The Lamar register., 1905-03-22
DoINGs AT WASHINGTON

mittee on interstate commerce, an
nounces that the committee will begin
hearings on the railway rate subject
April 18th.
Upon the recommendation of the
secretary of the interior the President
has authorized the payment to the Sis
sion and Wahpeton Indians of South
Dakota of 100000 to be distributed
per capita.
Postmaster General Cortelyou con-
tradicts the report published yesterday
to the effect that he has reconSidered
his determination to resign his position
as chairman of the Republican national
committee and retain the position.
There has been no change in my
plan" he said. 81 shall retire from the
craftsmanship. cannot say just when,
but before great while"
Judge Wheeler in the United States
Circuit Court at New York has handed
down an opinion which. if finally sus-
tanned, will cost the United States
government $5,O0O,O00. This money
the government will have to refund to
the American Sugar Refining Com
pany for duties paid on raw sugars
imported from Cuba in 1903 and upon
which the company contended that
reduction of twenty per cent. should
have been allowed under the then ex-
listing treaty.
The Senate has confirmed the fol-
lowing nominations: Charles H.
Treat, New York. treasurer of the
United States; Edward Whitson, dis
trict Judge for the Eastern district of
Washington; George w. Roosevelt,
Pennsylvania, consul general at Brus-
sells: T. St John Gaffney, New York.
consul general at Dresden. Saxony;
Edwin Walter Sims, Illinois, solicitor
of the Department of Commerce and
Labor; Peter Joseph Osterhaus, to be
brigadier general, retired.
Lieut.. d. H. Jarvis of the revenue
cutter service and by special act OF
Congress collector of customs for the
district Of Alaska, has rendered to the
President his resignation as collector
to take effect at once. He will resign
from the revenue cutter service some
time during the coming summer. The
lieutenant was appointed to organize
the custom service of Alaska, and
having completed his task to the entire
satisfaction of all concerned. he has
decided to accept an advantageous bus
mess offer at Seattle. For his work in
relieving six ice-imprisoned whaling
vessels in the Arctic ocean OFF Point
Barrow, Congress voted Lieutenant
Jarvis large gold medal bearing his
own profile in relief.
In order to allay any misapprehen-
sion relative to the policy of the ad-
ministration with respect to the future
of the Philippines, Secretary Taft to-
day made public the text of letter
which he wrote to John n. Blair OF
New York bearing directly on that sub
ject. The secretary states plainly
that the policy of the administration
is the definite retention of The Philip
pines "for the purpose of developing
the prosperity and self-governing ca
/ pacity of the Philippine people That
shall be done when the Filipinos have
reached a condition when they can
| safely be trusted with their own gov
| ernment, the secretary believes to be
a question which doubtless will have
to be settled by another generation
than the present.
Representatives of Colorado, who
have been at Washington attending the
hearings in the Kansas Colorado case,
are discussing with officials of the In
terror department and the Department
of Justice the desirability of having
Judges of the United States Supreme
| Court visit Colorado and other western
states dependent upon irrigation, be-
| fore a decision is rendered in the Kan
| sas-Colorado suit. But two of the Su-
preme Court judges have personal
| knowledge of conditions in the arid
and semi.arid states of the West, and
| 1t is believed that visit of as many
members of the court as could make
the the trip during the coming sum
mer would be of great value to them in
forming equitable conclusions In the
| Kansas Colorado and similar cases.
Commissioner Richards of the Gen
| eral Land Once has received 4 re-
quest from Representative Bonynge
| that the proposed consolidation of the
| land offices at Akron and Sterling be
postponed until next winter, by which
| time 1t is hoped that the 640-acre home
| stead bill will be passed and land office
business thereby increased So that the
| consolidation of these two land offices
will not be necessary. Commissioner
Richards intended TO have the consoli-
dation of the two Offices effected at the
commencement of the present year,
but has held the matter in abeyance
pending the efforts to enact the 64O-
acre law, on the request of Messrs.
Brooks and Bonynge. who thought the
| law might be enacted at the recent
session. Mr.. Richards will hold the
| matter open until after July 1st. when,
| IL the land Office business does not i'm
prove it may be necessary to carry into
effect his intention to have the offices
consolidated.
Senator Warren had a conference
with Land Commissioner Richards in
reference to the methods to be adopted
for opening the Shoshone Indian reser-
walton. Senator Warren urged that
immediate action be taken in the mat
ter of surveys and allotment, so that
the reservation may be opened az the
time set forth in the act. Commits
sioner Richards promised that this
would be done, and that ha
would at once advertise for bids for
surveys. The contracts will be let to
three or more parties of surveyors,
who will be Obliged to complete the
surveys for which they receive con
tracts by December list of the present
year. This will enable the General
Land Office to examine and approve
the surveys and place maps in the
hands of officers of The Indian Bureau
| in ample time before the date of open
ing to make allotments of lands to In
dians and make other preliminary ar
rangements for the opening. Commits
sioner Richards says that the plan for
distributing the lands will: be the same
| th,t ba, hoap followed in the mast