Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1911-05-23
Maine Folk in Washington
Wishing for Home.
Summer Weather Early in "Reci-
pTociIy Session" Of Congress.
Politics, Legislation and Eggs Are
Three Chief Topics at Washington.

Washington. D. c.. May 22.-(Spe-
ciaD. My. but the Maine folks here
in Washington are peeling off their
coats and wondering what on earth is
the matter. They are taking OFF their
coats because there seems to be work
| for them to do and also because the
mercury is soaring up TO 100 degrees
and more. That is hot May weather
indeed for Senator johnson as he
sits back in the broad chair at the
finance committee table and mops the
perspiration from his brow. while the
Changers troop in by the hundreds
and even by the thousands to tell what
a bad thing Canadian reciprocity is for
the farmer. Of course this alone
might make the senator. as an advo-
cate of Canadian reciprocity, mop his
brow and sigh for the cool shades of
the broad elms at Wateryille.
But il is hot also for Representative
McGillicuddy Of the second Maine. VINO
has not jumped into the forum yet
to try to match the speaking stunt
of Representative Asher Kinds fthe
latter opposing Canadian reciprocity
which Mac" voted for) but who has
been put upon a special committee to
investigate the steel trust. There's
big work ahead for Orator Dan" and
plenty of it for there are lazy South
ern Democrats on that committee who
will be willing to shirk work in not
weather. if some one else will do it.
All this will be uncharted waters for
the Second Maine district congress-
man and he may have to do some
splashing around before he can find
himself.
The Democratic House has not
found any extra work yet for Repre-
sentative Sam Gould to do and 50 he
occupies his odd hours remodeling u
house on Maryland Avenue and max
ing 1t fit for habitation. sam is
averse to Washington hotel life and
prefers to have his own vine and fig
tree. He viii move into his leased
residence shortly and leave Senator
johnson and Rep. McGillicuddy to
their own devices at Congress Hall.
The Republican brethren of the
House from Maine are drifting along
Democrats are running things at that
end of the Capitol these DAYS and it's
no use for a Republican to get fussy
in hot weather and try to overdo He
won't get anywhere any way. There
fore it is better to look out for the
matters in which ones constituents
are interested and try to find a shady
nook where il is possible to keep cool.
Please bear in mind that there is
something at Washington beside poll
tics and legislation and White House
affairs. Eggs. for instance. And why
not eggs, pray. for the laying OF eggs
lis really one of the greatest of our
national industries. The preservation
of eggs is another story but the Hon
.orable Secretary of Agriculture, Tai ia
Jim" Wilson has a bunch" of scien-
lists on that job. They are starting
another investigation of eggs this
summer. That means of the packing
and preservation of eggs. To be sure
it is only one of a great number of
inquiries and activities that the federal
government now conducts in connee-
ton with the production and transpor
tation of food products The storm
center of this summers investigation
will he i'm the great egg producing
and egg packing country-Illtnots,
Iowa. and Kansas. Numerous other
states will be invaded by the inspec
tors. who are expected to gather some
new brands of knowledge about the
deterioration and decomposition of the
egg.
Few people realize what an enor-
nous business this has come to be
Thus far the Department of Agricul-
ture has concerned itself chiefly with
eggs that are frozen or dessicated
In one or the other of these forms
eggs are shipped TO the great cities
in carload lots and supplied to the
bakeries which make them into cakes
and other edibles. whore it is not al
ways easy to say just how fresh the
hen fruit really was. The Depart
ment. however, is bent upon protect
ing the cake eater and the consumer
of the many other forms of food into
which frozen or dessicated eggs go,
They say there is less likelihood OF
deterioration of the dessicated prod
uct, but, all the same. it is generally
kept in cold storage and when it is
moved from state to state the govern
ment undertakes to know whether de-
composition of any kind has set in
AS to eggs in the shell. the Depart
ment has thus far had very little to
say The experts have studied the
subject of bacterial invasion. which
takes place through the she'll, but the
| transportation of eggs in the shell
while occurring much in interstate
commerce. has not enlisted the atten-
| ton of the government scientists sc
| much. The consumers are better able
| to look out for themselves with sucl
| eggs than they are in edibles of whict
frozen and dessicated eggs have beer
used.
| 1t is very unreasonable to talk about
any fire and especially about the AL.
| bany fire because it happened severa
| weeks ago. But the fact that a lot Of
very valuable historic records were
burned at Albany is Just dawning upor