Daily Kennebec journal., 1912-02-22
CAPITAL JOTTlNGS.

President Taft will go to Mount
Vernon, Thursday. to place a wreath
on the tomb of Washington.
Because of the severe storm along
the Southern coast, Secretary Knox
| will board the cruiser Washington at
| Key West instead of Palm Beach.
Fla. He viii embark on the morning of
| Feb. % This will not necessitate any
change in his itinerary
A Senate investigation of Colombia s
claim against the United States in con-
neetion with the Panama republic and
| the canal zone and of the arbitration
negotiations with Colombia is called
for i'll a resolution introduced, Wednes-
day, by Senator Hitchcock of Nebras-
| lla Senator Lodge objected to its i'm
mediate adoption and the resolution
was referred to the foreign relations
| committee.
The purpose of the majority of the
House ways and means committee -
abolish the Tariff. .Board and substi-
,tute for it another kind of commits
sion, was manifested. Wednesday, ny
the introduction of bill for revenue
board by Rep. A Mitchell Palmer OF
| L
second of the kind, another having
been introduced by Rep. Peters OF
| Massachusetts, providing for a board
of statistical experts.
For the first time since the insur-
gent Republicans broke away from
the regulars in the fight on the pc
troleum duty in the Payne tariff bill
in 1909, the Republicans Of the House.
| Wednesday, presented practically q.
solid front against the passage of q.
tariff revision bill. The insurgents
voted with the regular Republican
forces against the Underwood chemi-
cal tariff which was passed, however,
by 173 to 127.
/ Regulations for the $4,000 motor
boats in United States waters We're
1 issued, Wednesday, by the department
| of commerce and labor. They make no
| changes in the rules governing lights,
whistles, bells and sound signals and
| only slight revision in those pertain
ing to life preservers, these being
| compulsory only for such motor boats
as carry passengers for hire. The
! regulations for the prevention of fire
also remain the same as provided in
| the previous law.
\ prolonged contest between rail-
| roads carrying coal to Atlantic tide
water points, particularly Norfolk,
| Va, and the New England Coal and
Coke Co. Of Boston over the charges
eyacted by the rail carriers for trim
ming and 1evelling coal in the holds
Of ships was ended, Wednesday, by
| the Interstate Commerce Commission.
| ID Of
| three cents Il ton for trimming and
4.5 cents a ton for both dumping and
| trimming was reasonable. The charge
Of 4.5 cents a ton by the Nirginian
| Railway for trimming alone was de-
| elared to he unreasonable so far as 1t
| exceeded three cents.
An investigation of the charges that
led to the sensational removal of Adjt.
| Gen. Ainsworth was authorized,
| Wednesday, by the House committee
on nilitary affairs favorably reporting
the Watkins resolution requiring the
secretary of war to submit to Con
gress all documents bearing on the
alleged INSTRUMENTATION. Chairman
Hay, first opposed to an inquiry,
changed his view and the Democrat
| ie members of the committee We're
unanimous. Wednesday. in favoring
action.
The building of two first class battle
shius t. cost $4,000 900 each exclusive
of armor and armament, with an i'm
mediate appropriation of $4,000, 900 to-
| ward their completion was proposed
in hill introduced, Wednesday, by
Rep. Foss of Illinois. The House Dem
oefats IN caucus recently voted against
any hattleship appropriation, but many
| Democrats are claimed to have chang
| ed their views and one battleship may
| he provided for. The naval affairs
committee will consider the Foss bill
in n few days.
| AS a sequel to the Interstate Com
| meree Commissions decision in the
| famous spokane rate case. that
| freight charges too and from Spokane
| were unreasonable and yeXorbitant,
| the shippers of the Eastern Washing
| ton Metropolis, today, made demand
| upon various Northwestern and trans
| continental lines for 100000 repara-
| ton. The complaint against the rail-
| roads was filed with the commission
| here and covers the alleged excessive
| charges enacted during the years 1910
| and 1911. 1t is the largest single case
of reparation ever brought before the
| commission and amounts to almost as
| much as the aggregate of the notable
| "yellow pine cases" of 1907.
REVOLT SPREADING.