The Meeker herald., 1902-04-05
LATE WASHINGTON NEWS AND
CONGRESSIONAL PROCEEDINGS

|
1t is understood that Commissioner
General of Immigration powderly,
| whose term OF office expires soon, will
be rendered some other position IN the
| government service.
The House committee on coinage has
ordered a favorable report on the bill
OF Representative Mercer, establishing
a coinage mint at Omahp, Nebraska,
and appropriating $95O,OO0 for build
ing.
Senator Tillman from the committee
on mines and mining reported favor
ably the bill devoting portion OF the
proceeds of the sale Of public lands to
the maintenancs of state aud territorial
mining schools.
| Congressman Shafroth Is in favor OF
wider distribution Of the Congress
sional Record. He has introduced bill
providing that each senator should
have $50 subscriptions placed at his
disposal and each representative 100.
Senator Martin. from the committee
on District of Columbia, reported IA
vorably the amendment for n memorial
bridge across the Potomac mt Washing
| ton. 1t fixes the. cost at x5,OOO,OOO ana
makes a present appropriation Of $780,
900.
Senator Teller will offer an amend
ment to the Indian appropriation bill
authorizing the Southern Utes of Colo
RADIO and New Mexico to go before the
court OF claims In cases where they
have been relieved of certain lanAs in
an unjust manner by the government.
The Senate committee on public
lands has authorized favorable re-
port on the bill which has passed the
House providing for the issuance OF a.
patent to the townsite OF Basin City.
Wyoming, to the municipal authorities
thereof for the use and benefit of said
town.
BY order OF the Navy Department
the date OF completion for the armored
cruisers South Dakota and California
has been set forward to December 81,
1904, and for the protected cruiser Tn
coma to May 1, 1903. These vessels
are building at the Union Iron works
at San Francisco.
The House bill for the protection of
coal miners in the territories was
passed by the Senate and goes to the
President for his signature. 1t pro-
vidcs that coal mines over 100 feet III
depth shall provide 5000 cubic feet
Of air every minute for every fifty men
employed and precautions are to be
taken against the igniting of coal dust.
Representative Goldfog1e of New
York has introduced In the House
resolution asking the Secretary of
State for information whether Ameri-
can citizens of the Jewish religious
faith, holding passports issued by this
government, are barred or excluded
from entering the territory Of the en-
pire of Russia.
Senator Mitchell, who was authorized
by the Senate committee on inter-
oceanic canals to confer with the Re-
publican steering committee of the
Senate, reported to the canal commit
tee that he had been in conference
with the members of the steering COM
mittee. and that he had been led to be-
lleve that unless there Ia a change of
1 plan the Nicaraguan canal bill will be
placed on the Senate calendar as the
unfinished business after the disposal
Of the Chinese exclusion bill.
No action has been taken thus far
by the appropriation committee of the
House on the recommendation Of the
President to pay by appropriation ST.
100000 Of the missionary claims grow
Ing out OF the boxer troubles in China,
and an informal understanding has
been reached that 1t will be inadyis-
able to pay their claims before they
have been adjudicated in the usual
manner by n commission or some other
body, and also before China has paid
the S25.OO0.00O indemnity coming to
this country.
The civil service commission will
shortly institute test system of an
nual examinations of Its employees,
which, IL proven practicable, is desig-
mated to be extended to all branches of
of the government service. These ex-
aminations will be required of all. re-
gardless Of whether they are seeking
| promotion or not, and the employees
will be reduced in grade and pay If
they fail to score seventy per cent. in
the examinations. The regular eff
cheney records will be counted on the
basis of forty per cent out of the maxi
mum Of 100 per cent. The commission
IL instltuting the scheme in its own
offices first, before taking steps look
Ing to Its general adoption.
Mr.. Shafroth, member of the House
committee on public lands, reported
favorably the bill of Congressman
Bell, providing for the opening of the
old Ute reservation in western Colo
RADIO to hOmeseekers. The report
states that there are approximately H.
1850 acres in this tract, the bulk of
which consists of mountain ranges and
mining lands. 1t IL proposed that the
government call settlers to take up
such Of the lands as are available for
farming and pay into the Indian fund
tho sum of 81 % for each acre so taken
The report states that the bill is simply
carrying out the policy of the govern
ment heretofore declared to provide
free homes for those settlers who are
| willing to live five years upon the pub
lie lands and thereby populate the
country and develop the resources.
Following the action of the ways and