Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1920-01-28
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER

people of Idaho. at the polls and
through necessary legal channels, the
opportunity to make their bid for one
or more power sites for development
oy public authority as publicly oper
ated utilities
Senator Nelson of Minnesota. chief
promoter of the power grab, protested
vigorously. saying that development
must not be further delayed Nugent's
amendment was beaten on a division.
At the last moment the Lenroot
amendment, which compelled the cor
poratlons who get power sites under
this bill to pay reasonable rental
charge to the government, was recon
sidered and defeated. The vote was
"A to 20 Among those voting to give
away the vast power resources of the
people without rental charge were
Borah. Chamberlain. Kellogg. Nc
Cumber, McNary, Myers, Nelson, New
berry. Phipps, Pittman. Reed, Sher.
man, Smoot, Sterling and Warren from
the West.
On the final rollcall Borah voted
no" His reason for voting to waive
the rental charge was the theory that
the consumer pays all charges He
was the only progressive who took
that position.
There were So votes for the bill, Is
against it and Is paired or absent.
Western senators who voted for it
were Ashurst, Chamberlain, Cummins,
Curtis, Henderson, Hitchcock, Jones
of New Mexico, Kellogg, Kendrick,
McCumber. McNary, Myers, Nelson,
Newberry, Phipps Phelan, Pittman,
Sherman, Smoot, Spencer. Sterling,
Townsend, Walsh of Montana and
Warren
Against it were Bsrah, Gore, Gron-
ma, Harris, Harrison, Kenyon, Kirby
Lenroot, Mccormick, Mcclellan, Nor
ris, Nugent, Reed, Sheppard, Stanley,
Trammell, Walsh of Massachusetts
and Williams.
SENATE HEARS MARTENS.
Some observers here believe that It
is not improbable that the senate may
take a whack at the administration by
recognizing Ludwig Martens as repre-
sentative of Soviet Russia. Martens
has been in this country for long
time vainly trying to get the state
department to recognize him and al
low him to complete purchases for
Russia. He is now appearing before
the special senate committee to in
vestigate Bolshevik propaganda.
Tho IN or ,,o1;ox, - o~,..
ed Intervention and the blockade has
obviously failed and many business
men here are clamoring for a chance
to sell the goods which Martens Of
fers to buy and put down cold hard
cash for. The league council at Paris
has already agreed to allow co-opera-
tives to buy in western Europe and to
take what Russia has to sell; so the
possible senate action is only what we
would have to take anyway to get our
share of the trade. There has to be
! some representative and the senate is
likely to conclude that he might as
we'll be Martens as some one else
ahead of the state department.
TEA" DlSAPPOtN1S.
One of the saddest incidents of the
passing of John Barleycorn occurred
within the sacred precincts of the Of
flee building of the senate of the Uni
ted States on a Sunday afternoon just
before big drouth.
A genial southern senator, who had
voted for the prohibition amendment
and had personally quit tasting the
| juice of either grape or corn, was hold
ing an important political conference
on this quiet Sabbath afternoon with
several of the most genial and inf1u-
entail gentlemen of his commonwealth.
A movement arrived when by every
law of hospitality the statesman
should have offered entertainment.
His temperance and legal scruples
battled stubbornly, but in vain, against
lifelong habit of hospitality. He
| called in his secretary, drew out a SO
note and whispered vague instructions.
The secretary disappeared.
Presently came the secretary, tri-
guests. Smilingly they tipped the big
bottle. Expectantly they tasted. The
senator was amazed to see that they
did not expand with Joy after tasting.
Instead they looked solemnly at each
other and set the glasses down.
Bring me a glass;" ordered the
senator.
He tasted. Then he swore under his
cheated breath.
| It was tea.
Machine "Stuffs" Newspapers.
A Seattle inveltOr has patented q
newspaper stufl1ng machine that does
| the work of IA men in placing nartion.