The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1922-02-25

. Something like $10,WO,oOO has JUST
been cut from the estimates of the
Treasury department for the support
of the municipal. and other activities
of the District of Columbia, which
means the city Of Washington, for the
next fiscal year. Economy, like charity,
therefore, in this case seems to begin
ut home, for while Washington perhaps
cannot be called the home of senators
and representatives, it is the home Of
the United States government.
1t is urged here that it is a dubi-
Gus economy which would cripple the
proper activities of the, capital of the
United States which Just now IL a
large way is the capital OF the world.
However, the decrease IN the estimates
probably will be indorsed by Doth
houses Of congress, and police, fire and
general improvement matters in the
capital may have to get along as well
as they can on an amount about one.
third less than that proposed by the
Treasury department after an eco
nomic minded budget director had re.
duced the estimates to what he con:
sidered to be the limit.
Record Offers Chance for Economy.
1t may seem strange for men who
"write for print" to suggest that the
printing bills of congress might be
cut down with advantage to the treas
ury and to the public, and perhaps
with advantage to some Of the men,
bers themselves, for it is uncomfortable
that more than a few Of the congress-
men gain anything by having their
speeches EXTENDED in the Record"
The United States pays large sum
Of money each year to print and to
circulate speeches of members of con-
gress which were never made. A mem-
Der rises to speak as many words as
he can in the few minutes allotted to
him, and then asks permission to ex-
tend his remarks in the Record. He
always gets permission, and frequently.
page after page of printed matter APP
pears with the enlightening informa-
ton that it is the speech Of Hon. So
and So delivered in the senate or the
subject Of this or that.
! Some Of these never-delivered
speeches which appear in printed form
in the Record are interesting because
they are amusing.
War With Spain Not Forgotten.
AS wars are viewed, the con-
fict between the United States and
Spain looks like minor engage
ment when compared with the titanic
battlings Of the recent great struggle
between the nations Of the earth, but
nevertheless the soldiers and sailors
who took part in the struggles Of 1898
are not forgotten in the capital OF
the country.
Shortly there will take place the
twenty-fourth anniversary Of the sink
Ing Of the battleship Maine In tho har-
Dor Of Havana, Cuba. Preparations are
being made tn this city to commemorate
the disaster and to pay tribute to the
memory Of the men who lost their
lives on that stanch new ship when It
went to destruction on a dark Febru.
AIRY night in the year 1898.
y It was in 1910 that congress made
provision for the raising Of the wreck
of the Maine There always has been
some dispute as to whether or not thu
vessel was destroyed by an internal
explosion, or by one from without, al
though a board Of investigation de-
'cided that the ship was destroyed ma
liciously by a torpedo launched either
by enemies Of this country or by men
who desired to see the United States
enter the war in behalf Of Cuba and
fbelieved that such a horrible act OF
destruction would bring about the end
they sought. When the Maine was
rasied evidences were found to prove
that the finding Of the first board Of
Investigation had been correct in every
detail.
Main Mast in Arlington.
|. 1t was determined to bring to tho
United States for erection in Airing
ton cemetery for memorial purposes
the steel main mast Of the Maine. The
Collier Leonidas was assigned to tho
duty Of bringing the mast to WASH
ington. 1t was just ten years ago that
the Leonidas tied up at the Washing
ton navy yard dock after a hard fight
with the ice in Chesapeake bay anu
the Potomac river.
1t was found that the main mast
! was in good condition and that what
is know as the fighting top" used for
the accommodation of six gunners u.s.
ing rapid fire guns, was intact. The
weight Of the main mast with its ap-
purtenances is something over four
tons. This relic Of the Maine was
taken to Arlington cemetery where it
was erected over the graves Of the men
who lost their lives on the ship and
whose bones, taken from the hold Of
the vessel, were brought to Washing
ton on battleship for interment i'll
! the national cemetery.
Prior to the placing Of the main
mast in Arlington beautiful memo.
rial already had been erected. The
main mast supplements the original
monument and in way is a more fit
ting one to the memory Of the sailors