The Newport miner. [volume] (Newport, Wash.) 1899-current, 1912-05-30
NEWS FROM CUR
NATIONAL CAPITAL
Conference Committee Has Re-
ported Final Agreement on
B0rah Homestead Bill.

| three-year homestead bill, reported
what is declared to be final agree
| ment. The main features of the orr
ginal bill are retained.
AS the bill is agreed .upc~, the home
stead period is reduced from five to
three years and entrymen are per-
mitted leave of ali ece OF not to ex-
! coed five consec y months each
year, they being required to notify
the local land office when they leave
the land and of the date of their re-
turn.
A cultivation clause is Incorporated
which requires the entryman to Gull
tivate not less than one-sixteenth OF
the area of his entry the second year
and one-eighth the third year. The
bill will apply to all entries, including
enlarged homestead entries and all
pending entries.
Entrymen who have not yet receiv-
ed a patent will have the privilege OF
completing their proof under the three
year bill or continuing under the old
law as they may prefer.
House Reaffirms Canal Toll Bill.
By a vote of lat to 1875, the house
reaffirmed it's decision that no toll
should be charged American vessels
engaged in coastwise trade for pass
age through the Panama canal. The
provision was bitterly fought and the
result was received with cheers. The
canal government bill was passed, 266
to g. The house membership was
divided into two groups, one holding
that American owned ships should
have free use of the canal and the
other that all ships should pay equal
tolls
Officers of Titanic Censured.
A sweeping arraignment of the con-
duct of officers of the Titanic, espe-
cially Captain Smith, is contained in
the report of the senate commerce
committee on the loss of the vessel.
The officers are held responsible for
the disaster because of failure to heed
the warnings of other vessels. J.
Bruce Ismay, who was a passenger,
is also criticized. Lax inspection is
charged to the British board of trade,
and the report calls attention to the
lack of discipline on the vessel
Many Veterans Apply for Pensions
Applications for pensions under the
new dollar a day" pension law are
being received at the pension office
here at about the rate of $4,000 day.
The total number received to date is
123, 234. The total number of appli-
cations expected to be received from
old soldiers who desire to avail them
selves of the benefits of the new law
is from 425,000 to 100000.
Luxuries Imported Enormous.
Luxuries imported into the United
States during the fiscal year which
ends with next month, will exceed
$200,0O0,000 in value. Under the term
'sluxuries" are included such articles
as diamonds, art works, laces and en-
brOideries, champagne and other
wines, tobaccos and manufactures
thereof, ostrich feathers, artificial
flowers, toys, perfumeries and cosmet-
les, jewelry, manufactures of gold and
silver, and numerous others of this
general character.
National Capital Brevities.
The house is holding to it's program
for adjournment about June Is, al
though no understanding has been
reached with the senate leaders, who
are not optimistic.
A committee of the house has been
appointed to consider the propriety of
suggesting to President Taft that he
offer his friendly aid as mediator
between Italy and Turkey.
AS result of reports of danger to
American lives and property in Cuba,
the navy department has dispatched
tAS u oAOpO1I L IdlIl6 Will (OU marines
to Guantanamo to join the gunboats
Paducah and Nashville.
There will evidently be no wool
Legislation at this session of congress.
The senate finance committee has re-
ported adversely the Underwood bill;
it has abandoned the plan to draft a
substitute bill, and has refused to re-
port the Smoot substitute.
Secretary Wilson of the department
OF agriculture has ordered Doctors
Doolittle, Mitchell and Dunlap, of the
pure food board, to conduct a test of
the breweries throughout the country
to determine whether the institutions
are complying with the pure food laws.
The house judiciary committee was
occupied the past week with the hear
Ing OF the charges against Judge
Archibald of the commerce court. Evil
0ence was introduced tending to show