The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1908-04-16
WASHINGTON
From our Regular Correspondent.

Washington, D. c., April I3, 1908.
The extraordinary position into
which the Republicans in the
House have been forced by the
minority leader, Rep. John Sharp
williams, and the lengths to which
they are ready to go rather than
respond to the Presidents recon-
mendations are the occasion of
amaZement not unmiXed with
amusement to every one who has
been watching the recent course of
events in Washington. The Speak
er and his colleagues on the COM
mittee on Rules have not hesitated
at anything and they have finally
been forced to adopt rules which
demonstrate as never before. the
absolute autocracy which the
Speaker enjoys and which SO far
eliminates roll calls as to relieve
every Republican of the reaponsi-
bility of his acts. The Republican
leaders seem to have realized the
ridiculous attitude in which they
were being placed by minority Of
only I67 members, as against 223
Republicans, and they have tried
in every way possible to avoid the
adoption of these stringent rules,
but they were finally compelled to
adopt them rather than run the
risk of voting by name against
measures which the President has
recommended and which their con-
stituents demand:
FL*
The President does not seem to
lose heart at all because of the OPP
position of his party to his policies
and he is seriously considering the
advisability of sending to Congress
a special message protesting against
tha authorization of only two bat
tleships when he had demanded
four with not only authority to pre-
pare plans but to make contracts
at once. Every member of ihe
Naval Affairs committee voted
against the President on this pro
position except Rep. Hobson, who
submitted a minority report and
whose service in the navy, before
he entered politics, has resulted in
loyalty to the floating portion of
the military establishment which
nothing can chill.
m4*
The Republicans are greatly
chagrinned over the defeat in the
House committee on Postoffices of
the Gallinger postal subvention
bill, that being the euphonious
name for this years brand of the
old ship-subsidy bill. The advo-
Gates of the measure thought they
had everything fixed for a favor.
able report on the measure when
Representative Haggott of Colora-
do folded his tent like the Arab
and as silently stole away" and the
measure was laid on the committee
table. The friends of the measure
are not discouraged, however.
They now propose to offer it as an
amendment to the postofhce appro-
priation bill when that measure
reaches the Senate and they believe
that in this shape it will become a
law.
*k*
The Senate last week passed the
army appropriation bill carrying a
total appropriation of about $685.
600, 900. This bill also provided
the increase of pay for the officers
and enlisted men Of the army and
the marine corps. The officers will
receive increases varying from 10
to rs per cent, the higher the grade
the lower the increase, and the en-
listed men will receive an average
increase of IS per cent, as much as
50 per cent. additional being paid
10 men who enlist for the third
time, or more. Democrats as we'll
as Republicans voted for the in
crease of the pay of the army for
the cost of living has so generally
increased that the pay table fixed
nearly twenty years ago was by no
means adequate to the expenses of
oihcers and men, especially now
mat the foreign service entails SO
much expensive travelling.
***
-After the army bill was passed
Senator Hale made his annual at.
tack on the cost of the military es-
adjustment. an attack which would
command greater resDect did not