The Springfield herald., 1903-12-25
EVENTS IN WASHINGTON AND
TRANSACTIONS OF CONGRESS

The President to-day sent to the
Senate the nomination Of Joseph w.
Fifer of Illinois to be an interstate COM
merce commissioner. This Is re-
appointment.
Congressman Hogg, member OF the
House committee on general pensions,
was appointed subcommittee TO ex-
famine pension bills pertaining to Colo
RADIO Nebraska and the two Dakotas.
The Senate committee on public
LANDS has reported bill authorizing
the Secretary of the Interior to restore
to public entry lands embraced III
whole or In part with segregations tor
reservoirs.
The President has rendered the po-
sition of civil service commissioner
made vacant by the death OF John II.
Proctor, to General John c. Black OF
Chicago. commander-in-chief OF the
Grand Army.
Secretary Moody. in addition to
letter of commendation to Boatswain
Patrick Deery of the Peoria, who at
great peril swan to the submarine.
boat Adder and attached r. line to her,
will order that medal OF honor be
presented to him as an evidence OF the
departments appreciation of his hero
Ism.
The Senate finance committee IA
vorably reported the bill increasing
from $4,000 to 100000 annually the
amount available for purchase of metal
for nickels and pennies, and providing
that instead of confining their coinage
to the Philadelphia mint, as hereto
fore, they shall also be made at the
Denver San Francisco and New Or
leans mints.
Senator Mitchell made speech in
advocacy of the bill to aid the Lewis
and Clark Exposition at Portland, Ore
gon He said that almost $5OO,OOO
had been raised by the sale of stocks
in the exposition company, and that
over 100000 had been raised by diff
ferent states for the purpose of max
ing exhibits, making total OF $1,-
126,907 of available money for the en-
terprise. He said that magnificent
site of over 400 acres had been secured
on the Willamette river. which already
had been graded and planted to shrubs.
| The President sent to Congress
communication from Secretary Hay
submitting to him the report OF the
commission on international exchange
| constituted uuutI dulhoiity VI Soh
gress to make an effort to bring about
= fixed relationship between the
moneys of the gold standard countries
and the silver-using countries. The
secretary says to carry this policy to
com pletion 1t yet remains to submit
the conclusions OF the foreign commits
| sioners to the Chinese government and
| to defray the expenses OF which the
secretary says an appropriation OF
100000 will be necessary. This
recommendation the President ap-
proves.
The House committee on territories
listened to Delegate Rodey OF New
! Mexico on the proposition to admit
New Mexico as a state. Mr.. Rodey
asserted that New Mexico has big
| ger population than any territory has
| had at the time Of its admission, and
and that its population now surpasses
eight states of the Union. The popu-
lation of the United States is going to
be O0,000.000 In 1910. said Mr.. Ro-
dey. I'm this increase OF 24,O00,000
New Mexico will without doubt furnish
100000. Thirteen hundred miles OF
railroad have been built in New Mex
leo since the last census was taken.
One hundred and fifty postoff1ces have
been added, and 100000 acres Of land
have been homesteaded." 1t is be-
lieved that the territorial committee
will make its report on the statehood
bill about January Is.
In his testimony before the Senate
committee on military affairs, Secre-
tary of War Root read extracts from
official correspondence bearing on the
charges and also concerning General
Woods administration as governor
general of Cuba. The secretary's
statement was an elaborate and care
fully-prepared defense of General
Wood. He made a specific reply to
each of the charges urged SO far
against General Woods confirmation,
and assumed responsibility for many
Of the matters charged against Gen
eral Wood, among others, it is under
stood, the granting of license to the
Jai Alai. He devoted particular atten-
tion to the attack upon the integrity
of the official accounts of the Cuban
treasury under General Woods admin
istration. and he was prepared, with
any amount of data, to answer the
charges of loose and faulty account
ing and auditing. He took occasion
to say that the weakness of this
charge might have been established
| long ago had the Senate printed the
accounts which he transmitted to tnat
body last winter in answer to a reso-
luton.
The executive council of the Ameri
can Federation of Labor held confer
ences with Speaker Cannon and Mr..
| Gardner. chairman of the House Com
mittee on Labor, discussing measures
in which the labor representatives are
interested. They requested consider
alton of the eight-hour bill and the
prison labor anti.injunction bills. A
conference was also held with Presi-
! dent pro TEN Frye and Senator Nc
| Comas, chairman of the Senate Com
mittee on Labor. Speaker Cannon in
| formed his visitors he had no doubt
they would be given a full and free
hearing on the bills in which they were
interested and said 1t would be his duty
as well as his pleasure to cooperate
with them to secure fair hearing and
full discussion of all legislation they
might suggest. The speaker told his
visitors that they would find the House
organized for the full and free discus
sion of all questions touching the in
terests of the American people, without
I