New Ulm review., 1913-03-05

sgas 7s Il
The passage by the senate OF the
physical valuation bill was an ex
ception to the rule. A somewhat
similar. bill had previously passed
the house. This Is conaidered one
Of the most important and far-reach
ing pieces OF economic legislation
considered this session. In the sen
ate It was advocated by Senator
La Toilette. who is held to be an
authority on all matters relatine
to the yexed question of interstate
railroads and their regulation by the
federal government The bill pro
vides for the valuation Of all com
mon carriers in interstate commerce
including telephone and telegraph
companies. Once fair valuation
OF these properties is ascertained, ii
is argued, it will be comparatively
easy matter to flx rates that these
public corporations should charge
the people as compensation for sery.
ices rendered.
the passage of the amended bill in
the senate, where it met with lit
tie If any opposition, that five years
ago measure purporting to do
what is aimed at in the La Toilette
bill. would have met with a very
sad fate and would undoubtedly
have been put to sleep by a process
of legislative chloroforming oft
times called into use to kill legis.
lation not wanted by the special
interests. But times have changed
The leaven of progressivism has
been injected into the upper cham.
ber. The personnel of its member
ship has undergone important
changes. Stand-pat senator's have
been succeeded by progressive SEN
ators, democrats and republicans, un-
til today the democrats of the SEN
ate are announcing that under the
Wilson administration legislation in
the upper chamber will be kept we'll
in tow and under the direction of
progressive majority.
Speaking of La Toilette, five or
six years ago he could not secure
the attention of corporars guard
at the time of the delivery Of his
maiden speech in the senate favoring
stricter regulation of railroads. It
was common knowledge that sena.
tors among the old guard,-Aldricb,
Hale, Lodge, Smoot, Crane and 9TH
ers some of whom are now number
ed among the witch hazel" SQUAD
of ''lame ducks" s,"-looked upon the
somewhat dramatic statesman from
Wisconsin with supreme disgust and
The pompadour senator
made the most of this treatment. for
1t gave him a golden opportunity to
advertise his wares to the country.
But not so in these palmy days.
Those who look on at the progress
of events in the senate observe
that those who were formerly bit.
ter foes of the Wisconsin statesman
are now apparently his staunch
friends and co-workers. It is no
unusual occurrence to see La Toilette
and Smoot, or Ballinger locking
arms, and in other diverse ways
an ocular demonstration
OF the end Of unfriendly days and
the beginning of a new alliance. In
view of past performances it is not
strange that politicians should com
ment. Various explanations are ad
vanced TO account for the new or
der of things. Some tell you that
the senate has changed and natural.
ly does not entertain the hostile |
it formerly did towards La
Toilette and his legislative schemes.
Others, perhaps not quite so friend.
~ to the Wisconsin man, will whis: |
per that La Toilette has certain
well-defined designs, and that these |
designs involve his possible eleva.
ton to the senate republican leader.
ship Therefore, they say, he is
to that element in the sen.
ate which formerly opposed him,
loplng thereby to ingratiate himself
with this faction, so as to gain it's
support
The bill creating a new depart.
nent, to be known as the depart.
nent of labor passed the senate
in the, closing days of the session,
and is now law. The department
of commerce and labor includes
bureau of labor, but under the terms
If the recent law this bureau will
oe elevated to the dignity of a de-
oartment thereby creating a new
cabinet position designated as the
secretary of labor. This makes a
lew cabinet office for President Will.
son to fill.
Senator Bristow of Kansas, who
8 about as radical as they make
hem, wants all fourth class post.
masters receiving a salary of $500
year or more to be nominated at
primary election, in much the
same manner as county officials anc
others are nominated. During the
lebate in the senate on the post
'ffice appropriation bill Mr.. Bris.
ow expounded his views on this
subject, as follows: "The better sys.
EN- is to provide "a lawful way in
which the people themselves can
elect postmasters who are to serve
hem in the different communities,
'lacing the discretion in the hands
If the postmaster general to pass
lpon the qualifications of the man
'r woman who is recommended. II
IN incompetent person is recon-.