Windham County reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1901-1906, 1902-12-24
CONGRESSIONAL D0INGS.
WHAT THE NATIONAL LEGISLATORS
HAVE ACCOMPLISHED THIS WEEK.


HAVE ACCOMPLISHED THIS WEEK.
The Eight-Hour Bill Considered Reduction OF
Duties on Philippine Products Department
of Commerce Bill Favorably Reported Pure
Food Bill Passes the House
The Senate Wednesday has passed
the pension appropriation bill, car
rying Sl3i. SAT, 900, without discussion
also an'urgent deficiency bill of 81, 40.
100, which includes $4,000 to stamp
out the epidemic of foot and mouth
disease. Representative Fowler of
New Jersey has introduced a substi-
tutc currency bill, aud an amendment
to the executive appropriation bill was
agreed to, approprlating 500, 900 for the
enforcement Of the Sherman antitrust
law, under the direction of the attor-
ney general The bill was passed.
After many hearings and three days
Of executive sessions, the Senate com
mi tee on education and labor agreed
Friday on q favorable report of the
House eight hour bill. Many amend
ments have been made The bill pro
yIdeS that every contract for public
work made by the United States, any
territory or the District of Columbia
shall provide a penalty of - for each
labOrer or mechanic for each day said
labUrer or mechanic may be required
or permitted to labor more than eight
hours on such work, the penalty 10 be
withheld from payments due the con
tractors or sub contractors. Appeal
may be made to the head of the depart
ment making the contract and thence
! 10 the court of claims. The act shall
not apply to contracts for transporta-
! tion by land or water, or for the trans
mission of intelligence. Penalties not
to be imposed for violations due to
emergencies.
The House passed the bill to reduce
the duties on the products of the Phil
ippine islands coming into the Unit
ed States from - per cent. of the
Dlngley rates the present duties to
- per cent. of those rates. Discussion
of the pure food bill was begun. The
Mccall resolution calling on the state
department for the CORES pondcnce in
the Venezuelan imhroglio was adopt
ed at the beginning of the session.
The interstate commerce committee
reported favorably the department of
commerce bill The provision includ-
ing the bureau of labor in the new de-
lartment was retained by a tie vote.
The bill will embrace within the pro
posed department of commerce the
lighthouse service, the national bu-
reau of standards, the coast and geo
detic survey, the bureau of immigra-
ton, the fish commission, the bureau .
of statistics of the treasury depart /
ment the bureau OF foreign commerce
of the state department for seal and .
al. LII 81.
census and three new bureaus, inSur-
ance, manufacturers and corporations. .
The province and duty of the pro-
posed bureau of corporations is under .
the direction of the secretary of COM
merce to gather, complete, publish
and supply useful information con
corning corporations engaged in inter
state or foreign commerce.
The pure food bill passed the House
by a vote of - to q Friday. This bill
inhibits the introduction into any
state or territory or the District of Co
lumba from any foreign country, or
the shi pment to any foreign country of
any article of food or drug which is
adulterated or misbranded. The above
delivering or receiving with
ated.
Congress adjourned Saturday until
Jan. >. The Senate session was large
ly given up to an address by Senator
on the question of the construc-
ton of an isthmian canal. The sena-
tor recommended negotiations with
Nicaragua and Costa Rica with a view
Of utilizing the Nicaragua route.
\ conference committee reported pro-
fiding for the payment of expenses of
he anthracite coal commission was
agreed to. {
Senator Lodge introduced bill au-
horizing the president to remove the
iuty on coal coming into the United |
States from Canada whenever the duty |
IN coal from the United States going 5
nto Canada shall be removed. u
The last session of the House before {
he holiday recess lasted only long |
nough to permit final action upon the /
ill to defray the expenses of the coal t
trike commission. No other business :
,aS transacted I