The Lynden tribune. [volume] (Lynden, Wash.) 1908-current, 1911-02-09
NEWS FROM THE
NATIONAL CAPITAL
What Our Lawmakers Are Do
ing and Other Interesting
Events.

reciprocity agreement must stand Vi
fall as a whole in the House commit
tee on ways and means was mace
clear by Chairman Payne at hearings
before the committee.
A proposal of Fordney for an
amendment of the lumber scheduie
and another in reference to possible
amendment of the item making par
ley free were met with the unequivo-
cal statement that the committee
would sanction no change OF any
item.
Notwithstanding this, the pressure
brought to bear on the committee
has resulted in the granting OF hear
ings to all persons who appear in
Washington prior to 5 O'Clock next
Thursday afternoon. This date was
fixed to permit Pacific Coast lumber
men to reach Washington and make
statements
Tariff Board Bill Doomed.
Due to the promise made in the
Senate the committee on finance will
submit an early report on the Presi-
dents bill for the creation of a tariff
board. 1t will be forthcoming prob
ably in the latter part of this week.
and the prospects are that it will re-
ceive stormy reception.
Several members of the committee,
including congressman of both par
ties, are opposed to the bill, but they
decided at meeting not to wrangle
over the bill in committee. They con-
sidered =. to be the better policy to
return it to the Senate so that the
issue could be settled in an open fight
on the floor.
Borah Advances Direct Election Bill.
Senator Borah, supported by Pro-
gressive Republicans and Democrats,
made tremendous advances through
the lines of the. old guard Republicans
and placed the resolution for the pop
ular election of senators in a most
advantageous position squarely in
front of the enemy's goal.
House Membership 391 Proposed.
A House membership of 391, as at
present, was the congressional reap
portfonment plan agreed upon by the
Republican caucus OF the House! This
proposition, made by Campbell of
Kansas, was first defeated, Sc to g.,
but later reconsidered and adopted,
70 to So.
This action. together with defeat of
plan to offset the negro disfran-
chisement in the South urged by Ben
nett and Olcott of New York and op-
posed by Gaines of West Virginia and
others. occurred during a six-hour
session o! the caucus.
Secretary Hitchcock Investigates.
InefTiciency, INSTRUMENTATION and
mismanagement have developed in
the railway mail service and are
likely to result in an upheaval, per.
maps in a reorganization, of the entire
service.
Postmaster-General Hitchcock is
thoroughly incensed and makes nc
concealment of his indignation. Re
Gently he has been conducting a per
sonal investigation. Rumors reached
Washington from several points that
changes in leading officers of the ser
vice were imminent.
His investigation, he indicated, had
disclosed that orders had been issued
by subordinate officers placing upon
the employees unreasonable and in
some instances humiliating burdens
These were promulgated in the name
of the postmaster-general, although
he knew nothing about them until
after investigation.
National Capital Brevities.
A fierce attack on the coal land
leasing bill of Senator Nelson was
issued by Clifford Pinchot.
Secretary Nagel has issued an or
der which is expected to remove any
friction between the United States
and the Chinese government over the
detention of merchants and students
under the exclusion laws.
Senator Hepburn served notice or
the Senate that he would not permit
a vote upon the bill authorizing the
western states to relinquish to the
government school sections 16 and 81
embraced in the forest reserves anC
to take in exchange compact bodies
of forest reserve lands of like area
and value.
No matter what bill may be passed
by Congress providing for congress
sional reappointment. Oregon will
gain a third member of the House
and Washington will gain two. Idaho
however, will lose out if the caucus
bill is substituted for the Crumpackel
measure.
For the first time in the history oil
the government, the Vice-President OF
the United States exercised his con
stitutional prerogative OF casting a
vote to break ties. By his vote he
saved from impending defeat the ship
subsidy bill.