The Florida star. (Titusville, Fla.) 1880-1917, 1909-01-29
BY CHARLES w. ARTHUR.

80 'oN"S EeeteeeSS v" NSes
Topics
BY CHARLES w. ARTHUR.
Washington, Jan. Is. - [Special.l -
The census bill as amended by the |
senate gives the director Of the census |
the right, should he decide to exercise |
IT. to have about 100000 worth Of |
printing done outside Of the govern
ment printing Office. No sooner had |
this news gone out than there was
mighty hustllng around Washington to
prevent the acceptance by the house
OF the provision. Uncle Sans big
printshop is dominated by certain in
terests here, and IL Director North is
empowered to 60 outside for this large
amount Of work It will mean the loss
OF work to hundreds of men and wo-
men who WIN be added TO the force
when the census bureau publication
commences In earnest. A great many
senators and representatives have their
speeches for distribution printed by
private concerns for the reason that
they can save money. The govern
ment printing Office on account Of
short hours and regulations which la
Dor organizations have been able to
dictate Is an expensive affair.
oImsted Makes y Computation.
Here's how Representative olmsted Of
Pennsylvania answers Republican in
surgents In the house who are clamor
ig for a change in the rules to enable
members TO call up more bills: ''In the
present congress at the close Of bust
ness on Jan. there had already been
offered In the house 26,127 and in the
senate 1854 bills and resolutions, to-
tai Of 34,T21. And the end Is not yet.
We have upon this floor 391 members
and enough delegates to make In round
numbers 400. Knock or few thou
sand bills and for convenience call 1t
$1,000. II we allow an average Of one
0inute for each of the 400 members to
debate each OF the 10000 bills that
would allow for debate alone 1900
600 minutes, or 100000 hours, equal to
10000 days OF ten hours each. Allow
800 working days to the year, and we
have sixty-six and two-thirds years as
the requisite time for debate on pend
ing business. The reading Of the bills,
roll calls, etc, would carry US beyond
threescore and ten, the allotted life OF
man. But the life Of a congress is
only two years."
A Versatile SpesehmaI<er.
Mention has often been made in this
correspondence Of the number Of times
Representative John Wesley Gaines of
Tennessee figures In the house discus
sions. Recently he declared that he
had been a kicker for twelve years
against the rules and he would con-
tinue TO kick II he stayed In congress
until he was IA years OF age against
rules that suppress free speech. Mr..
f., Olmsted created much merriment In
showing how much talking the Ten
nessean really has done as follows:
"This Is the most unkindest cut Of
ALL coming as IL does from a gentle
man who I'm the first session Of the
present congress delivered no less
than 200 speeches, covering the widest
possible range of subjects, from the
Kongo Free State to the postal service
on Mount Eagle. Tenn; from clean
money to campaign contributions, from
fish culture to ship subsidy, from wood
pulp TO the Ladies' Hermitage associa-
ton. from tariff revision TO the pre-
ventiOn OF tuberculosis, from fierce and
warlike denunciation Of the tobacco
tr,et IN the tpnder memories which
cluster about the mistletoe bough, in
whose defense against the Onslaughts
OF the gentleman from Texas (Mr.
Burleson) he even quoted poetry. My
DISTINGUISHED and handsome friend not
only made 200 speeches himself. but
he assisted nearly every other men,
Der I'm making his"
No Hope For Ship Subsidy.
ship subsidy is considered about as
dead for this session as a salt mack
erel. Hardly any talk Of the matter is
heard In congressional circles, even
though those who from the outside
have been behind the movement have
tried TO keep alive the interest. Sen
timent in the west> and south differs
from that expressed by members from
the coast states, and that is where the
trouble comes in for those who insist
government should give aid.
Adjustment Of Philippine Tariff.
At a recent speech down in Georgia
when he attended the banquet at
which asDosaum and taters" were sery-