Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1909-06-17
NEWS FROM WASHINGTON

lne most important happenings
IN the national capital Monday were
as follows:
Whlskey, in the legal r~oaning Of
the word, is whiskey eve. hen col
ored, or flavoring matter is added, ac-
cordlng to an opinion rendered to
President Taft by Lloyd NJ. Bowers,
solicitor general Of the United States.
He holds that as such coloring and
fiavoring have been used in all the
history Of whiskey, such addition can
not be illegal Or incompatible with
the name whiskey.
The Porto Rican bill, unamended,
was passed by the House. It provides
that when the Porto Rican Legisla-
ture fails to pass an Appropriation bill
the same appropriations shall hold as
provided in the last bill passed.
In connection with the discussion
Tuesday in the Senate Of the wooden
schedule Of the tariff bill, Senator
Carter, of Montana, with large box
Of various grades Of wool by his side,
gave lecture On the woolen indus .ry
from beginning to end. Many Sena-
tors flocked about him to examine the
samples. Most Of the day was occu-
pied by Senator Dolliver, who propos-
ed, among other things, an amend
ment to assess duties on woolens on
an ad valorem basis according to the
shrinkage Of the WOOL, Senator
Smoot and Warren upheld the
finance committees recommendations
on the schedule.
- a proposed amendment to the III
.terstate commerce law to give Ship
pers the same righteof appeal to the
courts now enjoyed by the railroads,
was presented to President Taft by
delegation Of citizens from Spokane,
Wash.
The tariff bill reached an eventful
stage in the Senate Saturday. A num-
ber Of items in the free list
were disposed of. Works of
art over twenty years old were
placed on the fre list by a vote of
50 to Is. The starch industry re-
celved protection by revisal Of the
committees recommendations bv
which tapiloca and sago flour will be
subject to duty Of one cent a pound
when not imported for food. Crude
potash, potash carbonated, caustic
potash and radium were placed on
the free list.
The latest innovation in the United
States navy was the decision to equip
the battleships Florida, Utah, Dele
ware and North Dekota with auto
matte electric elevators for the use
Of officers.
Beyond the statement that the De-
partment of Justice has assigned two
agents to duty in New York under in
structlons to examine into the condi-
tlons under which the recent compro-
mise was affected by the American
Sugar Refining Company and the
Pennsylvania Sugar Refining Com
pany, no official information can be
obtained here regarding the purpose
Of the administration. It is, of course,
understood that the special agents
are looking into the allegations that
the compromise disclosed conditions
IN the original settlement between the
two corporations involving a viola
tion Of the Sherman antitrust law.
A local paper prints what purports
to be an interview with ex-Attorney
General Bonaparte, which in effect,
amounts to declaration that during
his administration the Department
Of Justice was without the evidence
necessary for successful prosecu-
tlon. But officials Of the Department
Of Justice, when pressed for a state
ment of its intentions, declared that
the proceedings in their present stage
must be regarded as confidential.
In the Senate where the woolen
schedule of the tariff bill was under
discussion Friday, Senator LaFol-
lette declared that Senator Aldrich
had forfeited the confidence of other
Republican Senators and had stated
half truths, which have discreditad
his leadership before this body and
before this country When the
chair called Mr.. LaFollette to order
because of his personal allusion, the
latter said he had not noticed that
the rule forbidding personal illusions
had been applied equally to all Sena-
tors. Twenty-four amendments to
the wool schedule offered by Mr.. La
Toilette and voted on en- block were
voted down, as also several amend