The citizen., 1913-06-13
WASHINGTON.
Legislative and Cen
eral Topics from
the Capital.

| hdN 4iiNNCltCllAlN tSll DCllllQ, ana q HltlC
later lunched with the President and Mrs.
Wilson.
AT the luncheon the present and the
former Executives compared notes upon
the vicisstudes of the Presidency and
laughed merrily over their experiences.
They had met only twice before. The
hrst time was during the campaign, when
both were on the stump" and the sec
ond on March a.
Before the White House visit the Pres
ident went to the Capitol and got lost.
He was looking for Speaker Clark S
office and, unguided, he stumbled into
the room of Majority Leader Underwood
Il am looking for one Champ Clark"
said the former President to the lone
doorkeeper, He was pioted to the office
of the Speaker
Speaker Clark jumped from behind
newspaper and shouted, "How are you?"
The former President and the Speaker
conferred for some time. Both are MEM
bers Of the Lincoln Memorial AssocIa.
ton, which will meet here this week.
Later Mr.. Taft called on Chief Justice
White, He will spend several DAYS in
Washington as the guest of w. l. Board
man. In the hours when he is not busy
renewing old friendships he expects to
play golf at Chevy Chase
Neither President Wilson nor the Dem
ocratic managers of the two branches of
Congress could estimate what effect the
Senate's remarkable lobby investiga-
ton" is to have upon the progress of the
tariff bill, the currency reform plan, or
business of Congress.
In the SIX days of griling, to which it
has subjected senators themselves. the
| investigating committee has secured in
formation aud opened up channels of in
vestigatlon that are likely to have an
important influence upon the whole
course of legislation in the future. Presi-
dent Wilson's charges that an unusally
large lobby was engaged in irving TO
influence changes in the tariff, formed
the basis Tor the inquiry now under way;
but It has run tar outside the scope of the
tariff and has brought the Senate Com
mlttee up to the edge OF what is expected
to be one OF the most searching inquiries
ever conducted into the question Of
Legislative influences"
a delegation OF 40 from Charles and
Prince Georges counties, headed by r.
f. Menk, called upon Representative
Frank O. Smith, OF Maryland, and urged
him TO try to get Congressional appro-
pratlon TOR the construction of highway
from Indian Head, Md. to Washington
MIR. Smith told the delegation he would
introduce bill in the House calling for
preliminary survey of the highway and
hoped to get an appropriation for it in
the hrst good roads appropriation bill.
An entirely unexpected question threat
ems to disrupt the delegates to the CON
ventlon OF Brotherhood of Locomotive
Flremen and Enginemen in session here.
1t IS the employment of a permanent
representative at the national capital
Many delegates oppose the scheme on
the grounds that the representative would
be lobbyist and, therefore, liable to
suspicion by members of Congress.
Those supporting the scheme say that
the organization needs a representative
here and it probably will require a year
and a vote to settle the question.
Members OF the House Banking and
Currency Committee expect President
Wilson to send to Congress his message
on currency reform. They do not expect
any specific detailed plan or Administra-
ton draft OF currency measure.
Whether all meetings of the committee
will be open depends largely upon re-
commentator OF a subcommittee Some
OF the Democrats on the committee ex.
pect to be called TO the White House to
discuss The Presidents views on that
point, the expression of which, they un-
derstand. is to be withheld from the for
NAL message,
The individual ratings OF the war ves-
sells IN practice were made public today
by the Navy Department.
The Crusier Maryland with a merit
percentage OF So S22 per cent. attained
first place among the vessels, according
to Lieut. Com, r. T. Craven director Of
target practice and engineering compet-
iions. The Minnesota finished nineteenth
and last, with standing of 90 37G. The
four vessels next to the Maryland and
their standing were the Rhode Island,
1904 Idaho, r. 562; Virginia 7I.o52,
and New Hampshire, 64.o74
The scores this spring are materially
higher than those Of last year in practi.
cally all forms Of target practice" SAID
Commander Cavern. This improve
ment is due to the establishment OF def
mite schedules for progressive training,
permitting better preparation for the var
ious exercises. The performance of the
older ships has been particularly crafty.
! ing"
The Official FAX" that has been used
lately in trimming the woods IN which
blossomed the boom Of Willis l.. Moore
for Secretary Of Agriculture again fell
this lime on the heads of d. l. Carroll
chief clerk OF the Weather Bureau, and
Henry l.. Heiskell. professor of meteor
ology. These men were indefinitely sus
. pended pending an investigation for THEN
], participation in the preinauguration cam
pagn to land their chief in Presiden
. Wilson'S Cabinet
+ There were also 20 demotions upon tht
y same charges and scattered throughout
the country. Most of the men affected
' were field workers and many Of then
were reduced.in salary. The reduction
were without prejudice to standing in tn,
e service in most cases merely put tn,
n offending employe back to the salary HI
n was receiving before he was promote,
l. by Professor Moore.
It Charges have been filed against so EN-
ployes, alleging that they received pro
J. motions for assistance rendered Professo
|. Moore in his fight for Secretary Of Agr
i culture. Copies of the charges hav
IS been turned over to the Civil Servic
l. Commission. Fourteen cases are held I
j; abeyance.
/, Moore was dismissed and Charles I
r; Burns. his chief lieutenant. was denoted
after an investigation in which Secretar
e Houston reported that Burns had tray
v eled about the country at Governmer