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Show BEAVER PRESS "The ArmtvE Our Government How It Operates Intermountain News Briefly told for Busy Readers A GOLD STRIKE FEED MANY ELK WAR ON GOPIIERS By William Bruckart TO CHANGE INAUGURATION DATE JitD EIGHT LIONS SLAIN FOREST ARMY PLANS h beyond are almost certain to witness an epochal change In our government. After more than 150 years, our nation Is about to alter a basic date In our system of government, namely, the date upon which the terms of our Presidents, Vice Presidents and senators and representatives In congress In all probability the change begin. will have been ordered In advance of 1930, but It will not take effect until early in 1937. This fundamental revision is to take place through adoption, or ratification, by the several states of the "I.ame Duck Amendment" to the It is the confederal Constitution. sensus now that Its ratification as a part of the organic law la' only a question of time. So, in a few years then we will witness the convening of our congress In January of each year for sessions of no fixed duration or life up to one year, and each four years, we will see a President Inducted into ofllce in the same month. Congress now meets in December, of course, but Its sessions, started In the odd years, end automatically on March 4 of the succeeding even year; the sessions beginning In December of the even years may run through to the following December. If the legislative body so choose. The new amendment will start the sessions on January 8, of every year and they may continue until that date of the next year If the work has not been done in the meantime. In the case of the Chief Executive, he will take office on January 20, of the year following his election. The term of office beginning next March 4, therefore, appears certain to be the one break In a steady succession of four-yea- r terms for President since the formation of our government, for It will be reduced by the difference of time from January 20 to March 4, in order that the succeeding Presidential terms may be for four full years. The purpose of the amendment Is, In the words of Its author, Senator George W. Norris, of Nebraska, "to bring congress closer to the people." And there Is not a'great deal of disagreement about that. It will make congress a body more responsive to the people, because senators and representatives who are elected In November will take office In Just two months thereafter. Those who are defeated by the electorate will not serve again, unless perchance a session continues past the date of the election. At any rate, the will of the people as expressed at the polls In November can be carried Into the halls of congress within two months Instead of being delayed, as Is the case at present, from November of one year to December of the next year. Considerable research has failed to disclose how the term, "Lame Duck had Its origin. It has long been applied to the unfortunate politician who guessed wrong as to what his constituents wanted, and was defeated. He has served through another session of congress, however, before surrendering office to a successor. While the new amendment will make congress more responsive, and closer to, the people, there is and probably always will be some lack of unanimity of opinion as to Its value. The school of thought in congress that opposed the amendment felt there was danger that congress would be too responsive to public will; that there were such things as whims and public demand based upon misinformation, and that the present period of delay afforded time for the electorate to "cool off." Those who look at both sides of the Question see that danger. They recognize It Is possible for a majority of the citizens of the Republic to be swayed by demagoguery from a rancous minority. Some act of a foreign nation might possibly engender such steaming hatred Just In advance of an election as to cause the selection of a majority of congress willing to rush Into war. Or there may be some domestic Issue about which the flame's of public sentiment may be fanned, with a subsequent action by congress that would be regretted in later years. On the other hand, those who fostered the change and who pressed it through congress have contended that this new responsiveness will work both ways. It is their view that senators and representatives will "hear from home" more quickly than ever before If sentiment swings back from the point that it reached at the polls. Plenty of safeguards are said to exist, and this observer Is Inclined to the opinion that they do exist In force. After watching the performance of congresses through more than a decade, I hold the conviction that they represent a rather good cross section of the population that elects them. The voters now and then get one who Is better than the average and now and then put one in office who does