The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1912-02-02
AFFAIRS AT WASHINGTON
(U S. Press Association

u. y. IICOO EkoOolldtiOnJ
Why not look after the men witt
carry the mail along the rural routes
is a question put squarely up to Con
gress by Representative Burton L
French of Idaho, who has been thu
author of a number of measures o
exceptional merit, since he re-entereG
Congress last March. Mr.. French has
brought the fact to the attention oil
Congress that the postmaster genera,
is authorized under existing laws tC
pay two thousand dollars to the fam.
lily of a railway messenger who shall
lose his life in the service, and by
a bill he has introduced, and which
has the approval of Fourth Assistant
Postmaster General DeGraw, Mr..
French would do the common sense
thing of applying the same benefits
to the men on the rural routes. He
reasons that las an employee of the
government cannot bring action
against the government the
same as the employee of a private
institution, it becomes the duty of
the government to bear its RESPONSE
bility in the welfare of the carrier
or his family for injuries or death
occurring while the employee is in the
discharge of his duties" AS a far
Their reason why the bill should be-
come a law, Mr.. French says that
1.-The rural free delivery carrier
should be placed on the same footing
as the railroad mail messenger" The
French bill carries a provision by
which carriers who are injured, shall
receive their salary for the first year
of their disability.
Good roads is a popular topic, al
ways. A federal convention has been
held in Washington this week, the
spirit of which was to bring about
united action for national legislation
MI. Underwood, majority leader of
the House, was one of the speakers,
and told the delegates that the poll
cy of different sections of the coun-
try, each demanding the adoption of
different schemes, would never Sc
proper legislation. He urged
united action. Speaker Clark and
Representative Borland, of Missouri,
and many other southern Congress
men, addressed the convention. At
tention was directed to the fact that
the railways of the south We're ad-
vancing the work, and that the
Southern Railway has especially ar
ranged good roads trains that have
thousands of miles, and
shown good wagon roads methods in
every part of the south. Judge J.
Ronald, of Seattle, contributed an
interesting paper reviewing the pro-
gress of good roads in the western
states of Washington, Montana, Ida
no, Wyoming, Colorado, etc., and
out how the great movement
could be advanced throughout the
entire country.
There seems to be a hitch in the
matter of appointments for the new
state of New Mexico. Before Dele
gate Andrews went out of office he
made his wishes known, and since
t is expected that he will be the first
from the new state, it Is quite
that in view of the fact that
lie and National Committeeman Luna
ire agreed as to a program, that
heir recommendations will carry the
principal weight given these matters
It the White House. 1t appears to
,e taken for granted that the present
delegate from Arizona, Ralph H.
cameron, who was defeated by a pop
liar vote of about one thousand, in
lis race for the senate, due to the
Socialist movement, together with his
mate, Hoval Smith, will con-
rol federal appointments in the new
tate, and according to rumors on
Hill Mr.. Cameron will likely
70 national committeeman from the
lew state.
There is no doubt but what Mr..
Postmaster General Hitchcock made
luite a hit with his proposal to an
lex the telegraph companies Of the
ountry to the department over which
lie SO ably presides; but 1t is peril
Ient to reminiss in specializing as to
ust what one Theodore Roosevelt
you'd have done to a cabinet officer
1ho had preached such a plan to the
ieneral public without first taking
president into his confidence. The