The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1909-03-04
IN WASHINGTON
All Ready for inauguration of TAFT
Congress Rushing Work at Last of
Standardization Roosevelt Win
ming Final Fights Our Weekly Let
ter.
Washington, ID. c.

March 1, 1903.
The 4th of March,
Day,-the farewell to Roosevelt and
the welcome to Taft these are the
interests which are overshadowing all
Else In the Capitol City now. The
grand vista of Pennsylvania Avenue
is already a mass of color with the
flags and decorations for Thursday.
Mr.. Taft is back in town waiting for
he day, and President Roosevelt is
working farewell Cabinet meetings,
'arewell messages, and farewell sem
sations for every ounce of sentiment
possible. The big Taft automobiles
have already become a feature of
he Washington streets. They are
huge affairs, luxuriously finished, six
cylinder, As horse power, and emblaz-
oned with the crest of the United
States of America. The writer yes
terday saw Mr.. Taft narrowly escape
running down a couple Of well dress
ed young ladies in one of them. The
girls were fluttered and almost pleas
ed at the adventure, and Mr. Taft
from the back seat of the big tonneau
ave them one of the famous Taft
,miles%
Aside from the coming change Of
administration the chief feature re-
Gently has been the rapid and appar-
emily reckless passage of the great
appropriation bills by Congress in
he last days of it's session. When
one billion dollars is spent without
heed by Congress in one Of its
short sessions" there being no
River and Harbor Bill and no Public
Buildings Bill, and the deficit during
the past seven months has already
passed hundred million, and will
reach two hundred before summer,
1t would appear that country which
is undergoing hard times" might
we'll call halt on its legislators.
The present Congress has spent
about two and a quarter billions in
both sessions. Unless there is
change three billions will be spent
within the next two years. At the
same time the revenues are falling
off steadily. It is proposed to tax
coffee, beer, bank checks, and bust
ness interpretations. 1t is also pro-
posed to issue bonds and shut our
extravangance off onto our children
of the coming generation. Undoubt-
edly we will have to begin going into
debt for the Panama Canal, instead of
paving for it as we make 1t, which
we have done up to this time.
SAVES IN WRONG PLACE.
The exasperating thing is that in
cases where Congress does try TO
save it seems always to select the
wrong thing. II cannot raise the
Presidents slary $4,000, and yet is
giving $137 100000 for battleships A
single gun on one battleship II
fired 20 times, wastes as much money
as would provide for the increase in
the Presidents salary. Another strik-
ing instance is that of the various
commissions appointed by the Presi-
dent which have done so much good
for the country during the past few
years,-The National Conservation
Commission, The Chemist Commits
sion, The Fine Arts Council, and the
like. 100000 would easily cover the
expenses of continuing these bodies,
but Chairman Tawney of the Appro-
priations Committee fought like a
desperate man to prevent the grant
ing of it yesterday Yet the creek
which bears the name of Delaware
River" is going to be dredged to a
depth of thirty feet to allow ocean
vessels to go farther up it, at
cost of millions of dollars, simply be-
cause ]. Hampton Moore, the Rep
resentative who wants this done,
happens to have wormed his way into
Uncle Joe's good graces. The famous
(continuedon Fourth Pagel