The Grit-advocate., 1903-02-13

! A bill has been introduced by Repre-
| sentative Madden providing that fire.
men injured in the performance of
1 their duty shall receive full pay dur
| ing the time they are incapacitated up
to six months. If they are permanent
| ly injured. on certificate from the
| health officer or city physician they
will be retired on half pay. Firemen
after twenty years service are to re-
tire on half pay
Representative Small of North Car
olina has introduced a concurrent res
olution providing for the appointment
! by the speaker of committee OF
eleven members of the House to inquire
generally into coal conditions in the
| United States. The resolution further
directs the committee to inquire
wh : Ter any combinations exist be-
tween mine owners and operators and
| the transportation companies in viola
! tion of the laws of the United States
/ A report is to be made to the next Con-
| gresS.
Judge Willis Van Devanter. whose
nomination as circuit judge FOR the
| Eighth circuit was sent to the Senate
| by President Roosevelt. Will, when he
assumes the duties of his new position,
make his place of residence Cheyenne.
Judge Van Devanter will remain on
| duty in the Interior Department until
1 his successor is appointed and quaiihed.
| There are numerous applications for
the place, but nothing is known of the
| intention of the President in making
selection to fill it, Among those mep-
| toned in connection with the position
] is Colonel JnyS n Ogden Utah.
In discussing the statehood bill in
| the Senate Mr.. Teller cOntended that
| the few Mormons in Arizona would not
! be capable of controlling elections
there So small a consideration should
not, he conteudcd, stand in the way
of a promise made in the treaty of
Guadaloupe, liidalgo, to admit as
states the territory acquired from Mex
leo. Mr.. Spooncr said that so long as
the bill had been pending Mr.. Teller
was the first to break silence on the
Democratic side of the chamber. Re-
plying Mr.. Teller said the reason why
the Democrats had not spoken was
found in the fact that they did not
want to assist in the delay which he
believed had been preconcerted, prear-
ranged and studiously followed by
what he believed to be the minority in
the Senate.
The naval appropriation bill report
ed to the House carries $I9,O4S, APO, or
Sc, 142 ,0S9 less than the estimates. The
current appropriation is SIS. .S56. 1868. In
addition to the provision for the con-
struction of three irst-class battle
ships, one first-class armored cruiser.
two steel training ships and one wood
en- brig the bill allows the selection
of two midshpmen for each SENATOR
. representative and delegate, thus dou-
bling the number. The committee says
that with the present deficiency of 577
| officers. and with the number of Off
GERS that will be required for the ships
in process of construction. the def
cheney in the number of officers at the
end of four years will be $50, unless
I additional midshipmen are authorized.
! Further provision is made for the ap-
pontment of twelve cnsigns from war
rant officers and for the appointment
/ of thirty additional lieutenant COM
manders. fifty additional lieutenants.
/ thirty additional surgeons, twenty-nlne
naval constructors, eighty-iour addi-
! tional officers for the pay corps and
| 5000 enlisted men. The limit of cost
/ for the building of the naval academy
/ is to be increased from SS,pOO,OoU to
/ $40, 600 900 The sum of 100000 is ap-
/ propriated for experiment station and
testing laboratory in the department of
marine engineering and naval division.
| The annual report of the secretary
| Of agriculture for 1902 recommends an
appropriation Of SIS 900 for continuing
/ and extending the work of irrigation
| Investigations during the coming fiscal
I year, AS the agricultural appropriation
/ bill was reported to the House on jan
| uary 10th, it carried but so, 900 for this
I Office After having passed the House
| as reported by the committee, the agri-
| cultural bill went to the Senate. The
/ Senate committee has amended it so as
to carry SO, 900 for the irrigation in
/ vestigation instead of $4,000 reported
( by the House committee. If the amend
I ment passes the Senate, which is likely.
! the matter viii have to go before con-
/ ference committee composed of mem
I bers Of the Senate and House agricul-
1 tural committees. II the increase con-
I tended for by the Senate should not be
agreed to in conference. the work of
/ thte investigation would be so curtailed
during the next fiscal year as to have
/ its influence for good reduced to an eX-
/ tent altogether unwarranted at this
| time. The $4,000 provided by the
| House committee would be barely
| enough to maintain a small Office force
/ In Washington and to print such publi-
| cations as that force would be able
! to prepare from facts gathered by cor
respondence II could not complete the
reports of water right conditions in the
states remaining to be investigated
which it has been planned to accom-
.plish during the next two or three
years.
/ Antitrust Legislation Certain.
| A New York Herald special says that