The Lamar register., 1902-12-31
WASHINGTON NEWS AND
CONGRESSIONAL PROCEEDINGS

Senator Lodge has introduced in the
Senate a bill authorizing the President
to remove the duty on coal coming in
to the United States from Canada
whenever the duty on coal from the
United States going into Canada shall
be removed.
Senator Perkins of California has in
troduced a bill authorizing the Presi-
dent to set aside areas within forest
reserves to be preserved as breeding
places for wild animals. birds and fish.
Within these areas all hunting. fishing
and killing of game is to be prohibited
at all times. The senator has drawn
his bill along the lines recommended
by the President and with a further
view to largely doing away with state
protection over game with the re-
serves.
President Roosevelt. before he
reached his decision to send the
Cuban reciprocity treaty to the Senate
and not to the House. consulted freely
the leaders of the House and the men,
bers of his Cabinet. After mature con-
sfderation 1t was determined that it
was unnecessary to send the Cuban
treaty to the House. Notwithstanding
the fact that it affected revenues of
the government. Precedents were
looked up carefully. 1t was found
that previous reciprocity treaties had
been sent directly to the Senate for
ratification. The president, when the
Cuban treaty shall have been ratified
by the Senate will send a message to
both branches of Congress, with a
recommendation for such enabling
legislation as will make the treaty
operative. This will afford the House
full opportunity. it is expected, to
stamp with its individuality the nego-
tiations for reciprocity with Cuba.
The eight-hour labor bill. as amend
ed by the Senate committee on educa-
tion and labor, was reported to the
Senate from that committee. accom-
panied by a written statement of the
committees reasons for its action. 1t
is stated that the bill is substantially
the same as the House bill and that 1t
is favored by majority of the Senate
committee. Speaking of the general
policy of the measure, the committee
says: your committee do not doubt
the right of Congress to extend the
eight-hour day. The majority approve
the policy of extending the eight-hour
day, believing its results will be bene-
fetal. that the products of labor will be
improved and that the happiness and
homes of workmen will be greater and
brighter the intelligence of the people
increased and civilization advanced by
such legislation. A majority of your
committee believe that this measure,
which has received from the committee
such serious and careful consideration,
ic ralipol hnt conservative and
therefore, recommend its passage"
The following telegram was sent out
from Washington December 23r1: Peo-
pie all over the country who are send
ing Christmas gifts to the Roosevelt
children may as well be frankly told
very few of their offerings will ever be
seen by the intended recipients. all
such presents from sources not satis-
factorily identified will be opened, in
the ordinary course of business, by the
White House clerks, and most of them
will find their way eventually to Wash
ington hospitals and other charitable
institutions. Strangers are not encour-
aged to bestow gifts upon the Presi-
dent or members of his family. Though
a polite acknowledgment is invariably
made, Mr.. Roosevelt would much pre-
fer that such evidences of good will
should be omitted. Nevertheless, many
express wagon loads of merchandise of
every imaginable kind. from candy to
boxes of cigars. and from dolls to bas-
kets of wine, will be dumped at the
door of the executive mansion during
the week. and the problem of getting
rid of the stuff will emDarrass the cler-
icai force for quite while. OF pres
ents the Roosevelt children will get
- tf,,I aIot
friends, and Kriss Kringle may be ex-
pected to descend the White House
chimney next Wednesday night with
sack heavy enough to elicit not un-
justifiable grumble from the kindliest
of saints. Miss Alice, now that she Is
young lady. out in society, will not
hang up her stocking as heretofore,
but the good old custom will be fol-
lowed (as usual in the Roosevelt fam
ily) by Theodore. Kermit, Ethel, Arch
ibald and baby Quentin.
Because of abuse of extending special
courtesies to arriving passengers at
ports of entry the Treasury Department
has issued the following circular, lin
iting considerably the granting of such
courtesies in the future: THE chief
officers of customs are hereby instruct-
ed that the extension of special cour-
tesies to arriving passengers will here
after be limited to foreign ambassa-
dors, ministers, charge d'affaires, secre-
taries. naval, military and other at
taches of embassies and legations and
high commissioners. and to similar
representatives of this government
abroad returning from their missions.
All the above officers are entitled by in
ternational usage to the free entry of
the baggage and effects of themselves,
their families and suites without exam
nation. In the case of invalids and
their companions and of persons arriy-
ing in charge of their dead, or sum-
moned home in haste by news of afflic