The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1905-08-11
WASHINGTON LETTER.

The promoters OF the coming reel
procity congress have succeeded in
placing the administration in a very
equivocal position regarding its attitude
toward that meeting. 1t is openly stated
in Washington that the administrations
attitude of indifference to the meeting
has become one of positive opposition.
However that may be the cabinet as
whole and severally declined without any
unnecessary politeness to have anything
to do with the movement. The Presi-
dents views on the subject are too well
known to need apology, but it is equally
certain that he will not see his way clear
to attending the Congress, and any de-
clination, however courteously worded
will be taken as sign that he is not in
sympathy with the program. This will
not be true, but his standing aloof would
be a wise step and in the matter of
actual legislation he will have done his
real duty when he puts the matter of tar
if revision up to Congress this session.
Action of some sort will be necessary.
1t has been proven already that economic
wars are as costly in the end if not so
bloody and appalling as actual wars.
The whole of Europe is arming against
this country and while it is true that
with our vast home markets and exports
of raw material that are necessary to the
rest of the world, we would be in a fair
position to wage such a war, it is wholly
unnecessary conflict and if we are pre-
cipitated into it, it will be the fault of
Congress and not of the President. The
records of the Bureau of Statistics show
that such a war has already cost us the
whole of our big trade with European
Russia. American exports to that region
are practically dead as the result of the
sugar bounty decision of the Supreme
Court, and if the country wants another
deadlock with the rest of Europe, it can
get it by waiting few months and fail
ing to act on the question of tariff re-
vision. 1t is quite probable that. certain
highly protected interests will operate
through their Senators at the coming
session of Congress to prevent any
''tariff tinkering," but if they do the
blame will rest with them when we are
drawn into tariff war with the rest of
the world, bar England of course, which
is pointed to by protectionists as our
greatest market. 1t does not seem to be
taken into account however, that Eng
land though exceedingly slow to move. is
mt necessarily free trade country for
allN times, and the spectacle of success
full or at best damaging tariff war against
the United States would be the strongest
argument for the Chamberlainites in
closing the markets of England against
us.
x*x
The work of investigating in the Agri
cultural and other departments has passed
for time and the grand jury has taken a
recess pending the return of ex-statis-
tician Hyde from England. The Secre-
tary of Agriculture has announced his
intention of taking no holiday this sum-
mer and remaining at his desk to put
through any investigation into the var.
ious bureaus of his department that may
need it. The condition of the Bureau of
Animal Industry probably will call for
the next attention of the investigating
committee. 1t has been claimed by
several of the smaller competitors of the
Beef Trust who have appealed to the De-
partment, that while the Trust has had
difficulty in procuring all the meat in
spectors it needed, that they, the COM
petitors, were unable to secure such gov
eminent supervision and as a result their
meat had to go without the label of the
Agricultural Department which is a
necessity in the export trade and is re-
quired in some cities in the United States
before meat can be put on the market.
At the same time DIR. Salmon, the chief
of the Bureau, excuses himself by saying
that the expenses of the Bureau are
already running about $1,000 month
ahead of the appropriation and unless
some measure OF relief IS afforded by
Congress next year that he will have to
curtail or discontinue the meat inspection
business altogether. Now such step,
except as to our export trade might not
be hailed as an unmixed evil. Just about
half the slaughter houses in the country
get along without the scientific meat in
spection, and it has not yet been proven
that the people who eat the uninspected
meat are any worse off in health than
those who have their meat vised by the
government. Of course with the export
trade il would be different for there are
regulations against the admission of meat
in most European countries when the
meat does not bear the government