The Holly chieftain., 1902-07-04

tndI IL lS possible 70 M up tue gee
ord Of what has been accomplished
during the past seven months. which
constitute the first session Of the F1f,.
ty-seventh Congress. .
The session has been marked by ex-
ceptional business activity, with many
questions of far-reachihg general In
terest engaging attention.
With the exception Of the Cuban re,
ciprocity bill, most OF the larger sub
jects OF general legislation have been
enacted as laws, or will become such
before the session closes.s Notable
among Theses larger n,ia4nrky iss the
Isthmiap canal bill which eonsuIn-
mates the efforts OF half century to
link together The waters OF the sAtlah-'
dc and Pacific. Aside from 4ts HStiop-
al and international importAncess thfS
bill probably Involves a larger stim Of
money than thai coyertnx. any. other
single undertaking by the g5vefnment-
outside of war expenditures, 8, r.,
The Pbilippineieivil government bdH,
is another measute of far-teachfhg i'm
portance, extending to our FeNote Pm.
cifac possessipps 10 system Of Internal
government L,tq&ther with coinage,
currency, ba4kiAk, corporation, timber
and homestead Mws. Among the eth
f Ter important gen hlral laws enacted are.
those repealiQg tke war revenue taxes;
extending aid making more effective
the Chinese exclusion laws; establish
ing tariff for goods TO and from the
Philippines; extepding the charter of
national banks xpr twenty years; es-
tablishfng' peIIanent census office;
n - II
by placing gNhigh tan on imitatioa.bu
ter; providing consular and ,diplO-
| matic service Tor Cuba: esta ablishing an
faextensive system by which the govern.
ment WIFI aid in the irrigation of the
arid sections. OF the West. :,
The repal of the war revenue taxes
reduced taxation $73.35O,OOO, and IL
said to be the largest single reduction
|, Of taxation ever made in this county.
r'BE this step the last of the tnxeS I'M
sr4sed at the beginning of our war
with Spain axe wiped out.
The Philippine tariff act imposes sew
| enty-five per cent OF the Dingley tarin
rates on articles coming from the Phil.
lppines to the United States and also
imposes on articles entering the Phil
4 lppines from the United. States the
rates of duties established by the
philippine Commission. ,s.sss, - T. \ !.
The oleomargarine act results from
several years agitatioh. II plHces n
taxsof 10 cents a pound on substances
colOred to initiate butter. -,
The irrigation act la of special i'm
portance to the development of the
West Hicreates an irrigation fund In
the Treasury Department, into which
is to be paid theSprOceeds of theSsAle of
public lands in the arid stateKs This
fund in turn is to ie 4used III storing
water and establishing Irrigation sys-
tens, the Irrigation sections 60. be
ltopened to homesteaders, who are to- be
charged pfopoFtiOnate share OF The
cost Of the Improvement.
The Chinese exclusion law continues
4 exclusion until otherwise enacted by
ilaw," and also applies sthe exclusion
ito the islands and territory dh1er the
Jurisdiction of the United States"
| ! Aside from. these important laws
there are number OF other measures
Of general impOrtancs which have
iEpassed one or both hoaises, but have
1Anot progressed to the final stage. These
include the anti-anarchy Legislation,
Il which grew, out of the assassination OF
President Mckinley Bills restricting
| anarchys and throwing safeguards
about the President have passed both
branches of Congress, but 1t has been
impossible to reach an agreement In
conference, so that the subject goes
over until next December.
|; A bill giving statehood to Arizona,
New Mexico and Oklahoma, known as
the omnibus statehood bill, passed the
House and the Senate has determined
to take up the matter early in the
next session. IL. So
The; ship subsidy. biltssecured early
Eattention In the Senate. but the end Of
1 the session has come without the
mcclure being Rporfed to the House.
i As 1t passed the Sehate the bill grants
i graded subsidies to steam and sailing
vessels OF American build. In the
house 1t has been l1pemed desirable to
let the snb1ectsxo oYsE until the short
session, when It 'is Expected that a
bill on the subject Will Be reached and
l-ufHed to passage. ~.
4 The bill creating the. Appalachian
forest reserve, including vast tract
in the Appalachian mountain section
OF the South, has received favorable at
tention in both houses, but has gone
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