River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1910-03-10
PEARY WON'T PROVE
EXPLORER SAYS HE CANNOT
BREAK CONTRACT WITH
PUBLISHERS.
OLD PILOT DISPUTES SOUNOINGS
STEVENSON Submits Threatening Let.
ters-Homesteading Given a
Years Extension
for Payments.

Washington, D. c. = Commander
Peary declined to submit to congress
the proofs of his discovery of the
North pole. He sent in care of Rep
resentative Alexander of New York,
n statement written in the third per-
son and addressed to the sub-commit-
tee of the house committee on naval
affairs, in which he set forth his rea-
sons for refusing to send his data to
the committee. The statement fol-
lows:
Commander Peary and his friends
say that contracts signed months ago
with his publishers render it impossi-
BILE to make his records and scientific
data public now. 1t would not only
subject Peary to heavy damages-a
loss which he cannot meet, having
just eXtricated himself from debt in
Cured in connection with his various
expeditions-but it would be break
ing faith with his publishers, which
he is unwilling to do under any cir
cumstances."
After hearing statements by Repre-
sentatives Hobson of Alabama and
Moore of Pennsylvania, urging the
granting of congressional reward to
Peary irrespective of the question of
his proofs, the committee adjourned
without taking any action.
The committee has received mass
of interesting communications on the
subject. One is from H. L. Hopkins,
secretary and treasurer of the Amer
lean Association of Masters, Mates
and Pilots, questioning the reports of
Peary's sounding taken in the vicinity
of the North pole.
How in time did Peary, with one
man, sound in 1900 fathoms of wa
ter?" wrote Mr.. Hopkins to the COM
mittee.
STEVENSON Submits Letters.
The question of whether there is a
lobby working for the enactment of
a ship subsidy law and threatening
members of congress who are opposed
to such a measure was again before a
subcommittee of the judiciary COM
mittee of the house. Representative
STEVENSON of Minnesota, who made
the original charges on the floor of
the house, was again before the COM
mittee and submitted number of
letters said to show that several con-
gressmen were being threatened with
defeat for reelection if they opposed
ship subsidy.
The letters were addressed to Rep
resentative Borland Dem.) of Mis-
souri,, lie nroot (Rep) of Wisconsin,
and FISHERMAN (Reb.) of Wisconsin,
and were from the Merchant Marine
league. 1t is this organization which
Mr.. STEVENSON charges with menac.
ing him by letters and paper articles.
Several prominent men, including ex.
Governor Herrick of Ohio and John
Hammond, are vice presidents of the
league.
The committee will hear further
statements, however, before determin.
ing whether a formal investigation
shall be made by congress of the ship
subsidy lobby changes.
Time Extended for Homesteaders.
A bill extending the time for the
payment to be made by homesteaders
on the Rosebud Indian reservation in
North Dakota, Red Lake reservation
Minnesota, and Comanche, Oklaho
ma, passed the house. The settlers
on the Rosebud reservation received
an extension of one year without in.
terest while those on the other reser.
vations will be required to pay five
per cent.
Bigger Postoffice Is Asked.
An increase in the limit of cost for
Minneapolis public building from
$500 900 to $750,000 is provided for in
a bill which was introduced by Rep
resentative Nye. AS soon as the house
committee takes up the omnibus pub
lie building bill Mr.. Nye will appear
before it and ask for the change in
the Minneapolis item. Owing to the
determination of the house committee
to keep down it's appropriation the
Minneapolis item may not be placed
in the bill until it reaches the senate
Chicago Live Stock.
Chicago, March -Cattle-Market