Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1912-05-01
WASHINGTON LETTER
Weekly Letter From Our SpeciA
Correspondent.
NEWS FROM THE CAPITAL.
Brief Items of Interest to Iowa Peo-
pie, Written by an Iowa
Man.

Kansas City may have it's claims,
but Washington is the original home
OF the jay walker.
The House has voted to make inn
mediately available $4,000 for the
payment of losses on registered arti-
cles in the International mails. This
action Is taken because of the heavy
loss of registered matter in the IT,
tanic disaster.
Spurred by the numerous remit
tances of conscience" money by per-
sons who had used uncancelled
stamps second time. Postmaster
General Hitchcock has issued string
ent orders for the careful cancella-
tion Of all postage stamps and stamp
ed paper.
Free transportation through the
mails OF publications for the blind.
which are distributed without charge
to the afflicted, is provided for In an
amendment to the post ONCE appro-
priation bill adopted by the House on
motion by Representative Murdock
OF Kansas.
Representative Bulkley of Ohio.
who recently introduced bill for
the coinage of 3-cent pieces. to be
used principally by the people Of
Cleveland in paying their Scent car
fares, now desires half-cent, which
he declares is demanded by people
everywhere for use in purchasing one
of a two-for-a-quarter article.
Dr.. Harvey w. Wiley, in his ca
pacity as "a farmer engaged in prac-
tic1l agriculture, and as one who
has been interested during his whole
life in the sugar industry" has filed
with the Senate finance committee a
protest against free sugar. which he
characterizes as threat OF the ex-
tinction Of the industry"
New trees are. being planted iE the
capitol grounds to replace old ones,
and 1t is quite the proper thing foT
members of Congress to act as god
fathers. Vice President Sherman and
Senator Bacon have already officiated
and Speaker Clark, former Speaker
Cannon, and others, are on the pro-
gram to act as sponsors at paintings.
To those people SO unfortunate as
not to have visited Washington will
soon be offered an opportunity to see
the national capitol in motion pic
lures. A series of films depicting
scenes and life in the city and en-
virons, together with number of
colored pictures Of historical places
in the vicinity, Las been assembled
and an extended tour in the western
states booked.
Representative Curley OF Massa-
chusetts has asked the Navy Depart
ment to assign torpedo boat or
some similar craft to accompany Miss
Rose Pitonof, II year old Boston
girl. in her contemplated attempt to
swim the British Channel. Why not?
Some Of tho officers of our gallant
navy might without detriment be re-
lieved of the duty of upholding the
social end at Newport long enough
to attend to this important business.
The naval appropriation bill,
which has been agreed upon by the
House committee on naval affairs
and which will soon be reported, will
contain an item of $1.00O.0OO for
the establishment OF a world wide
system of wireless telegraphy for the
navy, to include stations In Panama,
southern California. Hawaii. Guam,
Samoa and the Philippine Islands.
No battleships are provided for in
the bill, but provision is made for
an increase OF 1000 in the number
Of enlisted men in the navy and for
400 marines and 13 Offices Of mar
ines.
Full independence for the Filipinos
after the year 1921 and qualified
independence until that time is
recommended in a report filed by the
) House committee on insular affairs
on the Jones bill. In the report
Chairman Jones asserts that the
FilipInos are practically unanimous
in their demand for independence
and furthermore that there Is no
real sentiment in this country for
the permanent retention of the
islands. The report also says that by
1921 English will be the common
language IN the islands.
1t is expected that bill revising
the steel schedule will soon pass the
Senate. as q result OF conferences
between the progressive republicans
and the democrats. The plan y to
haye : limited debate. Then the
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