Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1912-02-28
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.

among the other bugs In DR.. VIII
ey's collection has been discovered a
presidential bee.
The use of aluminium in the Uni.
ted States has increased from SO
pounds in 1888 to 47,734,OOO
pounds in 1910.
An employe of the Treasury De
partment is suffering from a strain
ed back caused by lifting money.
Atlantic City is greatly excited
over the capture of a mammoth lob
ster. Reports mention not his name.
A bill to limit the service of the
president and the vice-president to
one term of six years has been intro
duced in the House.
SO numerous have been the de-
mands for relics of the battleship
Maine that it has been found neces-
sary to send for another shipload.
Swat the Fly" agitation has be-
gun in Washington but so severe has
been the winter that there are none
left to be swatted.
During the year 1911 7,67O,OOO,-
900 pounds of sugar were consumed
in the United States, or an average
of 81.7S pounds per capita, accord
ing to an estimate of the bureau of
statistics, Department of Commerce
and Labor.
After picking over all the avail
able timber, President Taft has sent
to the Senate the nomination of
Mahlon Pitney, chancellor of the
State of New Jersey, to fill the va
cancy on the Supreme Bench caused
by the death of Justice Harlan.
The Cummins resolution provid-
Ing for a right of appeal to the SUI
preme Court of the United States
from the New York decree approval
in the Tobacco Trust reorganization
has been reported adversely by the
Senate committee on the judiciary.
The conscience of a veteran of the
civil war living in Indiana has been
working over time lately and in con-
sequence the old soldier has sent to
the Secretary of the Treasury a
draft for $500 to reimburse the gov
ernment for mule stolen by him
during his enlistment in the army.
Representative Carr of Wisconsin
has introduced a bill providing for
Investigation into the conduct of Mt.
Vernon. the home of George Wash
ington. The bill is the result of a
protest in Virginia against charging
admission fees to the home Of Wash
ington
President Taft on Thursday sent
to congress a message repudiating
Postmaster General Hitchcock's plan
for government ownership of tele-
phone and telegraph lines, indorsing
the findings of the postal commits
sion raising the rates on second
class matter from l cent to cents,
the postal savinges bank.
The House has passed by vote OF
ITS to 127 the Underwood bill re-
vfsing the schedule of the tariff act
relating to chemicals. The major
ity voted solidly for the bill. Insur-
gent republicans refused to join the
democrats on the ground that in
many instances the bill carried in
creases over existing rates.
The Supreme Court has decided
that the Oregon initiative and ref
erendum is valid and that Congress
alone has power to change the law.
The decision was based on the claim
OF the Pacific States Telephone and
Telegraph company that a tax upon
1T imposed by the initiative and ref
ermdum method in Oregon was un-
constitutional.
canvas 364 feet long and %
feet high, containing what is said
to be the most realistic portrayal
of the battle of Gettysburg, is on ex-
hibition at the Pension Office. The
painting is by Paul Phillippoteaux.
and is valued at 100000. The pic
ture is being displayed in compli-
ment to Mrs. Pickett. leader of the
famous charge.
Democratic members of the house e
committee on postoffices have
agreed to incorporate in the appro-
priation bill a provision for the es-
tabibshment of general parcels post
system. with general domestic rate
Of IL cents and a maximum package
OF IL pounds. There will also prob
ably be provided for rural parcels
post, the rate to be five cents for