The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1909-12-23
MAY CHANGE DATE
Congress May Decide to
Change Date of Meeting
to January.
LITTLE DONE In DECEMBER

May Also Change Date of Inaugural
ton to April or Maya Full Su-
preme Court Bench After Christ
mas-The Cook and Peary Contro-
versy-The subjugadon of the Air
BY the Wright Brothers-The Bal
Hnger-Pinchot Controversy.
Especial to The Caucasion.)
Washington, D. c., Dec. %, 1909.
During the last few days nearly all
the Congressman and Senators who
are not too far from home have left
the city for the holidays.
Practically nothing has been ac-
complished by Congress so far; in
deed, this is usually the case for the
month of December. 1t was almost
a necessary result this year, on ac-
count of the Presidents message
falling to cover several Of the most
important points of mooted legisla-
tiOn
During the month there has been
much discussion as to the desirability
Of changing the date for the assem-
bling OF Congress to either the first
Of November or the first of January,
on the ground that under present ar
rangement the month of December is
practically wasted. Were it not for
the fact that every other year cleo
tions occur in the first week in No
vember, it seems that the consensus
of opinion would unquestionably be
in favor Of changing the date to the
first Of November.
There has also been renewal of
discussion of the question of chang
ing the date of inauguration, and it
seems that sooner or later the date
will be changed to some time in
April Or May.
A Full Supreme Court Bench.
The Supreme Court has adjourned
for the holidays, and it now seems
that the bench will be full when Ii
assemblies again in January, for the
first time since it convened last fall
Justice Peckham, of New York, died
before the convening of the court,
and Justice Moody has been in a san
itarium for the last few months suf-
fering with rheumatism. It is now
announced that Justice Moody will be
on the bench in the re-assembling of
the court after the holidays, and with
the confirmation Of the appointment
Of Judge Lurton to succeed Judge
Peckham, the bench will again be
full.
The Cook and Psary Controversy.
The chief subject of comment in
the Capitol to-day is the announce
ment of the decision of the consistory
Of the University of Copenhagen that
the records submitted by DR.. Cook
are not sufficient to justify them in
finding that he reached the North
Pole. This report has been received
with unusual glee by the Pearyites,
and, of course, with great disappoint-
ment by the Cookites. However,
there is a general expression of sat
isfaction on the part of those who
are not partisans of either that the
Pole has been discovered, and that it
was done by an American, whether it
was done by Cook or Peary, or both
Indeed, one OF the most remarkable
events ever recorded in history will
be the discovery of the North Pole.
The Subjugation of the Air.
Along with this great achievement
will rank. with probably no less, and
possibly more practical and useful
| achievements, the subjugation of the
air by the Wright Brothers. With
the many remarkable advancements
made in science and art during the
year, these two achievements accom-
plished by Americans will forever
overshado all others.
The Ballin2er-Pinchot Controversy.
The controversy which arises be-
tween the Department of Agriculture
and the Department of the Interior,
as to which Department through the
policies 1t Is pursuing was tending
most to conserve or not to conserve
the great natural resources of the
country, has not only stirred official
Washington, but has attracted the at
tention of the nation from ocean to
ocean.
1t goes without saying that one OF
the most notable actions of the
Roosevelt administration was the
movement put ON foot by President
Roosevelt to stop the extravagant
waste Of the country's natural re
sources, such as the ruthless and i'm.
provident cutting of timber and the
denuding Of the forests and the les
sening of the storage of water sup
ply for rivers, and also the prevent
ing of the monopolization of the
great water powers and coal deposit:
} by a few capitalists. It Is not stat
ing it too strongly to say that thu
| country was shocked at the revela
ton of the extent of the wastefu
and improvident actions which ha
) resulted in so greatly impairing tn,
J country's greatest capital, its natura
| resources.
| The sentiment of the country, how
J ever, has been somewhat divided a
, to whether the policies being pur
: sued by the Agricultural Depart
ment or by the Interior Department