Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-07-01
WORK OF CONGRESS.
Review Of the Legislation of the Pres.
emf Session.

SnS session..
Washington, July 1.-The conference
reports on the Philippine government,
and naval appropriation bills were
adopted by both houses. The bills now
go to the president. Both houses have
agreed to adjourn at $3.50.
The session has been marked by eX-
cepu0pal business activity, with many
questions of far reaching general in
terest engaging attention. With the
exception of the Cuban reciprocity bill,
most of the larger subjects of general
legislation have been enacted as laws
or will become such before the session
closes. Notable among these larger
measures is the isthmian canal bill
which consummateS the efforts of q
half century to link together the waters
of the Atlantic and the Pacific. Aside
from It's national and international i'm
portance, this bill probably involves a
larger sum of money than that cover
ing any other similar undertaking by
the government outside of war eXpen-
ditures.
The Philippine civil government bill
is another measure of far reaching inn
portance, extending to our remote Pa
cific possessions a system of internal
government, together with coinage, cur
rency, banking, corporation, timber and
homestead laws.
Among the other imortant general
laws enacted are those repeating the
war revenue taxes; extending and
making more effective the Chinese ex-
clusion laws; establishing a tariff for
goods to and from the Philippines; ex-
tending the charters of national banks
for twenty years; establishing per-
manent census office: restricting the
sale of oleomargarine by placing high
tax on imitation butter; providing a
consular and diplomatic service for
Cuba; establishing an extensive sys-
tenn by which the government will aid
In the irrigation OF the arid sections of
the west.
The repeal of the war revenue taxes
reduced taxation s73,253,0 600 and is said
to be the largest single reduction of
taxation ever made in this country BY
this step the last of the taxes imposed
at the beginning of our war with Spain
were wiped out. The Philippine tariff
act imposes 75 per cent of the Dingley
tariff rites on articles coming from the
Philippines to the United States, and
/
Philippines from the United States the
rates of duty established by the Philip
pine commission.
The olemargarine act results from
several years of agitation. 1t places a
tax OF 10 cents a pound on substances
colored to initiate butter.
The irrigation act is of special i'm
portance to the development of the
west. 1t creates an irrigation fund in
the treasury department into which is
to be paid the proceeds of the sales of
public lands in the arid states. This
fund in turn is to be used in storing
water and establishing irrigation sys-
TENS, the irrigated sections to be open
to llomesteaders, who are to be charged
a proportionate share of the cost of the
Improvement.
The Chinese exclusion law continues
exclusion until otherwise provided by
law" and also applies the exclusion Ito
the island territory under the jurisdic-
ton of the United States
Aside from these important laws.
there are a number of other measures
of general Importance which have
passed one or both houses, but have
not progressed to the final stage These
include the anti-anarchy legislation.
which grew out of the assassination
of President Mckinley. Bills restrict
ing anarchy and throwing safeguards
about the president have passed both
branches of congress. but it 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 decided
to take up the matter early in the next
session.
The ship subsidy bill secured early
attention in the senate, but the end
of the session has come without the