Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1906-03-15
NOTES FROM WASHINGTON
Washington, March IL.

sonar interest IN the charges or fraud
and corruption which are said to have
occurred in connection with the laws
of the five civilized tribes in the In
dian territory. But for his Interior
ence indictments against several par
ties alleged to have been engaged in
illegal practices would have been
Qusshed. Now, however. under his
orders, the interior department is
pushing lis Investigations with In.
creased vigor and II is reliably stated
that In the near future a number OF
new indictments viii be reported
against not only several men already
indicted, but they will also include
number of persons whose names have
not heretofore been brought into the
cases, including high government
officials in Washington.
Ii is known that Secretary Hitch
cock has submitted to the president
and to Attorney General Moody
special report dealing with the whole
subject.
Representative Haugen, in an adj
dress to the house OF representatives
SffNSNh tbS btiNNla DOob it6iSluAiOh
In strong terms. He based his argu-
ments chiefly on the proposition
that such system would be heavy
drain on the government, would large
ly increase the deficit OF the post
office department, and would operate
to accommodate chiefly few mall or
der houses and build M monopoly.
Mr. Haugen said that the present cost
OF carrying mail on the railroads of
the country. including the pay OF rail
road companies, cost of cars. pay of
railway mail clerks and the like was
71a cents per pound, and that the
present cost OF the entire handling OF
mail Is 17h cents. He estimated that
the cost OF the handling OF parcels
would be at least 10 cents per pound.
The various bills introduced propose
from to cents per pound IA
postage for parcels. Surprising that
the law fixed rate of cents per
pound as postage on parcels, he esti-
mated that the postal receipts would
Increase $l00,000,000, This amount
OF business would cost the govern.
ment $100000,000 over and above
what 1t received, as It would lose, he
estimated, cents on every pound OF
parcels matter carried for every s
cents OF postage received He urged
that 1t would be necessary to cut off
the rural free delivery and city de.
livery, and even with these off there
would still be a large deficit. Many
house members take the same posi-
tion as Mr. Haugen, and II seems GER
tain that parcels post legislation
stands no chance Of enactment at thif
session.
The subcommittee of the house ju.
dietary committee has reported favor
ably to the committee an employers
liability bill modelled on the Temple
amendment that Is now Incorporated
In the Iowa law. Littlefeld OF Maine
opposed 1t, but Sterling of Illinois
and Clayton Of Alabama, composing
the subcommittee, are for II. The
committee itself Is about equally d.
vlded. Judge Birdsall of Iowa, who
is member of the judiciary COM
mlttee, Is for the bill and has taken
an active interest In It. The strong
est pressure for the bill comes from
the states of the middle west, such as
Iowa.
The washington post says: "Presi-
dent Roosevelt has decided to appoint
William Taft of Ohio, now secretary
OF war, to the next vacancy In the
United States supreme court. That
vacancy is to be created by the volun-
tary retirement OF Assistant Justice
Henry b. Brown, who was appointed
In 1890 by President Harrison from
the state of Michigan. When chief
Justice Fuller retlres-provided 1t Is
during the administration Of Mr..
Rooseyelt--Mr. Taft will be promot-
ed to his exalted position. The presi-
dent has discussed the entire situa-
ton with his secretary OF war and the
latter, 1t was learned last night, has
given his assent to the programme.
This Is the second time Mr.. Taft has
been offered q place on the supreme
bench. The first time was In the win.
ter of 1903, when he was serving as
governor of the Philippine islands"
A resolution and bill designed to
cure the defects which President
Roosevelt pointed out In the Tlllman
resolution for the investigation by the
interstate commerce commission OF
railroad determinations and moropo-
lies has been introduced In the house.
The resolution was introduced by
Representative Townsend Of Michi.
gan and the bill by Representative
Gillespie Of Texas. Mr.. Townsend's
resolution provides an appropriation
of $4,000 to carry on the investiga-
ton and the Gillespie bill makes an APP
preparation OF 100000 for the same
purpose. The Townsend resolution
provides that the interstate commerce
commission shall have under the
Senator Tillman-Gillespie resolution
all the powers to subpoena witnesses,
to compel them to testify and to pro-
duce documentary evidence which 1t
enjoys under the interstate commerce
act. 1t also provides that witnesses
shall enjoy the same rights and i'm.
munities In this investigation that
they enjoy under the interstate com.
merce act. Similar provisions are
made in the Gillespie bill. Under the
Gillespie bill the interstate commerce
commission is permitted to avoid the
duplication Of Investigations.