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r CONGRESS EXTRA
: NOT LIKELY THAT A SESSION
WILL _ BE CALLED.
THE TARIFF TO BE POSTPONED
s\ . .
A Disposition to Let Matters" Rest Until -
'
til Fall-Congress May 'ie Called
Together In October if . Conditions
Necessitate It.
,
WASHINGTON-The taUt of an
,
extra session of congress in the spring
Is gradually dying out. The leaders
of the senate and house , after careful
consideration with the president , of
1L _ . . . . those questions which are very up-
r permost in the minds , of the people ,
tariff revision and , railroad rates , are
almost a unit in opposition to a spring
session of congress In fact , the opposition -
position has crystalllzed through the
, . .1- . efforts of Speaker Cannon and Sena-
. tor Aldrich and there is a disposition
now to postpone tariff revision until
the extra session , which seems very
likely to be called about the 15th or
20th or October. But while tariff revision -
vision talk is very perceptibly diminIshing -
Ishing , the talk of rate readjustments
Is on the increase , and so vast is
the agitation now going on that traf-
fice managers , railroad presidents ,
general managers and railroad attor-
neys are coming into Washington almost -
most in droves to ascertain at first
hand what the scheme of railroad
rate readjustments is. There are
those In congress 'who enjoy the con-
fidence of the president who are of
the opinion that a bill giving larger
powers to the interstate commerce
commission could be passed at this
- . " session of congress if the leaders
, would so order , and if a conservative
measure could be agreed upon. The
passage of such a bill would do
"r/ , away
1 ft.i with any extra session of congress
and tariff revision , or at least a mod-
. Iflcatlon of schedules could be taken
up In the regular session of congress ,
which convenes the first Monday in
next December. It Is admitted that
the president does not advocate radical -
I cal action that would bring disaster
to the railroads. On the other hand .
It Is conceded that there is ground .
for complaint and room for reform. i
It is not a work that can be done In
.
a day. The question Is big and broad
with far-reaching effect , and must
h needs be handled with wisdom and
deliberation. It Is , therefore believed -
ed that if an extra session is called
t at all It will be next fall , and not this
f IIpring. ,
On the 3d of March next William
\ M. Stewart ot Nevada will retire from
the senate. Following the precedent
. set by Thomas Benton of Missouri
t James G. Blaine of Maine , .TObn Sher-
' man of Ohio and George F. Hoar of iI i I
Massachusetts , Senator Stewart will
devote his attention to editing and
revising for .publicatlon his "reminis-
cences , " which will be published next
fall. Senator Stewart took his scat
In the United States senate in Febru-
ary , U65 ! , as one of the first two sen-
ators from the newly admitted state
- of Nevada. There are only two other
men alive today who served with him
+ In 1865 , namely , George F. Edmund
of Philadelphia and John B. Hendel'-
. . lion . of . . this city.
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- 'li * ' CUT OFF BY 8,000 JAPANESE.
1-
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Reported Fate of Mistchenko's Raid-
Ing Party.
I.ONDON-A dispatch to Lloyds
from Yinl\Ow , dated January 15 , giveR
a report that General Mistchel1ko's
raiding party was cut off on its way
,
back by 8,000 Japanese dispatched
, from Saniiho by General Olm. This re-
port , however , is not confirmed from
any other source.
The Daily Telegraph's Che Fee correspondent -
respondent says the raid was only a
divergence from a mass of cavalry
now moving along the banks of the
1..100 river , and the exceptional mild-
ness of the season affords the chance
for the repetition of such operationEr
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QUITS WITH SOME . REGRET.
Bristow Talks of Trials In Postal
Department.
WASHINGTON -FOlirth Assistant
Postmaster General Bristow , who has
been appointed special commissioner
to Investigate Panama railroad and
steamship companies , said :
"I suppose I have made some
enemies since I undertook the duties
of fourth assistant postmaster gener-
al . but I also believe I have made
.
some friends. At any rate I know
there are many men who have
had business with this office who
have said that notwlthstandJng
their opposing opinion in some of the
action I have taken , that I have tried
to do my duty and have acted as I
thought was for the' best _ Interests of
the serve and according to what I
felt to be the right thing. It has been
in many respects a hard office to fill ,
and in many other respects a pleas-
ant one. I leave the office with re-
gret but feel that . the appointment
which the president has made will be
a pleasant one to fill. I am going to
try my best to meet the expectations
of the president and Secretary Taft. "
Mr. Bristow has not , formu'ated any
plans for his new work as yet , and
will devote the remainder of the time
between now and the date when his
resignation becomes effective in clos-
Ing up the affairs of his present of-
fice.
