Jasper County Democrat, Volume 8, Number 42, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 20 January 1906 — WASHINGTON LETTER. [ARTICLE]

WASHINGTON LETTER.

Political and General Qossip of the National Capital. Strenuous efforts are being made to crush the “insurrection” in the House and force the joiut ( statehood bill to a vote. An ur-1 raDgement was made to vote on the Philippine Tariff bill on Monday and after that will come the real test of strength to see whether enough of the majority can be dragooned into voting for a rule on the Hamilton bill. The insurgents claim that they have enough votes pledged already to defeat the rule. But there is an outlook for peace iu a suggestion that has been made to split the rule aud vote twice on the Hamilton proposition. It will be remembered that the Hamilton bill provides in one breath joint statehood for Oklahoma and Indian Territory and for Arizona and New Mexico. Now it is possible that first of these two combinations could be put through without such a desperate fight. But nearly all the people of Arizona are lined up against joint statehood with New Mexico and they are in a position to force their views strongly. Therefore it is possible that the Arizona-New Mexico combination may be allowed to go by default and other measure put through. This would be a nominal victory for the majority. It would “save their face” and make a way to apparent harmony. But the wound that the conflict lias made already is too deep to be easily healed.

ttt Strong arguments are being used against the Philippine tariff bill. No one disputes that it would be a good thing for the islands, though whether it would make them contented with American rule is auother question. But that it would be a serious thing for the cane and beet sugar interests of this country, the opponents of the bill say is a certainty. Those opposed to the measure say that there would be a million tons of Philippine sugar exported to America if the bill became a law. Out of this there would be a profit of $8.50 for the Philippine treasury and a profit of SIOSO a ton for the planter. The people who cultivate the sugar are paid on an average of fifteen cents a day, and this is the sort of labor,, that would be brought Into direct competition j with the labor of this country. The opponents of the bill say, “this is not good enough.” ttt

There has been a howl raised in a number of papers lately over the request of Secretary Wilson for an emergency appropriation of 1135,000 for additional meat inspectors for the Department of Agriculture. Now the department has a good many sinß to answer for, but if this . call is ignored, as it looks now that it might mean a serious loss for a number of states, es-; pecially in the middle west. It iB strange that there should be such a protest made over this request apparently without even the; trouble of investigation. The factß as set forth by the Secretary in an interview are that the German importers are trying to beat the new Germau tariff which goes into effect next March. They arj ordering, so the packing houses state, an aggregate of $50,000,000 worth of American meat, particularly pork. This cannot be imported into Germany without a government inspection. There are not enough inspectors to do the work in the short time remaining. Hence the call for the emergency appropriation. The paoking bouses are acting .in g od faith is indicated by the fact that they have urged the Agricultural Department to allow them to

pay all the expenses of the inspection. But the Secretary cannot do this under the law, ,and if he is not furnished the money he needs for the extra inspectors, the big orders will be lost to this country. So much for the false economy of Congress and also for the failure to take' any steps to meet the situation created by the new German tariff. t t t The Department of Agriculture had an interesting visitor last week in the person of Sir Horace Plunkett, the Secretary of Agriculture for Ireland and a member of Parliament. It is not generally known, but the English M. P used to be a western cow puncher and he still has considerable ranch interests in Nebraska, Montana and Wyoming. He comes over about once a year to look after his American business and when he does usually stops over in Washington to see what is doing in a Department of which he is the chief at home He saitLon this visit that he was particularly interested in the dietary experiments the Department was carrying on, as he considered the proper feeding of the Irish peasant a good deal more important than the proper feeding of his cattle. He also looked into the questions of plant breeding and seed selection for use in Ireland, saying that the American government had made such strides in these lines and in the question of farm management that he was much in hopes of making the small Irish farms more productive and enabling the small farmers who were struggling bravely under the Land Purchase Act to become landlords on their own account in much less time than anyone now expected. Of course if Sir Horace is able to take home with him any suggestions that will materially help this cause, America will have done more toward helping Ireland than by any amount of contributions in money toward the political agitation fund. For Sale.— Bargain, easy terms, 100 acre farm 3 miles south, 2 miles east of Rensselaer. Good house, barn, crib, granary and windmill, school house on corner. Price $47.50. Write or inquire. Frank Howard, Furniture Store, Remington, Ind. Young people wanted to learn telegraphy. Railroad and telegraph companies need operators badly. Total cost, six months’ course at our school, tuition (telegraphy and typewriting), board and room. s9l; this can be reduced. Catalogue free. Dodge’s j Institute, Monroe St., Valparaiso, | Indiana. _ The Greening Bros. Nursery Company, Monroe, Mich., one of the leading nursery concerns in the United States, write us that they want a good live agent in this section to solicit orders for their nursery stock. Experience not necessary. They offer good pay weekly, and furnish canvassing outfit free. We advise any man or woman in our community, who is in a position to take orders for the above house, to write them for particulars immediately.