The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1902-06-19
At ashingtOn.

mander of the United States battleship
Oregon during her famous run from san
Francisco arOund Cape Horn to Cuba,
and he also had charge of the vessel
during the battle with Cervera's fleet off
Santiago.
The Republican Senators who are
friendly to beet sugar and who oppose
the proposed legislation for a reduction
of the tariff on Cuban products held a
conference of almost two hours duration
last week and decided to continue their
opposition. They will do this by an.
nouncing to the advocates of their redu-
ction that they will cast their votes for
the Reciprocity bill as it passed the
House of representatives, including the
Morris amendment for the abolition of
the differential duty on refined sugar,
and that they will resist all amendments
that may be offered to it, They will
propose two alternatives. One of these
to drop the subject and make no further
attempt to secure reciprocity legislation.
The other is to accept the rebate plan
Senator Hale is making a fight for
lower telephone rates in the District of
Columbia and has introduced an amend
ment to pending bill to reduce the
rates and at the same time to comply
with a recent decision of the United
States Supreme court The senator is a
very earnest champion of the rights of
the District people in the Senate. The
senator secured the passage of the naval
appropriation bill in the senate this
year with much less debate and with
much less controversy than is usually
the case on that bill. 1t will be in con
ference within few days. AS chairman
of the naval committee he will be the
| leading oonferee. The outlook is for a
much more peaceful adjustment of the
differences between the two houses that
| there was on similar measures in the
last Congress.
| The House on Friday passed the ir
rigaton bill by vote of lac to So Many
amendments were offered but only one,
except those offered by the committee,
was adopted. 1t was of a minor char
acter. The bill already has passed the
Senate. The bill as passed creates a
reclamation fund from the sale of public
lands in Arizona, California, Colorado,
Idaho, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, New
Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Or
egou, South Dakota, Washington and
Wyoming, less the amount paid to local
land officers, and per cent due the
state under existing laws for educational
purposes, the reclamation fund to be
used for the construction and mainten-
ance of irrigation works in the state and
territories mentioned.
Senator Elkins on Saturday introduced
joint resolution in the Senate provid-
ing for the annexation of Cuba and for
its admission as a State of the Union.
Thn ltrtf Is
Congress to the erection of the republic
of uba as a State of the Union, ITO be
called the state of cuba with re-
publican form of government, to be
adopted by the people of said republic
by deputies in convention assembled,
with the consent of the existing govern
ment. A condition is specified that the
constitution of the proposed State shall
be submitted to Congress not later than
Jan l. 1904 There also is a provision
that the debts of Cuba shall not become
a charge upon the General Government.
This resolution is intended to be
counter measure to the reciprocity bill
now under consideration in the Senate.
The Post Office Department has refused
free transmission of second-class mail
matter having the imprint of the union
label or the allied printing trades on the
wrapper The question was brought up
by the publisher of an electrical journal,
and the department in making a special
ruling on the subject is merely carrying
out the requirements of the law forbid
ding the printing of labels or other print.
ed matter on second-class envelopes or
wrappers, with certain specified ex-
ceptions.
The division of insular affairs of the
War Department is rapidly closing up
its business with Cuba. A statement
has been made public showing that the
customs revenues in the island during
the entire period of American occupation
amounted to S52, 669,63 For the fiscal
year of 1899 the revenues amounted to
81 228, 400; of 1900 to SIC, 06S, 035; of 1901
to ST., 945, 666; and for that part of the
fiscal year of 1902 ended May 10 to $13,
447472 The duties of exports were
abolished on April l, 1901. Up to that
time these duties amounted in full to
81, 1877
The coal strike may interfere materially
with the proposed war game to be play
ed in August by the North Atlantic
squadron and the Coast Artillery at the
Long Island Sound approach to New
York Reports to the Navy department
show that there is barely enough coal on
hand on the home station for present
needs Not only is the success of tue
war game threatened, but there is danger
that many of the naval vessels now in
commission will be unable to attend to
THAR crniaipcy Antiaa