The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-11-24

for the use Of it's troops the most ef-
ficient material of its kind yet produced.
No progress was made during the year
in the development of the use of high
explosives. The estimates for expert
mental work during the coming year ag-
gTeCate 100000 and a. majority of the
board suggesting a plan of disbursement
by which either the bureaus of the war
department or the board itself, as indi-
Gated by the secretary of war shall con-
troll expenditures.
REVENUE REDUCTION.
Chairman Paine and Representatives
Dalzell and Hopkins, acting as a SUBJ
committee, spent portion of the day
drafting the bill to amend the war rev.
enue law. The general provisions of the
bill have been agreed upon. The reduc-
uCns to be made will be in stamp taxes
SIS heretofore indicated. A member of
the committee said today that although
there was some discussion concerning re-
ductions upon cigars, cigarettes and to-
bacco, there did not seem to be any in
elinatfon to reduce the present tax on
these articles so long as there remained
stamp taxes, which, he said, were OBJ
noxious to every one using them. AL
though 1T is generally understood that
there is very complete understanding
amcng the members of the committee as
to what changes shall be made it is
understood that no ironclad agreement
has been reached, and any yart of the
bill can be taken up and changed #
found desirable. But the members of the
committee don't expect many changes.
for 1t is said the full representation of it's
membership will not likely meet again
until next Friday. One day before the
full committee is to be called together
The committee expect to present the bill
to the house on the first or second day
q the session.
FOR BRUSSELS CONVENTION.
Lawrence Townsend, United States
minister to Belgium; William H. Chan-
berlain, assistant commissioner of pat
ents, and Francis Forbes, of New York
have been appointed by the secretary Of
state as delegates to the coming confer
ence IF the international convention for
the protection of industry at Brussels,
Dec. 81.
AMERICAN MEAT IN AFRICA.
Consul General Stowe at Cape Town.
informs the state department. that he
has investigated certain advices which
emanated from South Africa to the ef-
feet tcat the British and colonial troops
there prefer Australian meat to that inl-
meats were declared to he inferior in
quality to the Australian commodity
Mr.. Stowe addressed q letter to an army
officer in South Africa, who was in a
position to know the facts and was ad-
Vised that with the exception of single
brand of American meat which was
found to contain an excess Of salt, no
pronounced preference had been shown
by the troops one way or the other
N(AI1S-I IL.
he has made inquiries among the export
commission houses, who placed orders
in the United States for the supply Of
the trade and nowhere was there found
any dissatisfaction with the American
produce.
SENATOR MASON LAID UP
Senator William e. Mason, of Illinois.
who is suffering here from inflammatory
rheumatism, was reported worse tOday
He cannot walk. The senator has not
been in the best Of health during the
past three years and every care is being
taken by the physicians in charge.
THE SCRIPTURES IN TAGAL..
Missionary activity in the Philippines
is indicated by a recent report received
at the war department which says that
Rev. j. c. Godrich. the agent Of the
American Bible society in Manila. has
distributing the scriptures in native dia-
lect among the various ISLANDS A
thousand copies of the gospel according
to st. Matthew, translated into Tagalog.
have been distributed. Dr. Goodrich is
working on other translations of the
gospels into Visayan, Cebue-V -Visayan.
1llocano, and Pampango The natives
are said to receive reading matter of
this sort with great eagerress.
UrrT
2he recent Aamarkable performances of
the new twelve-inch naval gun led to the
organization of small party of naval
officers today to witness the gun in opera
ton at the Indian Head proving grounds
The party included Admiral O'Neil, chief
of the bureau of ordnance, who has had
much to do in perfecting the gun, and
Admiral Melville, chief of engineers of
the navy. Several shots were fired, and
the results were uniformly satisfactory.
although nothing exceeding the record
velocity Of over $500 feet was reached.
1t is believed, however, that the velocity
will be increased to $500 feet when a new
grade of powder is available.
SUBMARINE BOATS.
The navy department today entered into
q contract with the Holland Submarine
Boat company for the construction of a
contracted for, to replace the Plunger,
the company agreeing to take he Elunger
off the hands of the government and to
build In her place the best type of mod
ern submarine boat for the sum of $1T0-
OGO refundiug to the government the sum
of 100000 already paid on the Plunger and
the sum of $4,365, which represents other
expenses to which the government has
been subjected
JAPANESE DIPLOMATS
Mr.. Asato, lately first secretary of the
Japanese embassy at Berlin, has arrived
here, en- route for Mexico where he will
become Japanese minister He will be
succeeded at Berlin by Mr. Nabeshima.
the present first secretary here who
made his farewell call on Secretary Hay
today Mr.. Asato was at one time con-
nected with the Japanese legation here,
and his advance to the Mexican ministry
will be a pleasant surprise to his many
friends in Washington.
RETIRED A REAR ADMIRAL.
Capt Edward T. Strong was today
placed on the retired list of the navy,
with the rank of rear admiral Capt
Strong was recently in command of tie
Monitor Monadnock, and his health
broke down while on that duty He is a
native of Massachusetts and entered the
navy as a volunteer officer at the out
break of the war of the rebellion. He
reached the grade of captain in October,
1899 His retirement IN the grade rear
admiral is in pursuance of the terms OF
the personnel law, authorizing an aG-
vance of one grade in the case of officers
who served during the Civil war.
The vacancy in the last of captains
will be filled by the promotion Of Com
mander William. w. Reisipger, COM
mandant Of the Pensacola navy yard.
CABINET MEETING.
The cabinet meeting today was unirn-
portant, The presidents message is al
most complete and there was some dis
cussin,, the ..a,.io11s r.acn1ar,.