The Delta independent., 1902-05-09

The Senate has confirmed the nOml-
nation of William Ii. Moody of Mas
sachusetts to be secretary of the navy.
President Roosevelt has signed the
Chinese exclusion bill. The pen used
was given to Representative Kahn OF
California, who has taken a deep in
terest In the bill.
United States Minister Powell at
Santo Domingo having reported to the
State Department that the revolutions
ary movement icd by the vice president
had assumed serious proportions, the
Cincinnati, now at Norfolk, has been
ordered to be ready to sail for there at
once to protect American interests.
The select committee on census has
authorized a favorable report on the
resolution recently introduced to col
lect and bring up to the crop year 1902
statistics relating TO irrigation. area of
land reclaimed, cost and value of work
and such other Information as may be
obtained bearing on the present condi-
tion of irrigation.
Representative Mondell, in charge of
the irrigation bill in the House, has
decided to concentrate the efforts OF
friends of the measure in securing
three days consideration of the bill,
commencing Monday, May 10Th. The
friends of the measure are confident
that it will pass the House il given
consideration, and are desirous that
| action be taken as soon as possible.
A favorable report has been made
| by the House public lands committee
on the bill authorizing sales of timber
from public lands in New Mexico. Un-
der the proposed act timber may be
| sold in tracts not to exceed 5000 acres
for the highest and best prices obtain
able. Under thc present law timber
can only be sold in tracts of one-quar-
ter section. thus restricting and pre-
venting sales.
1t is now believed that no further
consideration will be given by the
President to the subject of retiring
Lieutenant General Miles SO long as
the commander of the army continues
his present attitude of reserve, and
that the case will be allowed TO remain
as 1t is unless General Miles himself
should do something or take some ac-
tion TO revive the recent determination
of the President
The agricultural appropriation bill,
as passed by the House, includes the
following amendment: The secretary
of agriculture shall. ON or before July
!, 1903, transfer to and consolidate
with the weather bureau and under
the direction of its chief, all the work
of the Department of Agriculture re-
lat!ng to the gathering and compilation
OF statistics by the division of statis-
tics" The appropriation for good roads
Inquiries was increased from $4,000 TO
$4,000.
In the House. Mr.. Shattuc, in an ex-
tended speech on the labor conditions
OF the country. said: Another serious
factor in the problem is immigration.
The addition of 5.O0o,ooo immigrants
TO the labor supply of our country
since 1890, and current increase OF
100000 yearly. form menace TO ,he
labor of our land should period of
depression again visit our industries.
The result VIII be a positive reduction
In the standard of wages, the standard
OF living and the standard Of ciyiliza-
ton"
The House of Representatives. in
adopting the agricultural appropriation
bill, has amended the provision making
an appropriation for irrigation inycsti-
cations by providing that this branch
OF the service shall investigate and
make inquiry into laws relative to
rights of riparian owners and of own
ers holding rights under the doctrine
OF prior appropriation. These are ques-
tions now. involved in the controversy
before the United States Supreme
Court in the suit brought by the state
OF Kansas against Colorado.
The committee of postal and treasury
experts who have been considering the
question of a fractional postal cur
rency. probably will recommend 10
Congress measure calling for the es-
tablishmcnt of currency of notes
adapted, with improvements, from the
postal notes used in Canada, Great
Britain, Germany and France. This
plan calls for books of fractional cur
rency arranged In detachable coupon
form, which are TO be obtained from
postofiices or rural free delivery car
ricrs in amounts OF from cents to s..
The conferees on the Chinese exclu-
sion bill have reached complete
agreement ou the bill. 1t strikes out
that portion of the Senate bill limit
ing the extension of all existing laws
TO the life of the present treaty and
re-enacts them so far as is not incon-
sistent with the treaty obligations. un-
til otherwise provided by law, and ex-
tends the laws to our island territory
so far as applicable It allows Chinese
TO enter for exposition purposes and
retains the provision regarding certih-
cation in the Philippine islands.
Commissioner of Pensions Evans
was recent caller at the White
House. and while there the President
informed him OF the death of William
Mckinley Osborne, consul general to
London. and in an informal manner
offered him the vacant position. No
formal tender of the place was made
and none will be, as the President
wants to pay proper respect to the
memory of the dead consul. Mr.. Evans
said that he would take the offer under
ndvisement, but no doubt he will nc.