The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-05-04
NAVAL BILL in SENATE
APPROPRIATIONS INCREASED 81
24I,OOO BY THE COMMITTEE.
POstoffice Bill to he Reported To-Day
with the Pneumatic Tube Serv-
ice Item Refnserted.

WASHINGTON, May 3. - The Senate
committee on naval affairs reported the ma
val appropriation bill TO the Senate to-
day. The bill reported carries 6312S.6l6.
an increase over the House bill of S2,2il,OoO
The provision relating TO armor appro-
PIRATES the $4,000. 900 carried in the House
bill for the purchase OF armor. directs the
secretary of the navy to pay not exceeding
s545 per ton for armor for the Maine, Ohio
and Missouri. and to contract for other
vessels at s445 per ton, and If it cannot be
purchased at that price he is to acquire a
site and erect an armor plate plant 10 cost
not more than s4,000000, of which sum ST.
100000 is made Immediately available. An
other proviso is that no contracts for ar
NOR for vessels provided in the present act
shall be made at a price higher than $500
per ton BY another amendment the Presi-
dent is authorized to purchase from Spain
the floating dock in Havana harbor at S2l5,-
600, and SOS. 900 is allowed for transferring
the dock to such point as may be deter
mined upon.
The President has approved recommen-
dation of the secretary of war that the
authorized number of commissary ser
geants in the army be increased from loo
to 200.
The President has sent the following
nominations to the Senate Thomas I.
Prentis of Massachusetts, to be consul
at Batavia, Java Army promotions-Regu-
lars: Lieut.. Col. John c. Gilmore, assistant
adjutant general, to be assistant adJutant
general with rank of colonel; Maj. ii. ..
s. Heistand, assistant adiutant general. to
be assistant adjutant general with rank
lit 4.l 1oyaa 49, ,0faf
Lieut.. Col. Albert Hartsuff. deputy surgeon
general, to be assistant surgeon with rank
of colonel; Mai. G. l.. Hermann, surgeon,
10 be deputy surgeon general with rank OF
lieutenant colonel; Capt. w. Stephenson,
surgeon to be surgeon with rank OF major.
For appointment in the volunteer army,
First Lieutenant Hugh Thomson, Forty
eighth Infantry, to be captain To be COM
missioner on part of the United States on
the Chilean claims committee. William
Glover Gage, of Michigan; William III.
Hunt. of Montana, to be agent OF the
United States to the above commission.
Representative Graft, of Illinois. has filed
the report of the House committee on in
valid pensions on what is known as the
Grand Army bill. amending the pension
law of June "A, 1890. The bill reported
strikes out features introduced when the
measure was before the Senate. so that
in its amended form 1t conforms exactly
to the recommendations of the national
pension committee of the G. A. r. and the
national officers of that organization. In
esta Dlshing inability to earn support
new provision is made that sin determin-
ing such inability each and every infirmity
shall be duly considered and the aggregate
of the disabilities shown be rated" The
bill also is designed to produce uniformity
in ratings. The language as TO pensions
to widows is recast so that the widow has
a pensionable status when she is without
mean, means of support other than her daily
labor and an actual net income not ex-
ceeding $3.50 per year minor children
under the age of sixteen years" etc.
XXX
Representatives Of the American Publish
ers' Association presented a memorial to
the Senate finance committee finally asking
that some relief be afforded on account of
the higher price Of paper. The delegation
said the association represented $4,000 pa
pers. No particular legislation was advo-
Gated. The delegation was received by Sem
ator Allison, acting chairman, in the alb
sence of Senator Aldrich. The resolution
recited that the price of printing paper
used by newspapers has increased from 60
to 100 per cent without reason or warrant
to be found in the conditions of the indus
try, which was believed to be the working
Of a trust. The association appealed TO
Congress TO inquire into the conditions
complained of. to the end that suitable
legislation might be provided to remedy
the conditions. As newspapers are sold at
fixed price, the resolution says publishers
cannot put the increased cost of the paper
on the consumer, and i'm many instances
this increased cost means the confiscation
of profits and in others ii creates actual
loss. A copy of the resolution also was
presented by the delegation to the House
ways and means committee.
xxx
The bill restricting traffic in prison-made
goods was discussed by the House COM
mittee on labor to-day. and an informal
agreement was reached to make such goods
subject TO the laws of the States into which
they are shipped. Lacking a quorum, how
ever, no decisive action was taken.
Representative Cooper, chairman of the
House insular committee. introduced a
joint resolution authorizing the Spanish
Bank of Porto Rico to drop the prefix
Spanish" to substitute american money
for it's capital now in pesos. and to admit
as its councillors others than Spaniards.
The Senate committee on postoffices and
postroads to-day completed the postoffice
appropriation bill, and Chairman Wolcott
will report ii tomorrow. The net increase
in the bill is about s1,00o;OOO. which includes
the restoration of the provision for the
pneumatic tube service first reported by the
House committee. 1t provides $4,000 for
continuing the present contracts and adds
$500. 600 for extension of the service to other
cities in addition to those where it has
been I'm use The following amendment has
been made to the provision relating to let
ter carriers: Provided, that letter carriers
may be required to work nearly as
practicable only eight hours on each work.
ing day, but not in any event exceeding
forty-eight hours during the six working
days of each week; and such number of
hours on Sunday. not exceeding eight as
may be required by the needs Of the SER
vice: and If a legal holiday shall occur on
any working day the service performed on
said day, IL less than eight hours, shall be
counted as eight hours without regard to
the time actually employed" The vote
I'm the committee on the pneumatic tube
item was seven to three-