Ottumwa tri-weekly courier., 1912-04-02
NEWS AND GOSSIP
OF WASHINGTON

OF WASHINGTON
Washington, D. c., March 30
Iowa's delegation shone brightly at
the banquet of the new members OF
congress which was held at
Rauscher's on Tuesday night. Repre-
sentatives Pepper, Prouty and Towner
were all there. Judge Towner presided
as toastmaster of the banquet. Mr..
Prouty took leading part in the de-
bate on the "cat" tariff and Mr. Pep
per voted, as usual, with the free
traders.
There are 129 new members in con-
gress this term and over 100 Of these
gathered for the affair. They criti-
cised their brothers with longer
records and voted them all archaic.
Then they proceeded to revise the
tariff in their own way, deciding that
a duty of 81 was unreasonable on all
cats, two legged, four legged and
manx. Catnip and catsup were also
put on the list and Representative Cat
lin of Missouri declared that he
wouldn't dare leave the country in the
future because of the duty he would
have to pay to get back in.
Representative Theron Akin OF
New York, the comedian OF the house.
was so overcome by the festivities
that he got up and sang several songs.
A special committee appointed to IN
yestigate his voice was unable to
agree, three out of the five being OF
opinion that it ranged somewhere
from bass to tenor and the other two
that 1t was variety all Its own, Win
out any particular range.
Representative Pepper was one or
four speakers at the monthly meeting
of the machinist's union on Wednes-
day night. The others were Senator
Poindexter and Representatives Bu-
chanan of Illinois and Paran OF Mary
land. Some time ago Representative
Kendall spoke before this union also.
Little Constance Towner, daughter
Of Representative Towner of the
Eighth Iowa, fell and broke her LETT
arm Just below the elbow on Tuesday
night. The fracture was only simple
one Of the larger bone in the forearm.
The house committee on foreign at
fairs, of which Mr.. Kendall OF the
Sixth Iowa Is a member, held an
executive meeting on Wednesday at
which Acting Secretary of State Hunt
ington Wilson discussed the Mexican
situation with the house. Representa-
tive Smith of Texas has introduced
resolution calling upon the govern
ment to make a demand upon the
M TIT {o%,
pense for the injury done Americans
in Mexico and Texas during the revo-
luton now in progress. The resolution
was referred to the foreign affairs
committee who imme ediately took the
matter up with the state department.
It is thought that the latter Will be
allowed to handle the situation with
out house interference. .o.
/ Representative Prouty has intro
duced a bill to amend the patent laws.
His bill is a result of the recent de-
cision of the supreme court which
conferred monopoly on patents to
the ones who receive them from the
government. Mr. Prouty wishes to
prohibit the patentor from controlling
the price, although he does give him
the right to name the royalty as now.
Any provision fixing, controlling or
limiting the use of the patented ma
chine shall also be unlawful If Mr..
Prouty's bill becomes law.
During the past several weeks there
has been big stir in the district over
the use of government-owned autos
by minor clerks in departments for
their own personal pleasure. Repre-
sentative Bristow, whose chief pleas
llre Is derived in his efforts to poke
the administration full of holes, has
introduced a resolution in the senate
calling upon the various cabinet heads
to furnish the senate with detailed
statements of the number of carriages,
vehicles, motor cycles, motor vehicles
and automobiles now owned by the
government or maintained at govern
ment expense in their respective de-
partments and the purpose for which
each individual carriage or vehicle Is
used also to report to whom each
such carriage or automobile Is as
signed.
Representative Green has intro
duced a bill providing for the &C
quisition of site for public build
ing at Glenwood, the site not to cost
over $4,000. Representatives Smith
now Judge Smith-introduced like
bill in the Sixty-first congress, but it
was not acted upon then.
Representative Mann of Illinois this
week introduced a bill to require all
railroads, steamship lines, or other
common carriers to provide food and
water for poultry in transit, to prevent