The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1913-01-21
USELESS EFFORTS
MADE IN SENATE
Members Present Dozens Of
Hopeless Bills.
IMPORTANT MATTERS HELD

Many Measures Pressed Forward Dur
ing Short Session Which Should
Have Come Up In Last Session.
Senator Mclean chides Colleagues
on Courtesy Rules.
BY ARTHUR w. DUNN.
Washington, Jan. 21.-[Special.1-1t
h interesting to see the earnestness
with which senators press forward
with different measures in this short
session of congress when there is little
or, virtually, no hope Of them ever be-
coming laws. But that is always the
way of the senate. The time to have
considered and voted upon the amend
ment limiting the presidential term to
six years and one term was in the last
session. The time to have acted upon
the agricultural educational bill was
in that same session, and the same Is
true of the bill to protect game birds.
In a short session, when every man
is anxious to get his own measures
through, when the appropriations COM
mittee is always ready to stand in the
way with supply bills and block dis
cussion, and when the time of the
house is about all parceled out, 1t Is
almost impossible to get action upon
any measures such as have been men
toned.
Chided the Senate.
Senator Mclean Of Connecticut, who
had charge Of the game bill, chided
the senate upon its courtesy methods.
He said that courtesy seemed to be
way of blocking business, and many
important public measures failed be-
cause courtesy compelled the senate
to wait until senator was ready to
talk. Senator Cummins has secured
consent to vote on the six year term
bill, but, as it will be complicated with
a provision to change the date Of the
Inauguration, it is doubtful If 1t will
get through before congress ends.
Senator Page has been struggling
with the educational bill, which, from
the way it is treated, is one Of those
measures which everybody Is for but
nobody wants. Like the Kenyon liq-
nor bill, it may pass the senate late
enough in the session to insure defeat
in the house. The efforts Of the YER
mont senator deserve better success.
Want to Get Under Cover.
When the parcel post law was under
consideration certain users of the mails
protested vigorously about coming I'M
der its provisions, notably distributors
of seeds and book publishers. They
could see that the fat rate they were
granted under the third class on long
hauls was especially advantageous over
the zone rate. But something has
happened. They find that In most
cases the zone rate parcel post will be
much better, and they want to get I'M
der cover. They find, as one congress
man explained 1t, that cabbage plants
pay Just double what the grown cab
-hage WVaid pay. Booksellers find that
while they might have to pay a little
more on the long hauls, they would
more than make II. up on the short
hauls.
Exposes the "Bunk."
With keen sarcasm and in fancy
flights Of oratory filed with classic
lore Congressman Rucker Of Colorado
sometimes exposes the bunk" in the
performances Of his fellow members
Of the house. Sometimes it may be
the tariff, sometimes the pensions, but
whatever the occasion he rises to 1t and
certainly hits right and left So sub
tie Is the sarcasm that bis victims can
not take offense, although they squirm
under his lash.
Rebul<ed by Warren.
Senator Warren runs more appro-
priation bills than any other man In
congress, and when Senator Jones OBJ
jected to the method he proposed for
considering one Of them the Wyoming
senator demanded the full reading Of
the bill. Then Senator Lodge asked
consent to dispense with the reading
in the interest of saving time. If
senators think they can handle the ap-
preparation bills better than the COM
mittee they had better take charge OF
Them" said Warren in tone that
showed his resentment.
Roberts Increased Mail.
A merry man on a New York paper
saw a statement, figured out by some
statistical sharp in the treasury, that
there was $3.50, 727, $50 in circulation
in the United States, which, divided
among 96, 496 900 people in the United
States, was $34.72 per capita. The
merry man said that every person was
entitled to that amount and that by
writing to the shipping clerk Of the
United States mint would receive that
sum.
The article was "syndicated' In
many papers, and as q consequence
Director Roberts Of the mint bureau
has been swamped with letters asking
for the money. II am a widow and
need it at once" writes one woman
''Please send mine in dollar bills and
pennies," directs another correspond
emit. "Give me mine in three ten
dollar bills, four ones and the rest in
small change" says another. Some OF
the requests are pathetic, indicating
that the disappointment will be keer
when the writer's find it was all the
Joke Of a merry newspaper man.