The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1910-04-19
UWasbin0ton

"And the first man that sees a cu-
cumber vine or lettuce plant stick
ing its head up through the soil
quickly pulls calling card out Of his
pocket and fastens
Cucumber Claims 1t securely on the
StaEed in Alaska. spot. When a claim
has been staIed out
in this fashion everybody respects it,
and the fortunate man saves the head
of lettuce or the cucumber after it
gets ripe to eat at Christmas or on
his birthday The members of the
House Committee on Territories sat
up and took notice when this interest
ing statement was made to them in
the course Of hearing on the Alas
kan government bill by Henry M.
Hoyt, Attorney General for Puerto
Rico, who used to be District Attorney
at Nome, Alaska, He wandered off a
little from the subject and discussed
the agricultural possibilities Of the
Seward Peninsula, on which Nome is
located. Mr. Hoyt admitted that
Alaska would never become a great
agricultural community, but he said
lettuce and cucumbers would grow
around the steam exhaust pipes of
power Plants. He said that as green
vegetables were pretty scarce in that
section of the world, these tiny gar
den spots had become quite popular
and the products of the artificially
warmed and moistened soil were
sought after nearly as much as the
yellow nuggets.
4 X X
The Interstate Commerce Commits
sion ordered the lake and rail rates
on flour from Minneapolis, Mimi, to
New York City and the Atlantic sea-
i board reduced from 23
Interstate cents hundred pounds
Board Cuts to 81 " cents, beginning
Flour Rate. May 10. This decides
the famous case of the
Northwestern millers against the
80 rail and lake lines in favor of the
millers. The new schedule of rates is
ordered to be effective for two years
from the date it goes into effect. The
compliments were some 40 men, OPP
Grating more than 100 flour mills,
with daily capacity of 125, 900 bar
rels, in the States of Wisconsin, Min
nesota, North Dakota and South Da-
kota. The defendant carriers were
all the railroads and water lines
which carry flour from Minneapolis
and Duluth to the Atlantic seaboard
territory. The millers complained
that the rate of 23 cents was unrea-
sonable and was discrimination
against Minneapolis and the North
west in favor of the millers at Buffa-
10, as compared with the all-rail rate
east from Buffalo, as applied by the
same carriers to the same points OF
destination. In its decision, which
was written by Commissioner Clark,
the commission reviews the gradual
absorption of the great lakes trans
portation lines by the railroads and
compares the differences in rates on
-four and wheat.
When Representative Stafford made
an. earnest and successful fight for the
passage of bill granting free trans
mission through the mails to period
ical printed in raised
Stafford and letters for the benefit of
the Blind. the blind recently there
were few, even Of his
colleagues, who realized the sentiment
tai interest which the Wisconsin Rep
resentative has in this subject. Mr..
Stafford's biography is one of the
shortest in the Congressional Direct
Dry, and in it he says nothing of the
fact that his father lost his eyesight
In an explosion, and that for twenty
years he devoted his time to seeing"
for his blind father. Only Mr.. Stat
ford's intimate friends have known of
this fact, but now that it is told, many
will recall that whenever an opportu-
nifty has been offered to further the
interests of the blind and to anchor
ate their misfortune, Mr.. Stafford has
taken a leading part and has worked
hard to that end.
1t has become the fashion to refer
with something approaching derision
to Senators and Representatives as
only objectors.' Those who speak
in this manner are either
Only an ignorant of the subject or
Director. else seek to impose on the
intelligence of their read
ers. One of the most exacting and
thankless tasks which ever falls to a
member of the national legislature is
that of an objector. The greatest OBJ
jector in recent times was the late Or
Vile Hitchcock Platt, of Connecticut,
and his place in the Senate has never
been adequately filled. Senator Kean,
Of New Jersey, performs the thankless
task on many occasions, and Repre-
sentatives Mann and Stafford serve in
this capacity in the House. The duty
Of an objector is to prevent undesir-
able legislation, and the number of
improper or i'll advised measures
which Senator Plat, of Connecticut,
prevented from enactment, is legion.
To do the work intelligently and well
requires the most careful study of
bills on the calendar, constant attend
ance on the floor of the Senate, and a
Willingness to devote many weary
hours to q task which gains no glory
and sftsn incurs the enmity of ones
colleagues. When mistake is made
or q. legislator objects to a meritorious
measuresbecause he has not had suffi-
cient opportunity to make himself ia
miliar with its provisions, he gener-
ally incurs the condemnation Of the
press But he rarely receives the
slightest credit for the countless OBJ
jectionable bills which he is RESPONSE
Bile for killing.