The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1909-01-21
Washington. d. G.

Congress has spent so much time
scolding the President that 1t Is late
i'm passing even the regular and ne
cessary appropriation bills providing
money to run the government. This
mast week ii has worked pretty stead
ily at that business. and accomplished
some results. On Saturday the Naval
Affairs Committee brought in a report
fayoring two monster battleships, and
an enlarged appropriation for the
Navy. II this sl35. 100000 bill does
not go through 1t will carry rider"
aimed at Roosevelt and ordering that
the so-called Marine Corps shall serve
on board ships instead Of on land, as
Roosevelt ordered last fall. This ac-
ton OF Congress is useless because
the President is Commander in Chief
of the Navy, and moreover because
he never ordered that the Marines
should not serve on ships when they
are needed there.
The size Of the bill means that Am
erica will probably jump in first rank
among the worlds naval powers. An
other thing that will help the Navy
is the change of system in running
1t. At present there are seven Sc
parate Bureaus, utterely independent
OF one another and very Jealous Of one
another. They often work at cross
purposes. Mr.. Newberry. now Secre-
tary of the Navy, wanted to have the
chiefs of these Bureaus meet together
every week in a general council with
several other officials, so as ito lay
plans to work together. But Roose-
welt has decided that the Bureau
cacy" could have too much "say-so"
under this plan, and he is arranging
to have a general council which will
not take in these self-important chiefs
but will advise the Secretary indepen-
IDENTIFY on how the Department ought
to be operated to get the best re-
suits. The members of this new Com
mission number such great men as
Admiral Dewey, Captain Mahan and
former Secretary Paul Morton. They
are meeting frequently and deciding
on the best form which their organic
alton shall take
N-Orr AfIrCII M DApE pnADn
Another bill which Congress is now
ready to pass Is that dealing with
River and Harbor Improvements. The
members wanted to spend $SO.00O,0 600
for such uses, and a majority OF the
Committee voted to report such bill.
Fortunately Chairman Burton believed
that such expenditure in the face
of our present poverty and hard times
would be bad policy, and he rose up
in the Committee room and told his
Committee that in spite Of their vote
he would not report any such wasteful
bill, and would not prepare it. The
members Immediately and shame
facedly "knuckled under" for none of
them has the ability to prepare a
bill, and they could not pass it thru
the House against Buttons opposi-
tion, anyhow. So there will be a
100000 bill to carry on the work
now in progress under what is known
as the continuing contract system.
AFRAID OF ROOSEVELT.
There is a rumor that Congress will
not pass any Sundry Civil Appropria-
ton Bill, because they are afraid that
Roosevelt will veto it for not contain
ing any appropriation for Secret Ser
vice. But Roosevelt is not that sort
of man to do such an act, for the
country needs the passage Of the bill
so that government business may
proceed. The rumor doubtless grows
out Of the unearthly slowness of Con-
gress in taking up the bill. The Legis-
lative, Executive and Judicial Bill,
carrying increased salaries for the
President, Vice-President, and Speaker
of the House, is acceptable to the
House because both the Speaker and
Vice President elect Sherman are
taken care of in it. But 1t is being
held up in the Senate, where Demo-
cratic "filibustering" under Borah of
Idaho promises to delay it indefinite
ly.
BOTHERED OVER MONEY.
Money matters are bothering the
Legislators a good deal. Senator Hop
kins. who is understood to speak for
Roosevelt, has Just introduced a bill
to extend the permissible bond issue
for the Panama Canal from s133, 000,.
900 to $500. 1000. OOO Thus it is admit
ed that the Canal will cost close to
the latter amount of money. Not all
the bonds will be issued at once but
they would be put out whenever re-
quired. Such an authorization would