Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1909-05-13
WASHINGTON LETTER.
tFRoM OUR REGULAR CORRESPONDENT

| (FROM OUR REGULAR CORRESPONDENCE J
WASHINGTON, d. c., MAY STH.
There is no doubt that a prompt
effort will be made to strengthen the
commodities clause of the railroad
rate law. On Thursday of this week
bill was introduced by Representa-
tive Irving p. Wangcr, of Pennsylva-
MIA, to correct those defects in the
law made clear by the recent decision
of the Supreme Court. Mr.. Wanger
is the ranking member of the Inter
state Commerce Committee of the
House, uhd is prominently mention
ed as the successor of Representative
Hepburn as chairman of the commit
tee. He aided materially in framing
the rate law. His bin provides sp:-
officially that railroads Shall be pro-
hibitcd from owning stock or sccurl-
ties or interest in any other business
enterprise and from transporting amy
commodities, the property OF such
company. which are not intended for
their own use. Mr.. Wangcr has little
hope of action on his resolution at
! the present session, but it is believed
that President Taft next message to
Congress will be 50 direct on this
point that his bill, or similar one,
will be taken up Immediately.
Representative Murphy of Missouri
will draw up, and present to Congress
before the close of the present session,
formal charges ,f impeachment
against Judges Mcpherson and Phil
ips of the Western Circuit of Missouri.
He announced this intention on
Thursday after making a speech on
the floor Of the House in answer to a
dispatch sent to the Attorney General
by Frank Hagerman, attorney for a
number of railroads, accusing Mr..
Murphy of misrcprcsenting the Judges
and the roads. This dispatch was
the outcome of resolution introduce
ed in the House several days ago by
Mr.. Murphy in which he accused the
Judges of illegal conduct in relation
to the 2-ccnt passenger law and the
maximum freight law recently passed
by the Missouri legislature. The
Murphy resolution has been referred
to the Judiciary Committee and any
charges of impeachment will go to
that committee, which will not be
appointed however, until the next
session of Congress.
The sixteen battleships of the At
lantic fleet will leave the navy yards
on June - radically changed in out
ward appearance and will be in con-
dition for action which has not here
tofore prevailed in time of peace and
when there was no prospect OF war.
These important changes are mainly
the result Of experience gained during
the circumnavigating cruise of the
feet, which Secretary Meyer says
cost the government 81 800, 900 above
what would have been the cost of
maintenance and operation had the
ships remained in home waters. Ma
val stratcgists look upon this extra
expense as premium paid for the
benefit of increased naval efficiency
and as representing an investment
most useful in improving the hitting
power of the naval arm.
The most conspicuous change which
the civilian observer will recognize is
in the color of the vessels. The hull,
small boats, and indeed, all of the
exposed portions will be of a shade
described as dull gray, without the
lstre to reflect the sun or otherwise
add to the conspicuousness of the
ship. 1t is the color decided upon
by the experts as least Likely to at
tention and as possessing the great
est degree of invisibility. In carry
ing out this idea all of the brass fit
tings, even to the door knobs, have
been removed and the bow ornaments
and gilt letters of the ships names
have been abandoned.
Another feature which has been
tried out successfully on the warships
is the method of carrying ammuni-
ton. Some of this will be stored in
the turret, where it will be convent
emily at hand and where it is consid-
cred quite as safe to those who handle
it as if it was store in the shell rooms
below the turret. The problem of
taking care of powder has engaged
expert attention, and there is now
being adopted system of cooling the
magazines so that there can be main