The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1912-04-11
DOWN AT WASHINGTON
Interesting Notes from the National
Capital by 6. A. Wood, Special
Reporter Correspondent.
Washington, d. C. April 6, 1912

Washington, D. C. April 6, 1912.
What is known as the "phossy
jaw bill, to tax the white phcs.
phorus match industry out Of exist
ence, has passed both houses.
Speaker Clark has cinched the
Indian vote by having moving pic
lures taken of himself leading a
band of braves up the Capitol steps,
BY vote of 1S9 to 90 the demo-
cratic wool bill has passed the house,
twenty progressive republicans, in
Guiding Haugen and Hubbard, of
Iowa, voting for it.
The Borah-Peters bill creating a
children's bureau in the department
of Commerce and Labor has passed
both houses and now lacks only the
signature of the President to make
it law.
Twenty-eight representatives, each
the author of good roads bill, have
united in an endorsement of the
measure introduced by Representa-
tive Shackleford, Of Missouri, and
will join forces to secure it's pas
sage.
Senator Shelby M. Cullom has dis
covered new avenue to the heart of
the voter. His expense account,
just filed with the senate in accord
ance with the campaign publicity
law, includes an item of $11.50 paid
for apples.
Within a short time after Presi-
dent Taft had sent special message
to Congress calling attention to the
damage being done by floods in the
Mississippi Valley, congress passed
a bill appropriating $550,000 for
the relief of the sufferers
A census of the wells of the coun-
try compiled by the department of
Agriculture shows that marked
decrease in the water level has taken
place since the first settlement of
the country, the average shrinkage
being about a foot and half a
decade.
The antitrust laws of Missouri
We're upheld and the states action
in ousting the Standard Oil Com
pany of Indiana and the Republic
Oil Company of New York from the
state and tining each $4,000 was
approved in decision handed down
by the supreme court on Monday.
Secretary Fisher of the depart
ment of the Interior is planning a
trip to Honolulu for the purpose of
Investigating charges brought against
Walter F. Frear, Governor of
Hawaii, by Delegate Kalanianaole.
Charges were filed last December to
the effect that the governor was not
in sympathy with the Hawaiian peo-
pie, but had leanings toward the
sugar trust and other special inter-
eSts.
To set at rest unofficial reports
that Japan is seeking to obtain
foothold at Magdalena Bay, Mexico,
and ascertaining all the facts SO far
as may be in possession of the gov
eminent, Senator Lodge has intro
duced a resolution calling upon the
President to furnish, eff not incom-
patible with the public interest,""
any information relating to the pur-
chase of land by the Japanese gov
eminent or by Japanese company
that may be available.
The four new senators from New
Mexico and Arizona took the oath
of Office April 2, and, in accord with
determine which should have the
long and which the short terms. The
slips emitting the lucky holders to
the long terms were drawn by Mr.
Ashhurst of Arizona and Mr. Catron
of New Mexico.
The army appropriation bill, as
reported to the senate by the COM
mittee on military affairs, calls for
an increase of nearly eight million
dollars over the sum appropriated
by the bill as it passed the house.
The principal increases are: Pay
of officers of the line, $S06,792; ad-
ditional for length of service, $243,-
200; pay of enlisted men of the line.
$40O,954; additional for length of
service, 100000; foreign service
pay of officers, $266,O0O; same for
enlisted men, $750,OOO
A bill is pending before the house
interstate commerce committee which
has for it's object the prevention of
interstate shipment Of live calves un-
der six weeks of age unless accom-
panied by their mothers. In advo-
cacy of the bill charges are made by
members of the American Humane
Society that instances are known
where calves few weeks old have
been carried on trains for 60 hours
or more without feed, and it is al
legged that the meat of such young
calves is rendered unfit for food by
such treatment.
Somebody ought to take Uncle
Sam aside and tell him the story of
the Kansas man in the old grass
hopper days, who, being questioned
in regard to his hurried flight, re-
piled that he had just sold a man a
quarter section of land.and while the
buyer wasn't looking had slipped in
an extra eighty. The government
has just had explored and is laying
claim to the Palmyra group of IS
Islands in the Pacific, and if it isn't
careful some one may slip in a few
extra coral reefs and dusky citizens.
Magazines, pictures, post cards,
newspaper magazines, and comic
supplements, which have heretofore
found their way to the dead letter
office will, under an order just is
sued by the Postoffice Department,