The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-11-14
Why Congressman Reeder Lost
Irrigation Craftsmanship.
Western Kansas Is Not in the
Arid Belt.
BILL HACKNEY STORY.
How He Once SwOre in Presence
of President.
Notwithstanding That Fact He
Got What He Wanted.

wv W AAeSE Az W
Wash ington, Nov, 12.-There probably
Is no more disappointed man in congress
today than Representative Reeder, Of
Kansas, who has waited in vain for the
craftsmanship OF the committee on lrrI-
CATION. The action of the speaker IN
reappointing him to the Craftsmanship
of the committee on mileage finally as
poses of any hope he may have IN TINS
direction during the present congress.
The speakers action simply means that
Representative Mondel, of Montana,
will get the priced craftsmanship as soon
as the time comes to make the appoint
ment.
There were two things which con-
tributed to Mr.. Reeder's failure to land
the irrigation chairmanship-One, the
fact that he had a good chairmanship
and handsome committee room already;
the other, the presidents objection TO
him on the ground that he was too tar
from the heart of the arid belt. 1t was
the presidents wish that somebody be
appointed to this important chairman
ship who lived in the very middle OF the
arid region of the west, ana OF course
Mr.. ReedeI does not fill this require
ment Western Kansas is regarded mere
as seni-arid, not arid, and the immense
crops which the state produces tend 10
confirm this impression. That IS the
reason the state is given little consider
alton Wnen the HIlRdllOU OAtCA
are being planned. That is the reason
too that so far it is not proposed 70
aIlOt to the state any of the great lrrl-
cation fund which the legislation enact
ed during the last congress VIII create
5Fhe government is under the impression
that Kansas is able to take care OF her
self and that there are other states
which need to be looked after ana winch
are better entitled to consideration.
Hence Kansas is kept in the PACK
s,-,-f rra+f Ion
There are many congressman, now
ever, who would like to be as lucky as
Mr.. Reeder is, so that the Keen euSe
ought to be taken off his disappointment
when he remembers that he IS one OF
the favored ones after all, and that two
thirds of the members of the house envy
him his good fortune and would gladly
exchange places with him sun, ne
didn't get the Craftsmanship of the COM
nIttee on irrigation.
Representative Scott has reintro-
duced his lola public building Dill
This measure provides Tor an app.o
nriati0n of $50 900 for a public building
at lola. and if any bills of this char
acter are considered at this session OF
congress Mr.. Scott hopes to have "a
voraole acton taken upon II ne also
reintroduced his bill providing for an
approximation of $4,000 for monu-
rnent to the memory of union Soldlers
in the national cemetery at Fort
Scott MI. scott AnlIOQQCEQ Ct LAAS lo7s
session bill for the relief of ax-unlon
soldiers who served in military prisons
during the civil war. where they were
thus prevented from re-enliSting and
securing the bounty which the govern
ment offered in such cases. He has
reintroduced this bill, which PROPOSES
to pay each one of the soldiers eligible
under it a bounty of $500. Mr.. Scott
has also reintroduced the bill DroVld-
ing for the amendment of the inter-
state commerce act authorizing cities
TO levy a tax upon itinerant vendors.
Hitherto itinerant vendors have made
it a practice to contest the payment of
a license in the cities which they have
visited and in most cases they have
won their contention. 1t is the DUR
pose of the bill to put a stop to this
practice.
Barney ]. Waters. a former Kansas
man, now superintendent of the gov
eminent gas meters in Washington. is
inclined to believe that too much stress
has been placed upon the long distance
ride of General Miles in Oklahoma last
summer. 1t will be remembered that
General Miles rode 80 miles in one day.
and the feat was considered marvellous.
Mr.. Waters tells of a ride in Kansas
which he took in the early days, COM
pared with which General Miles per-
Torrance is as nothing at all. 1t was
before Kansas was admitted to the
union that Mr.. Waters rode on an
Indian pony from Lake Sibley to Fort
Harker distance of 124 miles The
ride was taken through a hostile In
dian country, where lighting was con-
tinually going on, ana he made the
trip on one horse. while General Miles
used three or four The occasion was
the birth of his daughter. Mamie who
was the first white child born in what
is now Cloud county. Mr.. Waters
made the trip without mishap was
present when his child was born, and
says he didn't consider at the time
that he was doing anything partic-
ularly sensational.
Representative Calderhead. who ia
one of the prominent members of the
committee on invalid pensions Of the
house, has taken a stand against the
indiscriminate Introduction of special
pension bills. Every congress thousands
and thousands. of these special pension
bills are introduced. and nearly all of
them are never heard from again Mr.
Calderhead is discourag ing this practice
He says there are a few things which
the applicant for special pension legis-
IatiOn should bear in mind. One Of
them is the fact that it is a rule of his
committee not to entertain an applica-
ton for relief by special bill until the
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