The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1912-04-11

Az fast as broken the eggs are eaten
by the hungrier ones, and when the
stock of hen fruit Is exhausted the
kids roll one another down the
banks. AS climax to the doings,
che President and Mistress of the
White House are supposed to ap-
pear on the porch and smile kindly
on the youngsters.
The president has sent to Congress
his second message on economy and
efficiency in the government service,
in which he recommends legislation
designed to save more than $ll,-
100000 annually to the people, OF
the United States. Among the prin-
cipal reforms recommended are:
Consolidation of the lighthouse and
life-saving services; transfer OF YES
sells and equipment Of the revenue
cutter service from the Treasury to
Commerce and Labor; placing PEN
sion agents, postmasters, and inter-
nal revenue and customs political
appointees to the classified service;
consolidation of auditing offices I'M
der one auditor; discontinuance OF
mileage allowance to government
travellers and a per diem allowance
in place of subsistence" improved
methods of handling> correspond
ence; Capitalization of distribution
of government documents.
After a struggle of seven hours
the senate rejected the Sherwood
dollar-a-day pension bill, which had
passed the house, and substituted
the bill of Senator McCumber pro-
viding general age and service pen
sions. The latter measure, it IS es-
timated, will increase the pension
roll by approximately $27,000,0OO
during the next five years, while the
Sherwood bill contemplated an ad-
ditional increase of $56,0OO,O00 an
nually. The vote by which the Sher-
wood measure was rejected was 81
to Is, only southern democrats vot-
ing against it. The final vote on the
McCumber bill was "A to 21. On
this vote the northern democrats
voted in the negative because they
preferred the Sherwood bill, and the
southern democrats because they
opposed both bills. The bill requires
benefciaries to have served 80 days
and provides pensions ranging from
$13 to $50 month, instead of a
60 day minimum and SIS to $50
pensions as in the house measure.
The house interstate commerce
committee has agreed upon bill
fixing the maximum rates to be APP
piled by express companies, and a
favorable report has been ordered.
In this bill provision will be made
for rate zones, the charges varying
according to the distance package
is carried.
Senator Bristow has introduced
an amendment to the free sugar bill
passed by the house, which elimin-
ates from the law the Dutch STAN
dard and the IL per cent differen-
tial for refined sugar, which is added
to the present sugar duty. The
amendment would fix the maximum
duty on refined sugar at s1.52h per
hundred and retain the 20 per cent
reduction on Cuban sugar under the
Cuban reciprocity agreement. SEN
ator Bristow believes that these rates
would properly protect the beet
sugar industry, would reduce prices
to the consumer, and provide light
brown sugar at reasonable prices,
with reduction of about $S,0OO,0O0
from present revenues.
A bill introduced by Representa-
tive Mott, of New York, will if en-
acted into law prohibit the giving OF
premium certificates with tobacco
products. Mr.. Mott believes that
the passage of this bill would be a
body blow to the tobacco trust by
taking from it the advantage it now
has in giving away coupons, base
ball players, chewing tobacco tags
and other things to be turned into
prizes.
Representative Taylor, a democrat
of Colorado, has introduced a bill
to recall federal judges by popular
vote ION account of lack of good be-
havior."