The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1902-01-17
MANY BILLS
PASS SENATE
Measure Creating New Depart
ment, However, Is Held Up.
IT GIVES TOO MUCH POWER
MANY OBJECTIONS MADE TO THE
PROPOSED OFFICE.

%4A+44%4&++&@A4A+AA
= Washington, Jan. 16.-Indian =
| = Commissioner Jones today made =
/ = made a statement before the COM
/ = mittee on Indian affairs relative =
/ = 10 the leasing of unoccupied lands =
/ = on Indian reservations. He said =
/ = the interior department had been =
/ = leasing such lands since 1891. and =
= that the rights of the Indians =
= were properly protected by the ex- =
1 = listing law. =
? Mr.. Jones also referred to the =
/ = current reports concerning leases =
/ = on the Uintah reservatiOn in Utah, =
Z and on the Standing Rock reser-
/ = vatiOn in North and South Dako- =
= Ia. He said that on the Uintah y
= reservation the Florence Mining >
Z company had negotiated with the =
/ = Indians for a lease Of $40 acres of y
= land. Where the company should =
, make its location on permit, was y
= now before the secretary Of the +
= interior for approval 4
= Z 4 = =
Washington, Jan. 16.--The senate to-
day for brief time had under con-
sideratiOn the bill creating a depart
I
tended to show that the measure Will
have to be amended in many particu-
lars before it can receive the approval
of the senate. Serious objections were
raised to the transfer to the proposed
department of several bureaus now a
part of other departments of the gov
eminent.
1t was pointed out that if the bill
as reported would become a law, it
would create the greatest department
Of the government, and that the sec
rotary of commerce would have more
power even than the secretary of the
! treasury.
A large number of uncontested bills
and private pensions meaures were
passed. after which the senate ad-
jOurned until Monday.
The following bills, together with a
large number of private pension bills,
were passed:
Appropriating $4,000 for government
expenses and floor space at the
Charleston, S. c., exposition; bills
granting permission to various officers
of the government to accept decOra-
tons and presents from foreign rulers;
appropriating $2OO, 900 for the establish
ment of additional lighthouse and fog
signal stations at Cape Blanco, Ore;
house and fog station at SemiahmO
harbOr. Wash; appropriating $4,000
for a lighthouse and fog signal sta
ton on Burrows island, Wash: appro-
priating $4,000 for a fog signal at Bat
terry point, WASH; to purchase at a
cost of $4,000 a launch for the customs
service at Astoria, Ore; to pay certain
persons in the south for property taken
from them by the military forces of
the United States.
Bill to Exclude Chinese.
In introducing a bill to exclude Chi
nese from coming to the United States.
Mr.. Mitchell (OregOn), said the policy
and general provisions of the measure
were approved by the Paeific Coast
senators and representatives, but that
i had been agreed that this approval
should not affect the privilege of any
member to offer amendments when the
bin was considered. The bill was re-
ferred TO the committee on immigra-
ton.
The house concurrent resolution pro-
viding- for Mckinley memorial exer-
cises by congress in the hall of the
house of representatives on Feb. q,
was adopted.
Mr. Mallory Florida), rising TO a
question Of privilege. called attention
TO an article in a New York newspaper
Of the l4th inst, purpOrting to give a
poll Of the senate on the subject of an
isthmiaB canal, in the course of which
he was represented as being in favor
OF the Panama route. He declared he
had had no interview with anyone
upon that subject The article mis-
represented him entirely
Il am decidedly in favor" he said.
of pressing the Nicaraguan project
as rapidly as possible"
Mr. Clay (Georgia), made a similar
statement about the same article. as
sertins that he never had intimated
to anyone what his views on the canal
question were. but that he did as a
fact, favor the Nicaragua project and
not the Panama route
Hale Criticises the Bill.
The bill TO establish the department
of commerce was called up by Mr.. Mel
son (MinnesOta). After some minor
amendments had been offered b. Mr..
Nelson and adopted, Mr.. Lodge offered
an amendment to section II of the bill.
providing that the secretary of state
should designate an Official in his de-
partment to furnish instructions to
consular officers for transmission TO
the secretary Of commerce. The amend
ment aroused much comment. all of it
being favorable TO Mr.. Lodges prop
oSstion.
Mr.. Hale sharply criticised the bill.
he SAID that a measure so suddenly
flashed upon the senate created the
largest department in the government.
1t did not begin in a modest way. but
ransacked every department Of the
cabinet for important bureaus to dump
into this new department The new
secretary of commerce would become
the most important member OF the
cabinet. He would be even a more
important official that the secretary of
the treasury, with all of his great adj
illustrative duties
Many bureaus had been included in
the proposed department that have no
more relation 10 commerce than light
has To darkness. He referred particu-
larly 10 the transfer to the new de-
partment of the coast and seodetic
survey. and urged that if that bureau
were changed at all it should be placed
under the navy department He re-
ferred TO various ''navies" in the sew
eral departments. This brought Mr..
Tillman TO his feet.
Calls Army Transports Navy.
4 would like to add another navy to
those enumerated by the senator" he
said. THAT is the army transport
service. That is assuming great pro-
portions, and about it / have heard
some scandal
AT the instance of Mr. Teller, the
section providing for the transfer of
the geological survey to the deuar ri