The Holly chieftain., 1900-03-30
WASHINGTON NEWS.
What Congress 10 DoinE.-Notss From the
White House and the Departmsnts.

White House and the Departmsnts,
Chairman Brosius of the House COM
mittee on banking and currency has
submitted the report on the bill 10 give
greater safety TO national banks, by
restricting the making of loans and
overdrafts to bank officers,
Senator Davis of Minnesota Inns in
troduced substitute for the Puerto
Rican bill which provides for free
trade between the United States and
Puerto Rico, and extends the internal
revenue laws with amendments over
the island. The act is declared pr0vis-
ional and shall not continue longer than
March l. 1902.
Under the currency act recently
passed 1t Is possible to refund SSi0,O0O,-
coo of bonds. More than 200 charters
have already been applied for for
banks Of S25,0O0 capital in towns of b.
600 population, and comptroller Dawes
thinks the total will go up to 500 before
the end OF the month. The applications
come mostly from agricultural towns
in the middle west. Iowa Leading.
Chief Willis T.. Moore of the Wealth
er Bureau has issued an order prohib-
iting persons connected with the ser
vice from smoking cigarettes during
office hours, and stating further that
those who smoked cigarettes Mt any
time would be mentioned in the conf
dental reports which are made quar-
terly to him by chiefs of the several
offices and divisions throughout the en-
tire service. He doesn't object to
cigars and tobacco. but says that Gig
arettes unfit man for work in that
line.
After spirited discussion, extending
over three days, the Loud bill relating
to second-class mail matter was recon-
mended by the House to the committee
on postofiice and post roads. The ma
jority in favor of the motion to recon-
init was so decisive that it is regarded
as unlikely that the measure will ap-
pear again during the present Con-
gress. Mr.. Loud said after the vote
was announced that this was the third
time and out. so far as lie was con-
cerned. The vote on the motion was
14S to 96. with 16 present and not vot-
ing. The bill is intended to exclude
from the second-class postage rate all
books and pamphlets.
After several conferences Monday be-
tween General Wheeler and officers of
the administration, 1t was announced
that the War Department had tempo
rarily disposed of its case by placing
him on waiting orders. This action
retains General Wheeler in the service
of the United States until opportunity
is had to determine whether he shall
be given an active command, made the
subject of n special retirement act, or
mustered ont of the military service.
1t is stated that he would not be OBJ
liged to retire under the rules of the
regular establishment until next fall,
so there Is still opportunity for the gen.
eral to see service again il he desires
Ellis H. Roberts, treasurer of the
United States, says that under the new
currency law nearly $12,0OO,OOO Of sill
yer bullion must be Immediately pur-
chased by the mints for the coinage of
10. 25 and 50-cent pieces. The new law
requires that the subsidiary silver shall
hereafter be kept at $1OO,OOO,OO which
Is an increase of S24,OOO,OOO 1924 4,574,
$50, for the amount outstanding on the
1st of the month was $75, ,425, Alb. The
same law provides that hereafter all
currency under the denomination of
so shall be standard silver dollars or
certificates issued upon them. There
fore all greenbacks and other notes of
81, 81 and S. are to be retired and sill
yer certificates substituted for them.
This will require the coinage of about
12O,OOO,OO0 new silver dollars within
the next year or two.
A visitor at the White House. refer
ring to the lack of chaplains with the
volunteer regiments in the Philippines
and elsewhere. says that Miss Helen
Gould of New York is maintaining
nine or ten chaplains in the army at
her own expense. These men are not
officially recognized as chaplains, but
as ministers and Y. NJ. c. A. workers.
They voluntarily and unofiicIally do
practically the same work. Miss Gould,
1t is stated, pays each one of these men
500 month and his expenses. The
latter amount to more than salaries In
the Philippines. 1t is thought that Miss
Gould's monthly payment is something
like $1,000. She has been maintaining
these Christian workers since last fall,
when the regiments first began going
to the Philippines and the attention
to provide for the chaplains. Her great
work is not generally known, as all her
deeds of this kind are done in the most
quiet way,
After brief and spirited debate the
House on Saturday took the last con
gressional step in completing the Puer-
TO Rican relief bill, agreeing to the
conference report by vote of 135 to
81. The bill turns over to the Presi-
dent for the use of Puerto Rico, about
$2,OOO,0OO of customs receipts collected
on Puerto Rican goods up to January
LIST last,and such amounts as may here
after accrue, until otherwise provided
by law. Tie debnte lnSted but an