The Rathdrum tribune. (Rathdrum, Idaho) 1903-1963, 1906-02-23

products, but will not affect legiti-
mate trade. The Hepburn bill has
the hearty Endorsement of the Presi-
dent and is well understood to be an
administration measure. That itself
| is an element of strength. DR.. Wiley
chemist of the Agriculture Depart
ment, will have authority to analyze
all articles Of the trade affected by
the bill, but the Attorney General
will enforce the provisions of the law"
| 1t is almost a foregone conclusion
that the Senate committee on inter-
state commerce will very much i'm
pair the rate bill by reportisg favor
ably provision to allow a review by
the courts of any new rate, and IN
consequence there is great indigna-
tion among senators who want an
effective rate bill passed, the cause of
this, however, can easily be under
stood as an examination Of the per-
sonnel Of the committee discloses the
fact that five of the members are
multi nllionaires whose fortunes are
closely identified with railroad hold
ings. Those five are Aldrich, of
Rhode Island, worth fifty millions, a
large portion Of which consists Of
Standard Oil and Pennsylvania rail-
road stocks; Elkins, of West Virginia
worth twenty millions, and regarded
as one of the Baltimore and Ohio and
Norfolk and Western magnates; Kean
of New Jersey, worth ten millions, a
large share holder in the Pennsyl-
vania road and other trunk lines,
Crane, of Massachusetts, worth four
millions and interested in railroad
holdings; and Foraker of Ohio, worth
several millions and openly advocat-
ing legislation which the railroads
are known to favor. No one can en-
pect fair treatment by these men of
a bill which seeks to regulate the
abuses which have made them mil
| lionaires. Such men are stumbling
block to President Roosevelt who is,
in the face of such determined oppo-
sitions, attempting to right this
great wrong.
:. Congressman French has appeared
"a number of times in support OF his
measure appropriating $l00, ,0OO.O
for experimentation work in dry farm
ing IN arid sections of the west. Mr.
French has received assurances tha
his bill will be included in the Agri-
cultural appropriation bill, which
passes Congress every year. This is ;
new subject for Congress, as Mr.
, French is the first to advocate
measure of this kind, however, TIL
officials of the Department of Agrl
culture are very much IN favor of tn
measure. The system of dry farming
is now being successfully followed Il
some of the arid portions of Asia, an
a number of profitable crops are pro
duced there that Mr.. French believe
can be proftably grown in this cour
> try. At any rate money cannot +
better spent than in eXperimentatio
along this line.
Congressman French with the act
i've aid of Senators Dubois and He.
burn has been very acti,
during this session of Congress
: procuring the passage Of pensic
- bills for the relief of some very d
l. serving persons in Idaho. He h;
is Just succeeded in getting a bi
)e through the House granting to Ru'
n sell A. Mckinley Of Boise, a penslt
:. of 500. 90 per month. The bill W;
y introduced IN the senate by Senat
te Dubois, and in the House by M
le French. Mr.. Mckinley was soldi
n in the Spanish-American War, ar
;, is relative of the late Preside
- Mckinley. On account of the e
'd plosion of shell, he lost the sight
Ill both eyes and is naturally in We
he helpless condition. Mr.. French al
nd succeeded in getting bill pass
granting a pension of $4,000 (
month to Abraham Mathews of Mo
cow, who is a soldier of the Ci
,rs War.