Imperial Valley press., 1911-11-14
BY ARTHUR w. DUNN.

Washington, Nov. :. - Especial. j
Many questions are being asked these
days relative to different political hap
penings. For instance. there are que.
ries as to how vigorous the steel trust
suit will be pressed and whether any
thing can be accomplished III it before
the next election. Then there are IN
quiries as to who is paying the ex-
penses of the rather elaborate bureau
which is boosting the presidential as.
pira@ons of Senator La Toilette. Like
wise questions are asked rs to how the
headquarters at II Broadway. New
York, where Wilson is being doomed
for the Democratic nomination, are
maintained.
The Democrats of the house of rep
resentatives are to blame. They began
this Interrogation business. They made
the question mark the symbol of poli
ties And now everybody feels priyi-
legged to ask how. what, why. where
etc, when anything develops in peii
tics which is not fully understood, Tn
questions are not without embarrass-
tics cannot stop for a little thing Ike
embarrassment.
Absent Treatment.
High ofEicials>of the government have
shown a disposition to resent criticism
of their absence from duty for such
long periods as has become the fashion
of late years. They maintain that
they can take care of their depart
mental duties just as well when at
their summer homes as if they remain
ed in Washington during the hot sum
mer season.
To a certain extent this is true. In
fact. the government is such a well or
ganized machine that it would run
along quite well if many of the off
cials never were near their Offices
All that is necessary is that some one
should be designated to sign the daily
routine papers.
With all that has been going on
abroad and all the important matters
happening at home. there has been a
general absence of high officials since
congress adjourned Occasionally o
days, but not because he was called
here on public business.
An Afterthought.
"Here is something that the news
papers have not got on to-" remarked
a progressive politician. why have
they not proposed La Toilette and
Wiley ticket? That would be quite
popular. By the way"-and here is the
afterthonght-''do you know whether
Wiley is a Republican or Democrat"
said that Wiley was an intense
Republican, but with many Democrat
ic friends.
That makes it all right, then We
could have a La Toilette and Wiley
ticket"
j Alaska Self Sustaining.
Joseph A. Holmes, chief of the bu
reau of mines, who spent large por
ton of the summer in Alaska. is con-
fident that the big territory can be
made self sustaining in the matter of
food supplies. Reindeer can take the
place of beef, and vegetables can be
grown in large quantities. | recall
speech by George Vest in the senate
on this subject when the Missouri
senator rdiculed the idea Of growing
vegetables in AlaSEa
Il have tried those veg.tables." he
said. and they grow rs Ia -e as any
where on earth 49, immpush lr9tu.oes. !
huge tugnips and everything ciSe- bu7
they are nothing but water wien
cooked. There is no substance TO
them" Perhaps the agricultural de
partment has found varieties that can
be grown in far northern latitudes
since Vest was in Alaska. :,
Take 1t Out of Politics.
Former Governor Gooding of Idaho, |
who is largely interested in wool grow
ing. is convert to the idea that the
tariff should be taken out Of politics
He will no doubt want a fair duty
fixed on wool before that schedule is
removed from political consideration, |
but he believes that if politics did not
interfere there would be an adequate
duty on wool. What we want is
something like stability in the wool
business as in all other industries"
said the ex-governor
Booming Good Roads.
OF all the different booms and boosts !
which are backed by either politicians
or press agencies none meets, with less
opposition than the movement for good |
roads. When it comes to making huge |
appropriations from the national treas
ury for this purpose it may be differ
ent, but at present all that seems to |
be IN sight is just good roads. Every
body wants good roads-why, Of course.
Everybody is now helping along the
movement and saying all he can about |