The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1918-08-09
Washington Letter.


vide for the deportation of alien an.
archists Representative Cassius c.
Dowell of Iowa took a decided stand
against making the measure any less
drastic than it was when reported by
the committee. When it was present
ed to the House the bill provided that
If man had been deported and re.
turned again to this county he should
be convicted of a felony and impris-
oned for term of years, and then
again deported. An attempt was
made to give the Secretary of Labor
authority to order the second deporta-
ton without the prison term. Mr.
Dowell contended that such .an amend
ment would merely tend to encourage
deported anarchists to make another
attempt to get into the country, know
ing that they would be merely sent
back again if they did not succeed
The Congressman's opposition to the
proposed change in language was
supported by several Of his colleagues
and the bill passed unamended.
of Indiana is receiving letters from
his State commencing him on the in
PRODUCTION of his bill allowing farmers
two cents per bushel per month for
storing wheat. Mr.. Elliott is partic-
ularly pleased with a communication
he has received from the Governor
of Indiana. 1t is evident to the Con-
gressman that unless some such ac-
tion as he has proposed is taken many
farmers will be unjustly discriminat-
ed against. The man who threshes
early will be able to sell his crop and
secure transportation for it, but those
who are compelled to thresh at a lat
er date will have to put their wheat
in storage until transportation can
be secured, and then sell it at no high
er price than the first man. They will
lose the shrinkage in the storehouse,
for which they were not at all re-
sponsible, and which should be reim-
bursed to them.
While the Census bill was under
discussion in the House, Representa-
tive John G. Cooper of Ohio sought
the adoption of an amendment that
would have taken from the Democrats
some, at least, of the enormous
amount of patronage they will exer-
else when that measure is put into
effect. AS it now reads all census
supervisors are to be appointed by
the Secretary of Commerce upon rec
ommendation of the Director of the
Census. Of course that means that
practically all will be Democrats. Mr.
Cooper would have given the Con-
gressman a voice in making recon-
mendations for appointments in their
own districts. Had his views prevail
ed Republican districts would have
stood chance of having their inhabit-
ants recorded by Republican supervis-
ors. Mr.. Cooper's amendment
met with disfavor from the party in
control, and was defeated.
A Presidential commission to in
quire into the subject of narcotic and
habit-forming drugs is proposed in a
resolution bearing the authorship of
Senator Joseph S. Frelinghuysen of
New Jersey. The Senator has been
aroused by the greatly increased sales
of "soft drinks" at fountains through
out the country and in the vicinity OF
our military camps. Many of thoee
drinks he declares are charged with
caffeine, which contributes materially
to the formation of the drug habit
among the young people of the coun.
try. To get at the real facts Mr.. Ere.
linghuysen would authorize the Pres.
ident to appoint three citizens to in
vestigate the causes which lead to the
use of drugs, the extent of such use
and other factors bearing upon the
matter. For the expenses of the
commission $4,000 is appropriated.
The Commissioner of Internal Rev.
enue has published book of statistics
/ Of income for the year 1916, which
makes its appearance two years later
but which contains some interesting
points at that. For instance, one tab
ulation gives the number of returns
filed for 1916 by certain occupations
compared with the total number OF
persons engaged in such occupations
as Of the census of 1910. From this
tabulation it is discovered that Of
6,047615 farmers, stock raisers and
orchardists, but 4,407 or "a per cent
filed an income tax return for 1916
showing that the farmer who is clear.
ing $4,000 a year is indeed rarity
despite the way the Democrats have
boasted of what they have done Il
make him fat and prosperous. Law
yers, on the other hand, seem to have
been doing pretty well because 18.9'
per cent of the 1919 in the countr,
filed returns. Probably Democratic
hodge-podge legislation was a bless
ing to the legal fraternity. The stock
brokers, including those who gamble,
in the farmers wheat in 1916, ais,
did pretty well, for of the 49,745 listed
20.73 per cent filed returns. Of tn
mine operators, 1888 per. cent file,
returns; lumbermen, 1916 per cent
manufacturers, 1905 per cent, thank
to the war which pulled them out o
tQ1d Iolo ,ot< x.vk,oL fLo nop,