The Owosso times., 1921-01-07
WASHINGTON LETTER
CAPITAL CHAT.

WaoiiihBtoii, DeC. Lo.-NOpeclal
Correspondence.) - RIGHT FROM
THE PEOPLE.-One of the new
members of the House of Represent
atives at the opening of the first ses-
sion of the Sixty-Seventh Congress
will be Harris j. Bixler of Johnson
burg, Pennsylvania, who will come to
Washington over much the same
route pursued by James A. Garfield.
When Bixler was boy he drove a
team on the tow path of a Pennsyl-
vania canal and worked on a farm
until he was seventeen years of age.
He taught school, took a course in
business college, began as a wood
chopper in lumber camp and
worked his way up to the manage
ment of a large numbering company.
He is now extensively interested in
manufacturing and banking and be-
cause of his varied experiences will
be able to take a practical view of
every problem coming before him as
Congressman. He has served as
city councilman, president of the
school board, mayor Of his city, and
as sheriff and treasurer of his county.
A MARYLAND CAVALIER.-The
training of lawyer, warrior, an
author, and sportsman are combined
in the qualifications of John Philip
Hill one of. the recently elected Con-
gressmen from Maryland. Hill's
home is in Baltimore. He has the
distinction of having defeated the
present Democratic incumbent in the
Third Congressional District of
Maryland and thus helping to win
Maryland over to the Republican
column. Hill is graduate of Johns
Hopkins and of Harvard; has prac-
tised law in Boston and Baltimore.
He saw active service in the field on
the Mexican border in 1915, and was
on active duty in the war with Ger
many from the date of the entrance
of this country into that conflict. He
served in defense of the Center Sec-
tor, Haute Alsace, and Meuse-Ar-
gonne and because of his distin-
guished service in the operations
north of Verdun was decorated with
the Croix de, Guerre, with silver star,
by the French. He is the author of
number of books on law, public SER
vice and national military policy.
He takes great interest in outdoor
sports, particularly in fox hunting.
$3.50
TWO YEARS ON LEGISLATIVE
ROCK PILE.-When the Republicans
of the Eighth District of California,
which includes the beautiful Santa
Clara Valley, wanted candidate who
could administer severe trouncing
to the Democratic incumbent of the
Congressional seat from that district,
they searched out Honorable A. M.
Free of San Jose and prevailed upon
him to accept the Republican nomina-
ton. The result was that his Dis
trict went Republican by 10000.
Free is lawyer by profession, has
served as district attorney of Santa
Clara county but had resigned that
position with the determination never
again to enter public life. The ap-
peal to him to become candidate
for Congress prevailed over his per-
sonal inclination, however, and for
the next two years, at least, Mr.. Free
will not be free to enjoy the salu-
brious climate of the land of sun
shine, fruit and flowers, but will be
confined to hard service within the
walls of the National Capitol at
Washington.
SMOOT HAD THE RECEIPTS
While legislation for the control Of
the meat packers was pending in the
Senate few days ago, Senator Reed
Smoot, of Utah, presented in very
impressive manner a few facts de-
signed to locate responsibility for
high meat prices. He showed by his
own receipted bills, in the handwrit-
ing of Washington merchants, that
he is now paying 55 cents per pound
for sirloin steak, whereas he paid only
25 cents a pound in 1912, and the
wholesale price of beef is about the
same now as in 1912. From this
showing, Senator Smoot argued that
the responsibility for high meat
prices is not upon the wholesaler or
packer but upon the retailer. Sena-
tor Smoot asserted that there is
something radically wrong in the
system of meat distribution, but ex-
pressed the opinion that legislation
would fail of its purpose if it reached
the wholesaler and packer only.
Mr.. and Mrs. Thomas Loring of
Alma, are the guests of Mr.. Loring's
parents, Mr.. and Mrs. C. o. Loring,
West Oliver street, over Christmas.
FIR. and Mrs. Walter f. Upham and
Mrs. Margaret McBain spent Christ
/ mas with Mr.. and Mrs. Upham's
daughter, Mrs. Warren H. Smith of
Fir dley, Ohio.