Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1900-12-27
CONGRESSIONAL NOTES.

D.
The allowance for improvement IN
Michigan waters that the committee
recommends is larger by several mil
lions than any previous congress has
voted. The total amount recommended
for immediate appropriation for 81
Michigan harbors is 1857, $780, At 2 of
the 81 only part of the amount needed
for improvements authorized by the
committee is recommended to be voted
this year. Here are the amounts rec
commended for each Of the 10 harbors,
to be available next year: Charlevoix,
$50, 600; Frankfort, S54, 500; Grand Ha-
ven, SIC, 900; Grand Marais harbor of
refuge, $40, 600; Manistee, S42, 900; Hol-
land Black lake, S73, 000 Muskegon,
SIS, 900; Ontonagon, $4,000; Pentwater,
$50, 1000; Portage lake harbor of refuge,
S33, 500; Sand Beach harbor of refuge,
81, 500; ST. Joseph, $4,000; South Ha-
ven, S12, 200; White lake harbor, SIS
600; Marquette, $4,000; Ludington,
$50, 900; Petoskey, $3.50 Saugatuck,
SIS, 200; Menominee, IS, 900; Cheboygan,
S., 900; Monroe, $4,000. The amounts
recommended for Michigan harbors to
be expended next year are: Detroit,
$500, 900; Neebish, $780, 900; ST. Clair
Flats, $3.50, 900; Grand, S125, 200; Sagi-
nav, $4,000; Rouge, $1,000; Black,
81, 500; ST. Joseph, 500.
The basis for the new congressional
apportionment can be fixed at any fig
ure that would be practical and still
Michigan's number of congressional
districts will remain unchanged. Chair
man Hopkins of the committee and six
other members recommend that the
changed but that the ration be in
creased to one member for every 20s,-
s62 inhabitants. Rep. Burleigh, of
Maine, submitted a report in favor of
house of $50 members. Rep. Crum-
packer, of Indiana, filed an indepen-
dent report in favor of a house of 374
members. Nothing short of increase
TO 800 members would give Michigan
another member. A reduction of just
one member in the present gross num-
Der would reduce Michigan's represen-
tation to IL. As the number agreed
upon will surely be between 357 and
$50, the Michigan delegation has no
reason to be particularly concerned
about the bill.
Agents of the American Federation
of Labor are at work among senator's
to try and have considered the bill
which passed the house last summer
and which concerns, among other
penal institutions, the Detroit house
of correction, Jackson prison and Ionia
reformatory. 1t seeks to accomplish
what the labor organizations in Michi-
gan have tried unsuccessfully to ac-
complish through the state legis-
lature, that is that the three in
situations named must label prison
made" the chairs, shirts and other ar
ticles manufactured by convicts.
Senator Mcmillan, as chairman of
the senate committee on District of
Columbia affairs, has approved the
plan for two principal railroads, the
the Boltimore & Ohio and the Pennsyl-
vania, to have their tracks elevated
and do away with grade crossings.
The idea is to jerk some of the crooks
in these two roads and have them close
up certain streets and give up others
to the city in return.
The rivers and harbors committee
has agreed that its bill shall not eX-
coed $50, 900, 900, with about $50, 900, 600
for direct appropriations. An appro-
priation of S225, 900 has been provision
ally agreed on for survey of the IA
foot canal project to connect the Mis-
sissippi and Chicago drainage canal.
The house committee on census, 10y
vote of to 6, on the 18th, agreed to
report the Hopkins reapportionment
bill, leaving the total membership of
the house at 357, as at present, and re-
arranging a number of state delega-
tions. The bill will not be taken up
until after the holidays
The subcommittee of the senate
committee on military affairs has com
pleted a complete substitute for the
army reorganization bill, and the same
was reported to the full senate com
mittee on the 10th. The house canteen
provision was amended so as to permit
the sale of beer.
An agreement has been reached lin
the St Joseph river water power con-
troversy, by which dams can be built
at any point above bridge No. 5, Ber-
rien Springs, but that part of the
river below is declared navigable, and
no dams can be built there.
At the request of the secretary of
war the house committee on insular
affairs on the 18th reported bill in
creasing the salary of the commissioner
of education of Porto Rico from So,
to $4,000.
The President on the 18th nominated
John G. A. Leishman of Pennsylvania,
now minister of Switzerland, to be
l.. ;. minister to Turkey.
The senate on the 18th confirmed the
nomination of John w. Yerkes of
Kentuckey to be commissioner of
internal revenue.
On the 21st the house and senate ad-
journed for the holidays, and will re-
convene Jan. 3.
Gle veland was visited by $500, 0OO