Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1910-05-27
Exciting Side Contests in
The Life Of Congress.
Lively Fight for a Public
Health Department.
And Others Want a Grand Panama
SN Canal Exposition.

ciaD.-Congress is having some ex-
ceedingly fervid side contests in the
closing weeks of an unusual session.
These contests have been faring up
from time to time quite unexpectedly
and focusing attention for little
from the big events which have stead
lily held the board for the winter.
only few days ago there was sud-
den commotion around the committee
on public health and national quaran-
tine. A lot of folks had never before
heard of that committee, although 1t
is listed in the roster of Senate COM
mittees and has a committee room.
However, it is a committee-one of
three or four in the Senate-which has
Democratic chairman 1t is exceed
ingly exceptional for committee
chairman from the minority party in
the Senate to have any business to do.
But Senator Thomas S. Martin, Dem
ocrat, of Virginia and chairman of the
public health committee, found his
committee crowded with business and
plenty of it for a season when hearings
were on affecting a bill by Senator
Owen of Oklahoma to create a depart
ment of public health 1t was general
ly supposed that the work of creating
sentiment for a public health depart
ment had been growing apace. Presi-
dent Taft declared for it months ago
and every little while there has been
some demonstration or some visit of a
committee to the White House regard
ing a public health department, which
has given fresh impetus to the work of
building public sentiment therefor.
Nevertheless around the Capitol it
has become apparent all of sudden
that a public health department has
opposition i'm abundance. These oppo-
neBtS, who are understood to be the
proprietors of patent medicines and be-
levers in divers methods Of healing.
not to mention a great and influential
body Of people who for quite time
nave been furthering an agitation
against what they are pleased to term
| doctors trust" made just about
the loudest protest that has been heard
| in Washington for a long time against
any matter of legislation. In the first
place. as the day for the hearings up
on the public health department bill
approached, they loaded the wires with
| messages of protest.
| II is nOlIllHS SlIdHSt Ipi t'iCS aims
of protest against this and that to
| come in food upon Washington but
| the protests against the public health
department made new record. THESE
kilograms literally came by the tens OF
| thousands. Extra forces of operators
| We're engage night and day for about
I As hours in the Washington telegraph
offices. And on top of these protests,
| the opponents of public health de-
partment sent powerful orators down
to Washington to voice their dissent
1t goes almost without saying that
neither the Senate nor the House
would enact a bill that had been SO
stoutly protested, especially where
there seems to be no very lively public
sentiment back of it. And it has been
agreed that the bill will not be report
ed, at least till next winter.
| 1t is worth noticing in that connec-
| ton that the establishment of new
executive department is by no means
an easy undertaking these modern
days A feeling prevails that the
Presidents cabinet is as large as it
ought to be and perhaps larger than
it could we'll be. 1t now consists of
nine members, two of whom have been
authorized in the last 20 years-the
secretary of agriculture and the sec
retary of commerce and labor. AS the
cabinet is increased in size, the meet
Iings of the cabinet lose something of
| their character as gatherings to adj
wise with the President and to furnish
him with sound opinions about the
conduct Of public business. 1t has been
| commented upon more and more in
recent years that the members of the
cabinet as such are ceasing to be the
constitutional advisers of the President
in the old sense of that term and that
meters of most vital Importance to
the President and the country are not
discussed and disposed of at cabinet
| meetings. On the contrary if Presi-
dents have extra important matters of
state under consideration, they take
| these up with two or three members of
| the cabinet in whose judgment they
| happen to have the greatest confidence.
President Roosevelt adopted that
| practice and President Taft has been
following in the same direction. Now
adays matter of politics is more like
| ly discussed with certain members of
| the cabinet: matters of legislation with
certain other members. Matters of
diplomacy are often considered with
Secretary Knox alone and not brought
before the cabinet at all. President
| Roosevelt was strongly of the opinion
| that the cabinet is now as large as it
oughtto be and stated more than once
that he thought it would be unwise
| to create any more executive depart
ments. OF course a department of
| public health would naturally come I'M
der the supervision Of physician or
sanitary expert and some how or other
the idea of assuring a doctor a place in
the Presidents cabinet for all time has
provoked quite feeling Of hostility.
The proposed public health depart
ment is only one of quite a number of
Legislative episodes of the spring sea
son. This week exposition boomers
are again taking possession of the city
and by all the wiles of men Of their
craft trying to commit Congress to a
plan for a Panama Canal exposition
in 1915. The committee on industrial
arts and expositions of the House ex-
poets to settle the matter this week