The Dermott news., 1917-02-22
PLAN FOR GOVERNMENT OWNER. SHIP IN DISTRICT NOT LIKE
 " TO CARRY.
MEASURE DESIGNED AS TEST
Efforts to Put City of Washington in the Prohibition Column Rouses the Residents to Bitter Battie--lower House Must Decide.
By GEORGE CLINTON.

house committee of the District Of Columbia on the Lewis bill for gov ernment ownership of the telephone system in the District. The intention of the promoters of the bill was to test government ownership of the tele- phone system in the city of Washing ton, which is coiucident with the Dis triet of Columbia, with view pos sibly Co more extensive territorial ae- ton in the future.
 Representative Lewis of Maryland, who is the father of this government ownership proposition, will leave congress on March 1. Ii has been his desire to secure affirmative congress sional action during his term of of flee. This specific government owner ship proposition probably will come be fore congress again. but the word K that 1t has little chance of enactment into law at the present session The hearings therefore are held by the proponents ot the measure to be IL present valuable merely from the edu- eattonM point of view. The opponents of the measure saS that there will be no chance 10 pass it at the next con sress because opposition to il will he strengthened iu che new body. The country must take iIS choice between the two sets of opinions on the sub jeCt.
 The District of Columbia which. aS has been said. means the ely of Wash iHston. has been deeply interested ever since congress came together in two propositions. either one of which if en- acted Into law would affect material ly the business interests and the resi- dents of the district generally Wheth- er they would affect them beuedeiaIN CT detrtmentallt is ot course. entirely according to the viewpoint
 Senate Passes Dry Bill.
 The L,A.is hill for government oHn= ership of the telephone lines in the district held the center of interest iu the house. while prohibition for the district held the center of interest in the senate. The upper house ha~ passed the measure farhidaus thc sale and manufacture af intoxicating lIquor~ in the eapaEei .o5 thc cuanz try. The hoaSe committee HON k can ~ideriu1 the sumc mea>ure-
 The senators either have cieored their skirts ar hesmirchod them ac- cerdus a~ men view fhe thing. hy their action en prohibition 9or#thc dis trtct Today th" urtcr house men say, Fl k up to lhe lower house men" and so the prohibition haI has been sent over to the# Hereiv~ ut t6e repre- ~eHtatives Itpcrbars may -o without saving thaf this prohibition bilt Aa> stirred The city of NaShu2tnu us few other things have slirred it for Eood many years.
 Prohibition in Washington i~ war like subject The advocates of dry legislation are as militant a~ any ~ol- dlers in Europe The same word can be said concerning the advocates of a continued wet season in this city of legislation. Words were not minced in the hearings which the senate com mittee gave on this subject nor are they being minced in he discussion in the corridors and committee rooms of the house. II k il huttle royal. as someone has put it. between the black bottle and the water Hason.
 Debating Grayson's Promotion.
 The scenes of the other days have ja~t been reaeuaeted in tbe United State~ spHafes although thIs time there hsJS beeu more red fire. tu Say nothing of thunder and flashes of lightning The s,uaror~ have bcen discussing, with more than uSual of thentrical areuupuunruf~. the uom- ination by President Wilson of Cary T Grayson. United States navy. to hc Il medical director aud rrar admiral
 AS everybody knows Doctor Gray- son has been fhe naval aid and Per >oual physician To the president eyer since Mir. Wilson came into efliee More than thiS he was for time medical advisor of President Taft Doctor Groysou ts comparatively speaking, junior officer of the medt cal corps of the sea service The president promoted him over the heads of l15 navy doctors to the post of medical director and rear admiral.
 Ii is not the intention 10 enter into questions affecting Doctor Graysous fitness for the rank to which he he's been promoted nor the policy which would Jump one man over the heads of others of much longer service. but only to say that whenever promotion by selection occurs there always k trouble for the nominee. the nominator and the senators who must confirm the nomination.
 Roosevelt Didn't Promote Wood.
 There is one curious thing which has accompanied this case of Doctor Grayson into the limelight The in- stant that the young surgeon was named for high promotion, not only Washington. but the entire country said Well, didn't Theodore RooSe- welt do the same thing to Leonard Wood. who was junior doctor in the medical corps of the army?"
 Years of service as Washington