BUILDINGS FOR NEBRASKA.
York and Grand Island Likely to Be
Thus Favored.
WASHINGTON-It is almost cer-
tain that York and Grand Island will
get pUblic buildings at the hands of
this congress. Sites may be provided
in North Platte , Columbus and Kear-
ney , but the present session will not
provide for buildings in the last
named towns. Congressman ! Hinshaw
has been indefatigable in his labors
to secure for York one ' hundred thou-
sand dollars for a building , but the
chances are he will get but seventy-
five thousand. 'Hov.-pover , that amount
may be increased at a later session.
No definite assurance has as yet been
given by the committee that York will
be included in the list , but Congressman -
man Norris , who is a member of the
committee , is malting a hard fight for
both Grand Island and Yorlt. Members
of the committee intimate that inas-
much as Grand Island has the largest
population and that congress ilr likely
to pass a law providing for the hold-
ing of sessions of the federal court in
Grand .Island , the government building
there should be a large one. Hence the
committee Is likely to appropriate
$125,000 for Grand Island.
PROGRAM OF JAPS.
Naval Station Will Be Established at
POrt Arthur.
TOKIQ-The Japanese intend to establish -
tabliHh a naval tltullon at Port Ar-
thur. Vice Admiral Y. Shibayama will
probably be placed in charge of ft.
The military administration will
only retain a small garrison as soon
as the prisoners are withdrawn and
order Is restored. The fleet is busily
engaged In clearing mines , but owing
to their great number navigation will
be unsafe for a long time. Only government -
ernment craft will be allowed to enter
the harbor. It Is probable that Dalny
will soon be opened up to neutrals.
Japanese companies are preparing to
establish weekly services to that port.
It Is proposed shortly to float a fourth
domestic war loan under the same
conditions as the third was ne-
gotiated.
-
The transfer of prisoners was completed -
Meted yesterday . afternoon. The total
number of officers transferred was
878 ; men 23,491.
Would Leave Arizona Out.
WASHINGTON-Senator Teller has
Introduced an amendment to the state-
hood bill providing for the admission "
of Oklahoma and : the Indian territory
as one state and New Mexico as an-
other This amendment would leave
Arizona a territory.
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HAS , , OTHER WORK
MR. BRISTOW TO iNQUIRE INTO
FREIGHT RATES.
I
IS A SPECIAL I COMMISSIONER' '
: 'E COMMISSIONER'I : 1
To Accept the Plato , He Resigns
Fourth Assistant Pastmaster Gen-
Railroad
eralahlp-WIII Investigate
Traffic Matters.
I ASHINGTON-Josoph L. Bristow ,
fourth assistant postmaster general ,
I
tendered to the president his resigna-
tion as an officer of the postal service -
Ice , to take effect on January 20. By
an executive order President Roosevelt -
velt designated Mr. Bristow as a spo-
cial commissioner to make an investi-
gation Into the present trade condi-
tions and freight rates between the
Atlantic and Pacific coasts and between -
tween the west coast of South America .
Ica and the cast coasts of the United
States and of Europe , , to determine
the best policy of managing the Pan-
ama railroad.
The announcement came at the con-
clusion of an extended conference Friday -
day of the president , Secretary Tart ,
Mr. Bristow and Senator Long of Kan-
sas. The order issued by the presi-
dent says , In addition to the foregoing -
going :
"He is authorize to employ for this
purpose a stenographer at not exceed-
Ing $5 a day , and his actual and neces-
sary expenses and to take evidence
of all persons whose knowledge of
trade conditions or rates will assist in
reaching the necessary conclusion.
"The secretary of war will furnish
to the special commissioner a letter
of Instructions , in detail , as to the
course and extent of his Investigation
and as to the time when he shall report -
port his conclusions.
"Until his report iI : forthcoming the
commissioner will be allowed his actual .
lual expenses and $15 n day. The
president will finally fix his entire
compensation. The isthmian canal
commission Is directed to provide the
funds needed in the execution of the
order. "
After the conference at the White
House Senator Loud saId that the I
transfer of Mr. Br ; tow from the post- !
office department to work in connce-
tion with the proposed isthmian canal
had been under consideration for a
olng time.
"Secretary Taft , " said the senator ,
"desired to utilize Mr. Bristow's serv-
ices in connection with the work of
constructing the canal and has hall
the idea in mind of appointing him
a commissioner to investigate trade !
and freight conditions ever since he
returned from the Isthmus of Panama
The president readily acceded to Sec.
retary Tart's suggestion , and as the
work will be entirely congenial , Mr.
