The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1918-06-21
Washington Letter.
"WATCHFUL WAITING" IN THE
SIXTIES

gressman David A. Hollingsworth of
Ohio to reconcile himself to the recent
act of Congress authorizing the erec-
tion in the city of Washington
of statue to the memory Of Presi-
dent Buchanan. Mr.. Hollingsworth
enlisted in the first months of the
Civil War at the age of sixteen, and
has vivid recollections of those try.
ing times. He recalls the fact that
Buchanan sat complacently in the
White House and watched the Govern
ment he had sworn to defend drift
away until four years Of bloody war
fare was necessary to bring it back.
| What makes the matter the more ex..
asperating in the eyes of Mr.. Hol-
lingsworth is the fact that the Dem
ocratic Congress has refused a mod
est monument to Gen. Custer who led
the last charge at Appomattox. Rep
resentative Hollingsworth does not
hesitate to give expression to his SEN
timents, which are shared by his COM
rades of the Grand Army.
1t is to be regretted that the power
possibilities of Niagara Falls are not
more available for the use of the pub
| lie at this time. Such power as is
being developed on the American side
| of the Falls has been commardeered
for use on strictly Government work,
and other large plants, dependent on
that source for their power, have been
forced to shut down. 1t appears that
even water, the diversion of which
has been authorized by Congress, is
not all used for the reason that suf-
ficient machinery is not available for
the purpose, and under the law can
not be installed. Senator Charles E.
Townsend of Michigan, has done what
he could to insure a more economical
use of the diverted water, and strong
ly supported an amendment to re-
cent bill permitting the erection of ad-
ditional power producing units at the
Falls. If the amendment had been
adopted it would not have taken any
more water from the river than is
now authorized, but merely would
have used the water to more efficient
advantage.
Impetus is given to the project for
the erection of national archives
building in the city of Washington
by bill introduced by Senator Miles
Poindexter of the State Of Washing
ton. The matter has been brought
before Congress in the past and de-
signs for the new structure are al
ready prepared in the Office of the
Supervising Architect. Senator Poin-
dexter proposes that $4,000 be appro-
priated for the drawing of plans in
accordance, with those designs. Au-
thorization is given the Secretary Of
the Treasury to proceed with the erec-
ton of the building within limit of
cost of $3,000,000 to contain 100000
cubic feet of space, with possibilities
of enlargement to 100000. The need
for such structure has long been felt
in Washington, the more so because
of the present war activities of the
Government
81 believe" says Representative j.
M. C. Smith, of Michigan, eve should
protect the birds not only by treaty
but in fact as we'll as in theory and
in every way we can, and they will
multiply and become our companions"
Mr.. Smith was one of the leaders in
the debate over the measure to give
effect to the treaty between Canada
and the United States for the protec-
tion of our migratory birds. 1t was
largely due to Congressman Smiths |
convincing arguments that the bill
was adopted by the House by the
overwhelming vote of 236 to 40. The
measure now goes to the Senate, |
where little opposition is anticipated.
A German statistician figures it out
this way: When the war began, the
national wealth of the German EN-
pire was $67 100000. To this ir
the meantime there have been added |
thirty-two and half billions through |
the issue of government obligations
and the increase in agricultural land
values. On the debit side only ten hill
lions must be deducted for consump-
tion of stocks and loss of German
property abroad-leaving the nation
al wealth of the country today at
500, 900, 100000. The deduction from
reasoning like this is that nation, in
order to grow rich, has only to bor-
row money from its people and spend
it in making war. In other words, it
is possible for nation to lift itself
by its financial bootstraps.
1t is rather painful to note, in view
of the insistent demands Of the u. S.
Food Administration, that we eat
more old potatoes, that our imports
of potatoes for the calendar year
1917 increased 100 per cent over the
calendar year 1913, nine months of
which was under the Republican pro-
tectice tariff law, which carried a
duty of 25 cents a bushel on potatoes,
while, under the present law they are
fraa With ot,r bopaa r,arLat s,1,,ttoJ /