The Progressive West Virginian. [volume] (Williamson, W. Va.) 1911-1913, 1912-05-30
OUR NATIONAL CAPITAL
And What Our Representatives Are
Doing.


And What Our Representatives Are
Doing.
GEO. w. SUMMERS.
The voices OF West Virginians
have been heard within the last week
in the Senate and House of ,Represen-
tatives in behalf of legislation intend
ed to benefit people of their state
generally. Senator Watson spoke in
the Senate on the tariff, referring es-
pecially to the tariff on steel and iron,
while the Underwood bill reducing
the duties on these articles was under
consideration.
Senator Watson, i'm his speech,
took the broad ground that a tariff
levied for the purpose, of protection is
unconstitutional as well as unbusi-
nesslike. He said that Our most
successful Industries are those in
which we have accepted the compe-
tition of the world; our least success
full those in which we have protected
inefficiency and placed handicap up
on capacity" He criticised President
Taft as having made deal by which
.he agreed to veto the tariff bills of
last session in order to get votes for
his reciprocity agreement He called
former President Roosevelt the
"archprogressive of all and said
that he was in the White ouse for
seven years without even lifting a
finger to secure revision of the tar
iff. He showed how more than half
of the $1,186, 982,038 investment in
tangible property by the United
States Steel Corporation represents
water only and no actual investment,
and that all of this had been added
to the capital of the company because
of the high protective tariff under
which it has been operating. He made
q special plea for the adoption Of his
amendment providing that the Presi-
dent may suspend any tariff duty in
cases of emergency, showing that the
present cost of potatoes would be
much lower if this amendment were
law and that in the great coal strike
of 1902 the situation would have
been greatly relieved under such a
law.
Senators Watson and Chiffon have.
just obtained from the United States
Fish Commissioner, George M. Bow
ers, whose home is in Martins urg,
three and half million jack salmon
for distribution in the various
streams of Yes. Virginia. Oae mil
lion of these fish were sen. te
Charleston last week to he distribu-
led under the direction of Senator
Chiffon in the lower part Of Elk r:v-
er Senator Watson has been notified
that there will be distributed under
his direction and at his request $780,
600 jack salmon in the South branch
of the Potomac near Romney; 500
900 near Cacapon; 100000 at Buck
harmon, and 100000 in the Elk
river at Gassaway and points above
there. This is the largest distribution
of fish from the Government hatcher
les that has ever been made in West
Virginia.
The Senate has passed the bills in
troduced by Senator Watson provid-
ing for the erection of public build
ing at Buckhannon at cost of $780,
600, and public building at Keyser
at cost of $780, 900. While the
House will pass no public building
bill at this session, these bills will be
ready for passage by the House at
the session beginning in next Deem
Der.
The Department of Agriculture has
informed Senator Watson who has
been endeavoring to have couple of
farm experts from the Department
assigned to work in West Virginia
that its allotment of funds for this
purpose has been exhausted but that
it may be possible to assign man
to this work some time during the
year. The Department says it is very
anxious to start such work in West
Virginia and will do so as soon as
the funds are available.
The President has signed the new
pension law and its provisions are
now in effect. Every soldier of the
Union army who has reached the age
of sixty-two years and served ninety
days or more in the war will be en-
titled to a pension under this bill
Applications must beymade on blanks
furnished by the Pension Bureau and
the payment of pension will begin on
ly from the date of application The
Senators and Congressman from West
Virginia will be glad to look after
any applications for pensions under
the new law.