Gilpin observer., 1900-12-13
WHAT is BEING DONE AT
THE NATIONAL CAPITAL


John w. Foster, Secretary Wilson,
Senator and Miss Cockrell, Mrs. Fora
ker, Miss Pauncefote, Mrs. Harriet
Lane Johnson. the Argentine minister
and Madame Wilde. Mrs. Burrows, the
Japanese minister, Mrs. Grosvenor, the
Chinese minister, Judge and Mrs. Ken
ma and Perry S. Heath.
The question of the constitutionalty
of the Blaine eXtradition treaty between
Great Britain and the United States,
signed by the representatives of the
two governments in 1889, and which,
it is asserted, has never been passed
upon. is to be brought before the Unit
ed States Supreme Court in the cases
of Fred Lee Rice, Frank Rutledge and
Thomas Jones, arrested in Chicago last
June on the request of the Canadian
authorities, charged with being fugi-
tiveS from justice.
The secretary of war has sent TO the
House of Representatives plan for the
permanent improvement of the Arkan-
sas river, the total estimated cost for
open river navigation being 50, ,2G3,
400. The river extends about l,4GO
miles, from its source in Colorado 20
its mouth, but the board of army en-
gineerS recommends that the improve
ments be confined to the lower reaches.
below Grand river. The usefulness of
the improvement and its value to COM
merce are set forth.
The House passed the army reorgani
Zation bill by vote of 166 to 13:
Three Democrats, Hall of Pennsyl-
vania and Underhill and Slayton of
New York, voted with the Republicans
for the bill, and Mr.. Mccall (Republi-
can, Massachusetts, with the Demo-
Gratis against it. Otherwise it was n
strict party vote. The abolishment of
the army canteen and prohibition of
sale of liquor to soldiers under any con-
dition was carried by large majority
The clause providing for promotion
and retirement of Generals Shafter.
Lee and Wilson was stricken out.
The Senate committee on military af-
fairs continues its hearing upon the
anti-canteen provision of the military
bill. Rev. w. f. Crafts gave the re
suit of his own observations of the OPP
Grafton of the canteen at Newport
News after the close of the Cuban
war. He said he had found it as low
as the lowest saloon. and that regu
lar orgie was in progress the day hewas
there, the report being that most of
the soldiers at the post deserted that
night. He quoted General Sternberg
as saying that the canteen causes
many soldiers to contract the drink
habit and General Miles as opposed
to the use of intoXicants by the soldiers
in the tropics.
Supervising Architect Taylor has
submitted to Congress an estimate of
additional appropriations required to
complete the various public buildings
of the country. For the Denver mint,
the original appropriation for which
was S500,000 he recommended an ad-
ditional appropriation of 100000. OF
the increase. 100000 is required by
reason of advance in prices of labor
and material and 100000 to put bur-
glar-proof vaults in the building. Up
on this estimate being submitted, Rep
reSentative Shafroth introduced bill
providing for the increased appropria-
tion.
Representative Mondell of Wyoming
was given n hearing by the sub-com-
mittee ON rivers and harbors and urg
ed the incorporation in the river and
harbor bill of an amendment appropri-
ating funds for surveying reservoir
sites in the arid land states and for
construction of reservoirs upon the
sites already surveyed and approved
by Captain Chittenden, United States
engineer corps in Wyoming and Colo
RADIO. The amendment carries an ap
preparation of S165.OO0 and provides
that the waters, when impounded, shall
be under the control of the states as
at present.
At n Cabinet meeting plans for n
Philippine coinage We're discussed
Nearly all the business of the islands is
transacted in Mexican dollars and
army commissaries and others supplied
with United States money are at times
greatly embarrassed in making pur-
chases from the F'ilipinos by the fact
that, knowing nothing of our money.
or its value, the latter often refuse to
accept it. The proposition which seems
10 have met with favor by the admins
tration Is 10 purchase silver bullion at
the present market price and coin it in
to distinctive dollars having gold
value of about 80 cents each. These
dollars probably will contain n little
less silver than the present standard
dollars.
The bill of Mr.. Shafroth of Colorado
for the adoption of the metric system
by the United States was favorably
reported by unanimous vote of the
House committee on coinage, weights
and measures. The bill as reported
provides: "rhat on and after January
/, 1908, all the departments of the gov
ernment of the United States in the
transaction of all business requiring
the use of weights and measurement,
except in completing the survey Of
public lands, shall employ and use only
the weight and measure of the metric
system. and on and after January J..
1908, the weights and measures of the
metric system shall be the legal stand
ard weights and measures of and In
the United States"
The report of the Isthmian canal
commission submitted by the President
to Congress gives ms the unanimous