The Republican., 1900-12-13
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.

has started the second week with the
evident intention of keeping it up.
The army reorganization was passed
by the House substantially as report
ed, except the amendment prohibit
ing the sale of intoXicants at army
posts, and is now in the haads of the
Senate Military Committee, which
promises to push it along. The Grout
Oleomargarine bill was passed by a
vote of 1913 to 80. The programme for
this week includes the passage of the
legislative, executive and judicial ap-
preparation bill, which was taken up
today, and the Revenue Reduction
bill. While the Senate has not ac-
complished much in the way of ac-
tual legislation as the House, it is by
no means idle, although it followed
its usual custom of adjourding from
Thursday until Monday. 1t made
the Ship Subsidy bill the regular bust
ness, which operated to prevent the
taking up of the Nicaragua Canal bill
today, as provided for by resolution
adopted at the last session, but that
will not result in delaying action on
the Canal bill, which would, in any
event have had to wait for the dispo-
sition of the Hay-Pauncefote treaty.
The Democrats have so far shown no
disposition to retard legislation.
That there is to be no delay by the
Senate in disposing of the Hay-Paun-
cefote treaty, which many friends of
the Nicaragua Canal Bill wish to see
ratified before that measure is taken
up by the Senate, was shown by the
ease with which unanimous consent
was secured to vote on the Dayis
amendment to the treaty ON Thurs
day of this week. This amendment,
written by the late Senator Davis,
merely declares that nothing in the
treaty shall apply to anything this
government may see fit to do to pro-
tect it's interests or to maintain order,
is certain to be adopted, and it is be-
lieved that the ratification of the
amended treaty will speedily follow.
Secretary Long was right in declar-
ing the opening of bids for the con-
struction of six armored cruisers and
five battleships, at the Navy Depart
ment, the greatest industrial event
that this or any other country had
ever seen, involving as it will, the ex-
penditure of a sum aggregating in
round figures $50,0O0,000. 1t spoke
volumes for the industrial progress of
this country, and especially the pro-
gress of ship-building, that there
should have been quite a number of
bidders for these contracts. In no
country outside of Great Britain are
there as many establishments equip
ped for the construction of these big
fighting vessels. Most of the bids were
well within the amount appropriated
by Congress for the ships.
The bill providing for the appoint
ment and retirement of Representa-
tive Boutelle, of Maine, as Captain
in the Navy, has been favorably re-
ported to the House. Mr.. Boutelle
has, in consequence of continued ILL
health, resigned the Craftsmanship of
the House Committee ON Naval AT
fairs, and Representative Foss, of
Illinois, who has been acting chair
man, has been unanimously elected
chairman by the committee. In the
case of the death of Chairman of the
Committee, the Speaker has author
ity to appoint his successor, but when
Chairman resigns, committee fills
the vacancy.
Chairman Payne presented the re-
port of the Ways and Means Commit
tee on the revenue reduction bill now
before the House, which cuts off
about $40,000,000 year of the taxes
imposed at the opening of the war
with Spain. The report says: 'In
making the reduction, the Committee
have sought to remove the more an
noying taxes, by the entire abolition
of those which were most vexatious,
and by a reduction of those which
seemed to have proved a great bur-
den upon the several branches of
trade to which they were applied"
OF the net reduction of 25 cents a bar
rel on the beer tax, the report says:
"The Committee recognize that the
manufacturers of beer haye some
claim in the general reduction of the
war revenue, and they believe that
the bill gives them all the relief to
which they are entitled" 1t adds of
the reduction of sixty cents thou
sand on cigars: 1T has been impossi-
BILE to distribute any of this sixty
cents in making price to the con-
sumer, and the factories have had to
bear the entire tax of oyer three mil
lion dollars last year" The bill will
be promptly passed by the House this
week.
Representative Taylor, of Ohio,