The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1913-12-25
Washington Whisperinas.

mote the improvement and maintenance
of the harbors and waterways for pur-
poses of transportation and commerce,
without reference to any particular pro.
Ject." AS the membership of the or
ganization includes representation from
all sections of the country it is, as the
resolutions recite, ''our endeavor to in
duce Congress, by adequate appropria-
tons, made annually, to provide for as
speedy improvement of our WATERWAYS
and harbors as may be practicable, hav-
ing in view such an equitable distribu-
ton OF the appropriations between the
different portions of the country as may
be just and in accordance with the de-
mands of our commerce."
The one regret expressed by the nearly
two thousand delegates present at the
Convention was the absence of President
Wilson, who had signifed his intention
to be present on the opening day of the
Congress, which for the past eight years
has been held in Washington early in
December, coincident with the meeting
of the Federal Congress.
President Wilson. however, in strong
etter indicated that he was entirely in
sympathy with the purposes of the Ma
tional Rivers and Harbors Congress.
whose slogan has ever been: "a policy,
and not project, in waterway develop
ment.'
The President was suffering from a
very severe cold during the meeting of
the Waterways Convention. and was
compelled. therefore, to remain away,
although he had given his promise to at
tend to strong committee of the or
ganlzation headed by its President,
Senator Jos. E. Ransdell
In some respects the program of the
Convention, extending as it did over
three days, was more diversified, and
with larger number of well known
men appearing on the platform. than has
characterized any similar convention,
and it is highly gratifying that the sharp
differences of opinion between the So
called Estates Fighters" and Federal
ists' growing out of the control of
water power for electric purposes, was
wholly avoided, the Convention in that
particular being in strong contrast with
the recent meeting of the Conservation
Congress, which split wide open on the
question of the control of hydro-electric
power.
At its meeting after the adjournment
of the Convention, the Board of Direc-
tors elected during the Congress voted
to hold its session in the City of Wash
lngton in December of next year as usu-
al, but in 1915 it will, in all probability,
go to San Francisco as the West has been
clamoring for a convention of the big
| waterway organization for several years.
No more in summer time will the fra
grant odors of the historic mint bed of
the White House grounds be waited into
the Cabinet room of President Wilson
and into the Presidents Offices, for the
ruthless hand of man has descended up
on this famous patch of mint, said to
have been planted way back in Jack
sons time by Andrew Jackson himself,
and obliterated, desecrated and annihi-
lated it from the premises of the ma
tons Chief Executive. No president or
member of his household since the day of
Jackson has done aught to this mint
patch of splendid flavor but to nurture
and enrich it, and ever and anon to pluck
its richly favored leaves for such uses as
nature or human inclination intended
mint to be put to.
Many and far reaching have been the
changes in and about the White House
Stree Andrew Jackson lived there, but
throughout this long period the mint
patch has thrived until today. But sud-
denly it has disappeared, and in it's dis
appearance there is a mystery, for no.
body about the White House will take
the responsibility for having ordered it's
destruction. One explanation is that
workingmen, spading the ground,
thoughtlessly destroyed the bed, but
hints are thrown out that if such was
the case the workmen had their conf
Dental orders and knew what they were
doing.
1t was only few months ago that the
public generally became aware of the
existence of the White House mint patch
just outside the Presidents offices. At
that time it became advertised far and
wide.
But today it is gone-gone never to
return, and hereafter when mint is
wanted for the White House table, or
for any other purpose, the White House
steward must HE himself to market for
it just like other folks.
And some statesmen, especially those
of the sunny south, when they heard of
the passing of the sweet and suggestive
mint bed were heard sorrowfully and re-
signedly to murmur, "and pity tits, tits
true"
More and more each day is that i'm
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