Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1912-01-17

have engaged the services of
Iowa newspaper man, to send us
weekly letter of news items
from the national capital at
Washington, ID. G.. Mr.. Wood
s is in position to get the facts =
first hand, and during this most
important session of congress,
/" preceding a national election, Il
his letters will be unusually in
teresting.-The Editor. 9
+" = = +
Washington, d. c., Jan. Is, 1912.
Senator Burton has introduced a
bill for penny postage to begin July
/, next.
President Taft has signed the proc
lamation admitting the territory of
New Mexico to statehood.
Candidates for fourth-class post
masters are growing scarce because
of the low salaries paid.
. 1t cost Ollie James just S2,072.66
to move his trunk from the house
to the senate end of the capitol. And
it's worth it,
Representative Levy of New York
has introduced a bill authorizing the
president to appoint three vice ad-
mirals of the navy, to receive SILL
00e a year on the active list and
$4,000 a year on retired pay.
A bill requiring that after Jan.
1, 1914, railroads shall use only yes
tibuled steel cars in interstate pas
senger service has been introduced
by Representative Donohoe of Pen
nSylvania.
in the execution of an equestrian
statue OF Gen John Morgan, the con-
federate raider, to be placed at Lex
ington, KY, the sculptor has made
the grevious blunder of assigning the
wrong gender to the horse. 1t was
the intention to show the General
astride his famous mare BLACK
Bess,' but the equine supplied isn't
that kind of a cat.
Representative Humphrey of the
state of Washington, has introduced
a bill TO allow all American ships,
except those belonging to or con-
trolled by railroads engaged in coast
wise trade, to pass through the Pan
ae tnlI ahor
1t is now practicable for boats
drawing four feet or less to sail
through inland waters from Maine
to Florida, with the exception of q
break of about 100 miles between
Beaufort, n. c., and Georgetown,
S. c., according 10 an announcement
of the coast and geodetic survey.
A resolution has been passed by
the house appropriating $4,000 to
permit the Stanley steel committee
to continue it's investigation of the
United States Steel Corporation. The
committee has already spent 200
half of which went to an expert ac
countant employed to examine the
books of the trust.
Notwithstanding the bitter oppo
sition cropping out at various points
in the country, President Taft hal
pretty definitely decided to nam'
Judge William C. Shook, circui
judge of the eighth circuit, as asso
ciate justice of the United State
Supreme Court to succeed the lat
Justice Harlan.
The constitutionality of the Hep
burn law for the regulation of inter
state commerce has been affirmed b.
the supreme coure of the Unite
States in decision in the cases O
the Union Pacific, Great Northern
and Northern Pacific railroads. TIL
court also held that the order of tn
Interstate Commerce Commission re
ducing rates on lumber from point
in the northwest to eastern point
was valid.
The small number of complaints @
political activity on the part Of gov
ernment employees during the pas
fiscal year is noteworthy in view c
the years political campaigns. say
the annual report of the Unite
States civil service commission, sui
mitted to President Taft this weel
Observance of the rules and the resC
lutte stand of the president in SUI
port of the law are given as TN
reason.
For the first time in the histor
Of the government labor strike
holding up the machinery OF COZ
gressional legislation. The nous
committee stenographers have refu
ed to accept cut in their compel
sation from 25 cents to Is cents