no credit to the district or state from which he or she comes. But the average of anything Is the sum total of all. divided by that number. Representatives and senators, as I have seen them, make up a congress representative of the public which usually, therefore, has had Just about what It Is willing and entitled to receive. e. 13I, Western Nwppr Unioa. VT. GUNNISON, us whose span of life THOSE of us the end of 1935 gophers has been Sanpete county. n V en in ST. GEORGE, UT. Jack Butler of Moquitich deer camp has reported killing eight mountain lions on the Dixie preserve during the past few weeks. BOISE, IDA. During the past nine months $302,050 In gold has poured Into the Boise assay office-anit is thought it would exceed a half million by the end of the fiscal year, July 1. BOULDER NET. Con- CITY, struction of a cement blending plant, to cost $125,000, will be started at Hoover dam soon, it has been announced by government engineers. This Is the first time that a project of this type has required such equip- WAV- - L A war conducted ment. ffy;, V r'V,,'1 I I A 'ra -- hi rCTi CULE&RA CUT IN THE. PANAfAA CANAL j OGDEX, UT. JL G. Pence, manager of the Farmer's National Grain corporation, says that the wheat crop in Idaho and Utah this year will be only 00 to 70 per cent normal because of backward spring, with n virtually no growing weather. wheat, he added, has been winter killed to a large extent and snow is still on the ground In many localities. Fall-sow- JACKSON, : - Iii ( 5 - . - , r li ' 41 4 i! !l till it w "vv li SI wt o wuw. h ihi w II " i I i WYO. Twelve thous- and elk have been fed air winter in the Jackson Hole, Wyo., country. The extensive feeding was made necessary by the heavy snows and extreme cold in Yellowstone park and Wyoming game preserves, which drove the animals down into the valley. The feeding will cease the latter part of this month. BOISE, IDA. A vein of ore, lost thru a fault in the rock, has been discovered in the Golden Anchor mine in the Marshall Lake district of Valley county, SALT LAKE CITY, UT. Plans as outlined for reforestation work in Utah, under President Roosevelt's reforestation program, contemplate-thexpenditure of $1,548,000 on 14 different projects, aiming chiefly at erosion and flood control and reforestation. It is reported that Utah's quota of the conservation corps will probably be under training at Fort Douglas by the end of April. The state quota is believed to approximate 1000. Recruits from southern Idaho also will train at Fort Douglas before being dispatched to the forestation camps, where the government plans to launch large projects. Recruits from northern Idaho will be conditioned at Fort Wright, Spokane, Wash. BOISE, IDA. Spring planting is progressing rapidly in north Idaho but persistent cold weather has delayed it generally over the state. OGDEN, UT. An additional 500 barrels 100,000 pounds of Red Cross flour, has been received for distribution to needy families in Og-dCity and Weber county. BOISE, IDA. Plans for using 8,000 men of the Roosevelt job army have been drafted by foresters of southwestern and Central Idaho. MORGAN, UT. Farmers of Morgan county this year will plant 225 acres of seed pens on ground that has been used for other crops the past few years, according to a report made by C. R. Richards, county agent. BOISE, IDA. The first case of spotted fever reported In Boise this season is being treated in a hospital here. Arthur Furber, 45, of Nampa, was brought in from Jnntura, Ore., where he was taken ill with the disease. He was working on a road crew. The disease, spread, according to authorities, by the bite of a wood-tick- , annually costs several lives in western Idaho. Preventive serum for 900 patients has been distributed this spring by the state department of public welfare from stocks provided by the bureau of public health laboratory at Hamilton, Mont The state departBOISE, IDA. ment of public welfare has proffered assistance in preserving water supplies of the state from contamination by the camps of the lob army expected Boon. In a letter to Rob't Coulter, state land commissioner, W. V. Leonard, state sanitary engineer, said he would outline on forestry maps the drainage areas s for various municipal water and would advise the forest v service if possible to locate the camps outside these bounds in cases "where establishment of labor camps would constitute an actual or potential menace to the water supply." gold-beari- J xS. ., V.