Middletown transcript., 1908-05-02

WASHINGTON, u. c., April 18th, 1908.
; N spite of the vigorous protests of the
J American Newspaper Publishers As
sociation against the inaction of the House
of legislation looking to the free listing of
wood pulp and print paper, no such action
will be taken at this session of Congress.
Speaker Cannon is master of the situation
and has successfully obstructed all legisla-
tion on this subject by the appointment
of special committee, "to make full in
vestigation touching the alleged combina-
ton of the manufactures of print paper.
~
| Although President Roosevelt failed to
realize his hearts desire in obtaining four
battleships, he won victory in the Sen
ate this week when Senator Hale an.
nounced committee amendment making
an appropriation Immediately available,
of 81, 900, 600 for the construction Of two
battleships authorized by the bill. The
fight for this concession was led by Sena-
tor Lodge who clearly intimated to the
Senate leaders that the President would
veto bill which merely authorized two
ships and made no appropriation therefor.
While the bill authorizes two ships at a
cost of Sc, OOO, 900 each, it is estimated that
not more than the $7,0O0,000 available
can be utilized before the first of next
year. If this appropriation has been ex-
hausted by that time an additional sum
can and will be made available.
~
There is no little resentment in the
Senate over the action of the House in |
failing to make the necessary appropria- |
ton of funds for the construction of the |
two battIeships it authorized, for the |
torpedo boats, the new submarines and
for the submarines already in process OF
construction, appropriations, f"r all OF
which the upper house has been obliged
to add. This course of the House is re-
garded in the Senate as ''grandstand |
play" enabling it to point to the increase |
of appropriations made by the Senate and
| W NIIbuOuSIJ ely "hSHJ
as a matter of fact the increases have been
rendered actually imperative by the House
itself.
~
Entire harmony prevails between the
Senate steering committee and the leaders
of the House over the plans to be adopted
for insuring financial legislation at this
session of Congress. At the proper time
a motion will be made to take the Aldrich
bill from the Committee on Banking and
Currency and consider it in committee OF
the whole. The next motion will be to
strike out all after the enacting clause and
substitute the Vreeland bill, and finally
an amendment creating a currency COM
mission will be added In this form the
measure will be sent back to the Senate
and from there it will 90 to conference.
Representative Vreeland has completed
practically his poll of the House to ascer-
tain the sentiment toward his financial
bill, and says he has found enough favor
ing the measure to pass it. The expecta-
tion is that the commission provided for
will consist of five members from each
house.
~
President Roosevelt has signed the EN-.
ployers' liability bill which makes rail-
roads or other common carriers, while en-
gagged in interstate commerce, liable for
the injury or death of an employee, if the
injury or death results in whole or in part
from the negligence Of any of the officers,
agents or employees of such carriers or by
reason of any defect or insufficiency in
equipment. This provision is made ap-
plicabie also to carriers in the territories,
the District OF Columbia, the Canal Zone
and other possessions of the United
States.
~
There is no doubt that a quarantine
will be established by the Cuban govern
ment against Venezuela, where the bu-
bonic plague is said to be raging, though
President Castro denies it is the plague |
and calls it some kind of fever. Other
reports, however, state that it is the
dreaded Asiatic malady. Governor Ma
COON, of Cuba, has called the Secretary OF
War asking for authority to establish a
quarantine against Venezuelan cattle, and |
perhaps other forms of exports from this
republic. After conference with Secre- |
tary Root, Secretary Taft cabled Gov.
Magoon to deal with the situation as his |
| judgment dictates and the exigencies OF
the case require and this signifies that an
embargo will be placed against importa-
tions from Venezuela as long as the plague |
| continues. Minister Russell has been re-
called and diplomatic relations with Vene-
zuela have been discontinued.
49,
In spite of all the evidence produced in
the Brownsville affair before the investi-
eating committee, many Senator'S still re-
fuse to be convinced that the negro SOL
diers did the shooting on that memorable
night. However a compromise has been
suggested by which justice would be SUBJ
served and the feelings. saved of all con-
cerned. The compromisers would consti-
tute Lieut. Generals Chaffee, Young and |
Corbin, all retired, board to determine
the innocence or guilt of the negro SOL
diers of the 25th Infantry applying for re-
instatement id the army. 1t is hoped in
political circles that this may prove the
solution of this very wretched problem.
THE KING REVEALED
A weary, dusty traveller came once to