Washington State journal and Adams County news. [volume] (Ritzville, Wash.) 1906-1907, 1907-02-20
WASHINGTON CHAT.

len tnouSanu temperance cruSauers
of the District of Columbia, bent upon
having Congress wipe out every saloon
in washington, will beseige the law
makers in the Capital on St. Valentines
Day, Feb. l4th, the date set by the
House District committee for hearing
of the temperance advocates.
Rain or shine, this formidable army
will assemble at point near the
White House and promptly at noon
will march down Pennsylvania Avenue
to the Capital. Arriving there the
march will be continued throughout the
whole building with the idea of showing
that the citizens of Washington are in
earnest about the matter of prohibition
in the District.
The aim of the crusaders is to have
the amount of licence paid by the
saloon keepers increased. At present
there is $500 per year, not as large as
in many other cities, and by an increase
it is hoped to reduce the number of
saloons. The abolition of these in the
District of Columbia appears to be a
moving question, but it is doubtful if
Congress will take any action this
session. There is too much other
business on the calendar of both Houses
and about all that can be accomplished
during the balance of the session is to
pass the remaining appropriation bills.
However, the temperance people are
not discouraged. Their demonstration
is to be remarkable one and on st.
Valentines Day every nook and corner
of the big white building will echo with
the cry " Down with the Saloons"
As the present session of Congress
draws near close the talk of an extra
session increases but whether the
President will call a session at an
early date after the 4th of March can
not be ascertained from him or from
those in charge of affairs in either the
Senate or the House. Senators and
Representatives deny all knowledge of
any such purpose on the part of the
President, but often these lawmakers
assume an attitude of utter ignorance
and Indifference when it is known that
in doing so they are only playing the
part of craftsmanship.
Persistent rumors are aflOat however
that an extra session, to be very
one, is really to be called and not
few secretaries, clerks and other
congressional employees, who appear
to have Inside" information, are ma
king plans to remain at their posts
several weeks after the 4th of March.
Washington is always in favor of an
extra session. 1t means more money
for the hotelkeepers and the meachants.
1t prolongs the entertainments in the
social set and provides amusement for
the floating population which makes
Washington its home only as long as
Congress remains.
Just now Washington is the Mecca
for candidates who are seeking positions
in the new state of Oklahoma. Many
of the fat plums will be ready for
picking as soon as the new state is ad-
mitted to the sisterhood and from the
large number of applicants who are
already on the ground, so far in ad-
vance of the the time the territory
will become state, it looks as if the
belief among them is that the first
come will be the first served. The
President has given all inquirers to
understand that he will pay no attention
to patronage until the state has been
admitted on July 4th, after which he
will listen to the appeals to be made.
Probably the federal judgeships are
regarded as the best positions and the
fight for them is shaping faster than
for the other places. Every wire at
the Capital is being pulled by the
candidates but the President remains
firm in his determination to wait until
July before making appointments, so
it is likely that "back to Oklahoma"
will be the order of proceedings among
the candidates. until later in the year.
Machines for milking cows are in
high favor with the milking experts of
the Agriculture Department who have
been making tests with q device which
shows many advantages over the time
honored hand-power method. The OBJ
ject of these experiments 10 to pass
upon the question a. to whether
machine-milking is q more sanitary
process than hand-milking and the
experts have declared in favor Of the
former, claiming that the milk will
reach the consumer in condition a.
near - possible to that IN which it 10
drawn from the udder of . healthy