The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-01-11
GOSSIP OF CONGRESS
THE FATE OF RIVER AND HARsoR
It New Looks Lfke The Measure nieht Be "Talkea To Deathr At
 The Very Last Mo-

Washtngton, Jan. lo.--tSpeciait--ih giving out the statement that the short sesison is not the time for the passage of a river and harbor bill. because of the fear that at the last moment, the measure might be talked to death, Senator Frye, of Maine. prob- ably remembers wildly the time when Senator Tom Carter. of Montana. per- formed that extraordinary feat.
 Carter comes from State in which the improvement of the waterways has no interest for his constituents, and he was the very man to under take a job like that. The Missouri is the only river of the navigable sort that runs up through his country. and years ago the government ceased to expend any money on that stream that would benefit navigation on the upper stretches. Of late years, com paratively little has been done for "old Muddy" as the Missouri is often called, from Omaha down to its mouth where 1t empties into the Mississippi about twenty miles north of St. Louis. A quarter Of century ago many stern wheel steamers used to ply be- tween St. Louis and Fort Benton, Mon- tana, the head of navigation ,on the Missouri. They would go out of St. Louis loaded down to the waters
 
 and were owned sas rule by various firms operating a half dozen or more stores in Montana and other States In that portion of the country. Grad ually all the railroads began to ex- tend, and 1t was not long before all of these steamers disappeared. and there Is today practically no boat traffic on the Missouri and compar- atively little on the Mississippi.
 Senator Carter, when moved to talk out the river and harbor bill was mad because certain pet bills of his own could not get through the Senate. He is a man of strong voice. fine health and staying qualities. He just plant ed himself for speech that might have required several days to deliver, and that caused the majority in the Senate to give up all idea of passing the river and harbor biil.
 It would not be strange if some of the older senators were to try to get even with Mr. Carter this session. The Montana man Is deeply interested in getting through the postal savings bank bill. He has been pushing 1t every time an opportunity presents itself, but there are many senators. and particularly some from the East ern States, who are doing all in their power to give the measure quiet stabs, If this proposition could be put to . square vote in the Senate, 1t would doubtless pass by comfortable ma jority. but the opponents of the Dill are scheming to have the discussion run along until the end of the ses- sion and then they would be in s position to talk 1t to death and pay Carter back for what he did when he prevented some years ago the passage of the river and harbor bill.
 If no river and harbor bill Is forth coming this session. there is not apt to be one during the extra session which will be called to meet about the middle of March by President Taft. The Cannon -Aldrich combination seem determined that little or nothing shall be done during the spring and early summer outside of the revision of the tariff. They will have all they can do to bring about the sort of revision that will be pleasing to the high pro- tective wing of the Republican party. Old Uncle Joe'' is snorting already because business is not moving faat enough in the House to suit him. The tilts with President Roosevelt and the prospects of further %iiscussIons is likely to impede progress of appro- priation bills. may possibly take up so much time that some of the regular appropriation bills may possibly be lost between now and March {. and that would necessitate the passage Of these measures during the extra sas- sion. Such things have happened be- fore. The Speakers policy is to ap- point for the extra session, only four of the House commfrtees--Ways and Means. Mileage. Rules and Accounts. He does not wish to appoint the Ap- propriations Committee until the reg ular session next December.
 A small percentage of the people of our big country have any idea of the proportions of the potato crop in Great Britain. The Bureau of MRnu- factures has made public report on the subject from United States Consul Walter c. Hamm, at Hull, who states that 1908 will be known as "the po- tato crop year" in the annals of Great Britain, his particulars being as fol- lows:
 "rhe English, Scotch and Welsh po- tato farmers agree that the harvest this season has established Q record. The yield is stated to be almost ex- actly 100000 tons in esreat Britain. or about seven tons per acre. This Is nearly 100000 tons greater than the crop of 1907, and about 250.000 tons above the next highest crop, which was produced In 1897. The pro- duction is so large in fact, that farm CTS find them a burden. and in some cases hardly worth while to carry to market. An outlet abroad is being greatly sought for the surplus of this great crop, and some cargoes are be- ing sent to the United States Such are invoked at sixty to seventy shil- lings or $l4.eO to S17 per ton. To this must be added the freight of eleven shillings, or 92.6s per ton from Hull to New York, and the duty of twenty-five cents per bushel of sixty pounds. The cost of a ton of pota- toes shipped from Hull to New York ing as the average price sixty-five shillings, or $16.SO per ton.
 Per ton. F. 0. b. at Hull. .. .. .. ..S15. .91 Ocean feright.. e. .. .. e. :. 2 26S Duty 37 1-2 bushels to the ton. .. s.S3
 Thus the cost of laying down a a bushel of potatoes in New York would be about "A 1-2 cents. This is prob ably higher price than most Ameri- can farmers are getting.
 The counties of Yorkshire and Lam cashire, both of them in this consular district, are the eastside potato fields of England. Thousands of acres are planted with potatoes there every year and in good season heavy crops are grown. While the land is of an arable nature, perhaps the scientific cultivation and the careful selection of seed does as much as anything to increase the yield. The total crop of potatoes in the United Kingdom aver ages in value about &100, ,0OO, ,000 an-