The Elk Mountain pilot., 1901-02-05

listing law was but makeshift. intend
ed to cover an emergency and not to
serve as permanent statute. The
need of reorganizing the army. as well
as of keeping up its strength, had been
clearly pointed out by the secretary OF
war, and the committees on military
affairs in both houses of the Congress
took the matter up at the beginning OF
the session. Without going into detail
they have agreed on bill, and is has
passed, and probably by the time this
has reached our readers the measure
will have received the signature of the
President and be n law. AS passed the
bill provides for an increase of the
army-or rather the maintenance OF
about its present number, and large
discretion is vested in the President as
to its size at any particular time. A
complete reorganization in the artillery
branch has been made, in compliance
with the suggestion of the secretary Of
war, and this should add greatly to the
efficiency of that arm of the service;
anu altoSelner lHe uedSure Is ohc
which, while it may have faults, is a
great improvement on the present
makeshift, and is likely, with such
small changes as may be necessary, to
last long time.
Another measure of great import
ance, the pressing nature of which is
indicated in the Presidents message, is
the reduction of the war taxes by the
passage of a new revenue bill. Uusu-
ally a revenue bill is an affair of the
long session, and it always gives rise
to a great deal of discussion. To be
sure, what was desired in this case
was not to revise the whole revenue
system of the country-its ordinary
and fundamental law-but to reduce
some of the special taxes that We're
levied when war was declared with
Spain. But there We're such differences
of opinion as to how great the reduc-
ton should be, and such differences al
so as to how the reductions should be
made, that the passage of the bill
seemed for awhile doubtful. AT last,
however, substantial agreement has
been reached by the House and the
Senate on this measure also, and 1t
will surely become a law at this ses-
sion. AS passed, the bill will provide
for n reduction of about $4,000, 600 in
revenue, and the most veXatious and
troublesome of the stamp taxes will be
removed, such as those on telegraphic
and telephone messages, and express
and freight receipts. The Democrats
of course wanted to reduce the reve-
nue. by twice the amount named, and
put the country in a hole by making
the revenue insufficient for the ex-
penses of government; but rney
were not able to accomplish this, and
the revenue of the government will
probably be able to cover proper e1-
penses, while not great enough to en-
courage extravaganza.
Not content with the passage OF TWO
great measures like these, the Republi-
can leaders have resolved to pass also,
If possible, bill for the encourage
ment Of American shipping. For many
years the bulk of American trade with
foreign countries has been carried IN
foreign bottoms, and millions of dol
lars have been paid out by American
importers and exporters to foreign
saip-owners for the carrying of their
goods. 1t is time this was remedied,
so far as it can be remedied by legisla-
tion; and the shipping bill now before
the Senate at this writing does as much
as any measure well could toward
that end.
or course, while these measures are
under consideration the usual appropri-
alton bills have not been neglected, but
are all in n forward state. On the
whole, this session is making a record
for efficiency which is not excelled by
that of any of its predecessors, and
which its successors will find hard to
equal
But Colorado's two representatives in
the House, and her senior senator, have
done what they could to delay and de-
feat all these measures, and to make
the session fruitless and Improbable
Irrigation Experiments.
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