t -.;t f
IN THE NATIONAL HALLS OF CONGRESS
Their
Friday, March I.
Washington. Murch 1. Ifc has beon
years since tlie houre was the scene of
so general battle between two great
parties as took place today over the
whip subsidy bill. The bill was passed,
but not until it had been defeated,
and this fact in itself shows how close
the alingment wub.
Immediately after the first ballot dis
cussions began and on the final vote to
pass the bill as amendrned the work
done bv the Republican leaders during
the heat of the battle was made mani
fest. The bill was passed, 155 to 149.
Washington, March 1. The dena
tured alcohol bill passed the senate to
day by a vote of 65 to 1 . Pettus of
Alabama cast the negative vote. This
action was taken after the committee
amendment requiring the presence of a
government storekeeper whenever alco
hol is being manufactured had been de
feated by a vote of 47 to 10. The bill
as passed contains a senate amendment
permitting ruin to be denatured, Lon
aemiently the moasure must bo returned
to the house for action. The bill is
intended to make it possible for a farm
er to establish stills of limited capacity
for the manufacture of alcohol to be de
natured.
Thursday, February 28.
Washington. Feb. 28. The senate
today passed without division the bill
extending government aid to the Alaska-
Yukon-Pacific exposition to be held in
Seattle in 1909 and debated for several
hours the denatured alcohol bill, reach
ing no conclusion on the latter measure.
The conference report on the army
appropriation bill was presented and
by the senate's receding on the point
in controversy its provision for the
retirement of paymasters' clerks a
comnlete agreement between the two
houses resulted.
Washington. Feb. 28. General de
bate on the ship subsidy bill in the
house teminated at 2:15 p. m. today,
whereupon the bill was read under the
five-minute rule for amendments.
From that time until the recess at 6
o'clock amendments were offered and
the discussion proceeded thereon. The
Wilers on both sides were drawn into
the debate.
Bv a vote of 112 to 127 the house de.
feated an amendment offered by Lit
tmior excepting the Sierra, the Sonoma
and the Ventura, of the Ocaenic line,
from the operation of the provision em
powering the postmaster general to
make contracts with citizens of the
United States for carrying the mails on
steamships. This was regarded as
test vote in relation to the Pacific
lines.
Wednesday, February 27.
Washington. Feb. 27. After listen
Jncr tai an argument bv Patterson of
Colorado in favor of government owner
ship of railroads, the senate today
agreed to the conference report on the
river and harbor bill. Protests were
made against the reduction from $650
000 to $250,000 of the amount for im
rjrovements in the Mississippi river be
tween Cairo and St. Louis by Hopkins
Onllom. Stone. Allison and Overman
The smaller amount prevailed.
there is a great demand. It also au
thorizes the deposit of customs receipts
in national banks, as internal revenue
receipts are now deposited. It raises
from $3,000,000 to $9,000,000 the na
tional bank circulation that may be re
tired in any one month.
Washington, Feb. 26. General de
bate on the ship subsidy bill continued
throughout the day in the house. The
rule limiting the general debate to five
hours was by unanimous consent
amended so that general debate shall
run through tomorrow, with a night
session from 8 o'clock until 11 o'clock,
when the debate will terminate. Mr.
Grosvenor was the principal champion
of the bill
The conference reports on the fortifi
cations and the omnibus revenue cutter
bills were adopted. The conference
reports on the army and river and har
bor appropriation bills were presented.
Monday, February 25.
Washington. Feb. 25 The senate
today passed the agricultural appropri'
ation bill, carrying nearly $10,000,000
with an amendment providing thai
forest reserves in certain Western
states shall not be created or enlarged
without an act of congress, the post
office appropriation bill, carrying $210,-
000.000; the pension appropriation
bill, carrying $145,000,000, and the
bill authorizing the establishment of
an agricultural bank in the Philippines
By a vote of 43 to 19 the senate to
night ratified the Santo Domingo
treaty. This was one more vote in
the affirmative than was required.
Washington, Feb. 25. Ship subsidy
secured a marked impetus today in the
house, which, just before adjournment,
adopted a rule that will probably in
sure the passage of the j,ittauer budsii-
tute for the senate bill and result be
fore the final adjournment in positive
legislation.
