The Parma herald. (Parma, Idaho) 1903-1917, 1911-02-16
D0|NGs Of OUR NATIONAL LAWMAKERS

resolution authorizing the presiden
LOT the United States to invite tn
nations OF the world to join IN tn,
Panama Pacific celebration At Sal
Francisco in 1915 has at last ende,
Its tedious and tortuous course In tn,
congressional mill and now rests ii
the white house, which Is hayeI
OF absolute safety.
i William X. Taft will, as q goot
and enthusiastic friend OF the Pacific
coast. on Monday or Tuesday afnx hii
signature to the precious bit of q
document, and then It will go into
the permanent keeping OF the secre
tary of state
At the same time the president
Will send his formal notification to
the senate and the house OF repre-
sentRtiyes that he has approved the
measure and with that the final mes.
sage can be sent to the exposition
city to ''let 'er co."
! The need for immediate action by
congress- toward fixing the rates that
shall be charged vessels using the
| Panama canal was impressed upon
the house committee on Interstate
commerce today by Colonel George
| w. Cocktails, chief engineer of the
canal
Colonel Goethals supported the
Mann bill. which presents the admin
istration Ideals OF what the tolls
should be. He said that the canal
would be completed by September,
1913; that 1t would practically put
the Tehuantepec railroad out OF busi-
ness and that the shipping interests
OF the world must have at least IS
months to reconstruct their ocean
rates upon the basis OF charges i'm
posed by the canal
The officer said the canal would be
completed we'll within the limit OF
cost OF $4,000. 000-probably $751;
100000 under this amount This will
include the GOAL stations, machine
shops and supply stations and prob
ably the drydock.
He said tho government, by operat-
Ing government-controlle coal sta
tons. must prevent private interests
from monopolizinR the coal supply at
the canal. Under any other system,
said Colonel Goethals, the danger
would exist OF the private coal In
terests directly controlling the opera
iion VI the CtHhl-
Washington, Feb. 0.-Government
clerks who are paid from 5000 to
1880 a year, on whom the burden
OF the high cost OF living falls most
heavily. are having hard shedding this
winter. A few years ago the SEN
ators and representatives raised their
own salaries 30 per cent, and at the
same time refused to raise the sal
aries of the clerks. Since then many
OF the higher officers. such as cab
met members. supreme court justices
and others at the top OF the official
ladder, have had substantial in
creases.
Recently 1t was attempted to raise
the salaries OF the United States cir
cult judges from $1,000 to $4,000,
and OF the secretary TO the president
from $500 TO $4,000 year. The
Increase In the judges salaries was
defeated In the house by vote of
157 TO 1870.
In the senate other increases which
had passed the house were accepted
without protest. with one exception
The senate became nightly virtuous
and struck out clerkship OF 5000
per year.
The increases go to employees in
tho higher ranks OF the service. who
are drawing salaries from
two to six times as high as the
average wages paid TO civil service
workers. The rank and file, as usual,
20 unrecognized.
The chief OF the bureau OF trade
relations In the state department is
raised from $4,000 to y250o. The
chief clerk in the treasury depart
ment from $4,000 to $4,000. Five law
clerks In the customs division. treas
ury department. are raised from
$4,000 to $4,000; assistant chief from
$4,000 to $500; the law and bond
clerk the same increase.
Washington. Feb. 9. - The cam
paign OF the Taft administration for
the ratification OF the reciprocity
agreement with Canada moved on
apace today. The house committee
on ways and means held its final
hearing and Is expected In executive
session tomorrow to vote II favor
ably.
That the exposition In commemora-
ton OF the completion of the Panama
canal II held at San Francisco, would
be the greatest ever known is the
opinion expressed by the senate com
mittee on Industrial expositions In a
report presented to the senate today.
This view Is based on the fact
that $i7.b00.000 has been promised
by California for the proposed ex-
position. The report makes II plain
that the promise OF the large sum
had much influence In taking the
exposition to the Pacific coast.
copy OF the Daily Congressional
Record for every home is contem-
plated In bill introduced today by
Senator Hepburn OF Idaho. The bill
provides that the Record shall be
supplied at the rate of 81 per year.
and that all postmasters may take
The democrats of the house. aided
by a few republicans wha declined
10 be bound by the party caucus,
won their fight today for an in
creased representation In the lower
branch OF congress under the cen
sus OF 1910.
They voted down the republican
caucus bill to retain the house mem
T~o..tl. a.. $685.. 49,