Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1910-06-11
DEMOCRATS SHUT OUT.

Attorney General Wickersham, au-
thor of the original draft of the admin
isfration railroad bill which the insurg-
cnts and democrats Of Congress picked
to pieces. sat in with the republican
conferees yesterday. He was present
on behalf Of the administration, repre-
senting the views of President Taft.
Neither of the two democratic con
ferees had anything to do with the dis
cusson yesterday. As was the case wher
the tariff bill was considered, the demo
cratic members of the conference com
mittee were not even invited. Senator
Foster. the minority cOnferee, on behalf
of the Senate, has gone home for the
session, and yesterday afternoon wired
declining a place on the committee
Senator Newlands was appointed to sue
coed him. But whoever is chosen, he
can only be a fgurehead so far as the
real conference is concerned for the re-
publicans intend to frame the bill tC
suit themselves and will only call il
the democrats when that has beer
done Representative Adamson, the
democratic conieree on the part Of the
House. has not participated in any o
the sessions the republicans have thu
far held.
President Taft, according to presen
indications, will win on only one OF the
three suggestions which he made t.
the conferees. He wanted the retention
ofHouse amendments concerning stock
and bonds, the reduction from 10 to
months in the time allotted by the Sen
ate bill to the Interstate Commerce
Commission for the investigation OF IN
crease, of railroad rates and the max
ing OF the section regarding rate IN
creases effective at once instead of aitei
go days, as provided by both bills. Al
of the members of the conference com
mittee agreed to the wisdom OF the lat
ter suggestion because Of its application
to notices given by railroads recently Of
many proposed advances.
The Senate cOnfcrrecS have told the
president that they could not consent
to the stocks and bonds feature because
of their agreement with democrats. The
insistence upon the suspension OF in
creases i'm rates for 10 months, in the
event that period was required by the
Interstate Commerce Commission &c
pass upon their reasonableness, Is
concession to insurgent republican
senators.
The conferees on the bill were in SEES
sion all day and reached tentative
agreements on a number Of items.
THE DISTRICT CONVICTS.
The work house Of the District o.
Columbia is to be removed next month
TO the vicinity of valuable stone quarry
near Lorton, on the Potomac river, anc
four hundred prisoners are to be put
to work quarrying stone for govern
ments use. Plans for temporary build
ngs in which the prisoners will be
housed have been completed and some
of the inmates will be sent to LOrton
soon to quarry stone for the foundation
Of these structures. They will also cut
stone for the erection of a system OF
roads which will thread the government
property. When the work is completed
some of the prisoners will be utilized
in tearing down the present work house
near the congressional cemetery IN
Washington. They will be transported
down the river in shifts on boat pur-
chased for the purpose. Extra pre-
cautions to prevent the escape Of prls-
oners at the temporary quarters and
while at work have been planned.
TOPLEss POTATOES; NO BUGS.
Parks Murtiff, proprietor of the ST.
Charles Hotel, owns a farm in the VI
cinity Of Burnham Park, Pa. and Thurs
day his farmer called him over and IN
formed him that he was growing top
less potatoes. An investigation that
night proved that two rows, supposed
- lo,,f TO rI,, Pose seed were