Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1909-02-25
KANSAS HAS NEW IDEA
State Desires to Kill of tho Italian
Monopoly by Securing a Duty Of 1la
Cents Per Pound - Persistent Press
Agent Cots Busy and Causes Ways
and Means Committee to Take No
tice.
Especial Correspondent

Washington, Feb. 25.--It's rather 8
seldom occasion when Kansas can't
turn up with a new idea. Now it has
one in promoting legislation.
Some weeks ago Representative An
| thony, of that state, received long
| letter from a constituent of prominence
| in his district. The constituent called
| attention to the great deposits of vol
canic ash in parts of the state. Vol.
canic ash is puinice stone He said
Italy supplies worlds pumice stone, be-
cause cheaper labor there makes its
production possible cheaper than in
the United States. Butts it's q good,
promising industry, according to this
Kansas man. All it needs is duty of
H. cents per pound
Put this duty on wrote the Kan
sas man, and my township will sup
ply the world"
Mr.. Anthony didn't get excited, and
next day he received another letter
from the man.
There are about 100000, 900 people
in the world, with an average of 80
teeth each. Every one of them needs
pumice stone few times year to
clean his teeth" wrote the man. Kan
sas has it. Give us a. duty of l y cents.
and we will produce it"
Mr.. Anthony was interested. Next
day came another letter:
1T is a fine winter day. and the
Kansas supply of pmnice stone is still
it's greatest undeveloped resource.
Have you figured on the number of
teeth unpublished because of the Italian
monopoly of the pumice industry? All
we need is that ~ cent tariff"
Mr.. Anthony was amused. Next day
came a postal card:
If all those 1000, 100000 people I
wrote you about the other day We're
mastodons, and all their teeth Is
inches long Kansas could furnish the
pumice stone to keep EN- polished. All
we want is the tariff of Il cents per
pound"
Mr. Anthony called on a member of
the ways and means committee that
day. and talked to him about 1t. Next
day, another postal:
IAN old-time Kansas blizzard Is rag
ing but we are as hot after the pun-
ice stone tariff of u cents per pound
as ever How about it2'
Mr. Anthony saw two more members
of ways and means that day. and Ia
bored earnestly with them for the
schedule. Next day his persistent cor
respondent wrote:
"Snowdrifts deep, and almost pre-
vented me mailing my reminder that
Kansas needs only duty of j Y cents
per pound on pumice stone to enable
it to lead the world in this industry as
it does in all other great material re-
sources"
Mr.. Anthony looked UP the pumice
stone statistics that day, and saw four
members of ways and means. He was
dazed Next day the postal card came:
Have just bought So worth OF cards
for YOU. Not at all discouraged. One
a day will do it. All we want Is 1ls
cents per pound duty on pumice stone
to enable Kansas to clean the world
teeth twice a day
Mr.. Anthony decided Ito undertake
desperate measures. He notified the
ways and means committee members
that unless they performed, he would
turn his correspondent loose on them
The committee is now In "a condition
of coma as to pumice stone, with
chances good for the Kansas man to
win his fight.