The rule was reported by Dalzell in
the shape of a resolution providing that
the compromise bill shall be consid
ered, with debate limited to five hours
and that the final vote shall be taken
not later than next Friday afternoon
at 3 o'clock. The rule was adopted by
a vote of 158 to 122, 24 Republicans
voting with the Democrats in opposi
tion to the rule.
The conference report on the Indian
appropriation bill was adopted, as was
the conference report on the bill pro.
viding for the allotment and distnbu
tion of Indian tribal funds.
Saturday, February 23.
Washington, Feb. 23. Although the
senate devoted four hours to legislative
matters today, nothing was accom
plished except epeech-making. The
agricultural appropriation bill received
further criticism. It is proposed that
$1,000,000 be added to the fund at the'
disposal of the Forest service to make
up for revenue taken away from it and
tuined into the treasury.. While this
amendment probably is to be accepted
Heyburn will not permit to receive final
action until he has exhausted every to
gitimate means of opposition.
Palouse Farmers Will Carry
Wheat to Elevators.
Waverly, Wash., Feb. 26. The
farmers and wheatgrowers of this dis
trict have decided to do away with the
'sack profit," and elevators for hand
ing'wheat in bulk will be be built all
along the Spokane & Inland Flectric
road. A very enthusiastic meeting was
held here recently and the matter thor
oughly discussed by the farmers. The
meeting was addressed by a representa
tive of the elevator company, who ex
plained the advantages to be derived
from the farmers handling loose instead
of sacked grain.
The company will be organized to en
able the wheatgrower to handle his
grain in the most economical manner,
and thereby save the price of Backs,
which sell for from 10 to u cents each.
The farmers feel that they have been
mposeduponby the "sack grafters"
long enough, and they have to decided
to stop buying sacks and handle their
wheat in bulk.
Wagon boxes that will hold 100
bushels of wheat to haul to the eleva-
tors will cost the farmers but $15 each,
and these boxes can be used nora year
to year. All elevators will be equipped
with the most modern machinery lor
the handling and cleaning of grain in
the most economical manner. Wheat
PLAN TO 8TOP SACK GRAFT.
ALL BUT ONE SAVEDl
&U8-TREASURY ROBBED.
Off Eureka, California.
Two Hundred Thousand Dollar Theft
Uncovered in Chicago.
rv,
Steamer Corona Goes on Rocks day say:
One of the largest if not the largest
thefts from the United States treas
ury has been unearthed in Chicago.
Somewhere between 1175.000 and
VESSEL IS A HOPELESS WRECK
$200,000was stolen from the local Bub-
treasury last week. The money has
disappeared as completely as if it had
Hijch Sea Running and Life-savers vanished from the earth.
The authorities here and in Wash
ington have been working night and
day on the robbery since it was discovered.
Chief Wilkie, of the United States
Secret service, has been keeping inform
ed by telephone and telegraph of every
development, and, according to tele
graphic adviceB, he will leave Washing-
Have Hard Task to Reach
Doomed Ship.
Eureka, March 2. The steamer
Corona, Captain Boyd, considered the
best boat in the Pacific Coast Steam
ship company's service between this
city and San Francisco, lies straddling ton today to take personal charge'of the
the north jetty on the Humboldt bar, investigation
can be handled fully a cent a bushel
cheaper than through the warehouses in shipwreck followed
- . i it I i if i ii i
sacks. Waeon dumps and snipping rusneu into ine social
scales will be provided at every eleva
tor. These elevators will probably be
built all through the Palouse country
this season, as farmers all over Eastern
Washington are anxious to do away
with sackB.
TRUST IS REALITY.
for
Farmers Holding Back Produce
Better Prices.
Chicago. Feb. 26. The farmers
trust has arrived. It has stretched its
big, strong hands over the states of In- was drowned.
diana. Illinois. Iowa, Kentucky, Wis
consin, Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma,
Missouri and Texas. Its knotted fin
gers have piled up millions of bushels
of grain and fruit and thousands of
bales of cotton into a mountain heap,
and the trust has said to the dealers of
the world:
"You can't have any of this until
you pay us what we think is coming to
us. How do your worst.
