The Dolores star., 1902-01-24
LATE WASHINGTON NEWS AND
CONGRESSIONAL PROCEEDINGS


committee Friday.
rear Admiral Crowninshield savs
that 3,OU additional men are needed In
man the new war vessels.
The postal authorities have refused
10 admit the Railway Guide to the
H'aiis as second-class matter on the
ground that 1t contains no news.
secretary Root has called the atten-
uoii or Congress to the need of pro-
viding FOR the fifty companies of Phil
ippihe scouts, comprising about 5000
men. deficiency appropriation Is re-
quired Of S5l5,O
Representative Lowering of Massa-
chusetts has introduced bill proyid-
ing salary for ex-presidents of the
United States at the rate of $25, 600 an
nuaily from the date of retirement from
the presidency.
ihe project of giving n national as
pect to the Chicago drainage canal,
making 1t link in water connection
Detween the Great Lakes and the Gulf
is being considered by the House COM
mittee on rivers and harbors.
Secretary Long has detached Rear
Aumlral Wildes from his present duty
as commandant of the Pensacola navy
yard ana ordered him to relieve Rear
Admiral Louis Kempff, the Junior
squadron commander on the Asiatic
station.
Oscar s. Straus of New York, for
merry 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-President Harrison.
1t is now said that all members of
the lsthmian 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
Halnes 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
number of the chief manufacturers,
merchants and others engaged in mer-
camille pursuits, to appear before the
coinage committee February 9th con-
ccrning the bill for the adoption of the
metric system of weights and meas
ures.
The Senate committee on commerce
has authorized Il 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, us orig
lnally provided, and reducing to 1000
gross registered tons the vessels receiv-
ing Il 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 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 1t can re-
ceive the approval Of the Senate. Ser.
ious objections were raised to the
s,a Po, t<, nrfrr of
several important bureaus now part
of other departments of the govern
ment. 1t was pointed out that If the
bill as reported became law it 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. us completed by
the committee of seventeen western
members, and which will be reported
to general caucus of all western
senator's and representatives, while not
conforming to the views of all western
members, It 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, as originally
proposed. The fixed charge of IS an
acre for government irrigated lands Is
withdrawn, and the price charged will
be the pro rita 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
ership, and inserted a proviso that the
commutation clause Of the homestead
law shall not apply to entries of lands
irrigated by government works.
A meeting of the committee Of west
ern congressman on the proposed irri-
cation bill was held Monday night In
Senator Warren's committee room. Mr..
Newlands, secretary Of the committee,
read letters from the secretary OF the
interior, the director of the geological
survey and the commissioner of the