The Springfield herald., 1903-02-27

In chief of the United States Navy
within the next few weeks and Will be
| succeeded by Captain Charles w. Rae.
| The omnibus public buildings bill re-
ported to the House increases the limit
| Of cost of the public building at Colo
RADIO Springs from $135.000 to $l75.OOO,
and at Evanston, Wyoming. from $780,
I000 to $150.00O.
The selection of two stations in Cuba
for naval use by the United States is
In conformity with the findings of the
naval general board here. which has
satisfied itself that there will Be suf-
ficient number to meet naval needs.
One station is to be located at Guam
tanamo. on the southeast coast. and
one at Bahia Honda. on the northwest
| coast. thus giving command OF the
| two great channels of commerce at
either end of Cuba.
Ex-Secretary of State John w. Fos-
| ter has been selected to take charge of
the case of the United States in the
presentation of the Alaskan boundary
question to the special commission to
| be appointed in conformity with the
terms of the recently confirmed Alas
kan boundary treaty. Secretary Root
has concluded to accept his appoint
ment as one of the commissioners to
| represent the United States on the
| boundary commission. The other two
| members of the commission are Sena-
| tors Lodge and Turner. 1t has been
| urged that Secretary Root can do this
work during the coming summer with
| out interfering materially with his du-
! ties as secretary.
| The most important franchise yet
granted in the PHILIPPINES is conveyed
! in an act by the Philippine commits
sioner. a copy of which has just
reached Washington, granting to the
Manila Railway Company the right to
| construct branch road forty miles
| long, from a station named Guiguinto
| to an important Philippine town now
without railroad connection, known as
Cabanatuan, lying northwest of Ma
nila. Up to this time the backbone
railroad, from Manila straight north
| ward to Dagupan, has constituted the
entire railway system Of the Philip
| pines and this concession marks the
| beginning of an epoch of railway de-
velopment which is expected to open
the agricultural resources of the in
terror.
Senator Teller and John C. Teller
| called upon Chief photographer New
ell of the Geological Survey recently,
and presented proposition for con-
struction of an irrigation project in
the Arkansas valley, in which it is pro-
posed the state of Colorado shall CO.
operate with the government. Mr..
Newell received the proposition with
much favor, and while not being In
position to pledge absolutely that the
government will take hold of the pro-
| iect. he said that 1t appeared so feas-
ible that he would recommend 1t and
/ believed it would be adopted. 1t is
| proposed that the state of Colorado
shall construct the canals of the pro-
posed system and that the government
| shall cooperate to the extent OF sup
| plying water stored from flood waters
in reservoirs to be constructed for such
purposes under the new irrigation act.
On February 18TH in the House. bills
were passed under suspension of the
rules to amend the river and harbor
| act so as to authorize the expenditure
of $125,0 900 for the construction OF
channel through Sabine Lake, to con-
meet with Taylor's bayou or Port Ar
! thur canal Texas; to extend for three
| years the time of making final proof
of the Colorado Cooperative Colony;
to effectuate the additional act of the
International convention for the pro-
lection of industrial property; to is
! sue patent to certain lands to BuTalo,
| Wyoming; to grant the Central Ari-
Zona company right of way through
| the San Francisco mountain reserve;
and to extend the coal and land laws
! to the district of Alaska. A bill to
open to settlement 505,0OO acres in the
! Kiowa, Comanche and Apache reserva-
| ton was defeated, thirty-five to fifty
| two.
oh, hn
| committee on public lands finally
| agreed to report the Quarles bill. pro-
| viding for the repeal of the desert land,
| timber and stone, and the commuta-
| tion clause of the homestead act, the
bill approved by the secretary of the
interior. The most fervent advocates
| of the repeal measure were Senator
| Gibson of Montana who said nearly
half of his state had been stolen under
the present land laws. and Senator
Berry of Arkansas. Repeal was Wig
orously opposed by Senators Clark
of Wyoming. Kearns, Heitfeld, and
| Chairman Hansbrough. 1t was agreed
| to report the bill favorably by vote
of seven to six. A minority report
will be made by Senator Hansbrough.
| The minority members are not a unit
| as to retaining all the land laws. Sew
| eral favor the repeal of the commuta-
tion clause of the homestead act, and
Senator Gamble favors an amendment
of the timber and stone act so that
price shall be fixed upon each piece of
timber land disposed of. according to
| its actual value.
The Geological Survey having de-
termined that the Gunnison project in
| Colorado shall be among the first irri-
| cation works undertaken next summer,
is completing detailed plans. The Off
cials are not yet agreed on the dimen-