Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1912-05-15
WASHINGTON LETTER
Weekly Letter From Our Spec,
Correspondent.
NEwsS FROM THE CAPITAL
Brief Itsms of Interest to Iowa Peo-
ple, Written by an Iowa
IN Man.

probably be others "up in the air
before the campaign is over.
Now that Jer4y Simpsons spiri
has said that Champ Clark is to be
nominated and ELECTED, what's the
use of all this fussH
The one hundredthA anniversary o.
the general land office, one of the
oldest bureaus of tha government
was celebrated during the past week
The Star Spangled Manner" be
! ing about the only air w@ can recog
nize, We are immensely pleased tha
IL has been proved to be an Americar
tune and not of British origin.
The Senate has passed bill To-
the regulation of wireless telegraphy
giving the Secretary of Commeisc,
and Labor authority over all wire
less stations and providing for licens-
ing them. K
New York's supply of domestics ie
100000 short of the demand, yet
there are a million, more or less
girls working at starvation wages In
stores, sweat shops and millinery es-
tablishments in the city.
To minimize the loss of life in
event of shipwreck, the House has
passed bill appropriating 100000
to equip all army transports with
sufficient lifeboats and RATS to &C.
commodate every person carried on
board
The crop report of the Department
of Agriculture for May shows de-
cidedly unfavorable condition with
regard to winter wheat, which, owing
to an unusually hard winter, will
produce a crop estimated at about
6O,000,O00 bushels less than that Of
last year. .5,.,.
The bill of Representative Bulke-
ley of Ohio providing for the issuance
of Scent and 1-2-cent pieces has
been passed by the House, with an
amendment providing that the di-
mensions of neither of the proposed
coins shall be identical with any
other United States coin in general
circulation.
The agricultural appropriation bill
as reported to the Senate carries a
total of $17,956,967, an increase OF
s1,723,61O as passed by the House
and nearly $2,000,0OO in excess oi
the estimates. The increases aEe
distributed among the several other
bureaus, but the Forest Service is
given sS00,000 for emergency, fire.
fighting and patrol.
The House committee on eXpendi
lures in the Department of Agricul.
ture has begun hearings on the reso
luton of Representative Nelson o1
Wisconsin, authorizing an investiga
ton of the meat inspection service
Mr.. Nelson asserts that the meat in
spection service is conducted in the
interests of the packers. Secretar!
Wilson has issued a statement re
futing in strong terms the charge.
of the Nelson charge and declaring
that the meat inspection service i!
conceded to be the best in the world
Under the provisions of resolu
| tion passing the House by unanimou!
vote, the president is authorized t.
open negotiations for an information
al conference to meet at Washington
for the purpose of formulating plan:
for properly safeguarding ocean ira
vel The president is authorized Il
1ssue call for a conference to ascer
tain the opinions of maritime ma
lions upon the desirability of adopt
fng laws for the greater security o
lie and property on merchant yes
sells at sea, including, If practicable
regulations to establish standards o
efficiency of officers and crews at sea
Uniform regulations for the construc
tion of hulls, machinery and boilers
a and the adequate equipment of al
vessels with apparatus designed Il
save life in times of emergency will
also be considered.
Amid great excitement, the House
sitting as committee of the whole
Thursday night completed its consid
Grafton of the legislative, judicial an,
executive appropriation bill, and TIL
| measure, retaining the provision
abolishing the Court Of Commerc
and with the sections calling for re
forms in the civil service great.
n House proper. The vote on the abo
Eition of the Court of Commerce wa
120 to 40, many republicans, includ
ing Prouty, Towner. Greene an
Good of Iowa voting with the ma
Jority, The provision for the mers