The Penn's Grove record., 1910-05-06

is continually startling the world
with the results of his scientific and
economic discoveries, rats have be.
come a common article OF
Eating food in the markets of the
Rats. East and Middle West. 1t is
not the ordinary variety OF
rodent to which the Secretary refers,
but the muskrat, the meat of which
he declares has become a staple artf.
Gle of human food. Nor does Secre-
tary Wilson ~deprecate this custom
On the contrary, he apparently re.
CARDS the consumption of muskrats
as food as a highly desirable method
of checking the rapacity of the Beet
Trust, for he announces that he is
preparing to issue a bulletin furnish
ing information on the best methods
of increasing the supply. Members of
the committee on the cost of living
vehemently assert that the recent
consumption as food of two mission
aries in the South Sea Islands had nc
relation to the tariff or the high price
of beef, but they will probably find it
more difficult to convince the public
that the consumption of muskrats as
food is not due to these causes. Hence
they have declined to attempt the flu
tile argument and have determined to
assist Secretary Wilson in the dissem-
nation of his conclusions as to the
cost Of living.
X X X
After a long debate the Senate
passed the House bill providing for
the establishment of a Bureau of
Mines in the Interior Department.
The purpose of the bill
For Bureau is to provide such scien-
of Mines. tific inquiries and inves-
LEGATIONS as will aid in
making mining less wasteful of life
and resources. One of the principal
duties of the new bureau will be to
discover the various causes of each
type of mine accidents and the best
preventive measures, to aid in the de-
velopment of a uniform code of sig
nails for use in mine operations, etc.
The bureau will also collect data con-
corning the best practices for safe and
efficient mining followed in other
countries. A number of amendments
were adopted. Senator Root took a
prominent part in. the debate. He
said he realized he was in a hopeless
minority in opposing the bill, with
the beneficent purposes of which he
was heartily in accord. He desired,
however, to register a protest against
this effort toward the usurpation by
the National Government of func-
tions and prerogatives which belong
to the States. Realizing that the bill
would pass, Mr.. Root made various
suggestions to perfect its phraseo-
logy, and did not ask for a roll call
on it's passage.
Representative Nicholas Long
worth is relating to his colleagues in
the House a pathetic tale which he
calls "the sorrows of a son-in-law."
Mr.. Longworth declares
Sorrows of a that ever since the an.
Son-in-Law. nouncement of his en-
gagement to the daugh-
ter of President Roosevelt his every
utterance has promptly been assumed
to have been inspired by Mr.. Roose-
welt. When the colonel went to
Africa, however, Mr.. Longworth
AYERS, he expected to get credit for at
least a little originality, but he ad-
mits his hope was baseless. He has
Just received a letter which reads, in
part: Whenever you get off any
thing worth saying, which is mighty
seldom, we all know it is inspired by
your distinguished fa~ther-in-law, and
most of your constituents congratu-
late you on the colonel's early return.
When he lands ON American soil you
may expect us to read your speeches,
but in the meantime you might as
well save yourself the trouble of mail
ing them" Mr.. Longworth submits
that the public life of the son-in-law
of a great man is hardly worth the
living.
1t is not necessary to say that Col
onel Roosevelt does not sympathize
with the Taft-Ballinger attitude tow.
ard the policy of conservation. He nat
urally believes that the
Roosevelt and orders he issued with
Conservation. drawing from settle
ment considerable
areas of the public domain were legal
and require no ratification by Con-
gress, and that further Withdrawals
may be made by the Executive with
out specific statutory authority. The
policy of awaiting legislative author
ity he regards as inimical to the broad
policy of conservation, especially az
Congress is loath to convey the need
ed authority to the Executive. On
the other hand, MI. Roosevelt is quite
broad enough to give to those who
hold views opposed to his own credit
for their entire sincerity. He has long
understood the extreme legal views
which Mr.. Taft entertained, even as a
member of the Roosevelt Cabinet. He
appreciates that Judge Ballinger is il
entire harmony with the views of his
chief in the course he is pursuing
And, moreover, it will not be a sur
prise to Colonel Roosevelt if he be.
comes satisfied that Mr.. Pinchot, in
the excess of his zeal, misunderstood
the Secretary of the Interior and was
easily misled by the charges of CLAWS
This Interpretation of the attitude OF
the former President comes from a
source which cannot be questioned
and is based on recent private COM
m~unications.