The Ward County independent., 1921-02-17
WASHINGTON NEWS LETTER

Former Assistant Attorney General
Albert S. Sheets, of Bismarck, who
represented the Department Of North
Dakota at the National Executive
meeting of the American Legion in
Washington last week, left the capi-
tai well satisfied that disqualification
legislation for the benefit Of the dis.
abled service-man would be enacted
into law before the end Of the present
session of Congress. He also stated
that he had received assurances from
Senator McCumber and others that
an effort would be made to act upon
the "soldier-bonus" bill before March
4. This bill is still in the Senate FL
nance committee.
Mr.. Sheets came to Washington
bearing the proxy Of National Com
mitteeman C. L. Dawson, Of Beach,
who as Clerk of the House in the
state legislature, was detained in Bis
marck BY the legislative sessions.
Before leaving the capital after
comforting with the North Dakota del
epation in congress Mr.. Sheets declar-
ed that the North Dakota men were
solidly behind the legislative program
of the American Legion. In state
ment given out on Wednesday Mr..
Sheets said:
1T seems certain that the Sundry
Civil appropriations bill now before
Congress will carry clause provid-
ing for $18,000,000 for disqualification
purposes.
"The Four-fold Compensation act
has passed the House and is now IN
the Senate committee. Senator Nc
Cumber, ranking Republican member
Of this committee, is making every ef-
fort to have this bill reported out for
a vote before March 4. The possibil-
ity exists that deferred payment
clause will be attached to the bill as
far as the cash bonus payments are
concerned, however, on account OF the
money stringency.
"In my efforts here have made the
case of the disabled soldier my first
order of business. In fact this was
the attitude taken by the entire COM
mittee and | believe that this meet
ing has accomplished real and con-
structive work for him. l secured
from the National Executive Commit
tee approval of my plan whereby the
service bureau maintained in Wash
ington by the Legion is authorized to
accept and present to the bureaus OF
War Risk Insurance, Public Health
Service and Vocational Training the
more urgent cases Of the disabled
service-men. AS these three lncom-
petent and thoroughly inefficient de-
partments of confusion will not be CO.
ordinated by Federal legislation until
the next session of Congress, at least,
this plan will serve to bridge the pres
ent gap and expedite action accord
ingly."
Mr.. Smith D. Fry, author Of a re-
cent book, "The Patriotic School His
tory Of the Capitol" containing inter
esting historical information about
the United States Capitol building,
was resident of Dakota for some
years during the early territorial
days.
Mr.. Fry has spent a lifetime in
journalistic work and formerly had
much to do with Dakota Territory
where he enjoyed the acquaintance Of
many of the oldtime pioneers. In
speaking of his early acquaintances
in the Territory Mr.. Fry said:
During my days Of activity in jour.
nalism was well acquainted with all
Of the prominent men Of Dakota Ter
ritory; and was not small factor
in securing the passage Of the "Omni-
bus Bill" which brought North Da-
kota, South Dakota, Montana and
Washington into the Union. | knew
Delegates Pettigrew, Raymond and
Clifford, the first senator's, Pierce and
Casey, and the first representative,
Hansbrough.
In the Postoffice Department, in
1898, l appointed Hansbrough to the
position Of Postmaster at Devils Lake
Later in my visits to that section /
traversed the old Territory from
Yankton to Cavalier counties and
knew big Alec" Tyner and Fatty
Edwards of Fargo, Mike Mccormick
at Grand Forks, Lounsberry, Jewell
and Denny Hannafin at Bismarck, and
Jim Mclaughlin at Standing Rock.
knew Governor Ordway who was
never drunk, and Governor Church,
who scorned to be SOBER"
A resolution to investigate the
charges of P. f. Byrne, former Reg
istrar of the Land Office at Bismarck
against Clay Tallman, Commissioner
of the General Land Office, for fail
ure to protect the interests of the
homesteaders from excessive attor-
neys fees, was introduced in the
House on Wednesday by Congress-
man George NJ Young. Mr.. Byrne in
his charge declared that this condi-
tion was very general in North Dako-
| ia.
Provision for more credit for farm
ers has been authorized by the Senate
Agriculture Committee when, by
unanimous vote, an amendment offer
ed by Senators Swanson and Glass of
Virginia, was incorporated in the ag-
ricultural appropriation bill author
izing the Secretary of the Treasury
to buy 500, 100000 worth of bonds Of
the Federal Farm Loan system.
Chairman Gronna of the committee
was authorized to move the suspension
l