108 



THE IRRIGATION AGE. 



A Brief Call. 



on us. In freeing- Cuba many new prob- 

 lems confront us, problems that were un- 

 forseen before the war began. As to our 

 letting go of the Philippines, we are in 

 much the same position as is the man who 

 grasps the handles of an electric battery 

 and has too strong a current applied . It 

 may not be what he likes but he cannot 

 -let go until some one turns off the current. 

 No European power has, as yet, turned off 

 the current and we must, perforce, hold 

 on. The productions of the Philippines, 

 Hawaii and Cuba are so widely divergent 

 in character from those of this country 

 that, with the exception of sugar, they 

 will not compete with those of the United 

 States, while whatever loss the beet sugar 

 industry may suffer will be more than re- 

 paid by the opportunity given farmers to 

 dispcsa of their wheat, grain and other 

 products to these new markets. 



On January 3rd we had the 

 pleasure of meeting Mr. L. C. 

 Carpenter, C. and I. E., who called at the 

 AGE office. Mr. Collins is connected with 

 the State Agricultural College of Fort 

 Collins, Col. We regret the briefness of 

 Mr. Carpenter's stay, but hope to have an 

 opportunity, in the future, to become 

 better acquainted. 



ThiMas The public seems to be con- 

 Talked siderably agitated over the 

 About. Utah congressman, Roberts, 

 and his three wives, and there is much op- 

 position manifested to his taking his seat. 

 It is rather a hard question to decide, but 

 as he has had three wives for several years; 

 had them when elected, we lean somewhat 

 to the opinion as expressed by an exchange 

 that so long as Mr. Roberts was elected 

 fairly by the people of his state, the fact 

 of his having three wives is no more to 

 his discredit than the proven charges of 

 bribery are against many of the members. 

 If a man is the chosen representative of 

 the people and his actions are not so crim- 

 inal as to land him in jail, it is hard to see 

 by what law he can be prevented from 

 taking his seat. If only those whose pri- 

 vate lives would bear close inspection were 

 sent to Congress, there would be many a 

 seat vacant, and while this is a sad truth, 

 it is truth, nevertheless, and if Mr. 

 Roberts married these women it seems 



more to his credit to support and acknowl- 

 edge them, than it would to curry favor by 

 deserting one or two of them. At least the 

 matter will give a subject for the news- 

 paper wits to exercise themselves on. A 

 man at Kansas City, Mo., has jnst been re- 

 leased from the workhouse there on condi- 

 tion that he get out of the state, who is 

 ahead of Roberts, having eight wives. No 

 wonder he was in the work house ! 



After the United States whipped Spain, 

 there seemed to be strong indications that 

 Cuba herself would require a little "dress- 

 ing down." Havana was in a state of 

 dangerous excitement, bordering on riot, 

 the dissatisfaction being caused, it was 

 claimed, by the refusal of Gen'l Brooke to 

 permit Cuban troops from joining in the 

 exercises held Sunday. Jan. 1, in honor of 

 the evacuation of Havana. The affair 

 passed off without any disturbance, how- 

 ever, and Cuba is now free, and the stars 

 and stripes float over Havana. 



Rumor nas it that Canada fears the ter- 

 ritorial expansion fever has such a hold 

 on Uncle Sam that he will annex her next. 

 Toronto papers have much to say concern- 

 ing this. 



The hired girls have at last decided to 

 form a union, and its rules will go into ef- 

 fect as soon as the two women organizers 

 arrive from Copenhagen. Among these 

 rules are, that work is to begin at 6:30 a. 

 m. and end at 9:30 p. m. ; one night a week 

 and every other Sunday off: light, warm 

 and well ventilated rooms, with only one 

 hired girl to a bed. 



Chicago is making a desperate and 

 praiseworthy "kick" against the infamous 

 Allen law and it is to be hoped the great 

 weight of public opinion, added to the 

 Mayor's veto, will foil Mr. Yerkes* scheme 

 to get a great deal of something for 

 nothing. 