Bristow has accepted the new posi-
tion. "
Mr. Bristow has hall Interviews
with the president and Secretary Taft
. regarding the affair but his final determination -
I termination was not reached until Fri-
day. His decision to accept the spe-
cial commissionership was hastened ,
It Is said , by the transfer Thursday
of the division of postoffice inspectors
from the bureau of the fourth assist-
ant postmaster general to the direct
control of the postmaster general
hlmself Mr. Bristow regarded the
Issuance of the order of transfer of
the division as a reflection on him.
That the order as to the inspectors'
division .was not issued with the idea
of humiliating Mr. Bristow is evidenced -
denced by the president's action of
Friday.
Mr. Bristow will continue as fourth
assistant until January 20.
Provided for Plain Living.
A Newark ( N. J. ) man left his son
$100 in his will , but was evidently
afraid that the youth would use it all
at once for riotous living , so ho fixed
it so that he would get $1 a week.
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MUST BE ACTION. '
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President Again Confers With , Mem
bers of Conaress. ,
ASHINGTON- President Itoose-
velt continued hIs conferences with
members of congress on the subject
of tariff revision and of legislation
providing for an Increase of the inter-
state commerce commission. One
statement , , which stands out almost
with the pre-eminence of an official
announcement , Is th'\t , unless congress
at the present session shall enact legislation l -
islatlon looking to a regulation of railroad -
road freight rates , an extraordinary
session of tIl Fifty.nlnth congress' will
be called by the president to deal
with that problem.
Il can be said that the presidents
regards the interstate commerce
Question as the paramount Issue noyv
before the American' pCOIJle. ' i
At the conference last Saturday ho
Informed those whom ho had sum-
moned into consultation that , In his j
judgment , the question of railroad
freight rates was far more important
than that of the tariff and that , while
he desired a readjustment of the exist-
ing customs duties he would not expect -
pect any radical differences In the republican -
publican party on that question lIe
said definitely that he would call an
extraordinary session of congress to
consider Interstate legislation unless
definite action was taken by congress
on the subject at the present. At that
session he hoped tariff revision to
the extent he had indicated might be
accomplished , but he made it perfectly .
ly clear that , in his mind , the overshadowing .
shadowing issue was that of railroad
freight rates
. In a talk with Speaker Cannon who
is recognized as being opposed at this
time to any revision of the tariff , the
president reiterated his statement
made at Saturday's conference that ,
while ho desired action on the ques-
tion , he was willing to abide by the
judgment of the republican leaders in a
congress , .as hQ regarded the tariff
matter as one which the chosen representatives -
resentatives of the American people
should determh e.
He indicated , in so many words ,
that while fifty years hence practically .
ally nobody would be able to say
whether the tariff duties on any given
article at this time were 50 per cent
ad valorem or 5 per cent ad valorem ,
and nobody would care anything about
that what the duties were , the Interstate -
state commerce question Inv lvod a
principle dear to every right thinking
and right minded American , precisely
as the whole matter of dealing with
corporations involves a princillle , and
ho would fight for that principle with
aU the power that In him lies.
The president corroborated the
statement attributed to him that the
tariff question was one merely of expediency -
pediency , which would be solved without .
out friction between him find the con-
gress. Any serious differences , he Is
known to have said , between him and
the congress on the tariff revision
matter are quite Impossible.
MAY ATTACK ROJESTVENSKY
Japanese Fleet Ie Off Chagos Archi
pelago.
LONDON-Japanese correspondents
of the Morning Post consider it is
not Incredible that Japanese men-of-
war have reached Diego Garcia ( Cha-
gos archipelago ) , and point out that
although Admiral Togo Is at Toltlo ,
other admirals are not Idle. Vice Ad-
miral Uria , It is stated , has been cruis-
ing in the vicinity of the "uator for
some time past. The number of ves-
seIEr , he has is kept secret , but doubt-
loss be Is ready to do battle with the
Russian Baltic squadron whenever It
appears east of the 17th meridian.
Vice Admiral Kamimura's whereabouts -
abouts Is somewhat of a mystery , the
correspondent says , but possibly lie Is
in the China sea , within easy distance
of either the Malacca or Sunda straits
but , anyway , they declare , if Admiral -
al Rojestvensky purposes to spend the
ensuing weeks In cruising In the vi-
able that he will find himself assailed
cinity of Madagascar it hr not Improbo
by a torpedo fleet.