Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1912-05-08
WASHINGTON LETTER
Weekly Letter From Our Special
Correspondent.
NEWS FROM THE CAPITAL
Brief Items of Interest to Iowa PeO-
pie, Written by an Iowa
Man.
Washington, D. c., May 6, 1912

Now is the open season for Wash
ir gton aviators.
Flies for Sick Girl" reads a
newspaper headline. Let us hope
that they cured her.
A New York man has just enjoyed
the expensive 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 case with closed
eyes.
No matter if we do go hungry, We
must have our diamonds. During
1911 more than S40,000,OO0 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 Stinson has ask
ed Congress for a fleet of airships,
ultimately to consist of 120 machines,
and enlisted men to handle them.
A Pittsburg woman has recently
had an operation performed on a pet
dog to recover a S400 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 for in bill
introduced in the Senate by Mr..
Swanson of Virginia, at cost not to
exceed 100000.
1t has beel noted ,Lat those rep
resentatives most anxious to kick out
of the civil service the clerk who
dares to grow cid are loudest in their
howls 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 a request for detailed infor-
mation upon all phases of their busi-
ness and relations with other insti-
tutions
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 N the consular SER
vice. The committee will also report
favorably bill for the construction
of legation and embassy buildings at
certain foreign capitols.
A bill introduced by Representa-
tive Lenroot provides that before
amy general reduction of wages of
any one class of employees of COM
mon carrier shall become effective,
employees shall be given the right to
protest, and that the matter shall be
Commission for adjudication.
Self government for the Philippine
Islands is deprecated in minority
report by the republican members of
the House committee on insular af-
fairs, protesting against the Jones
bill, which would grant independ-
ence 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
onsibilities of self government.
Numerous reductions in the metal
tariff rates greater than those pro-
vided by the democrats of the House
and general 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 bin as basis and pass meas
ure lowering the Payne-Aldrich tariff
rates on metals.
AZ bill passed by the Senate re-
quiFes that all ocean vessels carry
fn9 100 or more persons, whether
passengers or crew, shall at all
hours of the day and night main
pain the operation of wireless ap-
paratus. The bill is framed with
(the idea of requiring all large yes
sells, whether carrying passengers or
not, to maintain an all day service
in order that they may be on call by
other vessels in distress
Thomas c. Dawson, resident dip
lomIatic officer of the state depart