The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1907-12-12
BRIEF WASHINGTON NEWS
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CONGRE SSIONAL

The following bills have been intro
duced bv Mr. Hall in the house,
IT. r. No. l3J, entitled A Glil regu-
lating the settlement of accounts be
tween the United States ana the sev-
eral states relative to the disposition
of public lands, and for other pur-
poses" The main purpose OF this bill
is to obtain for the public land states
(Of which South Dakota Is Onel the
five per cent authorized by the United
States statutes admitting the several
states into the Union on the purchase
price of lands sold by the government
where the payment was made in
bounty land warrants or other land
scrip. Heretofore the government,
under administrative construction. has
only been paying to the states the
five per cent where the sales We're
made for cash and has not been pay
ing it where the payments We're made
in bounty land warrants or other land
scrip The aggregate amount which
under this bill will go TO the twenty
six public land states is over $1,000
600, and the amount whis South Da
kota will be entitled to is about $500
600, and the amount which South Da
states. the only two receiving larger
amounts being California and Iowa.
Mr.. Hall has secured the cooperation
of his colleagues who are similarly
situated and are naturally interested
in seeing his bill carry.
Also "A bill (H. X. No 1850 for
public building at Brookings. carrying
an appropriation of 800. 10000.
No
public building at Huron. carrying a
like appropriation.
Also a bill GIL X. No. placing
all lumber on the free list and re-
pealing those sections of the United
States statutes imposing a tariff on
lumber This measure will have many
advocates in the present session Of
Congress as its Importance is gener-
ally appreciated not only because it
will reduce the price of lumber, but
also because it will tend to preserve
our forests. which are being so rapidly
cut down and destroyed. Canada tim
Der, which we need so badly fer these
reasons, will when the bar of the tar
If is removed, seek our markets. 1t
is important that action be taken at
this session of Congress because &C
cording to estimates made by the
bureau of Forestry and the Depart
ment OF Agriculture it is only mat
ter of twenty or thirty years at the
present rate of consumption when our
commercial supply of timber will be
exhausted
The following bills have been intro
duced by Col. Parker in the house:
bill providing for pension to wild
ows and minor children of soldiers and
sailors who served during the War of
the Rebellion Under this bill. if it
should become a law. the rate of pen
sions which widows will receive will
be increased from eight to twelve dol
lars per month. which will be effective
until the widow arrives at the age of
seventy years. when she will receive
pension of fifteen dollars per month.
When she reaches the age of seventy
five years, under its provisions sne will
receive twenty dollars per month The
bill in effect places the widow of the
deceased soldier or sailor in the same
class. so far as her pension is con-
cerned, as the Act of February 6, 1907.
places the soldier or sailor.
Col. Parker also introduced a bill
for the erection of a public building
at Rapid City to cost. together with
the site, the sum of $4,000.