The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1898-03-25
'THRIVES ON WAR WORK
General Ayers Health Continues
to Improve.
HE KEEPS HIS WITS ABOUT HIM.

citing Moments In Connection with the
War Preparations-Corliss Advocating
Longer Terms for Congressmen-No Riv-
er and Harbor Appropriation This SEES
sion-Other News from the Capital.
Washington, March 22.-General AL
ger thrives on war work and his health
has improved ever since the war cloud
arose. He has been attending to busi-
ness with businesslike activity and
with his customary virility. During
the exciting moments of the past two
weeks he has been as calm and collect
ed in demeanor as though he had been
secretary of war for many years. His
army experience has proved to be val
liable to him. He knows every branch
of the war department, and the duties
of every official of the department.
Hence, he makes no mistakes, not even
in minor details. All of the army off,
GERS have confidence in him, as they
would not have in a civilian secretary
of war;
Congressman Corliss turns aside from
wars and rumors q war to seek legis-
lation for the prolongation OF the terms
of congressman from two years to four
years. 1t is not difficult to induce men,
bers Of the house of representatives to
support such @ measure, but 1t Will
never be adopted by the senate, and,
| therefore, 1t will not become a law.
| Newspaper men who sit In the CALLER
| les year after year know probably bet
| ter than the people at home know that
| two years is long enough for the aver
age congressman to serve.
| There Are Exceptions.
OF course there are exceptions. Such
men as Tom Reed, Joe Cannon, j. G.
| Burrows, Sam Stephenson, and Dave
| Henderson ought to be kept in the
| house of representatives as long as they
| will serve. But the average congress-
man, big as he may appear at home, is
| small potato in Washington, where
| they rub up against the brightest intel
| lects in this country. Two years is
| enough for a congressional term and
it ought not to be prolonged.
| Senator Mcmillan is doing a work
| of great interest to the District Of Co
| lumbia. He is securing an appropria-
| ton for the purpose of filtering the mud
| of the Potomac river-the mud which
| we poor fellows are obliged to use for
| drinking purposes. The Potomac riv-
| err is one of the muddiest streams in the
| world at times. 1t comes to us from the
| Allegheny mountains. Heavy rains
| wash down the mountain sides and
| gulches, and the river becomes slug
| gish muck of yellowish fluid. 1t is
pumped into reservoirs and we drink
it and cook with it, 1t ought to be fill
| tered, and Senator Mcmillan has Sc
/ . - ttan
purpose of having experts examine and
| report to congress how to filter 1t.
No River and Harbor Bill.
There will be no river and harbor ap-
preparation bill, and public works will
| be sadly neglected on that account for
the next year in many places. Speaker
| Reed has decided that there shall be
| no appropriation made for rivers and
harbors, and the senate has concluded
to concur In the decision, although the
| members Of the committee on rivers
and harbors have been anxious to pass
| a bill.
! Moreover, the senate committee on
| appropriations absolutely refused to al
low any river and harbor amendments
| to be made in the sundry civil bill. Con-
| sequently, the lake country and our big
rivers will be left to the care Of mother
|
| nature.
CONGRESSMAN William Alden Smith
is said to have been in poor health
| while in Havana on account Of the
malarial condition of that place. The
congressional party describes Havana
harbor as a cesspool full of miasmatic
vapors.
Assistant Secretary of the Treasury
Spalding, a Michigan man who renders
the government excellent service, says
that the treasury officials are thorough
ly in sympathy with the movement to
provide ample room and extra facilities
for the exhibit of American corn at the
Paris exposition.
| viii Make Our People Rich.
| A special committee has been here
recently urging upon congress that q
liberal appropriation be made fer this
purpose. The secretary of agriculture
says that corn for human food, wher
once introduced into Europe and ac-
cepted by the people there, will result
IN making our people rich. Our prairies
produce abundant crops, and European
demand for corn will give our farmers
prosperous prices.
Everybody in Washington who know:
anything about Michigan affairs, OF
who can have any Influence there polt
icaIly, receives marked copies of the
Mancelona Herald every week. The
paper manifestly runs off CT hot
press, and is warm even when Il
reaches Washington.
Captain Albert Pew of Grand Rapids
one of the pioneers of western Michi
gan, who is now one of the assistant
Goorkeepers Of the senate, is one of TIL,
busiest men In the Capitol He ha.
charge Of the committee room of Sen
ator Burrows, and is there on duty ev
cry morning before the senate meets
When the august body Is called to or
der at noon every day Captain Pew
takes his stand inside the senate lobb,
and guards the door opposite the room
Of the vice president until the senate
adjourns
Fog sig-'al at Muskegon.
Congressman Bishop will probably Sc
cure an appropriation for steam fol
signal at Muskegon. Congressman Hep
burn of Iowa, chairman Of the commit
| tee on Interstate commerce. saws