The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1907-02-15
WASHINGTON LETTER.

NOrR anu II IS PIOOaDic Thai tuc lltiS
which remains before the adjournment,
March fourth, will be most productive.
The River and Harbor bill which calls
for a big appropriation has been passed
without single dissenting vote. Appro.
priations approximating $84. 900, 900 have
also been passed and favorable action has
been taken on amendment to Denatured
Alcohol law. The Naval appropriation
bill is Under consideration and will prob
ably be ralroaded through like the others.
The River and Harhor discussion has
brought to light one important fact which
has been generally overlooked by some of
the most ardent advocates of the bill and
which will probably be made the subject
of investigation by Congress It is claim.
ed that the wharfage facilities of nearly
all of the navigable rivers are controlled
by the railroads, and it is seldom that
shippers can get the benefit of cheaper
transportation for their products by water
owing to the fact that the terminals are
held by the railroads. which make their
own charges for wharf privileges. Thus
there is in reality no competition between
the two classes of freight carriers since
the railroads after all, owning the wharfs.
control the freight rates.
The debate on the Denatured Alcohol
bill was concluded by the pertinent re-
mark of Representative Champ Clark
who said, This bill is intended to enable
farmers to take advantage of the bill
passed last June, Every one wants it but
the whisky trust, the wood alcohol trust
and the coal Oil trust " This bill which
is of such concern to a great part of our
population now goes to the Senate and
there is a possibility that it will be passed.
Speaker Cannon is we'll known to have
opposed the bill in the House but the
Speaker has been confined to his home
With the grip during which time he has
rather lost his grip on Congressional
affairs. When some one called him up
and asked, "Shall we let the denatured
alcohol bill CO." he shouted over the
phone, Eyes, let the d. bill go, let it go
to h." 1t went, but so far has not
reached the destination prayed for by the
Speaker.
There will probably be no extra session
including both Houses of Congress but it
is almost certain that there will be an
extra session of the Senate. The reason
is that the Democrats of the Senate as it
now stands are able to thwart the rati6ca.
ton of the new Santo Domingo treaty
but after March the fourth there will be a
sufficient number of new Republican
Senators to carry the treaty over Demo
cratic opposition. 1t is unfortunate that
the Senate of the United States divides on
party lines in matters relating to foreign
policies There is certainly not in this
Santo DOMINICAN question any politics
that is strictly Democratic or strictly
Republican.
-
The proposition to lease Government
lands to cattlemen for grazing purposes is
being agitated again in Congressional
circles and large delegation of cattle
men and lobbyists is here to support the
plan. An effort will be made to have
provision covering the proposition put in
the Agricultural appropriation bill as an
amendment, the text of which has already
been suggested by Senator Burkett. The
amendment authorized the President from
time to time to establish grazing districts
on the unreserved and Incorporated
lands by proclamation, but the provision
is being stubbornly opposed by those who
claim that its passage would give the big
cattlemen a monopoly Of the range to the
exclusion of the small stockmen.
~
There has been in the last week or two
revival of President making politics in
Washington. The assiduously cultivated
boom of Vice President Fairbanks is
apparently the most flourishipg He is
understood to have organizations through
out the South and the delegations from
that section which will probably not fur
nish Republican vote in the Electoral
college are thought to be in measure
already corraled by him. The trusts, and
especially the railroad combination are
friendly to Fairbanks. There are many
indeed who look upon him as Harriman's
, representative. He has put probably ten
times more money into his campaign
than any other candidate 1t is estimated
that his entertaining in Washington has
cost him not much less than the Presi-
dents salary of fifty thousand dollars
year. His fue residence within three
blocks of the White House is social