The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1919-01-02
WASHINGTON
NEWS CULLINCS
BURLESON, ADVOCATE AND
BLACKEYE OF POPULAR
POSITION.


Washington, D. C. - Backing
and filling is the order of the day
with reference to public owner
ship issues before congress. Def
mite affirmative action is post
poned. The public ownership ad.
vocates are not united, and tho
men who want to let things drift,
in other words to leave the rail-
roads, the wires and the stock
yards in the hands of private
monopoly-are confident that
they can get through another
two years without committing
themselves.
Hearings upon the Sims bill,
which proposes government ow-
nership and operation of. stock
yards and stock cars and cold
storage meat warehouses as a
last resort, but which proposes
government control through
licensing as first resort, have
begun. The house committee on
interstate commerce is listening
to Chairman Colver of the fed
eral trade commission with deep
interest, as he explains the meat
packers monopoly, and shows
the necessity of breaking that
monopoly by legislation. Colver
favors public ownership. So do
Commissioners Murdoch and
Fort. Their report on the pack
ers last July was definite and
emphatic on that point. They.
are now asking congress to pass
the Sims bill for lack of a strong
er measure.
Senate For Packers
Some Of the progressive sena-
tors were in conference a few
days ago on plan to introduce
a straight public ownership bill.
It was to be handled by Senator
Kendrick of Wyoming. At latest.
accounts the senator had weak
ened in this idea, and was on the.
point of agreeing with the poll.
ticians, who urged that the Sims
bill was "as radical as can be
passed" -r.s
This stockyards Legislation
will not be passed during the
present legislation. The republi-i
cans, who will control both
branches of the next congress,
are divided on the issue of pub.
lie ownership just as the Demo-
Gratis are divided. It is a reason
able supposition that Commisss
ioner Murdock, as a veteran
Bull Moose, is now trying to
convert Theodore Roosevelt to
the government ownership view
point in order that the presiden-
tia campaign of 1920 may not
find the G.. O. P. in too reaction
ary a position. Inasmuch as
Roosevelt, who. now seems to
have the nomination in his pock-
ct, is sending out confidential
warnings to Republican leaders
that broad concessions must at
once be made to the organized
labor movement, it may easily
happen that T. R. will take the
same precaution to secure the
support Of public ownership ad-
vocates. - :.
Railroad Problem Lags
On the railroad problem no
real work is being done. The SEN
ate and the house joint commit
tee which inquired into railroad
finances two years ago is to re-
sumo it's probe on January 2,
and the advice Of McAdoo that
the present government lease of
the property be extended five
years will be taken up. Nobody
has yet drafted a good bill calling
for government ownership and
operation. On the other hand, mo-
body seriously expects to see the
roads turned back to private oW-
nership. Delay of decision is
likely to be voted, the Republi-
cans may compromise by max
ing the term of extension Of the
present arrangement three
years.
There will probably be ma