The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1902-07-03
OF WORK
MOST IMPORTANT BILLS PASSED
BY CONGRESS
AT the Session just Drawing to Its
Close --- migration and Canal
Bills of Paramount Interest to
the Coast and the Western
States.

that 1t is possible TO sum up the record
of what has been accomplished during
the past seven months, which constitute
the first session of the Fifty-seventh
congress. The session has been marked
by exceptional business activity, with
many questions of far-reaching general
interest engaging attention. With the
exception of the Cuban reciprocity bill,
most of the large 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 consumates the efforts of half
century to link together the waters of
the Atlantic and the Pacific.
Aside from its national and inter-
national Importance, this bill probably
involves larger sum of money than
that covering any other single under
taking by the government outside of
war expenditures. Vhe Philippine
civil government bill is another meas
ure of farreaching Importance, extend
ing to the remote Pacific possessions
system of internal government, together
with coinage, currency, banking. corpo-
ration, timber and homestead laws.
Among the other important laws enact
ed are those repeating the war revenue
taxes; extending and making more
effective the Chinese exclusion laws;
establishing a tariff for goods to and
from the Philippines; extending the
charter of national banks for 20 years;
establishing permanent census office;
restricting the sale of oleomargarine by
placing high tax on imitation butter;
providing a consular and diplomatic
service for Cuba; establishing an ex-
tensive system by which the govern
ment will aid in the irrigation of the
arid lands of the West.
The repeal of the war revenue taxes
has reduc' d taxation $73,350, 900, and
is said to be the largest single reduction
of taxation ever made in this country.
By this step the last of the taxes i'm
posed at the beginning of the war with
Spain are wiped out. The Philippine
tariff act imposes rs per cent of the
Dingley tariff rates on articles coming
from the Philippines to the United
States, and also imposes on articles en-
tering the Philippines from the United
State rates of duties established by the
Philippine commission. The oleomar-
garine act result from several years of
agitation. 1t places tax of ten cents
a pound on subtance colored to initiate
butter.
The irrigation act is of special i'm
portance to the department 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 irrigation sections to be open
to homesteaders who are to be charged
proportionate share of the cost of the
improvement. The Chinese exclusion
law continues exclusion until other
wise provided by law" and also APP
plies the exclusion "to the island ter
ritory under the jurisdiction of the
United States"
Aside from these important laws,
there are number of other important
measures of general interest, which
have passed one or both houses, but
which have not progressed to the final
stage. These included the anti-an-
archv legislation which grew out of the
assassination of President mckinley.
Bills restricting anarchy and throwing
safeguards about the president have
passed both houses, but it has been i'm
possible to reach an agreement in con-
ference, so that the subject goes over
till next December. A bill giving state
hood to Arizona, New Mexico and Ok
lahoma, known as the omnibus state
hood bill, passed the house, and the
senate determined to take up the matter
90 r1v in tho nayt SpSSiop