The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1914-10-22
Washington Whisperines.

WASHINGTON. D. c.. Oct. 21. The failure Of
Congress to pass Rivers and Harbors bill at the
present session has brought the members of
the Rivers and Harbors Committee face to face
with q serious situation and they are nov dis
cussing with great interest the pros and cons
of river and harbor bill during the short ses-
sion which begins on the first Monday in De-
cember. Representative Sparkman of Florida,
chairman Of the committee. told the corre-
spondents the other day that it was the i1ten-
tion of his associates to get to work, immedi-
ately after the reassembling of Congress. ON q
bill and have it reported before the Christmas
holidays. Failure to do this may mean an
other defeat, and that. in my judgment. would
put back the cause of waterway improvements
ten years." said Mr.. Sparkman. "Our grow
ing commerce demands that we develop our
rivers and deepen our harbors. and if we don't
do it the people will send other persons to do
it in our places"
Officials of the National Rivers and Harbors
Congress, which holds its eleventh annual con-
vention in Washington December 9th, 10th and
11th, are becoming optimistic over the reports
being received from all sections of the country
that rousing delegations will be sent to the
convention with view Of emphasizing on the
Federal Congress the needs of broad and
comprehensive policy of waterway develop
ment. New England and the Mississippi VAL
ley will be especially well represented, accord
ing to advices received by S. A. Thompson,
secretary of the Congress, while the Ohio val
ley and the section about Lake Michigan will
also send big delegations to join in the general
bors bill and the passage of make shift bill
of $2OO00,0O0 to tide over the situation until a
bill of generous proportions can be passed.
There are those who would have given
pretty sum to have been within hearing dis
tance while Col. George Harvey the brilliant
editor of tn. North American Review and
President Wilson were renewing old fellow
ships and burying the hatchet on peace"
Sunday. 1t will be recalled that there was
"faing out" between the President and Col.
Harvey shortly after the Baltimore Conven-
ton and the two didn't speak as they passed
by" Mutual friends, however, got busy and
on Peace Sunday the hatehet-burying scene
was pulled off at the White House.
While official etiquette forbids the divul-
gence of Presidential Conversations little bird
is responsible for this recital of what happened.
Mark Twain's name up in some con-
nection when Colonel Harvey remarked casual
ly that there were persons still in existence
who never had heard of the great humorist.
The President found this almost incredible.
"Oh. yes" the Colonel continued. ''only yes
terday here in Washington l met such an one.
He was office seeker. He declared posi-
lively that he never had heard of Mark Twain.
81 asked him about Tom Sawyer. No, he
never had heard of him, either. Nor Huck
Finn? No, never. Nor Pudd'nhead Wilson?
'Oh. Lord, yes.' he CALCULATED. voted for
him."
And the Presidents roar of delight did not
diminish in the least when the Colonel con-
tinued softly. 'and' he added. wistfully. that's
all the good it done me-"
Because of the abundant supply of cotton
seed meal there is likely to be in this country
this year, specialists in the Department of
Agriculture believe that the farmer has a bet
ter opportunity to make money by feeding
beef cattle than for some time past. The feed
ing value of cottonseed meal has been recog-
nized by agricultural authorities for some time
and large quantities of it are exported annual
ly to Europe. where the farmers. especially
those in Denmark, are well aware of its use
fulness.
1t is estimated that this year Ii. .0O0, 600 bales
of cotton will be produced in the United
States. This should yield 6.6s0,00O tons of
seed. While all of this will not be crushed, if
last years proportions hold good again. about
2,OOO,O eco tons of cottonseed meal will be avail
able, and as the foreign market gives promise
of being greatly reduced, there ought to be a
CORES pondng decrease in the price of the
meal, making it especially desirable for feed
ing purposes.