Norwich bulletin., 1921-04-13
WASHINGTON AFFAIRS
(apecial to The Bulletin)


 Washington, April 1.-The makeup of the iatefstate commerce commission is causing considerable aHiety among the naefabefs of the New England congress sienal delegations and they are urging President Harding to i'll one of the ex- istfng vacancies by the appointment of q New England man and so give addi- tional protection to the needs of New England railroads by having a repre- sentative on the commission is keenly alive to the dire distress in which those roads find themselves at this moment.
 New HamFShire was the first dele gation to take concerted action and to- day its delegation joined in a statement to the president in which they urged that a New England man be named and presented for consideration the name of Edward c. Niles of that state who has served as chairman of the public service commission of New Hampshire. No oth- ef state has yet acted as delegation but individual members are urging action along the same line and 1t is expected jeint action by delegations will soon fol- lew.
 Vice President Coolidge end Secretary of War Weeks. both of Massachusetts hays put the needs of New England roads sauarely before President Harding
 
 gress are jealous in their efforts to bring about the appointment of a man from that section. Massachusetts is already represeHted on the commission by Jo- seph Eastman of that state, MT. Eastman was the choice of President Wilson ane is looked on here as a so-called Wilson republican, he has still two years to serve by the men here believe the ap- pointment of a second man from that To- cality wiu be far towards protecting tht interests of the New England transporta- tion system any collapse of which would spell disaster to New England industries The question ef exemption from toll | through the Panama canal will be on of the early matters on which congres will be called on to act. There seems t l be but little doubt that American coast wise vessels will be exempt, judging fol current comment here at this moment Whether or not it will extend , to over seas shipping is quite another question l Of, course there will be a fight over tn, whole question when it gets before con l gress for discussion but the drift nov seems to be, in the direction of ire passage for American ceastwise trade a least. Congressman Burroughs who ha just returned from a trip to Panama ez presses himself very freely on the nee of an investigation into the conduct C affairs at the Canal zone, especially as t the. number of employees now conneete | with the government work there. Sai he this week to the correspondent. ''Taer | are 5,e09 white persons and somethin like 12.0e0 negroes down there in th employ of the government. It seems
 me the force could be reduced by man
 thousand without detriment to the wor accomplished. The Suez canal employe
 only 200 or 300 persons, and while r
 alize greater number is required for tt
 work at Panama I also realize that on of the first steps toward economy 8 pledged by the incoming administration should be to reduce the extravagant wa in which government expenses mount u : | in the Canal zone" MT. Burroughs aG vocAtes better roads and better defenct fer the Canal zone He referred to u . fact that inc Jungles ne longer furnis defence on land, for they have been larg ly cleared away, moreover General E.
 wards once ,tae force of men throue
 the thickest jungle at the rate of tt miles day, thus dia7roving the theel of Gen Goethals that the jungles were il : adequate defence against land enen : MT. Burroughs also advocates better d l fence frem the same and the pureha 6 islands that may be necessary to car
 come before the interstate and conmer ! committee with it's four New Engial members, one of whom is chairman, aga in New Englands land vii be the o s point out the way.