The state herald., 1902-01-24
LATE WASHINGTON NEWS AND
CONGRESSIONAL PROCEEDINGS

The postal authorities have refused
to admit the Railway Guide to thu
mails as secOnd-class matter on tht
ground that 1t contains no news.
Secretary Root has called the atten
uon or Congress to the need of pro
viding for the fifty companies of Phil
ippine scouts, comprising about 500
men. A deficiency appropriation Is re
Quired of $515,OOO.
Oscar 8. Straus of New York, for
merly United States minister to Tur
key, has been appointed as perma
nent member of the committee Of arbi
tratiOn at The Hague. The appoint
ment Is to fill the vacancy caused by
the death Of ex-Presitent Harrison.
1t is now said that all members oi
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 Southard Of Ohio
chairman Of the House committee on
coinage, Is about to send Invitations to
n number Of the chief manufacturers
merchants and others engaged In mer.
camille pursuits, to appear before the
coinage committee February 9th con.
cerning 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
Frye. The committee made several
amendments to the bill. The most i'm
portant We're: Allowing mail carrying
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 receiy-
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 100000 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 ea-
ecutlve department: "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 fit and well qualified to perform
the duties of the places which they
seek and are filling"
The Senate Thursday for brief
time. had under consideration the bill
creating department OF commerce.
and the discussion tended to show that
the measure will have TO be amended
In many particulars before II can re-
ceive the approval OF the Senate. Ser.
ious objections were raised to the
transfer to the proposed department OF
several important bureaus now part
OF other departments of the govern-
ment. II was pointed out that IL the
bill as reported became law II would
create the greatest department OF the
government. and that the secretary Of
commerce would have more power
than even the secretary OF the treas
ury.
The irrigation bill. as completed by
the committee of seventeen western
members, and which will bc reported
TO general caucus OF all western
senators and representatives, while not
conforming TO the views OF all western
members, II Is believed will be adopted
by the caucus practically In Its pres
ent shape. Recent changes made from
previous drafts OF the bill give settlers
under proposed government irrigation
works the opportunity OF taking up 100
acres instead OF eighty, rs originally
proposed. The fixed charge OF 50 an
acre for government irrigated lands ls
withdrawn, and the price charged will
be the pro rata cost OF Irrigation, and
may be made In ten annual payments,
which shall be returned to the govern
ment reclamation fund. The commit
tee also struck out the proposition to
give the secretary of interior authority
TO sell water from government works
for irrigation OF lands In private own
crship, and Inserted proylso that the
cOmmutatlon clause OF the homestead
law shall not apply TO entries OF lands
Irrigated 10y government works.
At n largely attended meeting OF Pa.
ciiic coast Senators and Representa-
tlycs n final determination was reached
ns to the course TO be pursued ON
Chinese exclusion legislation, and the
following resolution was adopted: IRE
solved. That the rncInc coast Senator'S
and Representatives approve the pol.
ley ana general provisions Of the bill
which they have requested Representa-.
tive Kahn to Introduce In the House
nnd senator Mitchell In the Senate;
but this shall not affect the privilege
or amy member TO perfect the same by
amendment" The bill thus 10 be IN.
trodnccd wns agreed upon al the meet.
Ing. As finally adopted the lnsular
section reads os follows; That from
and after the passage Of this act the
entry Into the American mainland ter.
ritory OF the United States Of Chinese
lnborcrH coming from any OF the In.
snlnr possessions Of the United States
shall he absolutely prohibited. and the
prohibition shall apply to all Chinese
lnbotcrs ns well ms TO such ms were In
insulnr possessions nj the time or times
of acquisition thereof respectively 10y
the United States. or 10 those who
have come there since mud those who
have been born there since and those
who may come there hereafter and