Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 35, Number 38, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 16 January 1903 — WASHINGTON GOSSIP [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

WASHINGTON GOSSIP

—lt seems highly probable now that before the end~of the congressional session by constitutional limitation, there will emerge only such measures as command strong and practically united support on the Republican side. Propositions regarding which party sentiment is divided or party support half-hearted will stand little chance of enactment. There is no lack of important business on the calendars. Anti-trust bills, of differing provisions, are before both houses. The immigration . bill, passed by the House, awaits the action of the Senate. Bills for putting the currency in the Philippines upon a gold basis have been reported both by the Senate and House committees. The bill which proposes to create a Department of Commerce has passed the Senate, but is not regarded with great enthusiasm in the House. The eight-hour bill is before the Senate, but not a few Senators regard it as Well charged with dynamite. The question of ratifying the reciprocity treaty with Cuba is one of the most urgent before the Senate, as action must be taken, under the terms of the treaty, before Jan. 31. Last, but by no means least, the statehood bill is before the Senate, the daily order of business until it is disposed of. The opponents of the “omnius” statehood ill, which passed the House, have a strategic advantage because the Senate committee, which reported in favor of dropping Arizona and New Mexica and admitting Oklahoma with the Indian Territory incorporated - , with it, has parliamentary command of the situation. But the Senate is so evenly divided that the result, if a vote is reached, is likely to turn upon two or three Senators now classified as doutful. So close a division, under the easy rules of the Senate, would be likely to yield a timeconsuming debate in any case; and doubly so now, when certain Senators are not disinclined to see other measures blocked by a long contest over this’ bill. Altogether, the prospect is not good for much legislation in the remainder of the session aside from the appropriation ills. The free distribution of seeds by the government entails not a little work -every year, there being some 20,000,000 packets sent out from Washington. The work of distributing this year’s supply has been begun. Seeds have already been sent to Alabama, Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico, South Carolina and Texas. By Dec. 31 Arkansas, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, Tennessee and Washington will be reached. The other States are reached in January, February and March. Idaho, Maine, Montana, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Vermont and Wyoming come last, and seeds to this, the sixth, division will be sent by March 31. The seeds are obtained in all parts of the world. Cabbage seeds come from Long Island, where the best cabbages are grown. California furnishes lettuce seed of such superior quality that recently arrangements were made by which the supply of lettuce seed will come from that State. California furnishes good onion seed and California and Michigan furnish radish seed. \ ——.--

Hereafter the chemically fed boarders on whom Dr. Wiley of the Agricultural Department is trying the boracic acid

test will not be allowed to talk about the progress of the experiments. Secretary Wilson has given orders to admit no newspaper • men to the place where the inen are being fed, and for them to refrain . carefully from giviMiout any informaThe reason for

this is a fear that the public will not take the experiments seriously, owing to the fact that some writers are treating them lightly and in a humorous way. To avoid discriminating against a religion by discharging a Seventh Day Adventist because he refused to work on Saturday and also to avoid the threatened conversion of its other clerks to that faith if the matter was Ignored, the Treasury Department has . Solved the question by transferring -<the Seventh Day Adventist from a $ 1,200 position to one paying only $720 a year, thus making him pay for his holiday. The House committee on public buildings decided to report favorably bills for the erection of a building for the Supreme Court and the department of justice, and one for the Department of Agriculture. The Supreme Court building will cost $7,000,000 and will probably be erected on a lot adjoining the Congressional library. The agricultural building will cost $1,500,000. “As an act of grace and without the question of- the liability of the United States,” President Roosevelt recommended that Congress make pecuniary reparation to the heirs of two Italians killed by a mob at Erwin, Miss., July 11, 1901, and to a third, who was wounded. An 8-cent stamp bearing the portrait of Martha Washington has been placed on sale. This is the first postage stamp bearing the portrait of a woman ever issued by the United States government. Internal revenue receipts for the last fiscal year were $217,867,900. The abolition of war tax caused a decrease of $100,000,000. The court martial which is to try Major E. F. Glenn of the Fifth infantry at Manila, decided to summon Gens. Chaffee and Smith from the United States as witnesses. Major Glenn is charged with willfully killing seven prisoners of war, to the prejudice of good discipline and in violation of the sixty-sec-ond article of war. The amount deemed necessary to run the various governmental departments for the Coming fiscal year is* placed at 5^89,1'89.112.

PROF. WILEY.