Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1911-01-17
FROM WASHINGTON


corporate affairs. Solicitor General
Fred w. Lehman will argue the gov.
ernmcnts cases. Opposing him arc
Maxwell Evarts, former senator, Jos.
3. Foraker and others. Evarts opened
the case this afternoon.
The economy policy" OF Postmaster
General Hitchcock lis disturbing the
railway mail clerks. Heretofore, in
order to permit them time for study
the CLERKS we're given week on duty
and week OF rest alternately. A re-
cent order by Mr.. Hitchcock required
lall clerks to make an average OF SIX
and one half hours daily on active
duty. This they object to.
With another kink III the House
rules, and two more days Of y month
taken away from general legislative
business, the House leaders today
admitted they will have hard work
d:sposing OF the routine work before
the end OF Inc session on March 4. The
possibility OF an extra session, lmmedl-
ately after the new democratic con-
yress comes in. loomed very large.
| Mr.. Tawncy, chairman OF the House
appropriations committee, after sum
ming up the work yet to be done on
the regular appropriation Bills, declared
today that these measures would de-
tnand ut least twentyseight or thirty
more general legislative days. In the
last two weeks the House spent two
days in fighting over the rules, and
there arc now only eighteen
days left on which the appropriation
bills can be considered Either
series Of night sessions. or
an extra session seemed imperative
In addition TO the pressure of time,
| the House is involved in the queerest
lineup OF parties that has marked
this checkered congress. Yesterday
insurgents joined the democrats in
oycrruling Speaker Cannon. But a
week ago the democrats refused TO JOIN
the Insurgents OH similar proposition.
The democrats today seem to be IN a
oosition TO control the House almost
as absolutely as they will after March
!. One result OF the tangled situation
predicted by some leaders is that Presi-
dent Taft will secure no tariff commits
sion legislation of consequence, ana
tnat the administration S legislative pro-
gyamme ggiil be lost in the wild scram-
bic to clean up routine business.
, REPRESENTATIVES, Of tliirty-two boards
of trade Of the largest cities in the
country today opened the forty-tirst
annual convention Of the national board
! Of trade in this city Tho meeting IS
, 70 last three days. Today was devoted
10 committee considerations OF rcsolu-
lions submitted by the local board.
these resolutions comprise twenty sub
iect, from tariff revision to amend
mcnts Of the constitution. The com
mi,tccs will report them back to the
convention for action. The most i'm
por,ant resolution considered today was
ono endorsing 4 one cent letter post,
the establishment Of q parcels post and
the endorsement OF the bill, pro-
hi5;tins the printing OF return en-
yelopcs by The government. Tomorrow
will be devoted to discussion OF none
i. --I--s-----G---- ~-I-~->-l-->---'
will address the convention.
Arguments in the Standard Oil dis
solution suit came 10 close before the
u. 5. Supreme Court today. About
six days have been occupied by the
court in It's hearing OF the govern
ment's Two biggest trust busting suits,
against The American Tobacco Com
pany and the Standard Oil Company.
Attorney General Wickcrsham occu-
pied half IN hour in his closing argu-
mcnt Tor the government in critical
analysis Of the Sherman law and the
decree OF the court below constituting it.
Following him came John G. johnson,
counsel for the Standard Oil Company.
The argument today was devoid OF the
interest or previous sessions in that the
attorneys devoted themselves mainly
10 arguing mootcd legal points and
citing authorities for their positions.
1t is not expected that the court will
render It's decision on either OF the cases
for 1T least two months.
The reciprocity negotiations between
representatives Of the governments Of
the unitcd States and Canada are near
~ concluded is the belief here today
No session OF the conferees was held
tolay. 1t was admitted at the State
Department that the fact that Secretary
Knox wished to attend the Cabinet
meeting was not Tic only reason for
postponing the next conference until
tomorrow afternoon. 1t is believed
that steps will be taken to firmly ex-
press the programme agreed upon.
While it is not known how much the
conierecs have accomplished they de-
clare that everything is proceeding sat
isfactori!y
The critical statement OF the national
defense OF Frederic Louis Huidekoper,
which was presented TO the House last
Saturday by Mr.. McLachlan, was at
tackled on the floor today by Messrs.
Hull, and Tawney. Both branded as
false the statement that the American
army is in 'iamentable state.''
Though it is maintained at the White
House that the president has made no
arrangement for conference with
New York political leaders as was re-
ported today from teat state it was
learned that both Ezra Prentice, the
retiring chairman Of the n. Y. Repub.
lican Committee and Lloyd Griscom,
chairman OF the n. Y. County will be