Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1904-07-12

Some idea Of the many and diverse
interests which the Supreme Court
must consider may be formed from
the business done on the last opinion
day in May, before its adjournment
until October, when ii announced its
decision in an exceptionally large
number Of important disputes. Three
cases were decided. involving ques-
tons relating to the administration Of
criminal law in the Philippines. The
consttutionality of the "oleo" law was
next upheld. A dealer argued that
Oleomargarine which received its color
from butter used as an Ingredient
should not be subject to the tax, ana
also that the rates under the present
law were prohibitive cad confScatory-
The court replied that the amount OF
the tax was purely political func-
ton with which it could not deal. A
concern against which fraud order"
had been issued by the Postcfilce De-
partment had sought redress by bring
ing suit against the postmaster at Chi
cago in a case which finally reached
the Supreme Court. The department
it was decided, was justified in its
ton. A man In a suburb Of Kans'
City had been released by the Unit,
States District Court from payment
for certain street Improvements which
were declared unnecessary. The SUI
preme Court overruled this, deciding
that the city authorities must be the
ind np hA
there were cases involving homestead
ers' titles In Iowa, licenses in Alaska,
street railroad fares in Cleveland,
State claims against steam railroad
in Indiana, and an electric-lighting
franchise in Kentucky.
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In its century of history the White
House has seldom been the scene of a
more interesting reception than that
which was given in honor of the visit
ing Filipinos, who have been making
a tour of the United States. The
President and Mrs. Roosevelt enter
tanned them at luncheon, after which
the prominent people of the national
government were invited in to meet
them. With few exceptions, none OF
these visitors, and they are the lead
Ing men of the archipelago, had ever
been in the United States before. Some
Of them had never before left the
archipelago, for the Philippine Island
ers are not great travellers. Mos. Of
the places to which they would natur-
ally go are a long vaay off, and so
those who are not prepared for for
midable journey stay at home. Ameri-
cans going to the Philippine Islands
have been profoundly interested in the
strange contrasts which the Asiatic
tropics present. These visiting Filipf-
nos were equally interested in condi-
tons here They found the American
summer about like their climate all the
year round. Our warm and substan-
tial buildings told to their observing
eyes of the frosts of winter and of the
absence of earthquakes. The railroad
system of the United States amazed
them. The multitude of our cities was
almost confusing.
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! 1t has been announced by the AgrI-
! culture Department tsRlt it's search for
an enemy to destroy the cotton-bolI
weevil has been rewarded by the dis
covery in Guatemala of an ant which
preys upon the insect. In Alta Vera
Paz cotton appeared to thrive In a
country infested with the weevis. In
vestigation showed that this was due
to the ant, which gets it's food from
the hectares of the cotton. This ant
is equipped with powerful mandibles,
and when it finds a wSevil beetle on a
plant at once seiZes and kills it, 1t is
an inveterate hunter after the pestA
and several ants usually take their
stand for this purpose on each stalk,
so that a single colony protects large
field. 1t does not sting persons, as do
many Guatemalan ants, and so far as
known is harmless. An attempt will
be made by the department to estab-
lsh permanent colonies in Texas,
where the weevil pest is worst, and
for this purpose many thousands OF
the ants have been brought 10 this
country.
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For the first elevelN months OF the
current fiscal year, ending May 81,
there was an excess of governments
expenditures over receipts of So, 265,-
1863. This deficit is accounted for by
the payments made on accoEnt OF the
Panama Canal and the loan to the
Louisiana Purchase Exposition Com
pany, amounting in all to $54, 600.
After allowance is made for these
items, however, there is still evidence
of a marked change in the condition
of the Treasury for in the correspond
ing months of 1903 there was a sur
plus of receipts over expenditures
amounting to S3S,94S,6 GIG. Receipts
both from customs and internal reve-
nue. have been smaller this year than
last, and there has been an Increase
of expenditures on the navy and for
pensions.
Agricultural experiment stations In
several States have been trying TO dig
cover whether the favor and color of
eggs can be affected by the food given
to the hens. Among the foods used
were smoked herrings oil of celery,
oil of sassafras and onions. Nothing
but the onions affected the taste of the
eggs. White corn, however, produces
eggs with light yolks whereas yellow
corn makes the yOlks dark. The ex-