The National tribune., 1906-05-10

good deal like the dictionary. General
debate on the bill closed on Thursday
afternoon. Representative Hepburn
seems to think that he Will come out
on top and that his bill will pass practi-
cally unchanged. 1t is mighty nice To
| be so optimistic.
They have some funny times in the
House and act like a lot of kids. They
| had this kind of time when the Ag-
| ricultural bill was under consideration.
| 1t carried a clause appropriating 500
| 600 to carry on certain food inVeStiga-
| tions to prove their healthfulness and
| edibleneSs, but the appropriation went
out on a point of order. Mr.. Perkins,
| Of New York, said he didn't take much
stock in the reported effectiveness of
| these Investigations. He thought there
| were no practical results accruing from
| them, and he thought it a useless eX-
penditure of the peoples money. Mr..
| Mann. of Illinois, said that he thought
they were all right. That once people
used to eat pie and doughnuts for
breakfast, and now they ate healthful
! breakfast foods. They had been edu-
Gated into it. Mr.. Perkins declared
| that ''the men who made this country
great were accustomed to eating pie
and doughnuts for breakfast"
| GeDlitu anu many
| a man gets up in the morning with a
headache and doesn't know what causes
| it, And the House laughed itself into
Mysteries. 1t was thinking of one cause
| for headaches over night and Mr.. Mann
| of another.
The per capita circulation in the
United States on May / was $S2.22.
which is the highest point ever reached.
The former maximum record was
S31.SS. attained on Feb. of this year.
! The May per capita recorded is calcu-
! lated on the basis of an estimated pop
ulation of S4,42s.000 On April / of
this year the per capita circulation was
s31.I5; on March l, $31.73, and on
jar. l, $31.S2.
An appropriation of s26. 348, ,2S1.40 to
continue the work on the 'Sthmian
Canal during the fiscal year ending June
80. 1907. is asked for by the Canal
Commission. This estimate was made
for a lock canal, and Chairman Shonts
states that in the absence of other leg
islation this type of canal will be coz
structed.
At the meeting the Commission ap-
proved the PRONUNCIATION of rules and
regulations fixing rates to be charged
for the use of water from the public
water system of the city of Panama.
~
thorized constructed for the use of en-
ployeS as places of worship.
The report of the Army Board recon-
mending fortificationS for the canal
was discussed. but it was announced
that no decision could be reached un-
til it was known definitely wha: type
of canal was to be constructed.
The Saratoga chip-potato chip
factory caught fire the other day and
the whole stock for the week burned,
hence there is notable dearth in po-
tato chip menus just now, much to the
Improvement of digestions.
On very small plot of ground down
at jamestown. Va. {. very great many
Of the first things in the United States
happened. There are about 1.69G acres
in the little island where John Smith
and his companions made their home
the James River has cut this land from
the main land and it is now an island.
On 1t are the foundations of the first
school house in America. the first ruiid
ing to be called a capitol. the first meet
ing place of the first Legislative assem-
bly, elected by popular vote in the
world. the place of the first American
trial by jury. the site of the first insane
asylum in America. the homes OF most
of the first English settlers, numerous
old tower which looked on at the we'd
ding of John Rolfe. English gentleman.
and Pecahontas, the first American
belle.
Gen Bates retired Paymaster-
General of the Army has been appoints
ed special officer to go to San Fran
cisco and superintend the auditing of
the accounts of the Red Cross Society.
This step was taken by Secretry Taft
after the plan had been submitted TO
the President and approved by him.
This step Is taken by Secretary Taft
in order to straighten out the financial
situation of the Red Cross relief work
and to prevent any possible further
misunderstanding between the officials
there as to the amount of money avail
able for use by the Red Cross.
Of course. Alaska laid outdoors for
30 years or more after the United
states bought her, and nobody paid any
attention to her. Now things are boom
ing up there and already the Senate
IS discussing graft in the Alaskan
coal-Iand bill. You can't turn over "a
chip now that you don't find graft-ac-
curding to some people.
Col John $. Mosby has been under
fire again This time IL was the fire
caught i'll the blaze of a gas jet. at his
home here in Washington, where he is
quietly passing his days away in Gov
ernment employ.
There was picnic in one of the
school rooms in this city the other day.
\ boy. of course 1t was a boy. cap
Iured a nest of young garter snakes.
and what did the little imp do but take
the nasty squirming though harmless
things to school He sold several Of
them at five cents each, and then he
sat with four Of the snakes between
his fingers. and running over in his
mind the things his % cents would buy,
who should come to his desk but his
teacher and of course there were
things doing the instant the said
teacher caught sight of the wriggling
reptiles, and you would have thought
there WAS a riot call in about five sec
boy so ornery, anyhow?
It looks now as though the District
of Columbia is to have a child-labor
bill making 1t a criminal Offense to
employ in labor of any kind in the Dis
trict of Columbia children under IA
years of age. That is. Congress makes
this law to apply to everybody but it,
self. The kid pages are to be exempt.
This may be all right, but it looks to-
be all wrong. 1t is to be seriously
questioned whether young impression
able, and bright boys should be em-
ployed as messengers in either House
of Congress. 1t Is declared by mem
bers of Congress to be "a liberal edu-
cation" in itself. That may be true.