North Park union., 1902-02-14
LATE WASHINGTON NEWS r.
CONGRESSIONAL pROcrrns

| LatlOn6 Ofuereu u idNOidole AcPoLS w
the treaty to acquire the Danish West
indies. No amendment was made to
the treaty In committee.
The Senate has confirmed the nomi-
nation Of Medical Inspector Presley NJ.
Rixey, U. s. N, to be chief Of the
bureau of medicine and surgery In the
navy, with the rank of rear admiral.
Also other naval promotions.
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 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 were SAC, 6,5S2, 143, and the
expenditures $3S, ,54S,2 ,277, leaving sur
plus for the month of $S,O33.S6G. Inc
surplus for the corresponding month
last year was $7.4O0OOO.
The House has passed the Lacey bill
for the protection of miners In the ter
II 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.
Representative Boreing Of Kentucky
has reIntroduced a bill providing FOR
the establishment of pension court
Of appeals. The bill provides for the
appointment of seven judges whose
duty 1t shall be to hear arguments for
the granting or the Increase Of special
pensions, instead of the petitioners
coming to Congress for relief.
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.
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
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 1t is
disposed to see scheme" in this sud
den desire of the Frenchmen to sell
out their rights.
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
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
J
bill Is intended to aid In adjusting Ia
Dor disputes on railroads.
Senator Morgan, chairman Of the
! committee on inter-oceanic canals, has
prepared a report which he has sent
to each member OF the committee rel
ative to the canal situation, since the
offer of the Panama company to sell
Its property for $40.OOO,OOO was made.
The report takes the ground that the
Panama company cannot give the
United States good and sufficient IT,
tie and also critlcises the whole mat
ter as a movement intended to delay
canal legislation. The report will be
considered at the meeting next Mon
day.
Representative Bell has filed with
the secretary of the interior a resolu-
ton adopted by residents of the Grand
River valley requesting survey and
estimate of cost Of a geological survey
for dlverting the waters Of the Grand
river onto the highlands lying along
the Grand valley in northwestern Colo
RADIO and eastern Utah. 1t is believed
the waters of this stream can be di-
verted at reasonable cost and large
area of land now valueless be re-
claimed and placed under cultivation.
Secretary Hitchcock will order a pre-
liminary examination Of the project at
once.
The subcommittee of the Senate
committee on foreign relations, which
had been giving especial attention to
the legal aspect of the reciprocity
treaties, has reported its findings to
the full committee, and Senator
Spooner was authorized to prepare n
written report on the subject. The
committee concludes that the power
to make commercial treaties rests with
the President and the Senate, and that
the fact that they involve questions of
tariff does not render 1t necessary that
the House of Representatives should
have equal opportunity to consider
them.
The House has passed the bill for the
creation Of permanent census bur-
reau. The friends of the civil service
law, who were opposed to making the
employees Of the bureau eligible for
transfer or retention, were overwhelm-
ingiy defeated. By the terms of the
bill the permanent organization will
succeed the present temporary organ-
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