Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1901-01-03
WASHINGTON LETTER.
THE PAST RECESS cENTERs 81; III
TEREsT I'M CONGRESS.

= River and HIarbor, Appropriated,
Army Rer rE:anizntto aaand shipppinnas
Bills-lFFeieiEn Steamship Infiuenee
S$Against Last Named Measure.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 3.-The holiday re.
cess is nearing Its close, and members
of congress are returning to the city
Ito take up anew the details of national
legislation. In the house interest will
center during the first few days sue
ceeding the holidays in the great river
and harbor bill-the 9$%6O,0OO,OO0 onmnni.
bus measure which has somewhere, by
some one, been characterized as the
greatest piece Of log rolling inthe world.
The members Of the committee which
drafted the bill have done some heroic
work in pruning down its unwieldy
proportions from an $SO,000,O 900 to d
$%60,000,000 proposition" After it has
run the exciting but brief gantlet Of
the house it must be sent to the senate,
where it's referred to the committee
on commerce. ~ 5.%~ts
E{&a 4s%r @s ! s $<zs
There is some. Significance In the fact
that the same committee Of the senate
which has fayorably reported the ship
ping bill is, the one that, the river aud
harbor Improvement bill Is referred to
when 1t reaches the senate. It2takes q
long time to carefully study the pro-
visions Of such a vast measure as the
river and harbor bill, and 1t would not
be at all surprising If the senate COM
merceecommittee did not interfere with
the fullest consideration Of the ship
ping bill In the senate while it was
giving in committee the fullest consid-
GRAFTON to the river and harbor i'm.
provement bill. Meanwhile, of course,
in the senate precedence will be given
to the appropriation bills and, it is e
pected, to the army reorganization bill.
Considering the bitter partisan feel.
ing that has run so high on the subject
of army reorganization and the dispo-
sition of the senate to debate indefinite
ly any measure of national Importance
on which the great political parties
take sides in opposition, there is u
growing feeling that the outcome of
the whole discussion may, after all, be
a continuance of the existing law for a
couple more years, leaving for congress
In the long session and in the light Of
subsequent developments the perfec-
ton and passage of just such a%meas-
ure as our military needs in our chang
ed conditions indicate as desirable.
-. N,
Next in Importance and OF sconsum-S
ing interest is the shipping bill. Re
Gently there has arisen q very general
feeling of confidence In the nltimate
passage of some kind OF shipping bill:
before the close Of the present session.
It would be a strange thing, but. not
entirely. out q. the range ii plrobabin-
ty, to find the provision admitting for
eign built ships to American registry
either eliminated or vastly changed
before final passage. This has been,
regarded as one OF the features most
likely to attract and hold the votes
Of Democrats, as the, free admission
OF foreign built vessels to American
registry is in line with their demands
for a long time back. And yet if this.
provision Is stricken out 1t will not be
by Republican votes.
@ Il
The real facts seem to be that the
opponents OF The bill find it much easier
to get into communication with Demo,
Gratis than they do with Republicans,
and, as the former are prone to believe
statements that are made to them. Id
apparent good faith and with seeming
plausibility, they have absorbed amin.
mense amount OF misinformation con-
corning the provisions and objects OF
the bill. The opponents OF the bill are
most happy when they are mystifying
people concerning its provisions. And
SO it is that men are working at cross
purposes in perfect good faith and ar.
doing precisely what the enemies Of
the bill desire to have them do-divide
pm all Kinds Of points to d degree that
will make 1T Impossible for a majority:
TO unite upon the entire features OF any
proposed measure. ssS S
&
#3gA 3httS Uu&EGSSlUudL
opponents Of the bill are not led by the
foreign steamship lines iH their 0ppo-i
sition to the bin, they are, at least to q
great extent, guided BY the line Of ar
gument that has been put forth In the
interest Of these great foreign lines.
The lines OF foreign steamships that
have as their American terminus the
port of New York alone receive il
freight and passenger tolls from the
American people considerably over
$100,0o0.000 each year. These people
know that the passage OF the shipping
bill means a long period of fierce COM
petition with American ships and d:
consequent reduction ii the rates sof
transportation that will wipe out prac.-s
stically all of the profits III the business.
fOrTyears TO eomeeyen IL American
ships do not succeed Id Wrestling from
them q fair share Of the carrying.
So the remaining couple o. months
pf the session promise to present d bat
#tie royal between American and for
eign interests. with tile chances favor
ing the foreigners 81 far ssthe .po