- - wiuson , -- ' ' ' '' , I ' . I HHmni ctT''r?w-1 , iaWiiSWfffcWilJIUiill THE. LINCOLNNAEMORIAL . i I f'fVsHfl DAW 4 By ELMO SCOTT WATSON of the Repnb--f of some great con-(- I "5QKOM the earliest days f ts lie, in shaking structlon project, to say that "the V army engineers built It" has teen equivalent to saying that here was T a piece of work accomplished with the utmost in efficiency, economy and honesty. Therefore, during the last administration, when It was proposed to transfer river and harbor Improvement projects from the corps of engineers in the War de partment to a division of public works In another executive department, there was an immediate protest from those who had the best reason to know how valuable were the services of the army engineers In this work and what the result of such a transfer might be upon those very factors of efficiency, economy and honesty. To many Americans "rivers and harbors work" is synonymous with "pork barrel legislation" by congress. What they do not realize Is that for more than a quarter of a century the corps of engineers of the United States army has been the watchdog which has kept rivers and harbors projects from being just that. Its board of engineers on rivers ami harbors functions as a sort of supreme court In waterway matters suhmltted to them by congress. From June 13, 1902, to March 31, 102S, this board of engineers has reported on 2,377 waterway projects. Of these only 803 reports were favorable as compared to- - 1,572 that were unfavorable. In other words, these army engineers turned down two out of every three projects submitted to them. And the degree of confidence which congress has In the Integrity and Judgment of the army engineers is shown by the fact that during the last 10 years In less than half a dozen cases has congress authorized the projects nnon which the board of engineers on rivers and harbors had presented an adverse report. Perhaps one reason why the corps of engineers stands so high In the estimation of both government officials and the public lies In the fact that the efficiency and the honesty of the army engineer has become proverbial. Millions and millions of dollars of public money have been expended under their direction without the slightest breath of scandal or question as to their ability. And perhaps another reason for this confidence lies in the close association of the corps of engineers with the United States Military academy at West Point where the mot" k to Is "Duty Duty the upon which their character Is founded and their careers are built; Honor the harrier. Invisible but Invincible, which sets the bounds to their activities; Country that august, godlike mistress to whose service their lives are dedicated and for whose safety they would lay down their lives In case of need. The academy at West Point was founded In 1S02 as a school for engineers of the United States army. It being the first engineering school In this country. And from the beginning It ias been those who have won honors "the cream of the crop" of new officers, who have been given the privilege of entering the corps of engineers In the army. So there has grown up a set of traditions and an esprit dtt corps that is difficult to duplicate anywhere In the world. Of the corps It has been said "One of the most wonderful records In the history of the human race Is that out of all the thousands of men who have served In the corps of engineers during its century of existence, only one man has ever broken through that Invisible barrier of honor." The contribution of the corps to public service covers a multiplicity of things: Mapping, explorations and surveys; public buildings and city engineering; roads; railways; bridges; siege works; explosives; camouflage and decorative arts; chemical engineering; mechanical and elec- - Y.J ly Honor-Country- bed-ror- SiV I wi; i WASHINGTON MONUMENT UNDER CONSTRUCTION h Washington Aqueduc- tCabin JOHN BRIDGE N I86T trlcal engineering; power plants; field engineering; seacoast defenses and shipping; marine design and operation of boat lines and waterways. It would be impossible within the space of this article to list all of the projects which stand as enduring monuments to the engineer corps of the army, but here are some of their outstanding achievements: The Panama canal At first it was under the control of civilian engineers but the men who conquered difficulties which seemed almost insuperable and pushed through to a triumphant conclusion the greatest engineering project the world has ever seen were army engineers. In the minds of Americans there will forever be associated with the name of the Panama canal the name of an army engineer, Col. (ieorge W. Ooethals, who organized the work, solved complicated engineering problems and problems of supply, personnel and finance and completed the construction of the canal ahead of the estimated time. The work was organized in three divisions as follows: the Atlantic division under Slbert where was built the Oatun dam. the world's largest earth dam, and the Gatun locks, also the world's largest; the Pacific division under Williamson, which Included three locks of the same size but requiring less concrete; and the Central division under Gnlllard, which Included the fulebra (now cut, the world's largest single excavation. The total cost of the Panama canal was The total amount of concrete placed was ,1,0tO,i(H) cubic yards, the equivalent of a wall 8 feet high and 3 feet wide running clear across the continent, from New York to San Francisco. The total excavation work was 210,. 