The San Francisco call., 1905-01-03

1
enough to those who wish to go that
the ball should be set for Saturday
night, which silences the bands and
stops the dancing at midnight, the
| House has refused to allow the func-
ton to be held in the Pension building.
| The ball has been held in the Pension
building before, and it is greatly de-
| sired to hold it there again, because 1t
| is most eminently fit.
The Pension building is large brick
structure in "a park about halfway be-
1 tween the treasury and the Capitol. 1t
! is not esteemed as a triumph of arcnl-
lecture except perhaps by the architect.
| A high building, 1t is yet "all on the
! ground floor 1t is this feature that
| recommends it for an immense as
! semblage, such as is always the in
augural ball.
| There is a splendid reach between the
| floor and the skylight, with big pillars
| upholding the latter, all of which lends
| itself admirably to the schemes of the
| decorator. Fireproof and with exits and
! entrances to suit, it could not be more
desirable if built to order for this pur-
pose of a ball Its wide floor is now
covered with great chests of drawers
| filled with papers without end. They
are arranged in streets and alleys, that
makes them readily accessible.
The objection of the House to lending
| the building for the ball is nothing less
| than that it would interrupt the busi-
| ness of the Pension Commissioner and
| his army of clerks to an extent that
| has been figured in dollars and cents
! to a value of $50, 900. Washingtonians
| take great pride in this quadrennial
| celebration. as, of course, they should
| They subscribe literally of their own
money to make it go. They look upon
| the $4,000 as nothing in the debate
| The House has proposed the Capltol
| building and the magnificent building
| of the Library of Congress, but WASH
| ington stands with the Senate in reject
| ing both. The House Is expected to
come to terms when they get together
| again.
| The price of admission to the ball,
| men and women alike and no free list,
! is this year, as always, and despite the
| Saturday night limitation. $5. This
| is one way in which the expense of the
ostentatious ceremony is recovered.
| Opposition to the statehood bill seems
| to be developing and nobody seems to
| know Just whether the measure really
has the large following that is claimed
| for it or whether its champions Intend
| to use it as a weapon with which to
/ defeat other legislation. If the bill goes
l
| the people will reject it by their vote,
notwithstanding the opposition mani
| tested in Arizona. There Will be
thousand offices to fill in each of the
new States and the interest and enthu-
sissm aroused in the contest for these
alone will do the business.
| The new State of Arizona-New Mex1-
! co-if the combination is effected-will
be the largest in the Union, save Texas,
! 625 miles long and 329 miles wide.
Texas has 10000 square miles the bet
| ter of this. Representative Rodey of
! New Mexico an ardent champion of
! the bill, declares that his Territory has
a population of 100000 and Arizona 175.-
/ 600, enough to entitle them, combined,
/ to a representation of three members.
| They will get but two, being rated by
| the census of 1900
| Rodey. who is we'll stocked with Ter
| ritorial statistics, says that Oklahoma
and Indian Territory have million
and half of people and will rank at
| once with some of the older states.
| There are twenty-three States in the
Union less populous than this. In area
| the State would contain about 10000
| square miles, about the size OF Mis-
| souri,. The land is exceptionally rich
| for agriculture.
| A bill proposed to be introduced by
Senator Stone of Missouri after the re-
cess is intended to throw open prac-
| ticaIly the whole State of Indian Ter
| ritcry to settlement. 1t will, if it be-
! comes law, be the biggest chance for
/ settlers ever proposed at one throw.
| Under the bill each of the $4,000 In
! dians is allotted forty acres. the rest
TO be sold to whites at fixed minimum
| price. Whether or not. this is intended
| to influence the statehood bill is not
/ certain, but should they both go
through there is no doubt about the
boom it would give the new State.
New Mexico has been knocking for
admission since the time of California.
In 1874 Stephen B. Elkins, now Sena-
tor from West Virginia, was delegate
to Congress from New Mexico, and he
had about arranged the matter. One
! day Burrows, now Senator from
Michigan, then Representative from
the same State, made very effective
! speech on one of those force bills that
| aroused so much ugly feeling In Con-
gress. Elkins was in the cloak room,
| did not know what the. speech was
about. but heard the applause. Re-
turning to the floor he met Burrows
| coming down the aisle and wishing to
| do the nice thing took and shook both
his hands That little unintended in
discretion has kept New Mexico wait
ing outside these thirty years.
The Democrats wouldn't believe his
/ explanation and declared that if those
| were Elkins sentiments he could go
to with his statehood bill. Elkins, now
a grave man of great avoirdupois
and wealth, will have chance to say
| whether the Territory shall come in at
last coupled up with Arizona and
against Arizona's will or stay out still
little longer.
! The statehood bill Is liberal enough
| in some things. 1t gives Arizona-New
| Mexico 24,000,000 acres Of land and
| IS. 600 900 cash as school endowment
/ and treats the others as well. Irriga-
/ ton will make the arid lands of Ari-
| zope available for productive farms,
| AID as for other natural resources,
! Arizona claims the largest forest now
| standing in the United States. with
New Mexico next. Rcdey claims for
the latter more iron and bituminous
| coal than any other. From Silver City
alone 1000 tons of iron are being ship
ped daily for seven years to the steel
plants at Pueblo. Colo.
| n. p. Wood, Secretary OF the San
Diego Chamber of Commerce, has had
an office for a month or so where he
| could display his maps, diagrams and
| photographs of San Diego harbor and
beautiful San Diego itself. San Diego
wants q naval coaling station in her
harbor. The Navy Department has an
/ ideal location save that quarantine
station has been placed at an unfor-
tunate point. The desire is that the
quarantine station be moved a little