New-York tribune., 1896-05-10
AN UNEQUALLED RECORD.
GOVERNMENTS OF THE HOUSE AT THIS
SESSION OF CONGRESS.

lam TIE FAULT OF THAT BODY THAT THE TREAS
,nv HAS NOT BEEN RELlEvED-wHAT THE
HARp-woRKED WAYS AND MEANS
COMMITTEE HAS DONE
fBY TELEGRAPH TO THE TPlBUNE.J
,rosh,ngton. May 9-When Speaker Reed
.oae public about four and a half months ago,
81. lie, of assignments Of members to the sew
-, committees Of the House OF Representatives.
.r.rvbody who was competent to judge at once
,u,ed that he had succeeded in forming an un-
..r.,,v strong and effective working organiza-
Nav ~ that body The proceedings Of the session
..,. FAR have shown this to be the fact. Taking
,. r.cord Of achievement as a whole. so far as
-, House alone Is concerned, IT has never been
'...,,sd in the history Of that body. Every in
.'n,ent and observing man In the United States
...sm. aware some time ago that this is one
,.a Congress Never before have the COM
r,,,ee. OF the House of Representatives. or that
10 itself. accomplished so much In the same
.,.c. or double the same space Of time.
r..a for example the Committee on Ways and
u..ns When the committee was first appointed
-., o,r,nised the fact was self-evident that any
..,.r.1 revision Of the tariff could not be ex-
a..,sd and that to attempt it would be the
s.ebt OF folly 1t was therefore believed that
,h. labors Of the committee would be compare
uve,v light and unimportant. The contrary has
Drur.d 10 be true. Before Congress had been in
s.ss,on month frantic appeals were made TO
!, ny President Cleveland to take immediate ac-
+on 70 relieve the necessities Of the National
Treasury and maintain the National credit. To
tbs task the Ways and Means Committee
nromptly addressed itself and within a fortnight
Il had framed two important measures or rel'e1'
and the House had promptly passed and sent
them 10 the Senate. How they were received
and treated In that body by majority composed
Of A combination of sound money" Democrats,
free silver Democrats and Populists. together
with beegarly squad Of free silver Republicans,
everybody remembers.
AMENDING THE CUSTOMS LAW.
But the Republican members OF the Ways and
Means Committee were not disheartened' nor
did their efforts cease. Serious flaws had been
discovered in the Customs Administrative act OF
1890. which had not been designed by its au-
thors to meet conditions such as were created by
the Tariff act of 1894. 1t fact we'll known
and frankly admitted by nearly every official em-
ployed in the customs service that there had
been an enormous increase in the undervalua-
Ions Of imported merchandise and correspond
ng loss of revenue. Chairman Dngley and his
ulleagues therefore undertook the difficult task
n amending the act Of 1890 so as TO adjust 1t to
he conditions created by the bill Of sale tarir
Z August %. 1894 They sought the advice
nd carefully considered the suggestions, not
My OF the Assistant Secretary of the Treasury,
vho has general oversight of the administration
Il the customs laws, but also OF the abler ana
more experienced officials IN the customs service,
Is we'll as Of leading importers and others. The
learings continued several weeks. and then,
rter the mass Of facts and suggestions had been
,arefully sifted and weighed, a bill Was framed,
eported to the House and promptly passed oy
hat body 1t now rests ON the files OF the
finance Committee of the Senate. along with the
Ill to provide additional revenue
PROTECTING DAIRY INTERESTS
Another bill. and one which Is OF great impor-
ance to the dairy interests OF the United states.
5 one to tax the manufacture and regulate the
ale of so-caled filled cheese" This measure
lfter receiving long and mature consioerauoh
9th BY subcommittee and IN the general COM
nittee. was favorably reported to the House ana
promptly passed by that body.
The total number of meetings ana hearings
held by the general committee and the severai
ub-oomrnittees since the former was organized
has been seventy eight; the total NUMBER OF
House bills referred to the s,a eOmee ,s mas there
have been reported to the House from the com,
nittee twenty-four bills and two resolutions, OF
which two bills and one resolution nave become
aw And of the remainder eleven have Deen
considered nd PASSED by the House. Among the
bills reported TO that body which have not nere-
nbefora been mentioned were the following:
To regulate the distation OF brandy from prua"es pa
and other fruits which passed the House ana Is
now pending in the Senate with an amenomemt pr
vidng for the repeal Of the free alcohol secon Oh
the existing tarilf law; to aid the Baltimore Elk
position; to prohibit the issue or tax rece,p.s VI
censes) by Internal revenue ohicers Tor tne sa,e
Of intoxicating liquors in any state; county VI
municipality where the sale OF such llquor - pr
adversely and laid on the taole:
to provide for construction Of three sampling anu
ssseyng works for silver and other ores IN IeAas'
Idaho and Washington-laid on table IN the Rouse.
some provisions having been Incorporated IN tne
oli TO amend the customs administrative law: 10
teguiatons to prevent destruction OF the fur seal
@ ncsa and In case of failure authorizing ana ol-
crsc'ns the killing OF the entire herd-pending IN
E~s,e Eors, WITH favorable report from Commntee on
sHsnSn Relations; to repeal Section 81 (the rrec
sconol nol section) OF the tariff act OF 1894; to re-
D,se sanl.e Alaska customs dstrict-is now law; 10
Sd'emt ~ use OF false brands and labels on wines
- r'u nquors-in Senate Committee on Finance;
In "sss Senate ,e0nTnesut Ohio sub-port OF entry
psote psaN. the delivery of imported packages not
bond,unn IN value $500 each, by appraising ana
az Su,ng og on the wharf: providing that present Hen
ch.re.an IAN steamships on account OF transportation
~ nn on goods carried shall be extended so as
a. sG wsI advanced charges also-passed the House;
ia iane stamford. Conn, a SUPPORT OF entry
""' 70 establish supports of entry and deliv-