Camas Prairie chronicle. [volume] (Cottonwood, Idaho) 1901-1917, 1902-07-04
RECORD Of last CONGRESS

congress is now pTdCllCdlly ciOSSu, 81
that it is possible to sum up the rec
ord of what has been accomplished
during the past seven months, which
constitute the first session of the Eff
ty-seventh congress. The session has
been marked by exceptional business
activity, with many questions of far
reaching general interest engaging at
tention. With the exception of the
Cuban reciprocity bill, most of the
larger measures of general legislation
have been enacted as laws or will be-
come such before the session closes.
Notable among these larger meas
ures is the isthmian canal bill, which
consummates the efforts of a half
century to link together the waters of
the Atlantic and Pacific. Aside from
it's national and international import
ance, this bill probably involves a
larger sum of money than has covered
any single undertaking by the govern
ment outside of war expenditures.
The Philippine civil government bill
is another measure of far-reaching i'm
portance, extending to our remote Pa
cifc possessions system Of internal
government together with coinage,
currency, banking, corporation, timber
and homestead laws.
Among the important laws enacted
are those repeating the war revenue
taxes; extending and making more eff
fective the Chinese exclusion laws; es-
tablishing tariff for goods to and
from the Philippines; extending the
charters of national banks for 20
years; establishing a permanent cen
sus office; restricting the sale of oleo-
| margarine by placing high tax on
! initiation butter; providing consular
and diplomatic service for Cuba; estab-
| fishing an extensive system by which
| the government will aid in the irriga-
ton of the arid sections of the west.
| The repeal of the war revenue taxes
| has reduced taxation $73,530,000 and
| is said to be the largest single reduc-
ton of taxation ever made in this
country. By this step the last of the
taxes imposed at the beginning of our
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 entering the Philippines
from the United States the rates of
duties established by the Philippine
commission. The oleomargarine act
resulted from several years agitation.
1t places 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 irrigation sections to be
open to homesteaders, who are to be
charged proportionate share of the
cost of the improvement The Chi
nese exclusion law continues exclusion
until otherwise provided by law" and
also applies the exclusion law ito the
island territory under the jurisdiction
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 which
have not progressed to the final stage.
These include the anti-anarchy legis-
lation, which grew out of the assas-
sination of President Mckinley. These
bills restricting anarchy and throw.
ing safeguards about the president
have passed both houses. 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 New Mex
leo, Arizona 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 session has come without the
measure being reported to the house.
AS 1t passed the senate, the bill grants
graded subsidies to steam and sailing
vessels of American build. In the
house it has been thought desirable to
let the subject go over until the short
session, when it is expected that a
bill on the subject. will be reported and
urged.
A bill passed by the senate and likely
to become law changes the marine
hospital service to national health bu,
reau and gives the bureau larger now
ers and facilities for cooperating with
the state health authorities in uuaran.
tine and health affairs.
A Dill to establish a cable between
the United States, Hawaii and the
Philippines was retired by defeat in
the house.
The bill for the election of United
States senators by direct vote of the
people passed the house by practically
an unanimous vote, but in the senate
1t has received little attention and is
likely to remain there.
The bill defining the meaning of
conspiracy in injunction cases nassed
the house of representatives but has
not made much progress in the senate
On the other hand, the senate nassod
an important measure creating n do