Montpelier examiner. [volume] (Montpelier, Idaho) 1895-1937, 1910-12-23
PURE FABRIC LAW
IDEA OF MURDOCH
Projected Bill Would Reveal
Amounts of Cotton and
Wool in Cloth.
TAFT'S PLAN TO SAVE PARTY
President Wants Republicans 10
Unite and LesaIize a Genuine
Tariff Commission-NextY Years
Budget viii Be Fully
One Billion.
BY GEORGE CLINTON.


Washington.-It is said on seem
fngly good authority that President
Taft has given his sanction to bill
far reaching in its effect which Will
compel the affixing to cloths which
enter interstate commerce of state
ment of the amount of cotton and OF
wool which they contain. This meas
ure is called here in Washington
textile pure food bill" The Trainer
Of the measure, Victor Murdoch of
Kansas, says that no reason exists
why the consumer should not know
how much wool and how much cotton
he is getting in his clothes just as he
knows under the pure food law how
much adulteration he is getting.
An effort is being made to get the
two Republican factions in congress
to pass a measure of this kind. 1t Is
expected that there will be good
deal of opposition and it may be that
the pure fabric law" will have as
long journey to passage as that
which the pure food law took before
it arrived at it's station ON the statute
books.
Taft's Tariff Commission Plan.
AS a fixed daily task President
Taft is laboring to bring togeth-
err the Republican factions in con-
gress in order that he may secure
legislation legalizing genuine tarin
commission. One year ago Mr.. Taft
might have worked nights as we'll as
days along the same line of endeavor
and at the end of "a hours he would
have been at the beginning, for the
regulars and insurgents were so hos
tile to one another that attempts to
patch a peace would have been met
not only sulkily, but defiantly.
This year Mr.. Taft. SO the men close
to him say, has some real hope that
he can induce Mr.. Cummins, Mr.. La
Toilette, Mr.. Murdoch and others to
link arms with Mr.. Aldrich, Mr.. Hale,
Mr.. Boutelle and others and to present
united effort on behalf Of tariff
commission. 1t remains yet to be seen
whether the president will be success
full, but the politicians say he thinks
IL a genuine tariff commission Is sane
toned and is allowed to go to work In
a businesslike way to pass on proper
and improper duties" that the Demo
Gratis next year when they are in con
troll of the house will not think 1t wise
to upset the legislation. All this Is
mere speculation, but 1t casts a light
on one of the chief ends of the ad
ministration's winter endeavor and or
the views of some of the Republicans
of what they must do in order to save
a1nrffnn thar
party.
shall We FortIfy the canal7
The layman who is neither a legis
lator nor an army officer would FIND
himself unQuestionably confused, blu
probably interested, If he were here
, in Washington to listen to the argu
i ments for and against the erection o
e Notifications by Uncle Sam to guarC
n the Panama Canal. A great many o
q the legislators are opposed to forti
u flying the waterway, while virtually al
II the army officers are in favor of ii
IS President Taft has endorsed the forti
D fication plan strongly in his annua
message, In which he says:
a 1T is also well known that one o
!, the chief objects in the construction
4 Of the canal has been to increase tn
Is military effectiveness of our navy. B.
IL convention we have indicated our de
a sire for, and indeed undertaken. 1t
r. universal and equal use. Failure L
Il fortify the canal would leave the al
q tainments of both these aims in tn
), position of rights and obligation
re which we should be powerless to 81
n force and which could never In an
other way be absolutely safeguards
"a against a desperate and irresponsible
n enemy"
tc The arguments which pass betwee
,e the legislator and the army officer o
i the question Of whether or not bi
~ guns ought to be placed on the istl
J, mus run something like this:
IS The legislator says: The cant
n should be neutralized. and all nation
W should be asked to bind themselves {
be preserve Its neutrality. In this way W
ir will be saved the expense of fortific;
ton and all danger Of the canals d,
ia struction In time of war will be aver
et ed"
III The army onicer says: AN ounce {
IL gun metal IL worth a pound Of mel
a. tralization. If a country at war wit