Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1918-05-01

ment of taxes that fall due under that
law, In order that the burden will not
have to be borne all at one time.
| Congress hesitates about taking up
bills for the further increase of taxa
ton, although 1t is certain that before
this congress adjourns more taxes
must be levied upon the American peo-
pie in order to carry on the war.
| Nearly every member Of congress
will say If he Is asked that he Is ire
mendously busy. Well, perhaps he is,
but the men in congress who are real
ly busy are those who may be denomi-
mated the leaders. This term used to
include the committee on rules, or at
least the majority members of 1t, but
with the reorganization Of the house
under the Democrats the rules COM
mittee was enlarged TO such an extent
that it became less important. The
really busy men on the house side are
| Chairman Kitchin of the ways and
means committee and Chairman Sher-
ley of the appropriations committee
These two men are working all the
time and very rarely get through with
all that Is required of them. Minority
Leader Gillett is a fairly busy man, or
at least he feels obliged to stay In the
house all the time that congress Is In
session. But Gillett does not begin to
do the amount of work that Jim Mann
used to do when he was serving as
minority leader.
On the senate side the hardest work
Ing men are Senator Martin, chairman
of the appropriations committee; Sen
ator Simmons, chairman of the finance
committee, and Senator Smoot, who Is
a member of both of these committees,
as we'll as of several other important
committees, and who makes it his bus
| mess to look after everything that
goes on in the senate.
| No doubt other senators and repre-
sentatives are busy, but they are to
large extent engaged in business which
relates to their own personal affairs,
particularly just at this time when
the congressional election is coming
| on.
! In connection with the symposium
that was held on Senator Gallingers
| eighty-first birthday there was heart
| felt tribute from Senator Mark Smith
Of Arizona. He took up phase of
Gallinger's public service which has
made a deep impression throughout
the entire West. The Arizona senator
pointed out how Gallinger had always
been friend of the West, had worked
| for the admission of territories as new
states, and had always sought to find
out what the Western people wanted
and had done everything he could to
help them. Speaking for the people
of several Western states, Smith said:
ST desire to express here publicly the
| thanks of the people of the West for
the warm, broad-minded, considerate
manner In which he has constantly
treated the struggling populations Of
the West"
| From the discussions that are heard
| from time to time around Wash
| ington 1t may be assumed that q
great many people are getting tired
Of the activities of German spies.
Senator Overman of North Carolina,
who has at all times been very anx-
ious to have severe espionage laws en-
acted, told the senate not long ago
| that he at one time asserted that there
were 100000 German spies in this
| country. He stated that he Is now
prepared to say and did assert, that
| there were 100000 active German
spies working against the interests of
| the United States and in the interests
Of Germany. This rather startled the
| United States senate, and 1t has set
quite a lot Of people thinking. The
probabilities are that the activities or
the spies will result In much more
DRASTIC legislation in order to secure
convictions, and also to make the zen"
alties much more severe SO as to dis
courage those who are trying to be-
tray the United States government, or
at least secure the longtime impris-
onment or execution of these agents
Of Germany who are living In this free
and enlightened country.
Any legislator who has pet appro-
priation which he wants tackled on to
bill is always glad to be able to
state that the appropriation will In
some way add to the food supply of
the country. In fact, many Of the
fearful pleas that are put forward
hint that without this 100000 for irs
rigation or that $1,000,000 for seed,
winning the war is impossible. A sen.
ator was recently urging larger APP
preparation for some irrigation project
on the ground that 1t would enable the
farmers in that section to increase
their acreage and so produce more
food. He was asked by senator from
neighboring state If 1t would not be