Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1913-12-17

| to them the thanks of congress- the
highest honor which can be given to
an American citizen.
! Under the terms of the Adamson
bill these men are named as deserv'
| ing that the thanks of congress, which
means of course the thanks of the peo-
pie of the United States, be given
them for their work Col. George w.
Goethals, chairman and chief engi-
| neer; Col William G. Gorgas, sanitary
officer; Lieut.-Col H. F. Hodges,
Lieut.-Col William L. Sibert; Lieut.
Col. David Du B. GailIard and Com
mander H. H. Rousseau.
Promotion With Retirement.
There is a second provision to the
Adamson bill which provides for pro-
| motion on retirement Of the officers
who are named, but promotion and
retirement which are to come only at
the Will of the president of the Unit
ed States. In other words, what may
be called a material reward provision
of the bill is dependent upon the wish
of the president and dependent also
upon the interests of the service. Un-
der this second provision the pres1-
| dent is authorized to retire two OF
| the army officers, who Of course will
be Colonel Goethals and Colonel Cor
gas, with the rank and pay Of major
general, and to retire the other three
army officers, Colonies Hodges, Sibert
and Gaillard, with the rank of briga-
der general. The retirement of Civil
Engineer Rousseau, who is civilian
naval officer, is authorized with ad-
| yancement to the rank and pay OF
/ rear admiral
One of the features of the second pro-
vision is that while it promotes the
| builders of the Panama canal and
gives them material reward, the pro
motion can come only with retire
ment and this means that the advance
in grade will not in any way inter
| fere with the promotion of other Of
| ficers of the army and navy In the
| regular order of the service. They
will not be jumped over the heads of
any of their brother officers who to.
day are their superiors in rank. The
bill seems to be carefully drawn, and
the belief seems to be that 1t will
meet with the approval of the people
of the country.
Lawmakers Kept Busy.
Congress passed without SO much as
a pause from the special session to the !
regular session and it has ahead of it |
as much hard work as ever confronted |
law making body OF the United |
States The Democratic majority will |
find all kinds of matters to engage its |
attention from this time henceforward, !
and it may be that when the present |
administration has ended 1t will be
found congress virtually has been in !
continuous session.
If President Wilson follows his es-
tablished rule he will keep senate and |
house working away until the COM |
pletion of the legislation which the |
Democrats have promised. The rep |
resentatives in congress show at times
a sort of desire to be slow In their
work, but Mr.. Wilson kept on prod
ding and there are few symptoms to |
show that he intends to stay the hand |
that prods.
IL IL Il lOuS 1ISI III tSSA0AhClfO maj
tiers which the Democrats have pre-
pared in accordance with their duty
of obedience to the commands OF the
platform which was adopted at Balti- |
more.
Program for Congress.
Here is a list of things to be done,
only partial perhaps, but. containing
the main subjects of legislation which
are now in sight:
Finish up currency legislation.
Amend the Sherman law to make
Imprisonment certain for violators,
ana to restore competitive conditions
to the business of the country.
Establish a system of rural credits
which will help the farmer financially |
and keep him from the clutches of |
the grasping money lender
Authorization of government con-
struction Of four hundred miles Of rail- |
roads in Alaska, and the opening up
under government supervision of the |
wealth of that territory.
Legislation which will give the Fill. |
pino people a larger measure of home |
rule, with a definite promise OF future |
independence with time set for their |
first Fourth of July"
The extension of the parcel post |
system There is already legislation |
which will make this possible, but !
congress must bulwark it with appro-
priations.
Authorization of congressional in.
quiry into the high cost of living.
Proposal of a resolution for sub
hitting to the people constitutional
amendment making the president In
eligible for reelection.
Legislation to honor fittingly the
men who have built the Panama Canal
Cocktails, Gorgas, Hodges, Gaillard,
Sibert, Rousseau.
Authorization of two new battle
ships for the United States navy.
| These are the principal pieces of