The Mobridge news. [volume] (Mobridge, Walworth Co., S.D.) 190?-1917, 1912-03-01
CONGRESS IS BUSY
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
VOTES TO PROBE THE
MONEY COMBINE.
WAS NEARLY UNANIMOUS
To Investigate Proposed Panama Ca
nal TclIs-BiIl introduced by SEN
ator Poindexter to Abolish
Commerce Court.

Washington, D. C.-An investiga-
ton to determine whether there is a
money trust" in the United States
operating through or in connection
with the national banks, was ordered
by the house by a vote of 270 to s.
While Republican regulars and in
surgents protested chat the inquiry as
proposed was q sham" and a de
lUsion,' the Democratic forces united
in support OF Il compromise money
trust resolution, and succeeded in Sc
curing al but eight Republican votes
in IFS support.
Usage Of Panama to Stifle Rates.
In an effort to preserve and pro-
mote the interests CT the government
by the protection and development Of
full. fair, open and profitable use Of
the Panama canal by rhe ships OF com
merce and war Of all people and all
nations the house interstate and for
eign commerce committee embarked
en- a general Investigation of charges
OF ship trusts, subsidies and other ru-
mors OF improperly in the usage of
the canal after it is opened.
The resolution was introduced by
the chairman Of the committee, Repre-
sentative AdamsOn, of Georgia. 1t re-
cited the need of a thorough inquiry
into the charges hat the canal will
be used by trans-cOntinental railroads
to stitie competition in freight rates.
Il empowers the committee to cali
the aid of the government executive
departments TO summon witnesses ard
pat them under oath and to get papers
ana other information throwing light
on the matter. The result of the in
vestigation will be in recommends
tons for laws appropriate to the needs
disclosed by the inquiry.
Would Abolish Trade Court.
Senator Poindexter OF Washington,
opened his campaign for the abolition
Of the commerce court by advocating
before the senate interstate COM
merce committee his bill to end the
courts existence. Senator Townsend
asked questions designed to show that
only those who opposed the creation
Of the court were disappointed with it.
Senator Clarke of Arkansas, declared
If the court did not change it's atti-
tude he would favor limiting it's pow
ers or a%bolishing it although he had
voted to create it.
Washington. D. G. - The scandal
involving Major Beecher B. Ray Of
the army pay corps, is engaging the
attention of army men and politicians
because Of the evidence already
dicating that through the use of this
army officer in several campaigns the
army has been invaded by politics.
This has nothing to do with the per-
sonal scandal involving the name of
Major Ray.
The investigation into the Ray case
has proceeded far enough for it to be-
come apparent what the committee
hopes to show. Representative Helm
Of Kentucky, the committee chairman
and his Democratic colleagues say
that Major Ray was used in the 1904
campaign by Theodore Roosevelt, and
in the 1908 campaign by William H.
Taft, that he was detached from his
army duties, although his pay and ex.
pense allowances were permitted to
continue and assigned to Chicago
headquarters of the Republican cam
paign committee; that while thus as
signed he did political work keeping
the labor vote in line for the Re-
publican ticket and paying particular
attention to the order of railway
trainmen of which he formerly was a
member.
More than this, the committee Dem
ocrats claim that, as a result of these
political services, first for Roosevelt
and then for Taft, Major Ray was
shown unexampled favoritism, having
been assigned to Is separate and dis
tinct stations in IS years, although
the average tour of duty Of a pay
master at any one station Is between
three and four years, and that, al
though guilty on three separate oc-
casions of financial Irregularities and
once involved in a scandal relating
to a woman, each time, against the
recommendation of his superior Of
fcer in the army, he was saved from
punishment by President Taft.
These papers, or a limited portion
of them, as it afterwards turned out,
were forwarded TO the committee,
which, when congress convened, i'm
mediately began a personal investi-
CATION of the case. Since then no
less than three additional bundles of
papers, of vastly greater interest anu
Importance than those sent to con-
gross by the war department last
summer, have come to light.
One bundle, SEN to the Helm com