The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1909-05-06
NEWS AND VIEWS
Of WASHINGTON
Interesting Letter From Our Special
Correspondent.
,lMANY. VETERANS GRATlFlED
Efforts of Congressman Kendall APP
preciated by Old soldiers-Sev-
81 eraI Special Relief Bills
NJ Have Been Introduced.
By CYRUS Foss stoddard.)

Washington, D. c., May IA large
number OF veterans of the civil war,
residing in the Sixth district, to whom
copies of the five pension bills intro
|duced by Mr.. Kendall were sent, have
written to their congressman letters
strongly approving his action and COM
|mending in no uncertain terms his
genuine interest in their behalf. Many
of the writer's have included brief &C
counts of their own personal expert
ences during the war, and subsequent
ly with the department in securing
pensions. To read these letters, many
of them really pathetic in their earn
est plea that justice-simple justice
be awarded them by the government
for the services they rendered, should
be sufficient to arouse the sympathetic
mature of all in authority, with the re-
suit that our inadequate pension laws
would be substantially revised so as
to afford relief to those who, at best,
will not be with us long. The old sol
oilers are going home" at the rate of
40, 900 every twelve months, and the
situation is, as several have expressed
lit in their letters, you'll have to help
us now, or soon you won't need to. "
Mr.. KendaIl's bills will, if passed take
care of the veterans as they deserve,
and furthermore. it is quite likely that
pension legislation will be given con-
siderable attention at the regular ses-
sion of congress next December.
Aid For Local Veterans.
During the week Mr.. Kendall has in
|troduced special bills for the relief of
Hiram Gosnell, New Sharon, $50 per
month; T. J. Stafford, Brooklyn, $50
per month; J. N. Van Pelt, Melrose,
$40 per month; and w. w. Blackly,
Eldon, $50 per month. All bills now
introduced for the special relief of old
soldiers will go to the committee on
invalid pensions as soon as appointed
by the speaker, to be reported upon at
the regular session.
Mr.. ]. E. Langford, of Ottumwa, has
invented a column clamp to be used
lin connection with the manufacture of
wooden stave columns to bind the
freshly glued slaves together untll the
glue has hardened and the column Is
ready to be turned in the lathe. An
invention of interest to farmers is an
improvement which can be attached to
cultivators, brought out by A. c. New
conner OF Newburg.
immense Foreign Trade.
According to the Bureau of Stats
tics, United States trade with her non
contiguous territories will amount, dur
ing the present year, to more than
$3.50, 100000, a gain of over 100 per
cent during the past ten years. In
1899 it was only $70,000,000. The fig
ures actually on hand, for the past
eight months, show that the value OF
the merchandise exported was $43,-
500 900, while that imported from the
colonies was valued at $50, 500, 900. Our
imports to Porto Rico were the larg-
est, being valued at $15,S27 1888, while
we received the largest valuation from
Hawaii, the total being $22,647,7S
With the Philippine Islands our trade
is nearly evenly balanced, they hav-
ing sent us goods to the value OF ST.
O7O,132, while they received from the
United States merchandise valued at
$6,874,S2
Coin collectors who are fortunate
enough to have in their possession
either a SIG or $40 gold piece or both,
struck in the year 1907, would do we'll
to hold on to them. These are the
coins which do not contain the legend,
In God We Trust" and will undoubt-
eddy command a respectable premium
IN the near future.
Roosevelt as a Missionary.
When the history of Africa is writ
ten by the future historians, it will
class Theodore Roosevelt with the
great missionaries who have given
their lives to the evangelization OF the
continent" This statement, made by
a prominent Methodist minister in this
locality, has caused considerable COM
ment because it is believed that, in a
moment of enthusiasm, he really made
"a stronger assertion than he would
have done had he given more thought
to its effect. The propriety of chasing
Mr.. Roosevelt with David Livingstone,
Henry NJ. Stanley and Alexander
Mackay, is open to considerable argu-
ment, in the light of the great amount
|of good accomplished by those remark
able men in their years of study and
exploration in Africa; and it is doubt
full If the words of the reverend gen
'tleman will carry great deal Of con:
viction to the minds OF his congrega-
ton