The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1913-10-16
THE NATIONAL CAPITAL

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THE NATIONAL CAPITAL
Bookings Register Bureau. Washington, DC.
(By j. e. Jones)
The senate took a whirl at the meth
cd of distributing lands opened to the
public at a recent session, and treated
the legislation as an emergency meas
ure because a Nebraska forest reserve
was due to be restored to the public
domain on the first of October. The
scandal Of the entry of public lands,
the long waiting of applicants in line,
the disappointments and expenses in
flicted upon those who could not file,
Is a familiar story in the west and
middle west, and acting Secretary Of
the Interior Jones, Representative
Ferris as chairman Of the public lands
committee in the house, and Senator
Myers of Montana, took the initiative
in preparing a bill providing that the
president may prescribe the methods
Of disposing of public lands in the fu-
ture under the lottery system-a meth
cd which had proven it's merit in many
cases. Senators Norris, Shafroth,
Jones, Walsh and Lane participated
as the defenders of the bill in a spirit
ed discussion in the senate, the result
Of which was that the which
had previously passed the house be-
came a law.
In the course of his remarks con.
corning the currency bill, Representa-
tive Neeley of Kansas, declared it as
his blief that the measure would have
been a better n had it been framed
in the clear light of the open day,
where the public could have the priv
ilege Of criticising, commenting or
suggesting anything of value to the
subject ITSELF" He explained that en-
pertaining these views, he had voted
to open the doors of the committee,
and that he had subsequently made a
motion to open the doors of the eau
Gus so that the white light of pub
licity would not only be turned on the
bill itself, but might beat down direct.
ly upon the membership of that eau
Gus, and the public see and understand
the motives that actuated every man
who participated in the deliberations
therein"
Uncle Joe" Cannon got most Of the
big headlines of the first page while
ex-President Taft occupied the inside
columns Of the daily newspapers at
the time Of the recent visit of the two
men to the National Capital, to at
tend the meeting Of the Lincoln Me-
mortal Committee. Uncle Joe has a
fund of witty sayings that still holds
for him his place with the copy gather
ers, while the '~ex-president attracted
attention only for the fact. that he had
lost sixty pounds Of weight by hard
work at golf and diving since he left
here last March. Such is fame in the
headquarters of the nations states
men.
The new chairman Of the progress
sive congressional campaign commit
tee, Mr.. Hinebaugh, Of Illinois, has al
ready encountered trouble because Of
the fact that some Of the members of
congress who 1--WE their political exist
ence to the progressive movement are
busily engaged throughout their dis
tricts in attempting to make trades
with the republican organizations In
order that they may thus avert three
cornered contests. In three instances
Copley Of Illinois, Chandler Of New
York, and Lafferty Of Oregon. and in
some OF the cases Of California men,
bers, the congressman are ready to use
the progressive party for trading pur-
poses, and r flirting with the repub-
lican party In practically the same
way. Thus at this early day It looks as
II there would be q good deal Of q
mix-up among congressional 'bedcel
lows at another election.
The statement Of Representative
Ferris In congress that : section OF
Nevada ~ suffering for = lev land
ofice ana that this section had In
cmreased ninetythree per cent IN ten
vaara hrourhf tina 3nnuirv from Mr.