The Newport miner. [volume] (Newport, Wash.) 1899-current, 1912-04-11
NEWS FROM C.il
NATIONAL Cpl
House Committee W I'd 1T
Militia Into voI4nt- or
Army.

it is now proposed to convert it Ii o
a volunteer army by amendius ].
Dick law In conference with seveI
officers of the National Guard, sever /
members OF the house committee .
military affairs have formulated a b i
which they think will overcome IT, :
constitutional objections to the Pre-.
ent organization of militia as set for,
in the opinion of the attorney gener,l
When the Dick bill was enacted it
was assumed by officers of the Ma
tional Guard that the state militia WIS
made available for any sort Of service
when called out by the president. The
first intimation that this was not true
came in the opinion of the attorney
general, published recently. This
leaves the National Guard in an Ell.
barrassing situation.
Under the proposed plan the presi
dent will be authorized to call out ell
or a part of the National Guard when
ever the necessities of the service are
greater than can be performed by the
regular army 1t will be urged that it
is highly important that this legisla
ton should be passed without delay
on account of the probability of the
need of the state troops in Mexico.
Terminals Must be Reported On.
In the future the army engineers, in
reporting on new river and harbor pro
iects, will include in their reports
comprehensive statements regarding
terminal facilities on the various land
harbors proposed to be improved
Similar reports will also be called for
on existing projects which are under
improvements by the federal govern
ment.
The river and harbor bill now be-
fore the house of representatives re-
quires that reports on new projects
shall contain all available data in re
gard to 1.-The existence and establish
ment of both private and public ter
minal and transfer facilities contigu
Gus to the navigable water proposed
to be improved, and, if water termin
ais have been constructed, the general
location, description and use made of
the same, with an opinion as to their
adequacy and efficiency whether pub
lie or private.
May Revive Apple Box Controversy.
The agreement reached recently to
eliminate from the SulZer bill all ref
erence to the apple box has not defn-
itely settled the question. The agree
ment means merely that this question
has been put over for future consider
alton, and probably will be revived at
tie next session of congress.
When the bill came UP there was
considerable difference of opinion as
to what should be the standard apple
box. The western growers cOntended
for the present box as the standard,
claiming it had been developed after
years of experiments.
The Sulzer bill, which was drafted
at the request of eastern commission
merchants, undertook to increase the
size of the box, but there developed no
essential reason why the box they
fixed upon was in any way preferable
to the box now in use in the west.
Fisher Opposes Homestead Bill.
The conference committee on the
Borah-Jones three-year homestead bill
gave three-houring hearing to Secre-
tary Fisher, who manifested marked
objection to the bill as it passed both
houses, and advocated rigid amend
ments similar to those voted down
when the bill was considered by the
house. Friends of the bill are consid
erably alarmed over Fishers opposi-
ton, particularly as it is believed that
he will recommend a veto of the bill
unless it is amended to meet his
view,
Western friends of the measure are
stoutly opposed to making any mater
ial changes in the bill, as such
changes will impair it's usefulness. In
the light of the recent veto of the
burned timber bill on Fishers recon-
mendation, they are apprehensive that
the three-year homestead bill may
meet the same fate, unless Fishers
terms are complied with.
National Capital Brevities.
A bill to allow lands now withdrawn
on account of power sites to be enter
ed under the public land laws has been
introduced by Representative Mondell.
President Taft is not discouraged
on account of the defeat of the ,arbi-
tration treaties. He will try them
again in modified form and under
take to put them through the senate.
Vigorous investigation of the so
called money trust" and its ramifi-
eltions was ,forecasted when the