The Idaho Republican., 1912-03-22
AFFAIRS AT WASHINGTON

During the discussion of the advis
ability of maintaining the Remsel
board, Representative French of Ida
no, called attention to the fact tina
this institution was not entirely II
the interest of the manufacturers, bu
that its existence was of equal i'm
portance to the consumer, and he
added that while it might "be true II
the few cases that have been submit
ted to the Remsen board, difference.
have arisen on account of the produc
er not seeing things the way the chiei
of the bureau of chemistry saw them
it does not require much of imagina
tion to see the bureau of chemistry
in some future time take such posi-
tion that, in the interest of the con.
sumer himself, it might be very ad-
vantageous to take an appeal to some
board such as the Remsen board. y
This statement of Mr.. French was
recognized by members of the House
as limiting at the very root of great
difficulty in the affairs of regulating
food products, because of the fact
that the escentric Doctor Wiley has a
habit of reversing himself on scanda-
lously short notice, and the Remsen
board on the contrary has a way of
sticking to its conclusions, thereby
making it possible for manufacturers
and dealers to have somewhat of a
definite idea as to where they are at,
a condition that would be impossible
under the strict supervision of the
chief chemist.
The Congressional Record for some
time has been unusually thin, causing
people to speculate as to the reason.
An explanation has been offered in
the form of absence from roll calls
of the names of Senators LaFollette
and Hepburn, both of whom are rest
ing from their duties as senators,
with the result that the country is
being deprived of the great knowl
edge these gentlemen are able to dis
senate through their long-winded
speeches.
Representative Humphrey of Wash.
ington declares that the Panama Ca
nal should be operated with free tolls
for vessels flying the American flag,
engaged in either domestic or foreign
trade And in emphasis of this posi-
ton he declares that 'the opposition
to free tolls for American ships in
the coastwise trade comes from two
sources, and two only, transcontinent-
al railways and the shipping COM
bine." Mr.. Humphrey declares that
80 per cent of the foreign commerce
of the United States is carried in for
eign ships that belong to rings,
pools and conferences"
The question of equal rights for
women was seriously considered be-
fore the Congressional club of Wash
ington few afternoons ago, and the
ladies were MI III delighted when
Representative Taylor of Colorado,
was told of the influence of women
in public affairs in his state. Equal
suffrage is being pushed strenuously
by the wives of senators and repre-
sentatives; and there is, therefore,
pretty strong likelihood that this
force in national politics will get re-
suits long before the voters make up
their minds as to initiatives, referen-
dums, recalls, tariff schedules, and a
hundred and one other distressing
subjects.
The new associate justice Mahlon
Pitney of New Jersey, who succeeds
the late Justice Harlan, found rough
shedding in the senate, but succeed
ed in being confirmed by vote of
so to 26. Among the Republican
senators who voted against the con-
were Messrs. Bourne, Bris-
tow, Kenyon, Cummins and Poindex-
ter, while Senators Chamberlain,
Gore, Hitchcock, Kern, Myers and |
Reed were among the Democratic
opposed to the appointment.
Senator Poindexter of Washington,
has been asked by the Roosevelt bu-
reau to visit different parts of the
for the purpose of making
addresses in behalf Of Colonel Roose-
velt, and he will stump Massachu-
setts, Delaware, and quite likely
Michigan.
There is no question but what
Washington is somewhat uneasy over
he continuation of Mexico revolu-
ions, and the action instituted in the
~ Itnt 1yt ~