Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-04-22
AT THE WHITE HOUSE
Responsibility for the Silver
Coinage Amendment.
SECY. SHAW'S POSITION
SHOWN IN HIS ANNUAL REPoRT
AND RECENT LETTER.
More Trouble Over the Location of the
New Building for the Agricul-
tural Department.
SECY. SHAW'S POSITION


The President and his cabinet did not COLI
lectively discuss the little financial stew
| that has been caused in Congress over the
amendment to the sundry civil bill remov.
Ing the limit to the amount of subsidiary
coinage that may be in existence, and per-
mitting the purchase of silver bullion to
coin more small money. 1t Is thought that
Secretary Shaw and the President, how
ever. had a brief talk about the furry
caused by the two-line amendment fasten-
| ed to the sundry civil bill by Senator AL
| drich of the Senate finance committee.
| 1t is made pretty clear that the respon-
| siblity for this amendment is with Senator
Aldrich, who does not consider it serious
enough to attract general attention. Sec
| retary Shaw and all the officials Of the
| treasury, including Mr. Roberts, the d.
| rector of the mint are not In favor of any
I legislation that would allow the purchase
| or more silver bullion. They are unquali-
| f1edly In favor of recoining silver dollars
| Tor the next few years at least. They do
| not think any more silver bullion ought to
be bought under any circumstances.
Secretary Shaws Position.
| In his annual report to Congress last De-
cember Secretary Shaw called attention TO
silver was then held by the treasury and
| that this would be approximately exhausted
at the close of the fiscal year. He recon-
mended that authority be given to recon
i existing silver dollars. He said that one of
| two things would have to be done-either
| give authority to recoin silver or authorize
| the purchase of bullion to carry SUBJ
| sdiary coinage. A few. days ago Secretary
| Shaw sent a letter to Senator Aldrch CALI
| ing attention to the situation. In conclud-
| Ing this letter he said
In view of the enormous volume of full
| legal tender silver now in the vaults of the
treasury (about 500 car loads) 1 think 1t
would be the part of wisdom and prudencs
| to direct the recoinage of so much thereof
| as may be required to meet the growing
! demands of the country for subsidiary
coin.'
The coinage of subsidiary silver amounts
| to about s5,oo0,000 to sT,O00,000 each year
| The stock of money in existence would Il
| is said by high administration officials, be
| in no way decreased by recoining silver dol
| lars lying in the treasury. AS matter of
fact there would be gain in the stock Of
money, as there is gain of about per
cent In the process of recoinage, and eveSy
dollar melted and turned into small coin
would net more than a dollar in small
silver.
In view of the promise of a financial fight
on the eve of a presidential election the
chances entirely in favor of the amend
ment being withdrawn, IT Is said, and the
tier resting where it has been all the
time. This would leave the treasury with
out authority to coin much silver in the
coming fiscal year, inasmuch the total
of subsidiary coinage now in existence
close to the 800, 900 limit, and no moro
can be coined, under the law, when that
limit is reached. At the next session of
Congress the republicans will put through
some legislation providing for changing the
situation. They will probably allow recoin-
age of silver dollars. but they do not care
to go into all this at this time.
Senator Aldrich, 1t is admitted. realized
ATTEMPT change
permit recoinage of silver dollars would
launch financial discussion all over the
country and he and his colleagues in the
Senate preferred to confer authority for
purchasing a small amount of silver to
meet existing conditions
Status of Land Bills.
Representative Lacey OF Iowa conferred
with the President as to the status of some
of the land bills pending in Congress. Rep
resentative Overstreet of Indiana introduced
]. L. Griffith, an Indianapolis man. who is
completing a work on the life Of President
Harrison. Mr.. Griffith will have talk
with President Roosevelt about what he
knows of President Harrison.
Representative Jones of Washington pre-
sented two Wentchee Indians. John Milt
and Louis Judge. Senator Penrose intro
duced Attorney General Palmer of Penn
sylvania. Senator Quarles introduced some
friends from Wisconsin. including Judge
Burnell.
The Agricultural Building.
The fight over the location of the new
building for the Department of Agriculture
has again been carried to the President,
Representative Wadsworth of the House
committee on agriculture having had a
long talk with the President this morning.
This is the second time he has talked
with the President in the last few months.
Mr.. Wadsworth declares that the commit
rrTbi lob 6fa ,k1afp
and unanimously opposed to placing the
new building on the north side of the
proposed S00-foot mall. with Its face to the
south. They think that 1t ought to go on
the present grounds and face to the north,
just the present building does. The de-
cision will finally rest with the President,
who Is being consulted by both the ad-
vocates and opponents of this plan.
The architects and others who composed
the commission that laid on plans for the
future building of Washington have strong
~ advocated the erection OF the new build
ing as proposed. and declare that to begin
to make changes in the recommendation OF
the commission would mean a breaking
away from the plans in every way in the
future. Secretary Wilson is declared to
stand with the House committee agrf.
culture. and he has urged the acceptance Of
his view by the President. Under such con.
ditions the President Is naturally not
elated.
Representative wadsworth, in comment
ing upon the plans for the mall said: Our
ositions The first is the carrying out OF the
original plan of L'Enfant for a boulevard
400 feet wide; second, we are willing to in
crease this to 600 feet, which would enable
the government to preserve the Smithsonian
Institution. which would have to be torn
down under the 800 foot proposition. and.
third. we favor giving the mall park er-
feet. laid out with beautiful roads and the
placing of additional shade trees. instead
of the proposition to cut down everything
there and replace them with asphalt drfve-
ways and rows of newly planted trees. All
this new tangled business may sound fine
enough, but I don't know anything that
would look prettier or more inviting than
a beautiful parking with winding paths and
roads.
II see the Senate has passed bill ex-
tending the mall to $50 feet wide. but this
bin will never get through the House
There Is no use for such a wide affafr, and
1t viii never get through the House."
The President Undecided.
The President at one time 1t is stated
instructed Secretary Wilson to locate the
new buildings as arranged. according to the
plans Of the park commission. Latsr the