The commonwealth., 1911-08-03
NEWS FROM The NATIONAL CAPITAL.
Mentlon Made OF Many Important News
Items About the Capital City.
Special Correspondence.

Washington, u. T., July 29.-Ine
first formal action by the Tobacco
Trust looking toward readjusting the
American Tobacco Company follow
ing the recent decision Of the United
States Supreme Court was taken
Thursday in the appointment OF
committees to represent the senior
securities and to cooperate with the
managers in the work of reorgani-
zation. The company has until De-
cember 29 to readjust or dissolve its
business and it is safe to say that its
readjustment plan is we'll under way.
Thursday the Senate passed the
Underwood Wool bill with Senator
La Follette's amendment. The
Senate had defeated the House bill
and the La Toilette bill when Sena-
tor La Toilette offered his amended
bill, which was passed by vote of
48 to so. the Democrats voting solid
ly and all the Republican insurgents
except Senator's Dixon and Borah.
This amendment places the duty on
raw wool at 35 per cent. as against
20 per cent by the House bill 1t is
thought that compromise will be
effected and when the bill energies
from conference the duty will be
fixed at 80 per cent. 1t was great
victory for the Democrats and their
inslrgent allies as the prediction
had been freely made by the stand
pat Republicans that.the bill would be
defeated. as consequence the stand
patters are dumbfonnded and be-
wildered at their overthrow.
When the bill goes to the President
for signature he will be placed in the
dialemma of defeat for renomina-
ton if he does not sign it or Of going
against his own recommendation
that the tariff boards report be
waited for if he does sign it. Any
way the President is placed in an awk-
ward position All honor to those
insurgent Republican Senators who
aided the Democrats to pass the bill
President Taft's message to
Congress on the Controller Bay.
Alaska, imbroglio has aroused much
interest IN view of the fact that for
ner President Roosevelt has recent
", in the Outlook, criticised the
President for opening up the Con-
troller Bay section and allowing the
Guggenheim Through Ryan, in
terests to monopolize the land in
question. The President defended
his course by saying the rights of
public were thought to be sufficient
ly safeguarded against monopoly of
harbor facilities under the. limita-
tions Of the statute" Ex-Chief
Forester. Clifford Pinchot, does not
take the view the President does nor
is he satisfied with the explanation,
for he says that 'the Presidents de-
tense of his course in the Controller
Bay affair shows how hard it is tc
make good excuse for bad mis-.
take," and lin spite of all explana.
nations, the fact remains that the
President, in opening the lands
around Controller Bay without notice
TO the public, has given the interests
behind Ryan All opportunity te
acquire the key to the channel of
j Controller Bay before the public
knew what was going on. The
public will agree with Mr.. Roose
velt that these terminal lands ough,
to have been kept in the public
hands,"
The steel wire and other manu-.
featuring concerns with headquar.
ters in New York, recently convic.
ted in the United States Circuit
Court, Of New York, Of having beer
members Of the corporations anc
who were found guilty under the
Sherman law of being in restraint o1
trade, have, many of them, set u1
the plea Of nolle contendere ane
been fined 1000 each. The Judge.
err in fining such people as these ant
the fines will not act as deterrents
If it is really intended to put sto,
. to their illegal practices a term il
jail will accomplish what fines never
i will. What do they care for a fin,
of thousand or so dollars? Abso
) lutely nothing.
: OBSERVER