Ever since early last fall, board of
a hopeless wreck. The Corona, with
nearly 100 passengers aboard, struck
at 10:10 o'clock yesterday morning, as
Captain Boyd was attempting, in the
teeth of a stinging wind and a terrific
bar flood, to drive her into port.
The usual scenes attendant upon a
The passengers
hall. Some of
the women were hysterical and some of
the men were palsied with fear, but
reassuring words from the crew and
some of the calmer passengers brought
calm. Thereafter the passengers as
sembled upon the hurricane deck,
where they remained until the rescue
work was undertaken in the afternoon.
Soon after the ship struck, a boat, in
charge of Quartermaster Gunn, was
lowered away. It contained three of
the crew and three steerage passengers.
This boat capsized ot once in the boil
ing surf and H. Errickson, a Swede,
Gunn and the others
succeeded in reaching shore, the life
saving crew under Captain Hennig
having come to their assistance.
A second boat, in charge of Second
Officer B. V. Joenn, was put off.
Badlv battered and leaking like a sieve,
this boat reached the shore. Mean
while, T. F. Sothern, night saloon
watchman, formerly a marine in the
United States navy, stripped to the
waist and attempted to carry a line
ashore. The small line he had tied
Secretary Shaw, of the Treasury de
partment, was told of the big theft -
when in Chicago last week, and was m
conference with Sub-Treasurer William
Boldenwick and secret service officials.
The money was stolen either a week ago
Saturday, the next day or Monday.
The chances are it was abstracted on
Monday. The loss was discovered
Tuesday.
All the money taken was in large
bills bills of the denomination, of
$1,000, $5,000 and $10,000. Just who
discovered the loss the sub-treasury offi
cials would not admit last night.
Neither would they tell from what de
partment the money was taken, nor
how the loss was discovered.
DANGER TO HARBOR BILL.
trade men and shippers of grain have
been talking about the scarcity of cars.
To that scarcity they have attributed
almost entirely the fact that corn,
wheat and other farm products do not
move to the market centers with more
haste. The dearth of cars is an every
day theme in the speculative and com-
ercial gossip. That there is a great
deal in it nobody disputes, but a still
more significant phenomenon of the
day is that grain is being held back be
cause the farmers are determined they
shall get the price they have set on
their own property,
RATES ON DECLINE.
Washington, Feb. 27. Humphrey of
Washington held the center of the stage
for a considerable time today during
the debate in the house on the ship sub
sidy bill. He had a hot exchange of
compliments with Sullivan of Massa
chusetts about the attitude of the Dem
ocrats on the Japanese controversy.
He said he would not vote to report
any bill that would not provide that
'the flag shall go to the Philippines.
He charged the Democratic party with
trying to keep this country from Hold
ing communication with the Philip
pines "in order to bring disgrace upon
our administiation of those islands.
They hope to inveigle ue into a war
with Japan, to make us so weak that
Japan will attack us, and then they
hope to ride irto power over their coun
try's disgrace," he said.
Tuesday, February 26.
Washington, Feb. 26. The senate
today passed the sundry civil appro
priation bill carrying $114,578,861, an
increase of over $10,000,000 as com
pared with the house bill. It also
passed the Aldrich currency bill by a
vote of 43 to 14.
The currency bill authorizes the issu
ance of $10 gold certificates, to the end
that the $10 greenbacks may be broken
up into $1, $2 and $5 bills, for which
Washington, Feb. 23. The house
adopteud an amendment to the sundry
civil bill providing that no bar or can
teen where intoxicating liquors are sold
shall be maintained in National sol
diers' homes, In view of the campatign
throughout the country against the can
teen in soldiers' homes, intense interest
was shown when that feature of the bill
was reported.
Four hundred thousand dollars was
added to the appropriation for the geo
logical survey. The sundry civil appro
priation, the largest in the' history of
the government, carrying $105,000,000,
was passed.
Retain Foreclosures Ten Years.
Washington, Feb. 26. The Lodge
argicutlural Philippine bank bill, as
passed by the senate, contains an
amendment suggested by Culberson re
quiring that the bank may not hold
lands which it has acquired on mort'
gage foreclosure longer than ten years
Telephone for Llfesavers.
