The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1906-12-05

Washington, Dec. 3.-The national
capital is beginning to get up and
stretch itself. 1t has passed nearly
five months in lethargy almost I'M
precedented. for the president scarce
" returned from his vacation at
oyster Bay until he was off on short
rours and later deserted the white
house for the deck of the battleship
Louisiana and the Isthmian canal
washington without the chief exec
rrive. be il known. is very like Ham
let with the ghost missing. In ad-
tfyfon. the cabinet officers have been
away great part of the time since
.consress adjourned; Vice-President
Fairbanks on a stumping tour, Sec
rotary Shaw on a similar Grand
Secretary Taft in Cuba Secretary
Netcalf investigating conditions in
San Francisco; Secretary Moody al
ternating between New York and his
native Maryland; Secretary Root off
TO South America and back again
only to spread in speeches through
out the west just what he discovered
down there. In fact, Secretary
Hitchcock practically is the only man
who has maintained his perch con-
sistently on the lid since the last
session of congress. But all this is
changing now. The cabinet chiefs
are scurrying back, such of them as
are now absent, and senators and
representatives are appearing in
town in preparation for the APP
preaching session. While the
awakened interest is largely due to
the coming resumption of activities
in the capitol almost as much is
centered on the convention on De
cember 6 and of the National Riv-
ers and Harbors Congress, which
will urge upon the federal govern
ment the commercial necessity for
appropriating $50,OO0,000 annually
for the development of the nations
waterways. ]. F. Ellison, secreta-
~ of the congress, has already ar
rived, and he says that the meet
ing is to be the largest of its kind
ever held. The question has be-
come a national one, apparently, and
the neglect of these natural chan
nels of trade likely will be correct |
ed. This awakening of commerce to
the need for added avenues of trans
portation probably is the outcome
of the agitation that resulted in the
railway rate bill of the last session. |
1t undoubtedly has been spuTred by
the steady consolidation of railroads !
under one management, and the fact |
that water transportation costs only !
one-sixth of that imposed by the
steam rail lines probably is a strong
factor in stimulating the demand !
that is to find expression in this
week 5 convention.
To Save Niagara.
Postcards, letters, kilograms and |
bulky parcels containing petitions
are swapping the Office force of the
war department This flood of mail
is coming from members of the
American Civic Association, who are
begging Secretary Taft to save Nj
agara Falls. The wholesale use of
the water for manufacturing electric
power can be checked on this side, {
but such action would serve only to
drive plants to the Canadian side of
the falls, whence they would furnish /
power to the manufacturing estab
lishments on the New York shore.
The falls would be as much injured
by this change as though no change
had been made is the contention Of
the Civic Association, and it's asks
that Secretary Taft limit the impor
tation of power from Canada. By
act of congress the secretary has this
right.
Millions for the Indians.
= cost the Great White Father
last year just $12,745,S59 to care
for his Indian wards. The largest
item, according to the report of In
dian Commissioner Leupp, was for
irrigation projects on reservations,