The Newport miner. [volume] (Newport, Wash.) 1899-current, 1912-01-25
NEWS FROM CUR
NATIONAL CtPiTAL
Presidential Politics at Pres
emf is Sole Topic OF | lterest
at Washington.

$lsiatlon for the benefit of the peo-
PIE Out the facts are that congress is
mere to elect the next president
his crops out in every conversa-
tlon where. half a dozen peonIe con-
sregate, Or, to be more explicit, where
even two people get beyond the mat
Ter OF passing the time of day and ex-
changing inquiries concerning health,
discussion of presidential politics is
sure to follow. Senators, representa-
ives, visitors, newspaper men, office
holders and all others are deeply con-
cerned IN the campaign of 1912. 1t
must be that the people everywhere
are much interested or there would
not be SO much talk in the capital.
Purchase of Telegraph Lines Proposed
Representative Cary, of Wisconsin,
has introduced a bill providing for
government ownership of telegraph
lines, a project recently urged by
Postmaster-G General Hitchcock.
The bill places the telegraph sys-
TENS under the supervision OF the
postoffice department in charge Of a
commissioner Of telegraphs, and pro-
vides that the Interstate Commerce
Commission appraise at their bona
f1de market value all the telegraph
properties engaged in interstate com
Ilerce business.
Beating Pensions Rests With Senate.
Representative Underwood, of Ala
bama, Democratic leader in the House,
started something when he issued his
ultimatum to the effect that there
would be no river and harbor bill and
no public building bill this session if
the dollar-a-day pension bill, passed
by the House before the holidays, be-
comes law. For it is to be presumed
that the Democratic leader would
have taken no such stand unless he
felt confident the House would back
Kim.
Therefore congress, and particular
q
where it must choose between the
pension bill on the one hand and river
and harbor and public building bills
on the other.
The significance Of Mr.. Underwoods
threat lies in the fact that he would
cut of all appropriations for new pro-
jeets and also all appropriations for
projects that are under course of CON
struction, but which have depended
upon annual appropriations by con-
gress to keep work going.
Wiley Wants Drinkers Licensed.
Declaring his belief that most of the
drunkenness in America originates in
clubs, DR.. Harvey Wiley, pure food
expert for the government, advanced
as a solution that all drinking men
and women who treat be forced to
take out individual licenses.
When a man goes into a saloon,
make him present his license number
and pay 1 cent internal revenue tax
for every drink. Make him write his
name on a slip of paper for every
drink. If it is seen that a saloon
keeper is giving too many drinks to
any one man, then stop the saloon
mans license. Do these things and
you stop drunkenness"
Economy and Efficiency Advocated.
Economy and efficiency in the
government service" was the keynote
Of a message from President Taft to
congress. He attempted to point out
low the people may save for them
selves annually millions of dollars in
the operation of their governmental
machinery; proposed that all admin
istrati~e officers in the departments
at Washington be placed under civil
service; advocated the extension of
the merit system; urged the adoption
Of the budget system, and suggested
plan for the retirement of civil SER
vice employees on PENSIONS
National Capital Brevities.
aItOl nSS -GCuSId1 w IChSfSDam as
sured the House committee on rules
that the governn- / would take action
against the International Harvester
company, congressional investigation
OF which is under consideration by the
committee.
The state department was COMPEL
ed to administer a rebuke to Cuba.
Notice was served on Gomez that IN
! IS the laws were enforced and the
stability of the republican form of
government assured, the United
States would intervene
The house committee investigating
the chemistry bureau of the depart
ment of agriculture will submit re-
port sustaining DR.. Wiley, and urging
that he be given free rein in the en-
forcement Of the pure food and drug
law.
A favorable report is order on the