The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1912-05-30
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.

(By Charles H. Tavener, special
Washington correspondent OF The
Reporter.)
Washington. May 25.-The demo-
cratic house of representatives has
given the Good Roads Movement
flying start.
This fact is of momentOus import
ance to the people OF this nation.
Ever since the constitution was writ
ten there has been talk OF improving
the public highways. 1t remained
for this, the first session of the Sixty
second congress, to actually DO some
thing toward bringing about that
end. 1t required upward of score
of years to make start toward
stamping out railroad rebating, and
the law prohibiting that practice was
passed in a month after the start was
made. Likewise, the pure food law
Jagged for seventeen years until an
actual start was made. Within few
weeks after the talking was sup
lanted by action the law became a
reality.
The democrats in congress have
injected the first breath OF life into
the agitation for better roads. The
house has actually passed bill, and
as the matter now stands it is up to
the republican senate and president
to carry the work along. If they re-
fuse. the people will know exactly
where to place the responsibility.
Now that the democrats have taken
a definite forward step the issue be-
comes clear cut and direct.
In all the democratic speeches sup
porting the bill for road improve
ment which was introduced by Con-
gresham Dorsey w. Shackleford, OF
Missouri, it was made plain that un-
der the democratic program 1t is pro-
posed to spend that money when is
now wasted for road improvement.
Every year the government spends
millions of dollars for ornate public
buildings in small towns which could
get along with less expensive build
ing. such, for instance, as the $75,-
900 postofice in Sundance, Wyom-
ing, a town of $50 people. The dem
ocrats do not object to good, sub
stantial postoffice wherever one is
needed, but they believe a part OF
this money would benefit more peo-
pie, ana 90 IuOAS 6Oou A. SPSNS va
the public roads.
At the present time there are in
existence numerous government
commissions" such as-the Canadian
Boundary Commission, on which
former Congressman Tawney, OF
minnesota. gets salary OF $1,000
year. These commissions seldom
meet, and their only usefulness Is to
take care of Iame ducks who fail
of reelection. The democrats pro-
pose to abolish these commissions,
and to spend the money for road i'm
provement.
Improve the public roads with
money that is now being wasted!'
That is the democratic battle cry.
''Soaking'' the Consumer.
Once more the poor old consumer
has to dig down into his pocket and
pay tribute to a trust. This time it
is the coal trust, and the excuse given
for this trusts latest scheme to gouge
a few extra dollars out of the public
is the fact that the coal miners vent
on strike.
There is no evidence that the coal
strike, which was not, strictly speak
ing, a strike, cost the trust anything
except the profit it would have made
had no the men laid down their tools
pending a readjustment of their con-
tracts. But with this weak excuse
for a basis, the trust has decreed
that there shall be no usual spring
discount of 80 cents per ton on coal
this year. 1t is also announced that
the usual summer discount will not
be allowed.
Thus the consumer pays not only
the loss in profits suffered by the
trust during the strike" but he also
pays for the slightly increased cost
of mining, due to the small raise in
pay granted the miners.
Does anybody pay the miner for
the money he lost in wages during
the layoff? Not that anybody knows
of. The miner is not in a position to
gouge the long suffering consumer.
Still Deaf.
That the reactionaries in the SEN
ate are still deaf to the voice of the
people is evidenced by the fact that
the Lorimor committee, the major
ity of whom are last ditch stand
patters and Tories, has once more
white washed the Chicago boss. If
the people of the United States
could go to the polls and vote on
the question of keeping Lorimer in
the senate the only ones who would
vote for Lorimer are his personal
jobholders and henchmen, and the
tariff trust barons who need him in
their business. More than SO per
cent of the country's ninety-two mill
lions would be against his retention.
Yet the senate reactionaries are
deaf to the protests against him;
blind to the proven shame of his
election, and dumb when pressed to
say the word that would send him
back to the oblivion where he be-
longs.
Heyburn's Repeater.
Senator Hepburn, of Idaho, has
made three separate attempts this
winter to have the Canadian Reel
procity act repealed. 1nasmuch as
this act was not accepted by Canada,
there is no earthly use in repeating
II Rnt Hevburn has a reason