The Rathdrum tribune. (Rathdrum, Idaho) 1903-1963, 1914-06-12
At NATIONAL CAPITAL
Paragraphs on Important Gov
ernment Affairs.
GOVERNMENT OWNERSHIP
Politics. Trade Commission Bill.
Columbia Treaty.
The Tribune Bureau.
BY J. e. JONES

The Tribune Bureau.
BY J. =. JONES
Washington, d. C.-The success OF
the parcel post appears to have in.
spired the postoflice department with
the notion that there are more worlds
TO conquer, and Mr.. Burleson is said
to be impatient With anxiety oyer the
fact that the program Of the present
session Of congress has at no time
Included moving the sscentral offices"
from which 10000. 900 telephones are
operated into the sanctums of his
postmasters throughout the country.
Congress realizes that with SO many
wires 10 the air the undertaking of
government ownership Of telephones
may be difl1cult problem to pull
across. The postmaster general re-
fers to the telegraph business as being
Of q !"monopoiistic nature" and says
tits "of vital importance to the
people that it be conducted by un-
selfish interests" Therefore he
would acquire all telegraph and tele-
phone lines.
During the past seven months
Senator Boise Penrose has been
having delightful time 10 the state
Of Pennsylvania, and the news Of his
progress has been joyfully received by
standpat republicans and has brought
woe and CONSERVATION to the pro-
gressiyes. Penrose has developed
into good deal Of progressive re
publican himself during the past two
or three years, and being a very
adaptable politician, he early de-
clared 10 favor Of the direct election
Of the United States senators. But
now Colonel Roosevelt Is back from
the wllds OF South America, and be
Is regarded as great big buzzing fly
in the Penrose ointment. The
colonel has always been very loyal to
his friend Pinchot. and he promises
. light to finish 10 the Keystone
state 10 behalf Of the former forester.
Perhaps 10 due time the case Of
Senator Gallinger, who is candidate
for reelection in New Hampshire,
and Uncle Joe Cannon, who aspires
to his old seat 10 congress as a
representative from the Danville,
Illinois, district, will come up for the
especial attention Of the chief of the
Bull Moose party. In any event,
there has been 20 intination that
Penrose, Gallinger, or Cannon have
been showing any disposition to join
the welcome home to the gentleman
from Oyster Bay.
The house OF representatives has Of
late years been able to keep the
senate hopper we'll filed, and now 1t
Is passing on to an unwilling senate
an interstate trade commission bill
along with the other two trust bills
that have the approval Of the admin
istratlon. The main Clayton trust
bill prohibits interlocking director
ates, regulates holding companies,
aud restricts immense monopolistic
commercial practices. The interstate
trade commission bill is 10 effect an
enlargement OF the already estab-
lished bureau of corporations. which
Is part OF the department of
commerce. With the enlargement Of
this bureau It will become one Of the
greatest investigating branches of
government that we have, and
matters Of tariR, including cause and
effect, as well as business practices
throughout the entire country, are to
be comprehensively Investigated.
Perhaps the public may know,
after having digested all these debates
concerning the Panama canal tolls,
whether or not 1t is fact that the
United States Is trucking to Eng
land. They may also have discovered
the condition of Uncle Sans national
honor, and learned whether 1t has
been kept unsullied. While the
Panamx canal matter may have
stirred up lots Of feeling throughout
the couotsy, aad have aroused all