The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1906-12-13
UWasbington Chat


expected and perhaps the storm o.
protest over the recommendations in
the Japenese matter was a little
stronger than was anticipated but al
in all, the president wears the "dee
lighted" smile and tells his friends
and callers that he is pleased. Be
fore long he will have submitted te
him the editorial comment on the
message made in papers from al
parts of the country. Much of this il
even now piled high on the desk o.
Secretary Loeb whose task it will prob
ably be to sort out the most important
The special message on Panams
will not be ready for congress unit
the 18th of the month and with it the
president has decided to send number
of photographs illustrating the pro.
gress that has been made on the
canal. These pictures were taken BY
an expert photographer and are now
in the hands of the canal commission
1t will be the first time that a presi.
Dental message has ever gone to con-
gress accompanied by photographs.
An important feature of this mes.
sage will be that portion bearing up
on the scale of wages to be paid for
trained and experienced men on the
isthmus. This subject has been dis
cussed with several officials who have
visited Panama and now, it is said,
labor leaders in all sections are to be
consulted in order that satisfactory
and permanent scale can be adopted,
one which will end all complaints as
to the inadequacy of wages.
1t is surprising to note the large
number OF representatives who have
returned to Washington unaccom-
panied by their families. Many will
lead bachelor lives until after the holt
days and then be joined by their
families, while others who have al
ways moved their entire domestic
establishments to the capital during
previous sessions, will not do SO at all
this winter owing to the fact that the
session will be brief one. Men of
family who have never been bothered
al, ut the householding problem, be-
to,.ae of their wives looking after such
IT,, -ers, are giving earnest considera-
5.u.. to the question of how TO live
..,D..a and in consequence the hotels
ana boarding houses are sheltering
many congressman who have never
before been domiciled anywhere in
| Washington but ''home sweet home.
Perhaps one of the reasons why
some families were left behind was
because free railroad transportation
has not been obtainable. While the
members themselves are allowed a
liberal amount for mileage, no provi-
sion is made for carrying their
families to and from Washington at
public expense, so it looks now as il
the present session will 60 down in
history as ''the session of bachelors. i"
With buttons and badges shining,
clothes in order and shoes highly
polished, the seven officers and sixty.
three privates comprising the capitol
police force were put through their an.
nual inspection and drill in the
rotunda of the capitol on the opening
day of the session. The inspection is
under the supervision of the sergeant
alarms of the senate and is always
witnessed by many senators and
representatives, some of whom take
special pride in the drill movements
of the particular policeman who is on
the force through the say-so of the
senator or member.
1t would be different to find a more
unique body of men than these
guardians of the big white building
and the extensive grounds surround
ing it. The Eenate and House each
appoint half the force, the members OF
which come from all over the country.
California, Nevada, Oregon, Utah and
other distant states are represented
but with the exception of one man
from Georgia, the South has been
overlooked.
The force is made up of men of all
sizes, quite number of little men
and plenty of large ones. The member
from South Dakota stands six feet
seven inches and several others are
six feet four. On the force are college
graduates, physicians, dentists, law
yers and other professional men, also
several students who use the position
to pay the tuition at the college they
attend at night.
AS yet, no action has been taken by
the War Department in regard to
giving financial aid to inventors oil
machines for aerial navigation to be
used for army purposes in, the event OF
war. For some time army officials
have been watching flying machine
experiments conducted in seven states