Washington, Feb. 27. Senator Ful
ton has secured the adoption of an
amendment to the sundry civil bill ap
propriating $5,000 for a telephone line
from the Umpqua lifesaving station to
the mouth of the Siuslaw river, also
$20,000 for rebuilding the lighthouse
at Cape Arago.
Senator Elklns Files Long List of
Railroad Statistics.
Washington, Feb. 26. Senator El-
kins, of West Virginia, has just com
pleted and filed in the senate is minor
ity report on the railroad rate Jaw. it
presents a comprehensive history of the
economic development ot American
railroads, together with exhaustive
tables which tend to show a constantly
decreasing freight and passenger rate,
and the relation between such rates and
the price of commodities and cost "of
labor.
The average passenger rate," says
the report, "advanced .slightly from
1870 to 1880. During the next 24 years
there was a decline equal to 17.85 per
cent of the average for 1880. The net
decline from 1870 to 1890 averaged
16.14 per cent. The decline in the av
erage rate per mile per ton ot ireignt
was 58 71 per cent during the years
from 1870 to 1904, the rate for the
earlier year being about two and one
half times that of the latter, and the
net saving to the shippers averaged
11.09 mills per ton per mile."
The report says that the cost of
tiansportation in 1904 was nearly $2,
000,000,000 less than it would have
been had the rates for 1870 still pre.
vailed.
Dry Farming in Malheur.
Vale, Or., Feb. 26. Persons here
from Pendleton and Walla Walla state
about his waist parted, however, before
he had gone far. Sothern was picked
up by the life-savers. Several attempts
were made to shoot a line aboard with
the Lyle gun, but each time the line
fell far short.
Finally it was decided by Captain
Hennig and the life-savers to go out in
the billows, and they made as gallant a
voyage as ever men undertook, finally
reaching the Eide of the Corona and
picking up the line.
Within a short time alter tne corona
struck, news of the accident was com
municated to Eureka and several thous
and people during the day went to the
beach opposite the wreck to watch the
work of rescue. Several unsuccessful
attempts were made to work early in
the day, but it was not until 4:50
o'clock in the afternoon that Captain
Hennig and his men worked effectively.
May Co Killed Entirely to Avert Big
Treasury Deficit.
Washington, Feb. 25. Since Chair
man Xawney, oi the appropriations
committee, called attention to the prob
ability of a deficit of $100,000,000, in
consequence ofjjthe large appropriations
made this session, there has been con
siderable talk around the capital about
defeating the river and harbor bill,
thus removing the possibility of such
deficit.
The river and harbor bill as passed
by the house carried $83,000,000. As
amended by the senate, it carries $92,
000,000, and the prospects are that, if
the conference committee agrees, it will
report a bill carrying in the neighbor
hood of $90,000,000, or approximately
the amount of the deficit predicted by
Mr. Tawney.
Friends of the river and harbor bill,
since the rumor started, have become
active in urging prompt agreement on
the bill in conference, so that it will
not run the chance of being talked to ,
death in the last day or two of the ses
sion. If the report is delayed until the
middle of the week, and a few senators
determine to kill it, they will have the
bill entirely within their power.
STOP FOREST RESERVES.
SAYS SENATE WAS BOUGHT.
Agree on Appeal Bill.
Washington, Feb. 27. The confer
ence report on the bill regulating ap
peals in criminal prosecutions to per
mit appeals by the government, as
adopted by the senate today, allows
writs of error within 30 days on behalf
of the United States in the District
courts direct to the Supreme court of
the United States on all criminal de
cisions on demurrers to indictments
or arresting of a judgment of convic
tion for insufficiency of the indictment,
where decisions are based on the in
validity or constuction of the statutes.
Beatty Will Hold Over.
Washington, Feb. 27. Judge Beatty.
of Idaho, has been requested to remain
on the bench to hold the March term
of court, which means that his resigns
tion will not be accepted until after
congress adjourns. It is understood
that this arrangement is made so that
the president, in making the selec
tion of a new judge, may have the
views not only of Senator Heyburn, but
of Senator Borah. No recommendation
can properly be filed until Judge Beat.
ty'e resignation has been accepted. The
president wants to get the right man.
