The Springfield herald., 1909-12-17
NEWS FROM WASHINGTON.

More than 100000 corporations in
the United States will have to make
their returns in conformance with the
new corporation tax law.
Senator ]. c. s. Blackburn has re-
signed as a member of the Isthmian
Canal Commission and his resignation
has been accepted by the President
On the opening of Congress. Foun-
tain l.. Thompson, Democrat, was
sworn in as senator from North Da-
kota. He succeeds the late Martin
Johnson.
At caucus of Democratic senators
Senator H. d. Money of Mississippi
was chosen as minority leader In the
Senate to succeed Senator Culberson
of Texas, who resigned.
Secretary Ballinger has temporarily
withdrawn from all forms of disposi-
ton approximately 20,144 acres of land
along the ella river, New Mexico, and
Arizona, thought to contain power pos
sibilities.
Representative Taylor of Colorado
proposes introducing bill to provide
funds for making surveys of lands
within forest reserves to facilitate
homestead entries which now cannot
be made because the lands are gencr-
ally unsurveyed In reserves.
The secretary of the interior has
granted an extension of time until De-
cember 81, 1909, for the completion Of
the Shoshone dam in Wyoming. Work
on the structure, which is the highest
masonry dam in the world, has been
greatly impeded through scarcity Of Ia
Dor.
The navy year book for 1909 shows
the race for second place among the
navies of the world to be still very
close as between the United States
and Germany. The United States has
greater tonnage of battleships and
armored cruisers, but Germany has
larger number of small vessels.
Taking square hit at the annual
Roosevelt physical tests for army Of
ficers, Surgeon General Torney in his
annual report says that the present
test not only fails in the object it
sought to attain-"a physical condi-
ton which would enable them to be
always fit for active field service
but may result in serious damage to
elderly officers.
The Department of Agriculture on
the It'll inst. estimated that the newly
seeded area of winter wheat is 7.9 per
cent greater than the revised estimat-
ed area sown in the fall Of 1908,
equivalent to an increase of 2,449,000
ha fnf n1 hni
33,4S3,OOO acres. The condition Of
winter wheat Dec. list was 95.S,
against s5.3 the same day year ago.
Endorsement of Clifford Pinchot,
chief forester, and plea for appro-
priations that will permit the drain
age of swamp lands were features OF
the last big open meeting of the Ma
tional Rivers and Harbors Congress
at Washington.
Assurances that steps of an import
ant character toward the development
of system of waterways improve
ments in the heart of the country
would be taken by the present Con-
gress were given by President Taft to
delegations of the National Rivers and
Forest Congress.
Representative Taylor has secured
the issuance of. an order from the
commissioner of the general land of
flee which will result in expediting
action upon the rights of way applica-
ton of the Plateau Valley railroad in
Western Colorado. The application
has been tied up for nearly two years.
Representative Taylor, who has
been working to secure modern field
guns for the Colorado militia, has re-
ceived notice from the War Depart
ment that four modern three-inch
rifled guns will be placed at the dis
posal of the militia Immediately. The
four guns, with their equipment, are
valued at S9SeoAh