Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1903-01-15
coal BILL PASSED.
The Ssnats Acts Promptly on the
House Measure.
The MILITIA BILL ALSO PASSED.
Rapid Progress Made with the Army AH
preparation nil In the House-Bili In
tRodueed for statue to samuel
L TildAn.

Washington, Jan. 15.-Tbe senate
yesterday acted promptly on the
house bill providing rebates Of the
duty on coal and passed it unani-
mously without debate few min
utes after 1t was brought over from
the house. The militia bill also was
passed, with an amendment striking
out of the bill the section providing
for q reserve force of trained men,
thus removing the objections made
against it. For an hour and a half
Senator Tillman occupied the atten-
ton of the senate in characteristic
speech in which he denounced trusts
and monopolies and severely criti-
cised the attorney general. The
statehood bill was up for a short
time, during which Senator McCum-
Der spoke in favor of granting state
hood to Oklahoma, Arizona and New
Mexico.
After brief executive session the
senate adjourned until to-day.
The bill reported from the ways
and means committee Tuesday to
provide for a rebate on the duties
on foreign coal for q period Of one
year was passed in short order by the
house yesterday by practically q
unanimous vote, 1858 to S, those vot-
ing against 1t being Messrs. Cushman
and Jones, Of Washington; Gaines,
of West Virginia; Mondell, of Wyo-
ming, and Patterson, of Pennsyl-
vania, all republicans. The bill was
considered under the operation Of q
rule which cut of opportunity to
amend, The only opposition to the
measure came from some Of the
members representing coal states,
who expressed the fear that the ad-
mission of Chinese mined coal in
Canada would injure the coal indus
try Of their states. Both Mr.. Dalzell,
Of Pennsylvania, and Mr.. Payne, of
New York, the republican leaders,
expressed the opinion on the floor
that the bill would not relieve the
existing distress. They said it would
satisfy, however, public demand for
action and show the disposition OF
congress to do what it could. The
democrats, although they all sup
ported the bill, took the view that 1t
did not go far enough, saying that
coal should go ON the free list, and
when the bill came back from the
senate with a provision which virtu-
ally placed anthracite coal on the
free list they applauded vigorously.
Mr.. Dalzell, in the course Of his re-
marks, said that there was practical
ly no anthracite coal in the world ex-
cept that in the United States and a
little in China. The senate amend
ment was adopted without division.
Rapid progress was made with the
army appropriation bill after the coal
bill had been passed. The most inn
portant amendments adopted were to
increase the number of officers in the
signal corps by 90, namely. one col
onel, two lieutenant colonies, four
majors, eight captains and eight first
lieutenants, and another to prevent
the discontinuance of the army trans
port service without action by con-
gress.
Mr.. Dayton, Of West Virginia, in
troduced resolution to authorize
railroads engaged in interstate COM
merce to transport coal from the
mines to the market in preference
to all other freight for period OF
60 days. The resolution was referred
TO the committee on interstate and
foreign commerce.
Mr.. sulzer, Of New York, intro
duced bill appropriating $4,000 for
statue to Samuel j. Tilden, to be
erected in Washington.