The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1909-08-13
our COMMISSION
GOING ABROAD.
Senators and Representatives
to Study Waterways In Europe.
LITTAUER IN THE LIMELIGHT.

Much Discussion In Washington Over
His Responsibility For the High
Tariff Rates on Gloves and Hosiery
illness of an Interesting Character
A Colorado Problem.
Washington, Aug. 5.-ISpecial.l j
Within few days after the adjourn.
ment of congress the members Of the
national waterways commission will
sail for Europe and will remain abroad
until Oct. l, if not later. The commits
sion is composed of seven senators and
five members of the house, the chair
man being Senator Burton of Ohio,
of the house rivers and harbors COM
mittee. General Alexander Macken-
zie, formerly chief of engineers In the
war department, will go along as an
expert. One of the chief things the
commission will study will be the re-
lations of the railroads and water
ways. They will investigate the sys'
tenn whereby the countries of Eu-
rope, especially Germany, protect their
waterways so that the railways do not
drive them out of business. In this
country the railroads have generally
driven the river steamers out. In Ger
many it is said that disastrous compe-
tition is prevented by law. The COM
mission wants also to investigate rates
of transportation on the waterways,
the extent to which the canals and riv-
ers are used and the methods of de-
velopment and improvement. A report
will be made to congress at the next
session
Gossip Of the Conference.
About the most thoroughly discussed
man around Washington in the last
few weeks has been eX-Representative
Lucius n. Littauer of Gloversville, N
Y. Whether justified or not, the talk
has been that Mr.. Littauer was chiefly
responsible for the high rates of duty
that were fixed in the Payne bill on
gloves and hosiery and against which
the women of the country protested SO
vigorously that even the high protec'
tionists of the senate would not con.
sent to accept the schedule, but insist.
ed upon restoring the Dingley rates Oh
those articles. Gossip has it that Mr.
Littauer used his influence to keep
number of Republican and other
members of the house in line last
March when an effort was made to
change the rules and that the house
leaders felt under such obligations to
him that they granted him favors
when it came to arranging the glove
and hosiery schedules. President Taft
is reported to have protested against
such arrangement, if 1t were made, and
that is what caused such rumpus in
the conference over gloves and hosiery
Passing of an Interesting Character.
Jim Jones, a negro who has beer
employed for many years in the sen.
ate stationery store, is dangerously Ill
AS he is eighty-three years of age, II
is feared he will not recover. This
negro is a most interesting character
Throughout the civil war he was the
body servant of jefferson Davis, presi.
dent of the Southern Confederacy
Jones, who is quite intelligent, prob
ably knows more Of the secret work
ings of that government than any
man living. 1t always has been mys.
terry where the seal of the Confederacy
went Jones is believed to know, but
has persistently refused to give his
information to the public. He had
great affection for Mr.. Davis and was
faithful and true to him. Jones is Q
native of North Carolina.
What Would She Be Called?
The report from Colorado that an
earnest movement has been started to
send a woman to congress from that
state naturally causes some interest
ing gossip here. AS is generally well
known, no woman ever yet has held a
seat in the national halls Of legisla-
ton, for woman suffrage in the west
is too modern a departure to have re-
suited i'm the election of a woman to
the United States legislature. Thou
sands of women are holding postofice
commissions, but under the law they
are known as ''postmasters" and not
''pOstmistresses." In the house Of rep
resentatives parliamentary terms re-
quire a member i'm abiding to another
to say invariably the gentleman"
from this or that state. If a woman
should come TO the house from Col
orado and were to be mentioned in the
debates. & would be necessary to order
a change In language, as it would be
ridiculous to refer to her as the gen
tleman" from Colorado Probably If
she became involved in a discussion
with the men they would Of their own
volition call her the lady" from Col
oradO.
Preparing to Press Bill.
At the next session of congress Sen.
ator Cummins Of Iowa VIII press Wig
orously bill lately introduced by him
self which he thinks will. If en-
acted into law, remove the difficulties
in the way Of the supreme court re-
garding the commodities clause I'm the
railroad rate law. The Hawkeye
statesman has from all accounts been
giving the subject much thought, and
even II he does not succeed in getting
the bin through it Is certain that be
viii discuss thoroughly the questions
involved