Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1910-02-03

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Two of the strong men of President
Taft's Cabinet are Hon. George Won
Lengerke Meyer, Secretary of the
Navy, and Hon. James Wilson, the
bluff old Scotchman, who has served
as head OF the Agricultural Depart
ment since March, 1897. Secretary
Meyer has been active in political life
since 1889, when he became a member
Of the city government of Boston. He
has been in succession a member Of
the Massachusetts, Legislature, national
committeeman from his State, ambas-
sador to Italy and then to Russia and
Postmaster General of the United
States. He is only 81 years old and by
environment, education and birth is
well equipped for positions of author
ity. He is a graduate of Harvard
Secretary Wilson enjoys reputation
as Secretary of Agriculture that is
worldwide He is at the head of the
greatest department of the govern
ment. A native of Scotland, he came
to the United States in 1885, later set
Ting in Iowa and becoming a farmer.
He has been a member of the State
Legislature, served two terms III Con
gress, was for several years regent of
the State University and for six years
before becoming head of the Depart
ment of Agriculture was professor of
agriculture at the Iowa Agricultural
College at Ames.
The conference for uniform legisla-
ton called by the National Civic Fed
Grafton was begun in the Arlington
Hotel with several hundred delegates
in attendance. Seth Low opened the
conference and introduced President
Taft as the first speaker. He urged
simplifying of court procedure along
English lines Uniformity of state ac-
ton would do much to aid the conser-
walton movement. Senator Root adj
yocated the creation of new body,
to be known as an interstate confer
ence or congress, to supplement the
work of the regular state legislatures
and the National Congress, the same
to meet annually and make recon-
mendations A committee was ap-
pointed to confer with the Governors
Conference, then in session at Wash
ington, to urge action on certain uni
form laws proposed.
Willis L. Moore, chief of the Weather
Bureau, was quoted as saying that the
greater number of atmospheric storms
from the West or Northwest in North
America, as compared with Europe
and Asia, probably has much to do
with the peculiar activity and aggres-
sfveness of the American type. He
says it is we'll known that easterly
winds either hug closely to the earth
or have an upward component of mo-
tiOn and, therefore, gather the humid
ity, dust, disease and other bacteria
tending to make them foul. The west
winds come from above with a down
ward component of motion from a
region where the air is dry and pure
and filled with electricity or ozone.
1t stimulates man and all other ami
NAL life.
The National Antf-Food Trust
League has been duly organized at
Washington to combat the wave of
high prices for foods DR.. Emil L.
Scharf was elected president. 1t is
planned to have a director in every
State. The membership fee is % cents
and a special effort will be made to in
terest the women, and already various
labor organizations have begun local
food strikes on the plan urged by the
league. In Ohio the legislative inves-
tigation of high prices is under way
and one laWmaker even proposed a res
olution asking the entire population of
the State to stop eating meat for two
months.
Secretary of Agriculture Wilson in
his testimony before the Congressional
rise in the price of foodstuffs in the
District Of Columbia declared that
American farm products are sold
cheaper abroad than they are in this
country. He intimated that the trusts
were to blame, but declined to go into
any lengthy explanation because the
investigation which he is conducting
has not yet been completed. He also
blamed exorbitant cost of living to
this, together with the profits demand
ed by the retail dealers. He prescribed
as one remedy for the evil a return
to the farm.
President Taft has given his first
dinner of the season for the diplomat
ic corps. Practically all of diplomatic
Washington was in attendance. Rep
resentative Longworth and Mrs. Long
worth were among the guests.
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President Taft has sent to the senate
the nominations of members of the
new court of customs appeals author
lied under the Payne tariff law.
Secretary of State Knox is quoted as
defining his foreign policy as being the
protection of every American citizen in
whatever portion of the globe he may
be. Said Knox: The same protection
to American citizens as Great Britain
extends to her subjects. do not pro-
pose to have it said during my admin
istration of the State Department that
an American traveller abroad has had
to seek protection under the British or
German flag
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Unprecedented presentation of ma
tional bank notes for redemption
through the 5 per cent fund in the last
eighteen months has resulted in a de
fciency estimate submitted to Con
gross for S14,S36 for printing 2.7OO.00O
sheets of distinctive paDnr for national