0(10.000 cubic yards. Another big job which the army engineers did and did with their accustomed thoroughness was In connection with the American Expeditionary Force In the World war. Under the leadership of Ijingfitt, Taylor, Patrick and Jad-wlhere are some of the enormous engineering problems of construction and supply which the corps was called upon to solve: the building of 907 miles of railways; the construction of (TOO miles of light railways ami the operation of 2.000 more miles of the same class; the maintenance and repair of 1.7.V) miles of roads; building and oieratlng 107 lumber mills, producing ties, poles, cord wood and over l.oon.OOO board feet of lumber per day; erection of lfi.Ooo barracks, equivalent to 311 miles and providing space for 2S0.000 beds In hospitals, of which 147 miles of words were new construction; building storage warehouses, covering the equivalent of WX) acres under roof; building wharves the equivalent of seven miles of berthing space for ships; making Improvements and additions to existing water supplies and sewerage, among which was a svstem supplying 4,000,000 gallons of water per day; receiving, storing and issuing 3,2riO.OOO tons of engineer supplies. The famous epitaph of Sir Christopher Wren, builder of St. Paul's cathedral, might well be paraphrased for the corps of engineers, and the visitor to the National Capital might well be told "if you would see their monument, look around you." The Hty of Washington was laid out by .Major L'F.nfant of the French engineers, but it was surveyed by Andrew Rllicott, professor of mathematics at West Point, and the development of the city plan was continued thereafter by army engineers. One of them was T. t. Casey, who in 1807 found the Washington monument 15fi feet high and unfinished by civilians In charge. He put a new foundation under the existing monument an Intricate and difficult Job, albeit and finished It to Its full height of .r.Vi feet. But the Washington monument is not the only work of the army engineers In Washington. The public buildings there which they constructed Include the Capitol, the Library of Congress, the Government Printing office, the State, War and Navy building, the Post Office building and the Lincoln memorial. Moreover the water supply of Washington (the Washington aqueduct) was built and is now being operated under the direction of army engineers. In the vicinity of Washington are three bridges which are outstanding engineering accomplishThey are the ments, all built by this corps. Cabin John bridge, completed In 18.r.". by Meigs which was the longest masonry arch bridge In the world (single span, 228 feet) for nearly 50 years; the Francis Scott Key bridge, built In 1920 by Tyler to replace the old Aqueduct bridge connecting Georgetown with Virginia, and the Arlington Memorial bridge, which is being constructed under the direction of Mehaffey, which Is to cost $15,000,000 and which will connect the Mall with the Virginia side leading to the Arlington memorial. The Imprint of the army engineers Is strong upon both the highway and railway systems of the country. The famous old Cumberland road, from Cumberland, Md., to St. Louis, the first national highway, was constructed and maintained by officers of the corps of engineers, from 1X21 to 1S40. The Alaska road commission, consisting of three army officers, has constructed and maintained 1,100 miles of wagon roads, COO miles of sled roads and 4,400 miles of trails. Mention of river and harbor work at the beginning of this article recalls the fact that this work was begun by the corps of engineers In 1S21, when West Point was the only engineering school in the country. On this account and also because there was then no continuing civil service and because fortification construction was already an organized service of the army, these works were put under the charge of army engineers. From that time to this they have been In charge of the development of this work and up to the present time the Investment of the government in these projects is over their upkeep requiring $20,000,000 a year. The corps of engineers now has charge of 200 harbors, 201 rivers and 63 canals. ( by Wwtira Nwvfr Union ) $1,000,-000.00- en sup-pile- BOISE, IDA. Because he froze his et while walking his "bent" in sulvzero weather last December, Weston T. Riley, Boise city patrolman, has brought suit for compensation under the workmen's compensation net and his case was set for . hearing May 5. In the Deer UT. ST. GEORGE, Pine Valley district of the Dixie National forest are increasing each year It is reported, after the third annual game survey, recently f-- ' ' |