The Elk Mountain pilot., 1902-12-16
WASHINGTON / NEWS AND
CONGRESSIONAL PROCEEDINGS

s. Bills have been introduced by Rep
Preventative Lacey of Iowa to repeal the
desert land law and the commutation
provisions of the homestead laws.
Senator Hale has introduced bill
) fixing the age for admission to the
naval academy at between seventeen
and twenty years. The present limit
is fifteen and twenty-one years.
Oliver Wendell Holmes was com
firmed by the Senate to succeed the
late Justice Gray as member of the
bench of the United States Supreme
Court. There was no opposition.
A bill introduced by Representative
Jenkins, by request, makes newspa-
pers or other periodicals unavailable
which contain any pictures of suicides
or details relating to suicides beyond
simple statement of death by sui
eide, and imposing penalty.
Representative Eugene F. Loud, of
California, who was openly opposed for
\ reelection by the Letter Carriers or
a 0hization and defeated. will probably
be appointed fourth assistant postmas-
ter general and the letter carriers
transferred to his department, as the
Presidents rebuke to the Carriers for
interfering in the election of a repre-
sentative to Congress.
The President has denied the appli-
cation for a pardon made on behalf or
J. NJ. Mcknight, who was convicted OF
embezzling the funds of the German
National Bank of Louisville, Ken
lucky, while its president The Presi-
dent has endorsed the application as
follows: Denied; this seems an alb
solutely clear case of guilt, with no ex-
cuse whatever for pardon"
hag t. ha
attention OF Postmaster General
Payne that about twenty-five women
are holding positions as carriers in
. the rural free delivery service, and a
call has been made upon Superintend-
4 ent Machin of tnat branch for infor-
nation about them. An investigation
will be made to determine whether
they are performing their duties in a
satisfactory manner. Mr.. Payne is
said to be opposed to the appointment
of women to such service.
The House has passed a bill author
izing the following persons to accept
presents and decorations from foreign
governments: Capt. B. II. McCalla,
U. S. N; Drs. Eugene Wasdin and n.
ID. Geddings, u S. NJ H. c.: Henry E.
Afford, w. A. Taylor H. w. Wiley, NJ.
A. Carleton and John l. Shuttle, De
partment of Agriculture; John A. Ok
erman, Mississippi river commission;
Casper S. Crowinshield. United States
commercial agent; Miss Anna Tolman
Smith and Lieut.. Col. f. II. Phipps.
Gen. Luke E. Wright. vice govern
or of the Philippines. before the House
committee on ways and means advo-
bted a reduction of tariff rates on
Philippine goods coming into the Unit
ed States to twenty-five per cent. OF the
Dingley schedule, as provided by the
bill introduced by Representative
Cooper, instead of seventy-five per
cent, as under the present law. Cen
eral Wright said this would result In
better market for Philippine goods
and provide more revenue for the ISL
ands
The Secretary of the Interior has re-
Quested that the appropriation of last
session for resurveying the boundary
lines between Colorado and New Mex
leo and Oklahoma be made available
until June 30, 1904. Otherwise the
appropriation will lapse next June, be-
fore it is possible to complete the sur
vey. Howard b. Carpenter, who has
the contract, says that owing to SHOWS
in the Conejos and Culebra ranges,
across which the line runs, little can
tension will be made.
The prospective retirement of Justice
Shiras from the Supreme Court, which
was announced by his son some time
ago as likely to take place at no very
distant date, it is believed may result
sfn.the promotion to the supreme bench
of William II. Taft, chairman of the
Philippine commission. Governor
Tafts elevation to that court would be
the fulfillment of the general under
standing which existed at the time he
resigned from the federal court bench
in Ohio and took up his present duties
at the request OF President Mckinley.
Both Colorado Congressman are op-
= posed to the pending Bills repeating the
Timber and stone and desert land laws
Ind the commutation clause of the
homestead act. Representative Bell
takes the position that while frauds
may be perpetrated under these laws,
due diligence on the part of land Off
GERS would do much to eliminate viola
tions. If further legislation is neces-
sary he says, the land office fees should
be dispensed with. Both the commuta-
ton and desert land laws are very ben
eficial to Colorado and like states,
where they enable settlers to acquire
lands that could never be settled un-
der the regular homestead laws. Mr.
Shafroth agrees in these opinions and
insists that the timber law should not
be disturbed. but that settlers should
be able to continue to get government
timber at $3.50 an acre.
Ex-Gov. Charles S. Thomas of Colo
rado. Representative George Suther-
land of Utah, and Assistant Attorney
General Willis Vandevanter of Wyo-
ming, were among the guests at the
banquet given Justice John M. Harlan
on the night of December 9th to cele-
brate the twenty-fifth anniversary of
his connection with the United States