The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1912-08-29
DOWN AT WASHINGTON
Interesting Notes from the National
Capital by 6. A. Wood, Special
Reporter Correspondent.

The reform craze is going to strike
a snag when it tries to improve the
physicians penmanship.
4' If George Washington really did
use great big D. on his senate,
his remarks to the present body
would probably be 'unprintable.
The Chicago minister who said
that all women cannot hope to marry
because their sex exceeds in number
must have had Washington in mind.
So successful has been the money
laundering experiment of the Treas
ury department that it is likely the
secretary will enlarge the plant and
take in washing from the national
banks.
During the quarter ending March
81, of this year, 1888 persons were
killed and 20,499 injured by the rail-
roads of the country, according to
a bulletin issued by the Interstate
Commerce Commission. In train ac-
cidents, 267 persons were killed and
4,7S5 were injured. Of the 1883
fatalities, 1,116 were suffered by
trespassers.
The house has passed the bill in
troduced by Representative Sherley,
of Kentucky, which makes more
drastic the pure food and drug law as
applied to patent and proprietary
medicines. The bill would prohibit
the publishing of claims for cure
alls'' that cannot substantiate or
which have no foundation in fact.
So enervating is Washington's
summer climate and so soporitic is
the atmosphere Of the two halls OF
congress that the superintendent or
the Capitol will install new system
of ventilation and refrigeration, by
which chilled air will be forced into
the chambers and the members llv-
ened into a semblance Of energy. BY
this means it is belived COMPRESSION
al business will be greatly expediat-
ed and the annual embarrassment to
the Chautauqua circuit obviated.
For the second time the house
passed over the presidents veto, the
legislative, executive, and judicial
appropriation bill. The vote was
1874 to SO, and the republicans vot-
ing for the measure included
Towner and Woods of Iowa. The
senate, however, failed to amend it
to- provide a continuous appropria-
ton for the Objectionable Commerce
Court until March 4, 1913, and sent
the amended measure back to the
senate.
The senate is considering the bill
to prohibit corporations from MAX
ing contributions in connection with
political elections and to limit the
amount of such contributions by
individuals. The bill forbids any
national bank or other corporation
organized under authority of a fed
eral statute from giving money or
anything of value to influence any
convention, primary, or election,
and no individual may contribute
more than $1,000 to any campaign
fund.
Postmaster General Hitchcock has
taken stand in favor of the adoption
by congress of the Lewis compromise
on parcels post in preference to the
Bourne plan. The Lewis cOmpro-
mise has been adopted by the house
as a substitute for the Bourne plan,
which latter included only fourth
class mail matter and excluded agri-
cultural products and books, made
no provision for c. o. D. privileges,
and denied the right of indemnifica-
ton by insurance concerns for in
jured or lost shipments. All these
rights are accorded under the Lewis
Compromise. 49,.
With 40 democrats and one re-
publican holding out against even
one new battle ship, the house, by
a vote of ISL to so, has adopted
the conference agreement on the
naval appropriation bill, which pro-
vides for the building of plus-ultra-
superintendent The senate has
already adopted the agreement,
which represents compromise be-
tween the senate and house on one
new battle ship, and the bill will
now go to the president for sigma
ture. The bill as passed carries
3,220,7O7, an increase of approx
imately 100000 over the measure
as it passed the house. Secretary
has named the projected battleship
the "Pennsylvania" and the armored
cruiser of that name will probably
be christened "Harrisburgh."
Representative Gilbert N. Haugen,
of the Fourth Iowa District, has
been entitled to his seat in the
house over the protest of M. T..
Murphy, and Representative Legare,
democrat of South Carolina, has
been seated over the protest of A.
r. Prioleau, negro. Prioleau has
established a record as a protestant,
having filed objections in every con-
gressional election in the first
South Carolina district for ten years.
Until the contest previous to the
present one he was allowed $4,000
for expenses in prosecuting each
case. At that time the sum was
materially reduced, and members of
the election committee intimated
that it will be still further cut at
this time.
UWhile the iowa railroad commits