The Springfield herald., 1908-12-25
NEWS FROM WASHINGTON.

NEWS FROM WASHINGTON.
Senator Burkett of Nebraska made
strong argument in favor of postal
savings banks.
The Senate has confirmed the ap-
pointments of Byron p. Blair, regis
j. H. Weiss, receiver at Del Norte,
Colorado.
Instructions have been sent by the
State Department to American Min
lister Furniss at Port au Prince to ac-
cord recognition to the new govern
ment of Hayti, headed by General
Simon.
Government records. charts. maps
and photographs valued at more than
$4,000 were destroyed in fire which
broke out in the Geological Survey
building The damage to the build
ing itself was slight
The secretary OF the treasury has
recommended that s5OO,O0O be appro-
priated for irrigation projects on In
dian reservations for the coming fiscal
year instead of 100000, the amount
included in the regular estimates.
Senator Clark of Wyoming has intro
duced bill relieving ]. B. Schoenfelt
of Wyoming, former Indian agent at
Muskogee. Okla, from liability for de-
falcation of his clerk, Lyman X. Lane,
of S7,444 during the period of his en-
ployment under Shoenfelt.
j. o. B. Thompson of Richmond, In
diana. who has passed much time in
Africa, has told Mr.. Roosevelt that
his greatest danger in Africa would
not come from wild animals or rep
tiles, but from poisonous insects. He
said the bites of some of these had
been known to produce blood poison
ing. He recommended that the Presi-
dent sleep at night in an insect-proof
place.
At the request of W. G. NJ. Stone,
president of the Colorado State For
estry Association, Senator Guggenheim
has amended his bill providing for in
struction in forestry in agricultural
colleges, SO that the appropriations for
this purpose may be derived from any
money paid to or received by the for
est service.
Secretary Garfield has told western
senator's that the withdrawal of phos-
phate lands in the west is to be tenn
porary and was made primarily to pro-
tect home interests from prospective
acquisition of these lands by foreign
corporations and the phosphate trust,
which, it had been reported, had $780,
100000 ready to use in acquisition of
all available phosphate beds.
The House has passed the bill which
passed the Senate at the last session,
appropriating $4,000 to pay William
Radcliffe, British subject, for dam
ages caused by the destruction of his
fish hatchery and other property at
Delta, Colo, by mob in 1901. This
bill has been before Congress seven
years and originally was introduced by
Senator Teller.
Before the House committee on ag-
riculture Chief Forester Pinchot ex-
planned his reasons for asking for
nearly 50 1000, 900 increase in the appro-
priation for national forests. He urged
the necessity for providing 1,400 more
foresters and government officials in
connection with the policing and sale
of timber of the forest reservations
and asked for larger fund for the es-
tablishment of trails and roads
throughout the reserves.
A special message by the President
in which he defends the government
and denounces the authors of the Pan
ANA scandal charges, declaring that
Joseph Pulitzer of the New York
World should be prosecuted by the
government for libel, was made the oc-
casion of hilarious laughter in the Sen
ate The message states that the at
torney general is preparing to take
action.
Among a large number of war claim
bills passed by the House is one for the
relief of the Citizens bank of Louisi
ana for s215,s2O. The bill has passed
the Senate many times. The claim
arose over the seizure of the funds OF
the bank by General Benjamin +. But
Ter in 1862.
President Roosevelt declined an in
vitation to attend banquet to be giver
IN New York by the Aero Club o.
America in honor of the Wrigh
brothers. The President told a com
mittee he would be glad to give a re
ception at the White house in honol
of the aeroplanists.
The director of the mint estimates
the production of gold in the United
States during 1907 to have been 800,
ABS, 700, and silver for the same pc
riod 5G.514,7O0 fine ounces of the com
mercial value of s37 ,299, 700 at the av
erage New York price of silver for the
calendar year 1907, namely, 66 cent:
| a fine ounce.
Willis Moore, chief of the Unitet
| States weather bureau. has asked TO
| $35 900 to establish a permanent sta
ton on the top of Pixies Peak, in
stalled in a granite building and will
| high substantial steel structural