The Palatka news and advertiser. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1908-19??, 1911-01-06
NOTES OF INTEREST
FROM WASHINGTON
Senator Terrell Pushing Ed
ucatiOnaI Bill.
BUSY week IN CONGRESS

Site of Panama Exposition-German
Potash Controversy Among lmpor.
tant Topics DiscusseI-champ Clark
To Drive to Speakers Chair Behind
Team of Mules.
(By John Corrigan, Washington Core
spondent of Atlanta constitutional
Washington, D. c., December 2S.-A
bill to extend the provisions of the
Morrill, act of 1862, to enable the Fed.
eral government to cooperate with the
states in encouraging instruction in az
riculture and mechanic arts and home
economics, is now on the calendar of
the senate, having been reported last
June from the committee on agricul-
ture by the late Senator Dolliver.
Senator Terrell, of Georgia, will
champion the bill and use his utmost
endeavors to secure favorable action
at this session of congress. He has
sent copies of 1t to friends of educa.-
tion all over Georgia asking for express
sions of opinion.
The measure is one of the most
widespread interest and importance.
1t contemplates the expenditure of
from $10,O00,000 to 20,000,000 year
by the government and like amount
by the various states, to train the
boys and girls of the country to be
useful, productive and happy citizens.
The bill contemplates the creation
Of agricultural and mechanical
branches in the common schools, the
secondary or high schools, state col
leges and normal schools; it provides
for the establishment of agricultural
experiment stations in connection
with district agricultural schools such
as Georgia has established. In some
cases the allotment of money is to be
made on the basis of the total popula.
ton of a state as shown by the 49,
census. In others it is based on the
farming population of each state.
The object of the bill and the edu-
cational advantages which it contem
plates is to increase the corn yield of
Georgia and other states from 16 to
so bushels per acre; to make two
bales of cotton grow where only one
third of bale now grows; to stimu
late experiments in agriculture and
enable thess@ boys and girls of the
United States to be the best trained,
most efficient and most capable and
successful Of any In the whole world.
Senator Terrell, who as governor
won the title of "The Educational
Governor" has found in this measure
something that appeals strongly to his
desires to help the people of the state,
and will get in behind it actively. It
is possible that his first speech in
congress will be made in behalf of
this measure.
The fight between New Orleans and
San Francisco to land the Panama
exposition is being waged with inter-
sity bordering on bitterness. AS an
argument in favor of Frisco, the
Golden Gate people have distributed
with lavish hand among members
of congress boxes of California Or
anges and cases of wine. The op-
posing argument" of the Crescent
City is being awaited with moist lips.
A tariff war involving hundreds of
millions of trade is threatened in the
German potash controversy Presi
dent Taft has been urged to apply to
Germany the maximum penalties Of
the Payne-Aldrich tariff bill, which
would require all German imports to
pay duty Is per cent higher than
that charged other countries. This
is advocated as retaliatory measure
for Germany's imposition of a tax of
over 100 per cent on the value of pot
ash for use in commercial fertilizers
and chemicals bought by Americans
in Germany from two mines not con-
trolled by the Germany syndicate. If
the Club" in our tariff law is not
swung in this instance, the fertilizer
people say, it will be shown to be in
effective and will be further disre-
garded by other nations and other
unjust impositions put upon Ameri-
cans. President Taft is giving the
matter most serious consideration.
He feels that the tariff act which he
approved is on trial before the world
Among the Georgians who have
been most active in urging retaliatory
measures against Germany in the eff
fort to secure for the farmers low
priced fertilizers are Senator Terrell
and Representatives Adamson, Rod
denbery, Lee and Hughes. They have
had frequent conferences with state
department officials and with the pres.
ident.
Champ Clark's promise to drive
team of mules down Pennsylvania
avenue on his way to his induction
into the speakers office has started
a controversy. Some warm friends
of the next speaker think it would be
picturesque. Others think it would
be undignified and ridiculous, not to
say cheap horse play, or mule play,
whichever you please And there you
are