Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-03-11
At THE WHITE HOUSE
No Service Pension Bill This
Session.
NOW Is NOT THE TIME
MEssRS. SULLOWAY AND GIBSON
CONFER WITH PRESIDENT.
Believed That the Executive Order Will
Have Good Effect - Salaries of
Canal Commissioners Fixed.

Representatives sulloway and Gibson.
| chairman and ranking next to the chairman
ship, respectively. of the House committee
on invalid pensions, had a brief conference
with the President this morning 1t was
not stated that the conference was for the
purpose of considering the service pensions
bill that has been introduced in Congress.
but it is now known that no such measure
will be reported to Congress at this ses-
sion by either the House committee or the
Senate committee. The republican leaders
have concluded that this bill can easily 20
| over until the next session of Congress,
| when consideration will be given to it, .
| 1t is understood that Representative Sui
| loway of the House committee on pensions
and Senator McCumber of the Senate COM
| mittee on pensions are in accord in their
| purpose to suppress this measure at this
| session. and to hold it back until the next
! session In taking this attitude they have
| not indicated their prejudice to the measure
| whenever they consider the best time has
| arrived for its presentation to Congress-
| In fact, it is known that both these men
| believe the time is approaching when such
measure will have to be passed by Con-
gress, but they know that this session of
Congress is not the time The position
taken by the chairmen of the pension com
m1ttees of the respective bodies is under
stood to have the backing of the party
leaders who are glad that the chairmen
have been strong enough to assume much
of the responsibility for failure to do any,
thing at this session. Because of the i'm
mense pressure back of the service pensions
bill 1t was a long time feared that members
of Congress could not be found who would
put themselves in the way of a possible
storm and of a conflict with the G. A R by
opposition, although it was the practically
unanimous opinion that for good reasons
consideration of the bill should go over
until another time.
Representative Sulloway, who has given
careful study to the proposed service pen
slons bill, is satisfied that it would require
an additional appropriation of $50 900 600 to
SG0,000,0OO year to meet the expenses that
would be entailed. 1t would be imp ossible
| for Congress to make such an appropria-
| ton now, or within the next few years it is
declared. without causing an annual deficit
| of a comparatively large amount This
| factor has entered into consideration of the
postponement of the measure, besides many
| others, some of them political, of course.
Mr.. Gibson to Leave Congress.
Representative Gibson who stands next
! to Representative Sulloway on the House
committee on invalid pensions will retire
| from Congress at the close of this term
| He has served ten years in the House from
| the banner republican district of Tennessee
| and is willing that the honor should go
| somewhere else. Mr.. Gibson is wealthy
| and proposes to enjoy himself in travel in
| the future particularly after he has finish
| ed the publication of the second edition of
| his work on "Suits in Chancery" book
| that has become an authority in the courts
! of Tennessee and other states. The first
| edition was exhausted
| The struggle in Mr. Gibson's district to be
! his successor has been the fiercest the re-
| publicans there have known in many years
| The contest has been between r. W. Aus
| tin United States marshal of east Tennes-
| see, and a wealthy republican named Hale.
| A count of the votes in the primary shows
| that Hale was nominal ted by a few hundred
| votes, but the nomination was secured by
| the Hale adherents refusing to open the
| polls in Austin strongholds and throwing
| out Austin precincts. What will be the
| final outcome Is not known
Will Have a Good Effect.
| It is believed in administration circles
| that the executive order of the President
! yesterday directing officials of the govern
'ment no matter in what branch employed
| to refrain from doing or saying anything
| that would arouse hostility in connection
| with the war between Russia and Japan
| will have splendid effect 1t will do away
with much of the cause for exhibiting pub
| lie feeling The fact is pointed out that a
few nights ago Gen. Joseph Wheeler deliv
| cred a speech in New York on the war. 1t
| was not hostile to either of the combatants
f! so far as personal opinion went, but 1t en-
| abled a large audience of Americans to
| show their tumutuous sympathy for Japan.
| On every possible occasion the audience
| went into applause for Japan. Under the
order of the President General Wheeler, as
| a retired army officer. would not make
| speeches and would possibly refuse to do
any writing for newspapers expressing his
| views as to the fighting and the possbili
ties. There are number of army and
navy officers in similar position Gen
Nelson A. Miles is among the number. He
| is said to have arranged to write num-
ber of articles for newspapers on the prog
ress of the war. 1t is not yet known
| whether his work will come within the re-
| strictions of the Presidents order.
| Senators Nelson and Clapp of Minnesota
| introduced some friends, Judge Odell OF
| Minneapolis being with Senator Clapp.
| A F. Dawson, private secretary to Sem
| ator Allison. presented to the President M.
| A Raney of Marengo. Iowa. commanding
| general of the Patriarchs Militant of the
l. O. o. F. Gen. Raney has just returned
| from New England, where he visited a
| number of cities in the interest of the Patri-
| archs Militant. He predicts large gath
| ering of Odd Fellows at San Francisco at
the time of the meeting of the Sovereign
| Grand Lodge next fall.
Discussing Iowa politics, Gen. Raney said
| Mr. Dawson had the best of prospects OF
securing the republican nomination In the
| second Iowa district as candidate for
| Congress against Representative Wade.
| The latter Is the only democrat on the
Iowa delegation. and the republicans will
| make a hard effort to regain control of the
| district this year. Up to this time Mr..
| Dawson is the only candidates for the nomi-
| nation and Gen. Raney thinks 1t more than
likely he will secure the nomination without
| opposition.
Salary of Canal Commissioners.
The President has fixed the salaries OF
the isthmian canal commissioners at $12,0 ,00a
per year. and In addition thereto SIS pei
| diem while they are on the tsthrnrs