The Springfield herald., 1902-06-20
LATE WASHINGTON NEWS AND
CONGRESSIONAL PROCEEDINGS


providing for the protection of lives
of miners in the territories agreed to
accept the Senate amendments TO the
! bill. AS agreed upon the bill provides
| that owners of coal mines in terrific
ries shall provide ventilation of not
| less than 5000 cubic feet per minute
| for every fifty men, air to be forced
/ through the mines by proper machin-
4 cry, to dilute and render harmless poi
sonous .gases. Entries, room and all
openings shall be kept dampened with
water to cause coal dust to settle, and
II water is not obtainable at reason
| able cost, Accommodations of dust shall
| be taken from the working portions of
! the mines. The conferrees retain the
| Senate amendment striking out the
provision requiring owners TO employ
professional shot firers to fire blasts.
The President has nominated Briga-
dier Generals John C. Bates and
George w. Davis to be major generals.
Brig. Gen. John G. Bates was born in
Missouri, where he entered the regu-'
lar army as a first lieutenant of infan-
try in 1861. He was brigadier general
of volunteers in the Spanish war, and
was with Shafter at Santiago. In the
Philippines his notable works were
the negotiation of the treaty with the
Sultan of JolO and the capture of
Lieutenant General Trias of the in
surgent army. He has four years
more of active service. Brig. Gen.
George w. Davis entered the volun-
teer army in his native state of Con-
necticut in 1861 as quartermaster
sergeant, and became captain of the
regular army in 1867. After the war
with Spain he was made governor gen.
eral of Porto kico, where he remained
until ordered to the Philippines in
1901. He has only one more year to
serve.
Representative Shafroth is highly
elated over the passage of the irriga-
ton bill. 'Ths measure" said he, in
my judgment, does more for the West
than all other appropriations we have
obtained since the acquisition of that
territory. 1t starts with n FUND of
S6.OOO,OOO cash to our credit and the
| fund will increase at the rate of S3,-
100000 to S4,00O,000 each year. In re-
payment for water rights it is likely
to constitute n fund finally of several
hundred million dollars. 1t is practic-
ally turning over to us the receipts
from fully 55OO0O.00O acres of land. In
about one year l believe the secretary
of the interior will begin the construc-
ton of reservoirs and irrigation works.
He will probably start with three or
four projects simultaneously. Definite
surveys will first have to be made.
as the surveys now on record are not
sufficiently accurate to draw final
plans. l am anxious that practical
projects shall be selected, even If some
delay ensues, for it would be bitter
disappointment to those who have Sc
cured the passage of this bill to see its
first fruits turn out failures"
The Presidents Cuban reciprocity
message was variously regarded by
members of Congress. Tie straight
reciprocity men urged that the effect
would be to cause at least some of the
beet sugar Republicans to abardon
their opposition. They contcpded that
some of them had misunderstood the
attitude of the President, and there
was no longer any excuse for opposing
reciprocity measures. The measure,
they said, would clear the atmosphere,
rendering the Presidents attitude un-
mistakable, and therefore bring oppon-
nents within the party face to face
with the fact that in continuing their
opposition they are antagonizing the
official head of the party. I'VE have
known all the time where the PreSi-
dent stood on this subject, and have
told the Republican opponents of re-
ciprocity just what the facts are said
a leading reciprocity senator. "They re
fused to accept our assurances, and
professed to have expressions from the
President to the country. The message
confirms all that we have said to them.
1t clears the atmosphere, and neces-
sarily the result must be beneficial for
Il reciprocity bill" The beet sugar
leaders declared at the close of the day
that the message had caused no loss
whatever to them; that all those Sena-
tors who had stood with them before
are still with them. They also assert
ed that the Presidents interposition in
the matter had had the effect of caus-
ing to hesitate some senators who here
tofore had not taken n positive stand
against reduction because of the feel
ing that the President should leave
Congress to deal with the subject in
its present stage.
During the discussion of the Corliss
Pacific cable bill in the House Mr.. Cor
liss said: This measure provides for
government cable uniting our islands
i'll the Pacific with the American con-
tinent BY Its terms the cable shall
be American made, laid by American
ship, and, managed by the American
government" He argued that no one
had the right to lay Il cable without
permission of Congress. He placed
the cost of construction at not exceed
ing 100000 and the cost of opera
ton at 100000 per annum. a govern
ment survey of the route already had
. been made he said. ut an expense of
100000. He estimated that the reve-
nue. from commercial business alone
would be far in excess of the cost of
/, operation. Mr.. Corliss presented TO
the House statements and figures In
5 tended to show the existence of Il ca
| BILE monopoly and its purposes. He