VOL'. 14, NO. 2
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WASHINGTON NEWS
The Commoner
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. A warning was issued by the treas- only opposition to the confirmation
'ury department to American invest-!0' Mr. Williams was voiced by Sen
bra to beware of offerings of an in-1 ators Brlstow of Kansas, and Senator
terest in the estate of Former Sena-' William Alden Smith of Michigan.
'" tor .Durkee of Wisconsin, who Is al-i There was no roll call on the con-
y4leged to have deposited $64,000,000 jfirmation and the only voice heard
v Worth of bonds with the treasury, against it was that Of Senator Brls-
.: -which has never been paid. "It will tow when the viva voce vote was
t : be money thrown away," declared taken.
; ttfo department in a statement ex-
" plaining that Durkee had no' claim It was announced that P&stmaster
' agaJnst the government. The claim General Burleson had obtained data
' Is said to have arisen at the time of ; showing how the government can
'the construction of several of the take over the telegraph and tele-
' Pftciflc railroads, when he Durkee 'phone lines at an initial cost of
' is supposed to have deposited
""- bonds with the department.
President and Mrs. Wilson, .who
arrived from the south the morning
$250,000,000 and operate them at
a saving of one-third to the public.
The agricultural extension bill,
providing for federal aid in the dis
of January 13, received the members 'semination of scientific farm infor-
of the diplomatic corps and 1,200
other guests in the blue room of the
' White House in the evening of the
'samo day.
Ten out of
"7
candidates for ad
ulation by practical experiments and
through publications, was passed by
the house January 19 by a vote of
177 to 9. Under the measure the
various state agricultural colleges
will receive federal funds to finance
R mission to the diplomatic service of i plans for acquainting the farmers
the United States passed the recent
entrance examinations. Their names
will be placed on the list of e'.iglbles,
. to receive appointments as vacancies
occur.
The "kodak" trust is one of the
latest of the great corporations sued
under the Sherman anti-trust act to
seok a peaceful settlement of its
troubles with the department of jus
tice. Suit was begun ftgalnst the
Eastman Koday company, of New
Jersey, and the Eastman Kodak com
pany of New York at Buffalo last
., June. In the bill filed in Buffalo the
two Eastman concerns were charged
with controlling 72 per cent of the
trade of the United States in photo
graphic supplies, and with fixing the
Tesale price of cameras, films and
I other patented supplies.
Dr. Euseblo A. Morales, minister
here from Panama, announced that
King Alfonso of Spain had contribut
ed $10,000 to the fund for the statute
,of Balboa which Panama proposes to
r erect near the Pacific entrance of the
canal- In commemoration of the dis
covery of that ocean by the Spanish
explorer.
Representative Stanley of Ken
tucky introduced an amendment to
the Sherman law which would make
Illegal the "monopolization or re
straint of trade" in any degree. It
is designed to eliminate the "rule of
reason," laid down by the supremo
court in the Standard Oil case. The
amendment would also invest the cir
cuit courts of the United States with
jurisdiction to restrain and prevent
violations of the act, irrespective of
the attorney general. The amend
ment is drawn to reduce the debat
able area surrounding the Sherman
act.
; .President, Wilson named Colonel
"jYJUiam C. Gorgas as surgeon gen
eral of the army, with the rank of
brigadier general. This appointment
is regarded as a recognition of the
achievements of Colonel Gorgas in
sanitation in Cuba and in the Pan
ama canal zone, the latter having
"made jthe building of the canal pos
sible .. The nomination of John Skelton
t Williams, assistant secretary of the
.'.tyea&.ury, to be comptroller of the
'curr.ency, and as such ex-officio mem-
ber of the '.fader. 1 reserve bank board,
f. .TjftfB' confirmed by the senate in ex-
,cutivo session, January 19. The
with facts established by the depart
ment of agriculture. As it passed
the house, the bill provides for an
immed'ate appropriation of $480,000,
of which $10,000 will go to each
state complying with the require
ments of the law. This appropria
tion will bo increased by $300,000
each year for nino years, and after
a ten-year period will become a per
manent annual appropriation of
$3,000,000.
"Representative Shackleford's road
bill was reported to congress 'and
provides $25,987,500 .toward" the
cost of rural post highways in all the
states. Under the terms of the bill
the federal government will con
tribute to the states one-half of the
cost of the rural post roads.
