Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1918-09-17
WATER POWER BILL
HAS SOME CHANCE
DRASTIC MEASURE INTRODUCED
BY Mr.. SIMS is LABELED
FOR NATIONAL DEFrNsE.p
SENATORS LIKELY TO YIELD
Government Can Easily Procure All
the Money Necessary to Garry on
the War, Says Prominent Official
Senator Weeks Congratulated.
BY ARTHUR w. DUNN.


Senator Weeks Congratulated.
BY ARTHUR w. DUNN.
Washington.-The water power bill
which has been before congress for
so many years is still dragging its slow
length along and there is yet great
doubt whether the senate and house
can get together after the house passes
the pending bill. The water power bill
mas never been pressed as a war meas
ure, but there are indications that 1t
VIII De placed in that category and
urged by the president, which will
mean action of some kind. Congress
Will not refuse TO pass what is consid-
ered necessary war measure Con-
gresham Sims of Tennessee, who has
charge of the water power legislation,
mas introduced a very drastic bill and
mas put the usual title upon it which
provides for national defense and
greater security during the war" 1t
gives the president authority to take
over all kinds of water power plants
ana TO utilize such water power as
may be deemed necessary for war pur-
poses. Under this bill all the water
power in the country can be taken over
by the government, and all of the sites
In the western country over which
there has been so much dispute, be-
cause the states claimed the water
rights, could be taken by the govern
ment and utilized, IN which case all
OF the ideas of the most ultra conser-
vationists would be carried out. 1t
VIII be quite serious thing for many
men in the senate to surrender the
rights of the states in water power
but they would have to do it if the
bill comes up in the form of a war
measure.
There ought to be an object lesson
for the socialist German sympathizers
of America in the method which Ger
many has adopted Of making petty
German kingdoms of Russian provinces
that have long been seeking to es-
tablish a republican form of govern
ment. OF course the object is to Ger
MAMIE these provinces and bring them
under the control of the German en-
pire and make use of them to carry on
the war against republican institu-
lions and democracy the world over.
There can be no doubt about the in
tentlon of Germany and it is surpris-
Ing that she should have any support
by people who are proclaiming their
love of freedom and liberty.
THE least of our troubles is the rails
ing of revenue to carry on the war"
was the comment of prominent off,
cial, when the talk turned upon the
worry the ways and means and senate
finance committees were indulging in
over the revenue bill. "There will
never be any question about money"
he continued, because every govern
rent is able to get money to carry on
war, no matter how poor it is. This
big, rich country can easily get the
money. If it doesn't get it one way
it'll get 1t in another. OF course, the
easiest way for the people is to give
which event they are sure to get it
back, and while the government has
it they will get good interest. That
is much better than paying out money
and getting tax receipts. But in one
way or another the money will come
in, even if there has to be a forced
loan, or the issuing of fat paper. AS
long as the war lasts there will always
be money enough to pay for it,
Almost without regard to party af-
filiations, senators congratulated John
w. Weeks when they heard that he
had clear field for reelection in
Massachusetts. Weeks has been a
very effective senator. He has been
a good example of the business man
in the senate, taking particular inter-
est in all legislation and especially in
war measures. He is a member of the
committee on military affairs which
has handled so many important bills
since the war began.
The government is still troubled with
which often turn out to be German
propaganda. There seems to be no
way in which the government can
reach such publications except TO
take note of them and then write to
the editor of the paper pointing out
the harm they do. Government Off
Gals are now fully aware of the man.
-. xxyhs AHo hoe t.,
tested with German agents. Much of
the propaganda develops in opposition
to the governments plan for carrying
on war work. No douSt 6 s-eat many
people are Inconvenience by govern
ment interference with their usual
vocations but it should be remembered
that as a general rule everything the
government is doing to carry on the
war has been the result Of careful
consideration before action was taken.
Instead of making complaints 1t is bet
ter to lay the blame upon the internal
German machine which has brought
about all our troubles.
One way to help the govern
ment is for everybody to coop
crate In making the new draft law
successful and to do 1t as quickly as
Saved by His Wit.
Little Johnny was hungry and the
potatoes were very hot. He discovered
the fact after he had taken big |
mouthful, and quickly spat it out.
Looking up quickly to see how his /
performance would be taken, he found |
his fathers hand uplifted and about to !
descend. Before the blow fell, however. |
the little fellow got in his word:
"a fool would have swallowed it and |
got burnt" and in the gale of laugh |
ter that followed, punishment was for |
gotten.