Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-01-06
Philippine Ports to Be Opened fe
Hemp. /
/ CONFERENCE on FINAN(
War Revenue Act Not likelv to
Be Amended.
A CIVIL SERVICE CASE

ident Mckinley and Secretary Root that
there is a corner on hemp and that unless
certain ports in the Philippines are opened
binding twine and other articles manufac-
tured from hemp will reach a figure this
summer that will bear heavily upon the
users of hemp articles especially farmers.
The War Department has the matter
under consideration, and has informed Gen.
Otis that it is desirable to open the largest
hemp ports so as to break the corner.
Representatives Long and Reeder of Kan
sas called on the President this morning
and brought the situation to his attention
Some time ago the Kansas legislature au-
thorized the erection in the state peniten-
tiary of plant for making binding twine
the plant to be operated by convicts The
machinery is now in and ready for opera
ton, but the price of hemp has advanced in
less than three years to AZ cents per
pound. In 1897 the price Of hemp was 4
cents pound
Some of the ports In northern Luzon
have already been opened, and those de-
sired to be opened in southern LuZon are
Legoshi, Tobacco and Sarsagon General
Otis has been requested to open Sungoo in
Mindanoa; Barougo, Baybay and Maltebog
IN Leyte; Calboyog, La Granza and Para
mas, in Samor Island All these ports
shipped a great deal of hemp prior to the
war with Spain and with the insurgents,
and are understood to have plenty of hemp
on hand ready for. shipment when business
can be resumed Most of these ports have
Just been garrisoned by United States
troops and an order Is anticipated at any
time opening them to commercial transac-
tions.
A Conference on Finances.
Senator Allison, who Is chairman of the
finance committee of the Senate, talked
with the President this morningg about the
financial bill now before Congress. The
Senate will take up the House bill Monday,
and as early as possible pass 1t with amend,
ments in line agreed upon by the Senate
special committee. The bill passed will be
essentially the Senate bill. A conference
of the two houses will follow, with an effort
to reach an agreement as speedily as pos
sible.
The War Revenue Aot.
Representative Hopkins of the ways and
means committee of the House called on
the President today. In answer to a ques-
tion whether the committee of which he
is member will take any action to abof-
ish or to amend nhe war revenue act at
this session of Congress, Mr.. Hopkins said:
The law will be difficult to overhaul at
this session. and doubt whether anything
of material nature will be DONE" 1t is
stated today that majority of the MEN,
bers of the committee are opposed to any
changes in the law which will affect the
income to any great extent While the
presence on the books of the law results
in what will be surplus this year the ad-
ministration leaders do not know what
may happen at any time to cause an in
crease in expenditures. They prefer to
wait until affairs in the Philippines are ad-
1usted and correct estimate of eXpendt-
lures arrived at. 1t will then be easy to
determine just how much of the law shall
remain on the books.
1t is not believed that the entire law
Will ever be repealed. t is estimated that
the law produces 500, 100000 year above
the normal receipts of the government
The estimate for this fiscal year is that
there will be a surplus of about $40 900 600
in the treasury. II the war revenue act
had been repealed at the last session of
Congress, however, the probable surplus
would have been turned into deficit of
something like SG0,O0O,0OO year. When
the war expenses. owing to the troubles
in the Philippines; are cut down the treas
ury surplus will be so large as to require
action to diminish the income of the gov
ernment.- Changes in the war revenue act
will be the means of decreasing the re-
ceipts.
A Civil Service Case.
Representative Charles H. Burke of South
Dakota brought to the Presidents atten-
ton this morning case which Mr.. Burke
considers an unjust opera ton of the
civil service laws. The post office at Huron,
S. D., had free delivery from 1886 to 1895,
but it was then discontinued by reason of
the fact that the receipts Of the office fell
below the required $4,000 year. On the
1st of September Of last year free delivery
was again re-established, the receipts hav-
Ing grown to a sufficient amount. In the
interval between discontinuance and re-
establishment the citizens Of Huron kept
two of the letter carriers in the service by
private subscription. These two men had
worked for years before the discontinuanoe
and In every manner were entitled to re-
instatement when the government again
started free daliyary Rurka stated fn
the President. The Post Office Department
held that the two carriers were entitled to
reinstatement, the assistant attorney gen.
eral for the department contending that the
men were dismissed from the government
service by the provisions of law which
was specific in its requirements.
The civil service commission held to the
contrary, claiming that the reduction was
not one specifically required by law, but
that 1t was a reduction within the discre-
tfon Of the Postmaster General. Had the
quirement Of law the men would have been
eligible to reinstatement. the commission
pointed out. Their position in the matter
was sustained by Attorney General Griggs,
thereby putting an end to the efforts for re-
instatement unless presidential order
could be obtained.
Mr. Burke asked the President to con-
slider the matter, with the object Of again
amending rule 8, SO that 1t will cover cases
of this kind. The last amendment was in
tended. Mr.. Burke says, to permit the re-
instatement of employees Of the government
who were forced out of service by no fault
Of their own.
Some of the Other Callers
Mr.. Hopewell Darneille, the District tax
assessor, had a talk with the President on
a District matter. Another local caller WAS
A. E. Randle, with A. 8. Miller of Phila-
delphia.
Among the congressional callers were
Senator Quarles, with an army officer who
desires promotion; Senators Simon. Harris,
Carter and Cullom; Representative Lamb
Of Virginia, with William Gordon McCabe.
to ask the President to appoint Edward r.
w. McCabe to position In the army; Rep
resentatives Henry c. Smith and J. w.
Fordney. Michigan; Representative Coch-
ran Missouri. with friends; Representative
Burke of Texas with Attorney General
Smith and Judge George Clark Of that
state; Representative Clark Of New Hamp-
shire.
Personal Mention.
Mr.. J. Vinson Virgins of the Treas asurv