The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1910-02-25
PROBES BY s0[ONS
FLOOD OF INQUIRIES ARE NOV ON
IN WASHINGTON.
One of These Is to Try to Find Out
Why People Have to Pay So Much
Il for Food and Clothing; the Pinch
ot-Ballinger Affair; the Monetary
Systems; Charge Of Democrats.

7 Systems; Charge Of Democrats.
Washington, Feb. 23-Thc story OF
the plans for the coming congressional
campaign would not be complete with
out giving prominence in the recital to
the. intention of the democrats to
charge that the republican party has
SO utterly mismanaged things that it
has been forved by the people to the
humiliation of investigating itself.
Legislation is tagging in Washington
and it goes no way beyond the mark
to say that there apparently more
congressional interest in the investiga
tons than there is in legislation.
| 1t is rather cruel of the democrats
to charge that all the inquiries author
lied by a congress dominated by re-
lpublicans are directed into affairs which
have a shady side and for which the
party is responsible.
| True it is that enacted legislation
! and some appointments made by q re-
publican president are primarily re-
sponsible for the probing activities OF
half dozen or so commissions and
committees, but not all the things sub,
ject to the probe are creations of the
work of the majority in congress.
Seven Subjects of Investigation.
! Here are seven subjects to which
congressional committees or commits
sions are giving present attention:
An inquiry to determine to
what countries. if any, the maxi
mum rates of the Payne -Aldrich
| tariff law shall be applied.
An inquiry to find out why the
/ plain American citizen has to pay
out so much money in order to get
| food to eat and clothes to wear.
| An inquiry into the official con-
| duet of Richard Achilles Ballnger.
secretary of the interior. and Gift
ford Pmchot, former government
| forester.
An investigation of the business
methods of the different depart
.ments of the government in order
L. to discover, if possible, why it
. costs such great sums to conduct
the federal business.
| An inquiry into the monetary
systems of the world for the pur-
pose of determining the best kind
of legislation to make stable the
governments finances and to deter
mine whether a central bank is a
necessity to the end in view.
An investigation of the general
subject of immigration.
An inquiry to determine the best
methods for the Improvement of
| the water ways of the country.
| An examination of the subjects which
are occupying the attention of inves
tigating committees will disclose thu
fact that the democrats are not alto
sether justified in their declaration
that the dominant party has been act
ling so badly that it has been forced
to sit in Judgment on itself.
Three Counts to Be Defended.
1t will be necessary, however, for th'
republicans to adduce proof that vii
secure from the country verdict o.
nos guilty upon at least three indict
ments which the democratic minority
has brought.
The outcome Of the cost of living in
vestigation is subject of concern tt
the republican leaders. They seem tt
be impressed with the thought that il
Twill do no good, even if circumstance:
Justify it, to declare that the tariff i:
void of oifense in this particular mat
ter.
The Ballingcr- pinchot investigation
lis another thing to disquiet the lead
Iers. They have had evidence enough
that the entire country is inclined t.
4 take the Pinchot side in the matter
and to hold that in appointing Rich
lard A. Ballinger to office as secretar,
of the interior President Taft made ;
mistake.
] Early Report on Living Cost.
i While the committee which is tryin:
TO get an insight into the interior de
q
ably will not have its report ready un
It'll after the congressional election
there is an evident purpose of the re
publican leaders to make return t.
the country on the cost-of-liv>lg in
!quiry before the campaign is well ad
vanced. They feel that there IS
sharp political necessity for this course
The democrats will find it hard t
make any capital out of the immigra
ton inquiry. 1t is true that the com
!. mission which took this matter i
hand has spent nearly 100000, and i
wants $l50000 more with which t.
finish its work, but the results oh
tanned, fair minded men say, justif.
the expenditure.
/ Representative Macon of Arkansa
tried hard to make political capital TO
his party out of the size of the sun
spent by the committee, but he failed
There is prevailing belief in Wash
ineton that the democratic leader