The state herald., 1900-12-14
WHAT is BEING DONE AT
THE NATIONAL CAPITAL

Thomas Jones, arrested in Chicago last
June on the request of the Canadian
authorities, charged with being fugi-
tives from justice.
The secretary of war has sent TO the
House of Representatives a plan for the
permanent Improvement of the Arkan-
sas river. the total estimated cost for
open river navigation being S2J, ,26:},-
400. The river extends about l.4GO
miles, from its source in Colorado 10
its mouth but the board of army en-
| gincerS recommends that the improve
mcnts he confined to the lower reaches.
below Grand river The usefulness of
the Improvement and its value to com
merce are set forth.
The House passed the army rcorcanl-
Zation bill by vote of 1G6 to 1873.
Three Democrats. Hall of Pennsyl-
vania and Underhill and Slayton of
New York. voted with the Republicans
for the bill. and Mr.. Mccall (Republi-
can. Massachusetts with the Demo-
| Gratis against 1t. Otherwise 1t was n
strict party vote. The abollshment of
the army canteen and prohibition of
sale of liquor 10 soldiers under any con
dtion was carried by large majority
The clause providing for promotion
and retirement of Generals Shafter
Lee and Wilson was stricken out
Supervising Architect Taylor has
submitted to Congress an estimate of
additional appropriations required to
complete the various public buildings
of the country. For the Denver mint,
the original appropriation for which
was $500, 900, he recommended an ad-
dtional appropriation of 100000. OF
the increase, 100000 is required by
reason of advance In prices of labor
and material and 100000 to put bur
glar-proof vaults in the building. Up
on this estimate being submitted, Rep
resentative Shafroth introduced n bill
providing for the increased appropria-
tion.
Representative Mondell of Wyoming
was given n hearing by the sub-com-
mittee on rivers and harbOrs and urg-
| ed the incorporation In the river and
| harbor bill of an amendment appropri-
ating funds for surveying reservoir
sites in the arid land states and for
construction of reservoirs upon the
sites already surveyed and approved
by Captain Chittenden. United States
engineer corps in Wyoming and Colo
RADIO. The amendment carries an ap
preparation of S165,OOO and provides
that the waters, when impounded, shall
be under the control of the states as
at present.
The Senate committee on military af
| fairs continues Its hearing upon the
anti-canteen provision of the military
| bill. Rev. w. Il. Crafts gave the re-
suit OF his own observations of the OPP
Grafton of the canteen Mt Newport
| News after the close of the Cuban
war. He said he had found It MS low
ms the lowest saloon, and that rcgu-
lar orgie was In progress the day hewas
| there. the report being that most Of
the soldiers ut the post deserted that
| night He quoted General Sternberg
as saying that the eanteen causes
| many soldiers to contract the drink
habit, and General Miles as opposed
| 10 the use of intoXicants by the soldiers
In the tropics.
4 good many members of Congress
| do not think there Is any necessity OF
reducing taxation. They say the coun
| try Is rich and prosperous and the pco.
| pie are able TO pay; that nobody suf
| fcrs from the present taxes: that they
| fall upon the rich and that no one In
| particular will be- benefited by n re
| ductlon. whereas the government car
| spend the money In useful purposes
| In digging the Nicaragua canal. In I'm
| proving rivers and harbors and build
Ing up merchant marine, They ad. |
nit the advantage of making some
corrections In the present law In order |
to relieve the public from inconven. |
icnccs. but they do not approve OF u |
S3olooo,co cut In the receipts.
Representative Shafroth made n |
speech In the House against the pend |
ing army bill. He contended that ms II |
was claimed by the Republicans that |
an emergency existed In the Philip. |
pines for the passage OF the army bill. |
that n temporary measure should have |
been presented instead OF one for the |
permanent increase OF the army. A
bill providing for standing army |
should he framed with relation TO the |
needs for such an army In times OF |
peace. for that Is the condition OF our
country nine years out OF ten.
The total customs receipts nt all the
ports In the United States Is stated by |
the supervising agent 10 be S23i.T .TI9,. |
600, and the expenses SI.l35oo0
At Cabinet meeting plans for n
Philippine coinage Were discussed.
Nearly all the business OF the Islands Is I
transacted In Mexican dollars and |
army commisSarles and others supplied |
with United States money are nj times |
greatly embarrassed In making pur. |
chnses from the Flllplnos by the fact l
that, knowing nothing Of our money.
or Its value. the latter often refuse To
accept II. The proposition which seems
so have met with favor by the admins.
trntion Is 10 purchase silver bullion at
the present market price and coin II In.
to distinctive dollars having n gold |
value OF about 80 cents each. These
dollars probably viii contain little
less silver than the present standard |
dollars.
The hill OF Mr., shnfroth OF Colorado
for the adoption OF the metric system
by the United States was fayornbly |
reported by unanimous vote OF the |
House committee on coinage, weights /
and measures. The hill ns reported /
provides: THAT on nnd after January \
!, 1909. all the departments Of the gov |
ernmcnt OF the United States In the |
transaction Of MI business requiring |
the use OF weights and measurement. |
except In completing the survey Of |
public lands, shall employ and use only |
the weight nnd measure Of the metric |
system, and on nnd after january I !
1908 the weights nni measures " Tie \
metric system shall hr the lcgnl stand. /,
nrd weights nnl measures NJ aud In 1
the United States
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