Story About Cause of Spanish War
Excites Spain.
Madrid, March 2. A sensation has
been caused here by the publication of
a story credited to the Diaro de la Ma
rina, of Havana which purports to
show by documentary evidence that the
United States congress was bought in
1897 by Tomas Estrada Palma to insure This is satisfactory to Mr. Fulton,
Fulton Would Give Congress Author-
- ity to Create.
Washington, Feb. 25. Senator Ful--
ton has offered his amendment to the
agricultural apropriation bill, prohib
iting the creation of further forest re
serves in Oregon, Washington, Idaho,
Wyoming and Colorado, except by au-
thoriy of congress. Senator Lodge, who
threatened to raise a point of order
against the amendment, withdrew his
objection, and it was generally agreed
that the amendment would be permitted
to go in the bill if it was not debated.
and
war being declared against Spain. Ac
cording to the Havana newspaper,
bonds to the value of $37,000,000, re
deemable when Cuba should become
independent, were issued in Washing
ton to senators and a contract exists
which contains phraseology like that
of the joint resolution of April, 1888,
voted by congress. The article says
further that the value of the bonds
fell heavily in 1899, and therefore a
new contract was made between Palma
and the American senators. Count
Salazar, minister of foreign affairs, has
telegraphed to the Spanish representa
tive at Washington lor the fullest in
formation.
Japanese Cruisers for Jamestown.
Yokohama, March 2. The Japanese
cruisers Tsukiba and Chitose left at 11
that they will take up some of the bench o'clock this morning for Jamestown,
he expects to have the amendment ac
cepted by the senate when the bill is
taken up.
Western men in congress are thor
oughly aroused at the Forest service for
its attempt not only to regulate all gov
ernment timber land but public range
land as well, and in consequence legis
lation recommended by the president,'
looking to the leasing of the public
range and the reservation of all public
timber land now In reserves, will be
tabled.'
land just west of Vale and use dry farm
ing methods. They feel certain that
the soil is similar and better than that
around Pendleton, on which such excel
lent returns are being made. No dry
farming has ever been tried in this sec.
tion of the county, and the outcome is
being prophesied as a failure by some
of the old settlers, but those who are
studying the situation state there can
be no doubt as to success.
Va. Naval Minister Vice Admiral
Saito Admirals Togo, Itc, Inouye, the
naval attache at the American embassy,
Consul General Miller and local Jap
anese officials were present upon the
occasion. The emperor and crown
prince sent special aides de camp with
a farewell message to Admiral Ijuin on
the flagship Tsukiba. The pier, which
was decorated, was lined with an in
terested but undemonstrative crowd.
Forty of Crw Perished.
Canea, Island of Crete, Feb. 26.
All the passengers on board the Aus
trian steamer Imperiutnx, which ran
on a rock Friday evening near Cape
Elaphoniso, were saved. Forty mem
bers of the crew,' of whom 32 were Aua
trians and eight Indians, perished.
New Treaty Causes Uproar.
St. Thomas, D. W. I., March 2.
There is intense excitement in Santo
Domingo regarding the new American.
Dominican treaty. The ministers de
mand the withdrawal of Senor Velas
quez' portfolio or that the president ac
cept their resignations.
Japanese Will Investigate.
Seattle, Feb. 25. The Japanese asso
ciation of Seattle has appointed a com
mittee of five to make a full and impar
tial report on conditions existing in the
Pacific Northwest, as regards their
countrymen. The result of the com
mittee's investigations will be sent to
the government at Tokio, through the
Japanese ambassador at Washington.
A. Hatton, president of the assocition,
declared that the meeting was not called
as a government function, but merely
through a sense of national pride to in
vestigate conditions. ' '
No Hope for Seattle Fair Bill.
Washington, Feb. 25. Senator Piles
has about abandoned hope of securing
the passage through the senate this
session of Senator Ankeny's bill appro
priating $700,000 for the Seattle expo
sition. Senator Hale refuses to with
draw his objection. As the bill cannot
pass the house this session, the whole
matter will go over to the next con
gress, when it stands a fair chance of
passing.