The Ontario Argus. (Ontario, Or.) 1???-1947, 1913-01-16
news FROM OUR
NATIONAL CAPITAL
Clapp Bill Aims to Limit Use Of
Presidential and Cohgres-
sionaI Campaign Funds.

Washington.-As a direct result OF
the senate campaign contribution com
mittee's investigation, Senator Moses
+. Clapp of Minnesota, chairman OF
the committee, introduced in the sen.
ate a drastic bill limiting the use of
campaign funds in presidential and
congressional elections. II forbids any
person, firm, corporation, association
committee or any officer thereof to
send moneys from one state to an.
other for the purpose Of influencing
elections. Such general prohibition,
however, Is not provided against poll.
tical committees, the bill specifying.
"The national committees of politi
cal parties may make payments for ex
penses of campaign speakers. trans
portation, hotel bills, expenses for the
dissemination of campaign literature
and advertising"
Violations of the proposed measure
are made punishable by Imprisonment
of from six months to one year.
Governors Act on Rural Credit Plan.
The conference Of governors here
took official action to further the ex.
tension OF rural credits, after listening
10 an address on the subject by Presi.
dent Taft
A committee of nine executives was
named to draw up a tentative farm
credit plan. from the reports of for.
eign credit systems, submitted TO them
by Myron T. Herrick, American am.
bassador TO France.
Ambassador Herrlck outlined brief.
ly the bond issue plan which he re.
commended for adoption by this coun.
try. The system. he explained, con
sisted OF an association of small stat.
or land banks, whose sole business
was the issuance and guarantee OF
bonds secured by farm lands. These
bonds have no fixed date for retire
ment, but their average is 30 to 20
years. The interest on the bonds av.
erages three per cent year. exclus'
i've OF the cost of the bond issuance.
The house voted TO close assay Of
fices at Boise. Helena and Carson on
June 30 next. The legislative appro
prlation bill omitted these offices and
when Representative French offered
an amendment restoring regular ap
preparations for all three OF them. the
solid Democratic side voted mo" and
the amendment was defeated.
The house granted new lease on
gets the usual appropriation OF sl3.O50,
To Authorize Complete Railway Probe
Amended 10 authorize also a com
plete investigation into the question
OF stock and bond issues Of interstate
carrier corporations, the bill by Repre-
sentative Adamson, empowering the
interstate commerce commission 10
make a physical valuation OF the prop
erty OF railroads and other common !
carriers was passed by the house with
out a dissenting vote.
The measure asked for by the inter
state commerce commission would \
provide for far reaching inquiry, !
with the view OF having railroad rates :
fixed on the basis OF income on actual
Democrats TO Block Appointments.
Preparations for the proposed move
ment by Democratic leaders in the
senate TO block the confirmation OF
he majority OF President Taft's ap'
polntments TO office to be made dur
ng the last few months OF his admin
stration. are under way here
All the postoffice appointments will
be "pocketed" by senators from the
Interested districts, IL is understood,
II such places where change might
De made,