President Wilson announced that
he would not appoint as a member
of the federal reserve board any man
who sought the position, either per
sonally or through friends. The
president hopes to appoint the mem
bers of the federal reserve board by
the end of this month.
Drop letter one-cent postage on
local mail and a rate of 1 cent in
stead of 2 cents for additional ounces
on letters weighing more than one
ounce which require transportation
lrom one poscoiuce to another was
proposed in a bill introduced into
congress by Representative Griest.
TH11 PARTY OF OPPOSITION
-St. Louis Republic.
the people fill the vacancy by elec
tion as the legislature 'may direct."
The committee held that "in- its
opinion the governor of Alabama had
no authority under the constitution
,of the United States to make the ap
pointment." By a majority of one
ypte 32 to 31 the senate sustained
the recommendation of the commit
tee denying a seat to Mr. Glass.
A majority report of the senate
committee on privileges and elec
tions, submitted by Senator Walsh of
Montana, January 22', holds that
Frank P. Glass is not entitled to a
seat in the senate of the United
States as a senator from the state of
Alabama. Mr. Glass was appointed
by Governor O'Neal of Alabama, to
fill the unexpired term of Senator
Johnston, who died last August. The
committee explains that the new
amendment, requiring United States
senators to be elected by the people
ueunme vaua as a part of the consti
tution May 81, 1913; tliat Senator
Johnston died August 8, 1913, and
that his successor should be elected
by the people. The new amendment
declares that "this amendment shall
not be construed as to affect the elec
tion or term of any senator chosen
before it becomes valid as a part of
this constitution." It also provides
that the legislature of any state may
empower the executive thereof to
make temporary appointment's until
I :
As a result of an investigation dis
closing the advantages of oil
equipped, battleships, ' Secretaries
Daniels and' Lane, Chairman Padgett
of the house na,val committee, and
others, have been conferring over a
project for governorship of oil lands
and pipe lines for furnishing fuel to
the navy. A bill introduced by Sen
ator Gore proposes a pipe line from
Oklahoma to the Gulf of Mexico for
the use of the navy. A statement
says that if the government should
yiuuuuu u own on it couia save
$1,000,000 and upward annuallv.
The navy during the last fiscal vear
used 400,000 barrels of oil and all
new destroyers, submarines and
uatueships are to use oil only.
By executive order President Wil
son promulgated what is practically
an anti-tipping law for the Panama
canal zone. Aside from prohibiting
employees of the canal organization
from receiving rebates or commis
sions on supplies, it prohibits gifts
intended to influence any employee
on the isthmus without the knowl
edge of the employer; It is entitled
an order "To prevent the corrupt in
fluencing of agents or servants," and
provided a yertr's Imprisonment nnri
fines ranging from $10 to '$100 for
violations.
Representative Stephens of 'Ne
braska has introduced a bill to in
crease the salary of rural carriers fn
$1,400 a' year.
. (. . ...
..The. postoffice Appropriation bill,
SSk aIPa nfr?Cor4 breUine .total of
$305,000,000, was .passed, by the
house January 24. It includes an
amendment which extends. . to. .post
office clerks, letter .carriers, rural
free delivery carriers, mounted car
riers and postoflice messengers for in
juries received on duty full salary
for one year, after injury, with an
additional half salary for another!
year if necessary and a $2,000 lumpj
sum in case of death '
The house rules committee by tie'
vote, failed to report a resolution
for the appointment of a standing
suffrage committee. ..
President Wilson, in defining the
purpose and power of his proposed:
trade commission, said it was de
signed to investigate the business,
situation with regard to competition
and would have no administrative
function. ' .'
Constructive child labor- legislation
is the object of a bill introduced in
the house January 26 by Representa
tive jraimer of Pennsylvania, The.
measure seeks to prevent interstate,
commerce in the products of child
labor. The administration of the:
proposed, law is put in the hands of
a board consisting of the secretary1
of labor, the secretary, of commerce
and the attorney general.
Senator Works of California ad-!
dressed the senate January 26 on
his bill to provide for a commission!
appointed by the president to receive
and pass upon all applications and
leuominenaauons for appointments
to federal offices. The measure would:
forbid members of congress to rec-r
ommend applicants or aid in 'Obtain-1
ing positions.
The proposal of a federal guaranty;
of bank deposits, which was inserted
n the federal reserve bnnkiW inm
by the senate and eliminated in con4
luiouco -gust oerore the measure ben
parae statute law, is. to be revived in!
accordance -with the' understanding;
reached', by the conferees that if thi
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