The Lamar register., 1903-02-11
WASHINGTON NEWS AND
CONGRESSIONAL PROCEEDINGS


has been inaugurated in the gun car
riage shop at the Washington navy
yard. There is an imperative demand
for completion of work, the orders for
which step is taken with view to eX-
pediting the completion of work the
orders for which We're given over two
years ago. 1t is the purpose of the
naval officials to keep the other shops
at the yards in full operation during
the entire day and night as soon as
sufficient workmen can be obtained.
Mr.. Clayton of Alabama. member
of the judiciary committee. who fol-
lowed Mr.. Powers of Massachusetts in
his speech on the antitrust bill in the
House, agreed with Mr.. Powers that
there had been no politics in the con-
sideraton of the subject of regulating
the trusts, in the committee, but he in
sisted that the methods proposed by
Republicans and Democrats differed
radically. He and his associates, he
said, believed that in addition to the
interstate commerce clause of the con-
stitution. the taxing power directly and
the levying of customs duties could be
and should be invoked. His side was
not opposed to publicity, but they did
not regard 1t as cure. Mr.. clayton
created much amusement by recalling
trust question in the Fifty-sixth Con-
gress, in which they insisted that they
were powerless to deal with the ques-
tion without n constitutional amend
ment. He predicted that corporate
greed" would never permit certain sec
tions of the pending bill to become n
law. In conclusion, Mr.. Clayton de-
scribed the pending bill as the 'sooth-
ing stroke of n friendly hand What
the Democrats wanted was action that
would mean something.
The annual report of the secretary
of agriculture for 1902 recommends an
appropriation of $4,000 for continuing
and extending the work of irrigation
Investigations during the coming fiscal
year. As the agricultural appropriation
bill was reported to the House on jan
uary goth, 1t carried but $25,0O0 for this
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 $4,000 for the irrigation In
vestigation instead of $4,000 reported
by the House committee. If the amend
ment passes the Senate. which is likely.
the matter will have to go before con-
ference committee composed of mem
bers of the Senate and House agricul-
tural committees. If the increase con-
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 S25.000 provided by the
House committee would be barely
enough to maintain n 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. 1t could not complete the
reports of water right conditions in the
states remaining to be Investigated.
which 1t has been planned to accom-
plish during the next two or three
years.
In the Senate debate on the state
hood bill, Senator Warren of Wyoming
said that in his experience of thirty-five
years in Wyoming he had known no
difference between the Mormon church
and any other church. SO far as politics
have been concerned; that If at any
time there was political condition
in Wyoming that has caused those
seeking or enjoying Office to show sub
serviency to the Mormon church. or to
unduly ask that church's Influence. he
did not know 1t. He said the Mormons
of Wyoming never have been polyg-
amous, have not been indolent or i'm
moral people, but. on the contrary,
have been Industrious, moral. frugal
and thrifty and are desirable and
good class of citizens. If Mormon set
Elements in New Mexico and Arizona
increase, he is of the opinion that they
will form the same desirable class of
citizens as found in Wyoming. Senator
Warren asked Senator Rawlins, who
had explained the situation in Utah, IL
1t was not a fact that since people of
this state have divided on party lines
and since there has been Republican
and Democratic party in Utah. the ten
dency has not been toward greater
freedom from the dominating influence
of the church mentioned by Mr.. Raw
lins. Mr.. Rawlins admitted that this
was a fact. and said he did not think
that the domination of the church in
political affairs in Utah will last and
that in his judgment conditions will
improve.
Article / of the new treaty with
Great Britain providing for tribunal
to settle the Alaska boundary line dis
pute stipulates that the boundary line
tribunal shall be Immediately appoint
ed and shall consist of six impartial
jurists, three to be named by the Pres
ident of the United States and three by
his Britannia majesty. All questions
must receive majority vote of the
tribunal Provision is made for the ap-
pointment of other jurists to fill vacan-
cies and for officers of the tribunal. in
Guiding scientific experts and agents.
Article 3 provides that the tribunal
shall consider in the settlement of the
questions submitted to its decision the
treaty between Great Britain and Rus
Sia of 1925, and the treaty between the
United States and Russia of March 30.