Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1913-09-19
THE NATIONAL CAPITAL
Events of Interest from the Seat
of government.
BY j. r.. JONES.
The Cost of Gums and Powder.
BY j. r.. JONES.


The Cost of Guns and Powder.
There are more than the customary
number OF expressions of horror and
surprise emanating from COMPRESSION.
al circles this year because it has been
decided that the private manufacture
of powder costs too much. The an.
sWer of the power people is that they
must have a decent profit from their
hazardous enterprise, and that mas.
much as they stand ready at any time
to furnish the government with all the
necessary powder for warfare, they
should be rewarded, and they add that
in the long run the expense to the
government is no greater than would
be the manufacture of powder by the
government itself.
Congressman Kent of California is
one of the latest representatives to in
troduce resolution. He asserts that
war can be largely prevented by the
government controlling explosives, and
in his resolution he provides for ar
irving at suggestions to be made to our
representatives at The Hague to en-
able the world powers to control the
manufacture and distribution of all ex-
plosises. At the same time Repre-
sentative Tavenner of Illinois has in
PRODUCED series of bills providing for
greater activities at reduced cost by
the Rock Island arsenal. In the mean
time private nonopolies are "winking
the other eye" and counting the profits
from their business down in the land
OF Huerta, where black skinned citi-
zens love the smell of powder.
Physical Valuation of Railroads.
In discussing the subject of physi-
cal valuation of railroads Progressive
Leader Murdoch recalled the state
ments of the interstate commerce COM
mission that the total railroad mileage
in this country is 25O,OOO, and that a
proper physical valuation would cost
SIS a mile, which would make the en-
tire work aggregate between $1S,000,-
600 and $20,O0O,000. 1t was brought
out through the speeches in Congress
that each mile of railroad is to be
surveyed and appraised, and field
squads are to go over and view every
foot Of the railroad properties in the
Ivnitpd Sfotoc Inv az tn,
what part are really property, or mere
ly figured in as "watered stock"
Strange as it may seem, some people
deny that the railroads are over-capi-
tailed and one of the great national
leaders, Mr.. Mann, expresses this be-
lief, basing his judgment upon the fact
that metropolitan terminal facilities
have increased so far in value beyond
the original cost as to more than Off
set whatever may have originally ex-
listed in over-capitalization, bonds, wa
tered stock, preferred stock, and SO
forth.
Pork Barrel Legislation.
The conviction has settled itself up
on Congress that the manner in which
federal buildings are doled out is en-
tirely wrong, but the congressman new
ertheless seek to benefit from the sys-
TEN upon every occasion. Representa-
tive Sharp of Ohio expresses the belief
that no federal building should be con-
structed in any town in which the re-
ceipts of the post Office of that town
were less than $4,000 year, and with
at least 10000 inhabitants. 1t seems
to be against the rule to make more
than one appropriation to congress
sional district, no matter what the
might be justifyng a differ
ent course, and one of the towns that
has suffered by this unwritten code is
Everett, Washington, which has grown
in ten years from place of 1000 to
$4,000 people, and is unable to secure
a proper government building, where
as other villages of 1000 inhabitants
have been beneficiaries of the pork
barrel" legislation. Next winter this
sort of legislation will again excite
communities throughout the
country.
disappointment to His Enemies.
The editorial and Sunday story"
have taken up Secretary Bryan as
their latest topic, and the result of all
this Washington literary endeavors
appears to include the discovery that
Mr. Bryan is a tractable cabinet Off
GER, whereas it was predicted that he
would early be in rumpus with the
president. No dishes have been wreck
ed in the administration china shop,
and on the contrary Bryan has been
pulling his full share of the load ever
since he went into Office, patiently
playing second fiddle, and establishing
on the very best of terms with
all his associates in the government.