The Brandon news. (Brandon, Miss.) 1892-1961, 1902-10-30
WASHINGTON
ITEMS
Interesting Items From the Cap
ital of the Nation.
THE PANAMA TITLE
Declared Valid--Cuban Reciproc-
ity Ready for Cuban Vote--
Army to Be Reduced.

ATWy u Dc NCuuCCus
Washington. - Reports from Ha-
vana that the reciprocity treaty be-
tween the republic of Cuba and the
United States is completed and in the
hands of President Palma are correct.
The information here is that the
changes to be made by President Pal
ma and his Cabinet are insignificant,
and that. whether they can be granted
by Secretary Hay or not, there Is no
danger about the fate of the treaty so
far as Mr.. Palma is concerned, and
no danger is apprehended from the
Cuban Congress. President Palma is
to submit the treaty to the Cuban Con-
gress immediately after it assemblies
IN November and press it's considera-
tian persistently, so as to assure its
ratification by Cuba before the Ameri-
can Senate meets in December. Ihus
the treaty will be sent to the Senate
already accepted by Cuba. This, it is
believed, will prevent possible amend
ments. That the treaty provides for
q cut of 90 per cent in duties upon
Cuban products sent to the United
States is certain. In return Cuba is
understood to give the United States
almost preferential tariff rates on GER
tain manufactures, like agricultural
machinery.
The executive order relating to
commerce ann navigation in the Phil
ippines, the substance of which has
been published, is as follows: The
executive order of July %, 1899, pre-
scribing the conditions upon which
officers of the customs in the Philip
pine Islands, ceded to the United
States by Spain, may issue q certificate
of protection and flag of the United
States On the high seas and in ell
ports, shall not be deemed to preclude
the power and authority of the Phil
ippine commission to enact laws ex-
tending the right or privilege of inter-
island or coastwise trade in the Phil
ippine archipelago to foreign vessels
during the period while laws regulat-
ing the coastwise trade of the United
States are inapplicable thereto under
the PROVISIONS of the act Of congress
entitled can act temporarily to pro-
vide revenue for the Philippine
Islands and for other purposes" ap-
proved March 8. 1902.
If the strike commission shall fol-
low to logical conclusion the lines
laid down by the President in his ad-
dress yesterday the result will be e
report, not only covering the immedi-
ate phases of the pending controversy
between operators and workers in the
anthracite mines, but looking ahead
to plans to prevent such controversies
in the future. The moment Congress
receives such report and acts on it,
either through remedial legislation or
through an appropriation for expen-
ses, the commission assumes an official
character, and its work is clothed
with such Importance and dignity as
that may give. This was the case
with the commission appointed by
President Cleveland to investigate
the great railway strike centering in
Chicago in 1894. The Chicago COM
nilsson made report which. while it
led to NO immediate action by Con-
gress. undoubtly had influence upon
the legislation which came in 1898,
amending and strengthening the arbi-
tration law by giving the Interstate
Commerce Commission and the De-
partment of Labor discretionary pow
or In the creation OF boards OF arbitra-
ton. The existing law applies only
to strikers who interfere directly with
interstate commerce through the sus-
pension of railway traffic. The trou
bles in the anthracite region which
the new commission is to investigate
could not properly come under the
present law. The commission, there
fore, is likely to recommend legisla-
tion 80 as to take IN such labor Difficult
ties as that which came so near plung-
ing the country into fuel famine.
A general order to the army has
been issued, announcing that. by the
direction of the president, the organ
ization of enlisted strength Of the army
under the reorganization act Of Feb
$780, q 10n1 .L~n - ~.I.~~l -