The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1914-02-26
WASHINGTON LETTER.

of Hon. Claude r. Porter, of Center
Vile, as district attorney for the
southern district of Iowa, and state
chairman N. F. Reed of Ottumwa rs
United States marshal for the south
ern district, both men recommended
by the state democratic leaders;
and E. R. Moore, of Anamosa, state
committeeman for the fifth district,
as marshal for the northern district,
whose candidacy was interposed as
compromise after a deadlock arose
between committeeman Earl Bronson
and Sheriff Hogan of Anamosa. With
Frank O'Connor of New Hampton,
now serving temporarily as attorney
for the northern district, likely to be
made the permanent choice, officials
of the Department of Justice believe
that four men have been named who
are eminently fitted for the high fed
eral positions they will occupy, while
the kilograms pouring in on wash
ington give an indication that the
rank and file of the democratic vot-
ers of the state are we'll satisfied.
The president gave signal dem
onstration of his confidence in the
ability and integrity of Jerry Sullivan
when he named him president of the
important board of appraisership at
the most important customs port in
the world. Mr.. Sullivan, though the
newest member of the board, through
legal and business ability and force
of intellect, from the first assumed
leadership on the board of nine
members, and his choice as president
was natural sequence. The presi-
dency does not carry any additional
salary, but it brings with it greatly
increased honors, not only in the ad-
ministratiOn of customs affairs alone
but in the way of national admins
tration leadership. A position on the
board of customs appraisers is prac-
tically for life. It's members have
the same status as United States
Judges, and are never removed ex-
cept for malfeasance in office, or
similar crimes. The position pays
$4,000 year and is one of the cholc-
est appointments in the gift OF the
president.
The pessimistic prophecies of the
republican speakers in congress
when the currency bill was up for
consideration that the greater per-
centage OF national banks would re-
sign their charters rather than accept
the new currency law, has placed
these alarmists in the role of false
prophets At this writing there are
only about 100 small banks out of a
total of about 5000 national banks
which have not joined the federal re-
serve body, and letters from them
indicate that they believed they had
six months to come in. Secretaries
McAdoo and Houston returned from
trip across the country cheered by
the unanimity of opinion that the new
currency law would make future
panics impossible. They also found
the strongest evidence of the basic
prosperity of the country, in spite OF
the foolish efforts of the standpat
press to raise a public scare. In this
connection Secretary Redfield OF the
department of commerce acted
promptly to nail a campaign canard.
Congressman HUMPHREYS of Wash
ington in a speech in the house in
December asserted that more than
100 single mills in his state had
been closed down by the removal of
the duty on shingles under the new
tariff law. Secretary Redtield sent
special agents to Washington state to
interview these mill owners. He
found that not one of them would
say that the removal of the duty
had had anything to do with their
suspension; that many of the Single
mills always closed down during the
winter months when they were un-
able to get material, and the number
in December last year was no more
than usual; that new American mills
are being built and old ones enlarged
in preparation for spring business,
and that the competition of substi-
tutes for shingles and not the remov-
al of duties is the only economic con-
ditions worrying the manufacturers.
The administration trust pro-
gram is progressing rapidly in the
house. House leaders this week told
the president that within thirty days
all the trust measures before con-
gress, which are designed to break
up interlocking directorates, prevent
the sitting of competition by trusts,
provide for imprisonment of trust OF
tenders, and create trade commits
sion to supervise over railroads by
the interstate commerce commission,
will be passed by the house and be
ready for the senate in thirty days.
Meanwhile the joint house and senate
committee framing rural credit Dill
to provide means of loaning public
funds to farmers is making rapid
progress and such bill will go
through congress before adjourn
ment. This is something that has
been talked of for years, but as in
other things, the present administra-
ton is putting the promises into prac-
tice. The bill providing for govern
ment owned railroad in Alaska, the
first step in this administrators
conservation policy, also has passed
congress. Bills are now being pre-