The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1902-07-04
WHAT CONGRESS HAS DONE
RECORD OF What Hac Been Accomplished During
the Past Seven MONTH";.

washington, June 29.-The work of CON-
gress is now practically closed, so that IL
Is possible to sum up the record of what
mas been accomplished during the past
seven months, which constitutes the first
session OF the fifty-seventh congress-.
I'M session has been marked by excep-
ulonal business activity. with many oues-
tions of far-reaching general interest en-
saglng attention. With the exception of
the Cuban reciprocity bill most Of the
larger SUBJECTS of general legislation nave
peen enacted as laws or will become such
before the session closes. Notable among
tnese large measures IS the isthmian canal
Dill, which consummates the efforts of a
half century. to link together the waters
or the Atlantic and the Pacific. Aside
from its national and international i'm
~portance, this bill probably involves a
larger sum of money than that covering
any other single undertaking by the gov
ernment outside of war expenditures. The
Phlllpplne civil government bill is an
other measure of
Far-Reaching importance,
extending to our remote Pacific possess
sions a system Of internal civil govern
nent, together with coinage, currency,
banking, corporation, timber and home
stead laws. Among the other important
general laws enacted are those repeating
the wal 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 charter of national banks for
twenty years; establishing a permanent
census office; restricting the sale Of oleo-
margarine by placing a high tax on imi-
tation butter; providing a consular and
diplomatic service for Cuba; establishing
an extensive system by which the govern
ment will aid in the irrigation of the arid
sections Of the West.
The repeal Of the war revenue taxes re-
duced taxation $73, $50, 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 wal with
Spain was wiped out. The Philippine tar
If act imposes IS per cent of the Dingley
tariff rates on articles coming from the
Philippines to the United States. and also
impose on articles entering the Philip
pines from the United States the rates of
duties established by the Philippine COM
mission. The oleomargarine act results
from several years Of agitation. 1t places
a tax OF 10 cents a pound on subStan-
ces 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 treas
ury 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 systems, the irrigated sections
to be open to homesteaders, who are to
be charged a proportionate share Of the
cost OF the Improvement.
The Chinese Exclusion Law
continues exclusion until otherwise pro-
vided by law" and also applies the ex-
clusion ito the island territory under
the Jurisdiction of the United States.
Aside from these important laws there
are a number of other measures Of gen.
eral 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 Mckin-
lev. Bills restricting anarchy and throw
ir.g safeguards about the president nave
passed both branches of congress-, but 1t
has been impossible to reach an agree
ment 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.
The Ship Subsidy Bill
secured early attention in the senate but
the end OF the sessi IN has come with
out the measure being reported to the
house. AS it passed the senate the bill
grants graded subsidies to steam and
sailing vessels of American build. In the
house IL has been deemed desirable to let
the subject go over Until the short SEES
sion, when it is expected that a bill on
the subject will be reported and urged to
passage.
The bill creating the Appalachian forest
reserve, including a vast tract IN the
Apalachian mountain section OF the
South. has received favorable attention.
in both houses, but has gone over Tor
final adjustment of differences until next
december. Another bill passed by the
senate and likely to become a LAY"
changes the marine hospital service to a
national health bureau and gives the
bureau larger powers and facilities for
cooperating with the state health au-