The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1912-05-09
DOWN AT WASHINGTON.
interesting Notes from the National
Capital by G. A. Wood, Special
Reporter Correspondent. s.

Washington, D. c., May 4, 1912.
Now is the open season for Wash
ington aviators. =.
''Flies for Sick Grip reads news
paper headline. Let us hope that
they cured her.
A New York man has just enjoyed
the exclusive luxury of choking to
death on piece Of beefsteak.
That blind medical student of
Chicago will not be the first of his
kind to go at a case with closed eyes.
No matter if We do go hungry, we
must have our diamonds. During
1911 more than S4O,0OO,0OO worth
of gems were imported.
The price of writing paper is 60
ing up. Now if speech could only
be taxed to silence we might have
peace during the remainder Of the
campaign.
Secretary of war Stimson has ask
ed congress for a feet of airships,
ultimately to consist of 120 ma
chimes, with fifteen squadrOns of Of
ficers and enlisted men to handle
them.
| A Pittsburg woman has recently
had an operation performed on a
pet dog to recover $500 ring, which
the brute had swallowed. With most
of us that operation would have been
swift and sure.
Purchase of 400 acres of land on
which is located the Natural Bridge
of Virginia, is provided in a bill in
troduced in the senate by Mr.. Swan
son, of Virginia, at cost not to ex-
coed 100000.
1t has been noted that those rep
resentatives most anxious to kick
out of the civil service the clerk who
dares to grow old are loudest in their
bowls against cutting down the mile
age allowance to congressman.
Preliminary to the money trust
investigation the committee on bank
! ing and currency has sent to 10000
banks request for detailed Informal
ton upon all phases of their bust
ness and relations with other insti-
buttons.
One thousand of the smaller post
offices located in rural districts have
been designated postal savings banks
by the Postmaster General, bringing
the total number of such offices up
to 5000, including practically all
presidential offices.
! The house committee on foreign
affairs has ordered a favorable re-
port on the Sulzer bill establishing
! the merit system in the consular SER
vice. The committee will also report
Efavorably bill for the contraction
of legation and embassy buildings at
certain foreign capitals.
A bill introduced by Representa-
, tive Lenroot provides that before any
general reduction of wages of any
one class of employees of. common
carriers shall become effective en-
ployees shall be given the right to
protest and that the matter shall be
referred to the Interstate Commerce
Commission for adjudication.
Self-government for the Philippine
lslandslis deprecated in a minority
report by the republican members of
the house committee on insular Eaf-
falrs protesting against the Jones
Dill which would grant independence
to the Filipinos after 1921. The
proposed legislation is denounced as
cowardly, unWise and unnecessary
and the islanders are described as a
people incapable of undertaking the
, L.
Numerous reductions in the metal
tariff rates greater than those pro-
vided by the democrats of the house
and geneal reduction in the tariff
rates on metals and metal products
from the rates now effective under
the Payne-Aldrich law, are provided
in the bill which Senator Cummins
has introduced. The house demo-
Gratis and the insurgent republicans
of the senate expect to unite with
this bill as a basis and pass a meas
ure lowering the Payne-Aldrich tariff
rates on metals.
A bill passed by the senate re-
quires that all ocean vessels carry
ing 100 souls or more persons,
whether passengers or crew, shall at
all hours of day and night maintain
! the operation of wireless apparatus.
The bill is framed with the idea of
requiring all large vessels, whether
carrying passengers or not, to main
tain an all-day service in order that
they may be on call by other vessels
in distress.
Thomas c. Dawson, resident diplo-
matte officer of the State Depart
ment, we'll known in Iowa, died at
his home in Washington May 2,
from. complication of diseases. Mr..
Dawson was born in Wisconsin. He
studied for time at Harvard but
removed to Indiana before gradual
ing and received his degree at Han
over and was admitted to the bar
after completing course in the
Cincinnati law school. He entered
journalism in 1882 at Enterprise,
Fla, but after two years of this work
re-entered the law, practicing in
Iowa from 1886 to 1889. For a
time he was city editor of the Des
Moines Register and from 1891 to
1894 was attorney general of Iowa,
residing meanwhile at Council Bluffs.
The remains were inferred at Wash
ington, Senator Cummins and Repre-
sentative Good, of Iowa, acting as
honorary pail bearers.
Every civil service employee in
the executive departments at Wash
ington would be subject to dismissal
June 80, 1914, and many of them
n,1,,1l 1,ovo ohopno nf ro.in.