The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-03-28
ooNcERsINo OFFICIAL JuNxErs.

Before the Senate adjourned several
committees were authorized to make tours
Of Investigation during the recess, with a
view to more perfect understanding of
the conditions and needs of the country in
respect to matters which will hereafter
come before those several committees for
preliminary action, and ultimately before
congress AS subjects of legislation.
One of these is subcommittee of the
naval committee. of which Senator Cam
eron is chairman. and they are delegated
to investigate the condition Of the vessels
of the naval fleet, including those not yet
finished, and also to visit such navy yards
and stationsa as may be deemed advisable
to inspect. Another, Of which Senator
Hoar is chairman, is special committee
for the investigation Of our relations with
Canada, which has been made to include
special investigation of correlative inter-
ests of the Northwestern states and of
Alaska. Another, the special committee
on transportation and sale of meat pro-
ducts, of which Senator Vest is chairman,
win continue its investigations. Another,
Of which Senator Plat, of Connecticut, is
chairman, viii investigate into the varied
resources Of Alaska, and into the necessity
for more efficient form of government
there. Another, with Senator Chandler as
chairman, will study the immigration
question. The committee on Indian af-
fairs, Senator Dawes chairman, will visit
the more important reservations and make
personal inspection of the condition of the
Indians
The several matters which these COM
mittees are to investigate are fairly I'M
portant, but the real value of these official
tours rests not 80 much upon special as
upon general information to be gained. A
senator may fail to gain much in the way
of practical knowledge about the needs of
Alaska by summer trip to that re-
mote territory, but the journey from the
national capital to Alaska and return cam
not be made without wonderful widen
ing Of the personal horizon of the man
who makes it. He must pass through
half the states of the Union. and he can
not fail to get new and very important
knowledge OF the national necessities.
years with national legislation and execu-
tive administration, as il has been related
20 this state. we'll knows how greatly we
have been benefited through the observa-
tons of visiting statesmen. No matter for
what purpose they have come, once here
they have not failed to be impressed with
the importance of things never before un-
derstood or conceived, and upon their re-
turn to Washington they have been Arm
friends Of Washington in the sense of I'M
derstanding her principal needs and in
supporting her legitimate demands. So far
rs we can remember there has not been a
single exception to this general fact. And
what is true of Washington is no doubt
| true of other states and other parts of the
country-they have been benefited by the
general knowledge that senator's and 9TH
ers have gained by personal observation
and by acquaintance with their people.
or course. in the older parts of the
country. whose conditions are perfectly
| well known, there is no such necessity as
exists here for personal inspection by the
lawmakers. All that is important To know
is already known. Viewing the situation
only as applying to themselves il is their
habit to sheer at the so-called ''junketing
trips" of congressional committees. The
New York city papers habitually take this
tone and make the trips of public officials
the subject for every form of criticism.
The motive of all this lies in narrowness
of view, and in supreme sel6shness and
profound local conceit.
1t is to be regretted that what these crit
ics are pleased to call '.iunketins" is not