The Meeker herald., 1902-01-25
LATE WASHINGTON NEWS AND
CONGRESSIONAL PROCEEDINGS

Inc postal authorities have refused
to admit the Railway Guide to the
mails as second-class matter on the
ground that 1t contains NO news.
Secretary Root has called the atten.
tion Of Congress to the need of pro-
vidlng for the fifty companies of Phil
1ppine scouts comprising about 5000
men. deficiency appropriation IL re-
CURED Of $4,000.
Oscar s. Straus of New York, for
merly United States minister to Tur-
key, has been appointed as a per1ma-
nent member Of the committee of arbi-
tration at The Hague. The appoint
ment Ia to fill the vacancy caused by
the death Of ex-President Harrison.
II is now said that all members of
the Isthmian canal committee except
Professor Haupt are in favor Of recon-
mending the Panama route to the Pres
ident in the light Of the new offer of
the Panama company to sell. Rear
Admiral Walker, Mr.. Pasco. Colonel
Haines and Mr.. Noble are all said to
have come over to Panama.
Representative Southland of Ohio,
chairman Of the House committee on
coinage, Is about to send invitations to
q number Of the chief manufacturers,
merchants and others engaged in mer-
camille pursuits, to appear before the
coinage committee February 9th con-
corning the bill for the adoption of the
metric system OF weights and meas
ures-
The Senate committee on commerce
has authorized favorable report on
Senator Frye's ship subsidy bill. The
report will be made by Senator
d.
amendments to the bill. The most i'm
vessels under the bill to be either iron
or STEEL instead of steel only, as orig
inally provided, and reducing to 1000
gross registered tons the vessels receiv-
ing bounty under the bill.
The Chesapeake Beach railway, ex-
tending thirty miles from Washington
to Chesapeake Beach, resort on
Chesapeake bay, and owned mainly by
Colorado Investors, is to be improved
before the summer season opens, by
the expenditure of $5O0,OOO on track
age and equipment. The steam loco
motives will be replaced by electric
motor engines capable of n speed Of
sixty miles an hour. Hon. Otto Mears,
president of the company, who re-
| Gently returned from Denver, will take
charge of the work.
The following order has been issued
by the President, directed to each ex-
ecutive department: 1.-THE attention Of
the department is hereby called to the
provisions of the laws giving prefer
ence to veterans in appointment and
retention. The President desires that
wherever the needs of the service will
Justify, and the law will permit. pref
| erence shall be given alike in appoint
ment and retention to honorably dis
| charged veterans of the Civil War who
are At and well qualified to perform
| the duties of the places which they
| seek and are filing"
| The Senate Thursday for a brief
! time, had under consideration the bill
| creating a department Of commerce,
| and the discussion tended to show that
| the measure will have to be amended
! in many particulars before 1t can re-
/ ceive the approval Of the Senate. Ser
| ious objections were raised to the
I transfer to the proposed department Of
several important bureaus now part
Sof other departments of the govern
0ent. It was pointed out that II the
III MS reported became law 1t would
4 ate the greatest department Of the
sernment, and that the secretary OF
cCperce would have more power
ury.e
Iherrigation bill, as completed by
tne comIttee of seventeen western
memoe and which will be reported
10 stral caucus Of all western
senatos ID representatives, while not
conforming the views Of all western
members, " believed will be adopted
o oy .h hsa eaue practically in It's pres
previous draftof the bill give settlers
under proposed government irrigation
WORKS the oppor pity of taking up 100
acres instead OF Mighty, as originally
proposed The M charge Of IS an
acre Tor government irrigated lands is
Withdrawn, and the rice charged will
ne the pro rata cost irrigation, and
may be made IN ten anual payments,
which shall be returnes to the Govern
ment reclamation fund. The commit
tee also struck out the ropositiop to
give the secretary Of inteApr authority
to sell water from government works
for irrigation Of lands in pAyate own
ership, and inserted provis\ that the
Communication clause of the hwestead
law shall not apply to entries Z lands
irrigated by government worksA
At a largely attended meeting e Pa.
cifc coast Senators and Represota-
tives . final determination was reac,ed
~ to the course to be pursued IN
Chinese exclusion legislation, and til,
following resolution was adopted; RE
solved, That the Pacific coast Senator,
and Representatives approve the pol
icy and general provisions Of the bill
which they have requested Representa-
tive Kahn to Introduce in the House
and Senator Mitchell in the Senate
but this shall not affect the privilege
OF any member to perfect the same by
amendment" The bill thus to be in
troduced was agreed upon at the meet
ing. As finally adopted the insular
section reads os follows: THAT from
and after the passage of this act the