The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1922-02-07

make a showing, is cutting govern.
mental expenses here, there and ev.
erywhere, but the Inevitable question
is. Is the cutting in every case being
directed wiselyf /. II r. 5 - H.. ia
Something like $4,000, 900 has just
been cut from the estimates of the
Treasury department for the support
of tho municipal and other activities
Of the District Of Columbia. which
means the city Of Washington, for the
:lext fiscal year, EcQnomy, like charity.
therefore. In this eqse seems to begin
ut home, for while Washington perhnps
cannot be called the home Of senators
and representatives, It is the home Of
the United States government.
;! 1t Is urged here THAT 1t is dubi.
.ous economy which would cripple the
proper activities Of the capital Of the
United tstasesS which Just now iii II
large way-is the capital of the world.
However, the decrease in the estimates
probably will be Endorsed by both
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 IN eco
monte minded budget director had re-
duced the estimates to what he con-
silered 10 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 few Of the congress
men gain anything by having their
speeches extended in the Record"
The United States pays n large sum
Of money each year to print and to
circulate speeches Of, members of con-
gresS which were never made A men,
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
house Of representatives on the great
subject of this or that. g.
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.
flict between the United States und
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
ASho took part in the struggles Of 1908
are not forgotten in the capital Of
the country. T.,
Shortly there will take place the
twenty-fourth anniversary Of the sink
ing Of the battleship Maine In the har-
bor of Havana, Cubu. Preparations Are
being made in this city to commemorate
the disaster and to pay tribute to the
,men1ory Of the men who lost their
lives on that stanch new ship when it
went to destruction on n dark Febru.
AIRY night in the year 1893.
1t was in 1910 that congress made
provision for the raising Of the wreck
of the Maine. There always has been
some dispute us to whether or not the
vessel was destroyed by an internal
explosion, or. by one from without, al.
though Il board Of investigation de-
:cided that the ship was destroyed MT
JiciOusly by II 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
believed that such a horrible net 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 the
United States for erection In Airing
ton cemetery for memorial purposes
the steel main mast OF the Maine. The
Collier Le0nidas was assigned to the
duty Of bringing the mast to Wash
ington. 1t was just ten years ago that
the Leonidas tied up ut the Washing
ton navy yard dock after hard fight
with the ice in Chesapeake bay and
the Potomac river. ,,.~ ~ qe
1t was found that the main mast
WAS in good condition and that what
Us know as the "hghting top" used for
the accommodation Of six gunners US.
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