Gilpin observer., 1902-12-18
WASHINGTON NEWS AND
CONGRESSIONAL PROCEEDINGS

of the interior to lease portions of the
reserves for summer resorts, hotels,
mills and factories A bill embodying
these recommendations will be intro
duced in the House.
The United States Supreme Court has
affirmed the opinion of the Circuit
Court OF Appeals in the case of the
Knights Templar and Masons' Life In
surance Company vs. Rosa b. Jarman.
The case involved the validity of the
suicide statute of Missouri of 1879 pro-
viding that suicide shall not be a de-
fense against the payment of life in
surance policy, the policy involved be-
ing upon the life of John F. Jarman.
husband of Mrs. Rosa Jarman, whoy
while insane, took his life in Grundy
county, Missouri, in 1898. The decision
of the court sustained the law and held
the company liable for the amount of
the policy regardless of the fact that
the policy contained a clause for the
avoidance Of the policy in case of sui
eide, whether voluntary or involun-
tary, sane or insane"
Both Colorado congressman are op-
posed to the pending bills repeating the
timber and stone and desert land laws
and the commutation clause of the
homestead act. Representative Bell
takes the position that while frauds
may be perpetrated under these laws.
due diligence on the part of land OFF,
GERS would do much to eliminate viola
tions. II further legislation is neces-
sary, he says, the land Office fees should
be dispensed with. Both the commute
ton and desert land laws are very ben
eficial to Colorado and like states,
where they enable settlers to acquire
lands that could never be settled un-
der the regular homestead laws. Mr..
Shafroth agrees in these opinions and
insists that the timber law should not
be disturbed, but that settlers should
be able to continue to get government
timber at $3.50 an acre.
A delegation of prominent citizens of
San Francisco, consisting of r. P.
Schwerin of the Pacific Mail Steamship
Company, w. W. Douglass, state comp
troller. and ex-Mayor Phelan. headed
by Senator Perkins, called upon the
President to discuss with him the pend
ing proposition to place the govern
ment transport service on the Pacific
in private hands. with headquarters in
Seattle The Boston Steamship Com
pany, which runs out of Seattle, has
made bid for the handling of the gov
ernment transport business on the Pa
cific which the War Department now
has under consideration. The people of
San Francisco are urging the govern
ment not to accept the proposition, as
its acceptance probably would result
in the loss to San Francisco of much
government business. The delegation
informed the President that the peo-
| pie of San Francisco had erected a
monument to commemorate Dewey's
victory at Manila and the navy in gen.
eral, and invited the President to at
tend the dedication ceremony while or
his trip to the coast. next spring. The
President accepted THE invitation and a
date will be named to suit his con-
venience.
Commissioner Hermann of the Cen
eral Land Office has conferred with the
chairmen of the public lands commit
tees of both House and Senate relative
to the pending bills to repeal the tim
Der and stone act, which he regards in
its present shape as bad legislation.
But before the law is repealed the COM
missioner urges the repeal or modifica-
ton of the forest reservation land law.
which, he says, is the most vicious law
on the statute books. The repeal of
the timber and stone act would cut off
all ways of procuring title to govern
ment timber lands, save by script fl
ings. The moment this situation Is
| brought about, the commissioner ar
| CUES that lieu base will Immediately
take a jump in prices and will ultim-
ately find its way in large quantities
into the hands of corporations or spec
ulators. With all other timber entry
cut off, they would then enjoy the un-
disputed right to secure. in full accord
Il ...r4 -
ment timber lands. that is on surveyed
lands. Either repeal this lieu land law
entirely or so amend 1t, says the COM
missioner as to provide that when
lands within reserves are relinquished
to the government. the tracts selected
in lieu thereof shall be not only of the
same area. but of approximately
the same value as the tracts turned
back to the government. While both
Senator Quarles and Representative
Lacey were inclined to admit the right
of the argument, they gave no assur-
ance that the proposed change will be
enacted this session. In fact. the
chances are decidedly against a change
Among the witnesses before the Sem
ate immigration committee was Rob-
ert Watchorn, in charge OF the United
States immigration inspection service
in Canada. with headquarters at Mont
real. He supplied the committee with
a great deal of information concerning
the operations of the inspection system
on the Canadian border. He advocated
the elimination of the provision of the
bill excepting railroad lines entering
the United States from contiguous ter
ritory from the penalty from bringing
In insane. diseased and idiotic aliens.
He also said the bill would be improved
II all the provisions relating to Canada
should be stricken out, except section
33. placing the entire regulation of the
border immigration In the hands of the