The Springfield herald., 1902-02-14
LATE WASHINGTON NEWS AND
CONGRESSIONAL PROCEEDINGS


retired list on the Tth, having reached
:he age limit
The Senate committee on foreign re-
'ations ordered favorable report on
the treaty to acquire the Danish West
indies. No amendment was made to
the treaty i'll committee.
Secretary Root has called the atten.
tion of Congress to the need of pro.
viding for the fifty companies of Phil
lppine scouts, comprising about 5000
men. A deficiency appropriation is re-
quired of $515,00O.
The Senate has confirmed the nOmi-
nation of Medical Inspector Presley NJ.
kiXey, U. s. N, to be chief of the
bureau of medicine and surgery In the
navy, with the rank of rear admiral.
Also other naval promotions.
The proposition to dispose of the
United Suites transports and to depend
upon private steamship corporations
Tor the transportation of troops III the
future does not meet with very general
approval in Congress.
Secretary Long has detached Rear
Admiral Wildes from his present duty
as commandant of the Pensacola navy
yard and ordered him to relieve Rear
Admiral Louis Kempff. the junior
squadron commander on the Asiatlc
station.
The House committee on labor has
reported favorably the bill of Repre-
sentative Bartholdt of Missouri to pre-
vent the United States Marine band
and other army and navy bands from
competing with civilian bands or indi-
viduals.
7 t1o ofynh c
acted favorably on the bill appropriat-
ing $2OO,OOO for establishing branch
mint at Tacoma, Washington. The
general purpose of this new branch is
to give added mint facilities for the
gold and silver coming from Alaska.
The comparative statement OF the
government receipts and expenses
show that during January. 1902, the
total receipts We're S4G,5S2, 143, and the
expenditures S3S, 54S, ,277, leaving sur
plus for the month of SS.O33.S66 The
surplus for the corresponding month
last year was S7,4OO,OOO.
Representative Boreing of Kentucky
has reintroduced bill providing for
the establishment of Il pension court
of appeals. The bill provides for the
appointment of seven judges whose
duty it shall be to hear arguments for
the granting or the increase of special
pensions, instead of the petitioners
coming to Congress for relief.
The friends of the oleomargnrlne Dill
have no doubt of its passage. They re-
gard the vote ON the adoption of the
special order last Friday as practically
a test vote The bill is practically the
Grout bill, imposing tax of 10 cents
pound on products colored in imita-
ton of butter and to make retail deal
ers who color oleomargarine subject to
the same penalties as the manufactur-
erS.
There is n growing disposition among
senators and members who keep close
watch upon legislative conditions to
believe that there will be no bill for
n canal across the isthmus between the
Atlantic and Pacific oceans during the
present session of Congress. The
truth is that nine out of every ten men
one meets in Congress or out OF 1t Is
disposed to see II scheme" in this sud
den desire of the Frenchmen to sell
out their rights.
Senator Hoar. from the committee on
the judiciary, has reported faVornbly
the bill to limit the meaning OF the
word conspiracy" and the use of re
straining orders and injunctions' in
certain cases. The bill provides that
combination to do an act or not to do
it shall not be punished more severely
than the act itself. and that combl-
nations of this character between EN-
ployers and employees engaged in inter
state commerce shall not be considered
in restraint of trade or commerce. The
bill is intended to aid in adjusting la
Dor disputes on railroads.
The House on the 7th passed the
legislative, executive and judicial ap-
preparation bill. the second of the reg
ular supply bills. AS passed it carries
S25.lT1 900. which is $5O3, ,121 in excess
of the current law. Only two amend
ments of Importance We're adopted.
one provides for II commission to re-
district the legislative districts of
Oklahoma. and the other authorizes
the President, in his discretion, to COW
er into the civil service the temporary
clerical force employed on account of
the war with Spain. There are about
1.25O of these clerks still in the service.
BY the terms of the amendment the
President must place all or none OF
them under the civil service.
The House committee on coinage,
weights and measures on Friday heard
representatives of leading manufact-
urers and business houses of the ad-
visibility of adopting the metric sys-
TEN of weights and measures. Among
those heard were Prof. Elihu Thomp-
son, of the General Electric Company;
Henry Troemer, an extensive manu-
facturer; DIR. A. Il. Kimmerley, con,
sulting engineer of Philadelphia, and
Professor w. w. Crosby of the Lowell
School of Theology. The sentiment was
entirely favorable to the adoption of
the metric system. The committee
I.I,l lCxl Inn ~