The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1900-03-01
At Washington.

other article of value by false pretences
The scheme or artifice commonly known
as green goods swindle'' or .saw dust
swiuea}eo is i8tluded in the provisions of
this bill. Not only telegraph and tele-
phone companies, but all common car
riers are forbidden to dispense inform.
alton by letter or package or message
regarding such offenses. The bill pro.
vides for punishment of the offence by
an imprisonment of not more than two
years or by fine of not more than one
thousand dollars or both. Senator Hale
emphasized his position here in oppo-
sition to the lawless career of great cor
porations this week by brief but very
effective speech in the Senate. Wash
ington has been overridden by tele-
phone company which has charged enor-
nous rates, as much as one hundred and
twenty five dollars year for service,
and which has def'ed all efforts of on
gress to reduce the amount These cor
porations, as we'll as many others, have
their paid attorneys on the floor of the
Senate, who will block all attempts to
secure legislation against them. How
ever, a bill was forced as rider on an
appropriation to reduce the rate to fifty
dollars year. The law was contested
in court and recently decision, which
many regard as Infamous, was handed
down, declaring that ongress had no
power TO regulate telephone rates. Ac
cordingly Senator Hale has offered a
resolution directing the district commits
sioners, who have charge of the execu.
tive government of the District of o.
lumbia, to forward to the Senate all facts
regarding this suit and the decision and
also what proceedings have been taken
for an appeal In his most caustic Ian.
guage the senator paid his respects to
the judge; briefly, but nevertheless with
point. This is not the first time that
Seuator Hale has championed the rights
OF the District of Columbia and expressed
his opposition of the domination of great
corporations.
An agreement was reached in the
House, Friday, that the vote on the
Puerto Rican tariff shall be taken, at 3
p. M, this Tuesday. General debate
closed Monday, and short speeches under
the 5-minute rule followed up to the
time of the vote
The speech of Mr. Littlefleld of Maine,
was the feature of Friday. He added to
his laurels won in the Roberts case in a
speech against the bill, which for bril-
liancy wit and logic, rivals the best
efforts of the recognized orators of the
House. 81 oppose the BILL" said he,
''because it is un- Republican, un-Amer.
lean, un precedented, I'm warranted and
un constitutional" He argued that the
regeneration of Puerto Rico could be
brought about by loan which the u nited
States could authorize it to raise. No
one could doubt the ability of the island
to repay the loan. The people of the
island in 1873 had paid $4,000, 900 to
f.a n,
he asked, be trusted to repay a trifiing
loan to be used for the relief of the
island?
In the Senate Saturday, the following
nominations of Maine postmasters were
confii med: N. A. Bennett, Cumberland
/ Dyer, Skowhegan; G. A. Herrick,
Madison
The large majority in the Senate in
favor of taking up the case of Senator
Quay, is interpreted to mean that he will
get his seat in spite of the adverse report
of the majority of the Senate committee.
This will be a reversal of the decision of
the Senate in the Corbett case
At the conclusion Saturday, of the
conference of Republican members OF
the House on the Puerto Rican tariff bill,
Representative Cannon of Illinois, who
acted AZ chairman, said "The confer
ence was in good. temper and real effoit
was made TO harmonize differences of
opinion concerning the Puerto Rico tariff
bill. 1t looks as though this effort
would be successful After full discus
sion he conference by unanimous con.
sent agreed to the selection of a com.
mittee of ten members, five of whom
were to be appointed by the chairman
of the caucus from among those in favor
of the bill, and five were to be appointed
from those who do not agree to the bill
in whole or in part, the appointments to
be made by committee consisting of
Representatives Powers of Vermont,
trumbacker of Indiana, and Lorimer of
Illinois
The Republican members of the con-
ference committee on the financial bill
reached an agreement saturday. The
Democratic conferees were called in and
stated their oppUsi ion 10 the bill and
without further formality the bill was
ordered reported.
Representative Loud of california, has
the bill relating to second class mail
matter out of the committee, and has
introduced resolution for rule for
two days consideration of 1t. The bill,
as it comes ont of the committee, is sub
stantially as it was printed in the news.
papers, some weeks ago. The important
clause stricken out. however, through
the efforts of OngI essman Burleigh, on
account of the interest that Maine pub.
fishers had in it was provision that
when the distance exceeded 1000 miles
the postage should be cents per pound
instead of | cent This, of course,
would discriminage against Maine pub
fishers, because of Names location.
Mrs. Burleigh, the wife of Representa-
tive Burleigh, gave luncheon here at
Rauscher's, Friday evening, in honor of
Mrs Powers, wife of the Governor of
Maine. She had as her guests around a
very beautifully decorated table, the fol
lowing ladies: Mrs Taliaferro, wife of
the senator from Florida; Mrs. Little
field of Maine; Mrs. Bradford, wife of
Admiral Bradford, who is a Maine man;
Mrs. Mann. wife of Representative Mann
of Chicago; Mrs DeVries, wife of Rep
resentative DeVries of California; Mrs.
Albert Relyea, Mrs. Ernest G. Walker,
Mrs. James g. Hooe, Miss Allen and
Miss Burleigh. The table was beauti-
fully decorated with punches of violets,
which shade dominated in all the sweets,
the flowers, and the ribbon accessories.
The Senate, Monday, confirmed the
following nominations: TO be major
general by breVet, Gen Harrison Gray