their COM
merce, conditions ard producing and con-
Stunning power. are the subject of a mono
graph just issued by the treasury in re-
Spouse to the renewed demand for in
formation regarding those islands In
this volume, two previous editions Of
which have been entirely exhausted, an
effort has been made to picture present
physician conditions, as well as the pres-
entation of statistics Of commerce, and
the prospective producing and consuming
power of the islands. Their present con-
Stunning power is estimated in round terms
at $100, G0,0G0, about equally divided be-
tween the products of agriculture and
manufactures. The imports into Cuba in
1892, when normal conditions of prosperity
prevailed, were $5210l .6S2: those Of Puerto
Rico. in 1896, s3,65657S; those of the Ha-
waiian islands, in $685. $l1. $50, $50; of the
Philippine Islands, In 1896, SIS, SIS, 075,
while those of the Samoan islands. in 1895,
were $4lS,S40, the chief commercial value
of these islands being as a harbor and
port of repair, refuge and supplies
! The exports Of the islands have, in
years of prosperity, exceeded consider
ably their imports. In 1892 Cuba,s exports
! were sS3.0ls,22S, against s52 101 ,6s2 OF TN
ports; those of the Hawaiian Islands, in
1898, sl7,3i6744. against $50 of i'm
ports, and those of the Philippines, in
1885, $50. AS1, 4St. against s2S, s15,G75 Of i'm