The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1907-01-31
Washington Chat

session. If SO, they can be hurried
through at the last moment and in
the meantime many of the legislators
will have fun among themselves and
sacrifice the business of the country.
Just now the Senate is the centre of
the fun making and here in Wash
ington this once dignifled body is be-
coming known as 'the show on
EARTH" People flock in droves to the
senate end of the Capitol and crowd
the galleries to suffocation. They go
to be amused and they are amused,
for instead of listening to the discus
sions that should be taking place
among the members of that body,
they are entertained by the witticism
of few senators and the spectacle of
personal encounters between them, all
due to matters entirely foreign to the
business in hand.
On the House things are somewhat
different. Most of the members are
hard at work, the various committees
are holding regular sessions, import
ant measures are receiving proper
consideration, necessary appropria-
tions are being made and there is a
bustling atmosphere about the whole
place. But much of this good work
will fall by the wayside unless the
senate cuts out the amusement fea-
lures, settles down to business and re-
moves the blockade that is impeding
vital legislation. Such is the opinion
OF not few representatives.
The presidents policy for the ex-
pansion of the navy is being backed
by navy officers who are now appear
ing before the House Naval Com
mittee which is framing the naval
appropriation bill. The construction
of two battle ships year instead of
one is urged, because in building one
ship each year, the officers claim that
by the time a unit of four ships is
completed, the first built will be four
years older than the last, with the re-
suit that the former might be out of
date.
This policy does not appeal to the
committee. A partial canvass of the
members of the committee shows that
they are in favor of recommending
the construction of another gigantic
battle ship in addition to the one de-
cided upon at the last session, but
they will not 60 further than the re-
commentators of the President and
of Secretary Metcalf, both of whom
advocate but one ship.
The naval appropriation bill is
rapidly taking shape and will be re-
ported to the House shortly after the
first of February. The committee is
meeting several times daily and has
the naval programme so we'll in hand
that but little further delay is antici-
pated.
The latest pow-wow to take place at
the White House was between the
President and six Indians of the Ute
| tribe-the chief men of the fighting
Utes, who went on rampage last
summer in an effort to join the
Cheyenne River Sioux, and whose
people are now held as prisoners at
Fort Meade, s. d. The Indians
came to Washington under guard and
were accompanied to the White House
by several members of the Sixth
Cavalry Through and interpreter,
two or three of the chiefs made
speeches to Mr.. Roosevelt. They
told him they wished to 60 and live
with the Sioux on the Cheyenne
River, for they like the Sioux and
they like their country.
The President asked how they ex-
pected to live after they got there and
they replied that they had a Great
White Father who was very generous
and who would give them ratlons.
The President did not reply to them,
but said that their requests would be
considered. That the braves were
disappointed was evidenced by the
numerous grunts uttered by the In
dams on their way out of the build
ing.
It is now up to the Chief Executive
to say whether the members of Con-
gress, the Speaker, the Vice-President
and the Cabinet officers are to obtain
the fifty per cent increase in salaries.
The action of the Senate in passing
the measure makes the increase GER
tain unless the President vetoes it,
which is not likely. The cost to the
country Of the Senate's action in con-
curing to the amendment to the leg
islative bill as passed by the House
relative to salaries OF members of Con-
gress will be 1924, 500 per year.
This means that after March 4th the
Treasury will have to pay out that
much more than is now being paid
for the salaries of the Cabinet officials
and the lawmakers.
The raise in salary affects 1876 on the
Government pay rolls. The total