Gilpin observer., 1902-02-06

|
men. A deficiency appropriation is re-
quired of $4,000.
The proposition to dispose Of the
| United States transports and to depend
upon private steamship corporations
for the transportation of troops in 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 Asiatic
station.
The House committee on coinage has
acted favorably ON the bill appropriat-
ing 100000 for establishing a 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 S46,5S2 ,143, and the
expenditures S3S, ,54S,277, leaving sur
| plus for the month of SS.033, ,S66. The
| surplus for the corresponding month
| last year was $7,400,O00.
The House has passed the Lacey bill
| for the protection of miners in the ter
| ritories. 1t provides that in every mine
| over 100 feet in depth, mine owners be
required to provide $500 cubic feet or
| pure air for every fifty miners. 1t also
| provides that managers of coal mines
shall employ shot firers.
The Senate committee on public
lands has ordered a favorable report
on the irrigation bill recently agreed
upon by the senators and members of
the House of Representatives from the
| semi-arid states. There was no objec-
| ton in the committee and the motion
to report the bill was unanimous.
Representative Boreing of Kentucky
has reintroduced a bill providing for
the establishment of a 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 comment of Judge Advocate
General Lemly and Solicitor Hanna
upon the appeal of Admiral Schley, as
submitted to the President by Secretary
Long. is less than third as long as
| IUt dpDedl llStll. LIE
begin with the statement that Admiral
Schley and his counsel have shifted
their ground and have ignored the chief
grounds of the decision.
The friends of the oleomargarine bill
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
a 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.
The President has approved the rec
ommendation of the secretary of war
that the sentence of dismissal imposed
by court martial in the case of First
Lieutenant Preston Brown, Jr., Second
infantry. be commuted to the loss of
thirty-five numbers and forfeiture of
half of his pay for nine months. Lieu
tenant Brown was charged with hav-
ing killed Filipino who refused to
rescue a drowning soldier.
There is a growing disposition among
senator's and members who keep close
watch upon legislative conditions to
believe that there will be no bill for
a 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 it is
disposed to see scheme" in this sud-
den desire of the Frenchmen to sell
out their rights.
The Senate committee on commerce
has authorized n favorable report on
Senator Frye's ship subsidy bill. The
report will be made by Senator
Frye. The committee made several
amendments to the bill. The most i'm
portant We're: Allowing mail carrying
vessels under the bill to be either iron
or steel. instead of steel only, as orig
inally provided, and reducing to 1.O0O
gross registered tons the vessels receiv-
ing a bounty under the bill.
The preliminary report regarding iron
and steel blast furnaces in the United
States for 1900, as compared with
1890. follows: Number of establish
ments. 223; decrease, I per cent; cap
ital. S143, 159, 222; increase. i per cent.
wage earners, average number. 80, ,241 4;
increase. II per cent: total wages,
SIS, ,4S4, 400. increase. % per cent: cost
of material used. S131. .503. $50: increase.
10 per cent. value of products. $206,.
156559; increase. ~ per cent.
Senator Hoar from the committee on
the judiciary, has reported favorably
the bill to limit the meaning of the
word conspiracy" and the use of ire
straining orders and injunctions" In
certain cases. The bill provides that Il
combination to do an act or not to do
1t shall not be punished more severely
than the act itself. and that combi-
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.