Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1912-05-31
SPECIAL CORRESPONDENCE.
By CLYDE H. TAvENNER.

Washington, D. c., May 81. 1912.
The Democratic House of Representatives
has given the eood-roads movement fly
ing start.
This fact is of momentous importance to
the people of this nation. Ever since the
Constitution was written there has been
talk of improving the public highways. 1t
remained for this, the first session of the
Sixty-second Congress, actually to do some
thing toward bringing about that end. II
required upward of a score of years to make
start toward stamping out railroad re-
batting, and the law prohibiting that prac-
tice was passed in month after the start
was made. Likewise the pure food law
Jagged for seventeen years until an actual
start was made. Within a few weeks the
talking was supplanted by action and the
law became reality.
The Democrats in Congress have injected
the first breath of life into the agitation for
good roads. The House has actually passed
bill, and as the matter now stands it is
up to the Republican Senate and President
to carry the work along. If they refuse,
the people will know exactly where to place
the responsibility. Now that the Demo-
Gratis have taken definite forward step
the issue becomes clear cut.
In all the Democratic speeches supporting
the bill for road improvement, which was
introduced by Dorsey W. Shackleford, of
Missouri. 1t was made plain that it pro-
posed to spend money that is now being
wasted in keeping up useless political navy
yards and to provide soft berths for lame
duck politicians.
At the present time there Is in existence
numerous government commissions" such
as the Canadian boundary commission, on
which former Congressman James A. Taw-
ney, of Minnesota, depends for an annual
stipend of $500 of the peoples money.
These commissions seldom meet, and their
only usefulness is to take care Of politi-
clans who fail Of reelection. The Demo-
Gratis propose to abolish useless commits
sions and to spend the money wasted for
the improvement of public roads.
Improve the public roads with money
that is now being wasted" This Is the
battle cry Of Democrats in Congress, and 1t
is being taken up by the farmers in all parts
Of the country.
SOAKING" The CONSUMER.
Once more the poor old consumer has to
dig down into his pocket and pay tribute
to a trust. This time 1t is the coal trust,
and the excuse given for this trusts latest
scheme to g0uge few extra dollars out of
the public is the fact that the coal miners
went on strike.
There is no evidence that the coal strike,
which was not. strictly speaking, a strike,
cost the trust anything except the profit it
would have made had the men not laid
down their tools pending a readjustment
of their contracts. But with this excuse
as basis, the trust has decreed that there
shall be no usual spring discount of 80
cents per ton on coal this year. 1t is also
announced that the usual summer discount
will not be allowed.
Thus the consumer pays not only the
loss in profits suffered by the trust during
the strike, but he also pays for the slightly
increased cost Of mining. due to the small
raise in pay granted the miners
Does anybody pay the miner for the
money he lost in wages during thelay off
Not that anybody knows of. The miner is
not in position to 9ouge the long suffering
consumer.
STILL DEAF.
That the reactionares in the Senate are
still deaf to the voice Of the people is evil
denced by the fact that the LOrimer COM
mittee, the majority of whom are ast-dtch
Standpatters and Tories. has once more
white washed the Chicago boss If the
people of the United States could 90 to the
polls and vote on the question Of keeping
Lorimer in the Senate, the only ones who
would vote for Lorimer are his personal job
holders and henchmen and the tariff trust
barOns who need him in their business.
| More than % per cent of the country's
ninety-twO millions would be against his
| retention.
| Yet the Senate react0naries are deaf to
| the protests against him blind to the