The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1903-01-18
A NEW CABINET OFFICE
House Passes Senate Bill Establish
ing Commerce Labor Department.
UNDER THE NEW ARRANGEMENT
A Number Of Bureau Changes Arc Made
and the President Has Power
to Transfer Others
UNDER THE NEW ARRANGfaE

Washington, january 1T.-,At the end Of
a struggle which prolonged the session
until after 8 o'clock the house passed the
senate substitute bill to establish a de-
partment OF commerce-laber. The vote
stood 1877 to 40. In committee Of the whole
the democrats and sprinklng of repub-
llcans, led by Corliss (Mich.), struck out
the portion OF the bill providing for a
bureau OF Insurance. The only other sub
stantial amendment was one to authorize
the president to transfer the Interstate
commerce commission to the new depart.
ment
The substitute as passed by the house dif-
fers from the senate bill In important par.
uculRrs- Ii leaves the lne-saving service,
the marine hospital service, the steamboat
inspection service. the bureau OF naviga-
tioL and the shipping commissioners under
the control OF tns treasury department.,
but authorizes the president, In his discrG
ton, 10 transfer other bureaus FOR the col
lection OF statistics and the interstate com
mercs commission to the new department.
II places under the control Of the new de.
partment the National bureau OF standards,
the coast aud geodstic survey, the bureau
Of statistics, the cenSuA bureau, the bureau
Of foreign commerce, the bureau OF i'm
migration. including Jurisdiction over
Chinese immigration. and also creates the
bureau OF manufactures and corporations.
The department of commerce bill was
taken up soon after the houss was called
to order this morning and the measure
was read for amendment under ths ave.
M AL OF haa
closed.
Mr.. Richardson tAla) moved to strike
out the words and labor in the title
Commerce and labor" He said he was not
individually opposed to the creation OF the
department or commerce, but objected to
the Incorporation into 1t and the subordi-
nation OF the independent bureau OF labor.
1t was defeated.
Mr. Cor!lss (Niich) moved to strike out
the provision making Il the duty OF the
department. to foster, promote and develop
the insurance business OF the United
States"
The motion prevailed-7o to S.
Mr.. Cowherd MOI moved TO decrease
the salary OF the director OF the censui
from $1,000 to $4,000. but the amendment
was lost
Mr.. Sulzer IN. " offered as an amend
ment comprehensive bill he had intro
duced to create bureau Of corporations
which would compel publicity Of matters
relating to corporations.
Mr.. Mann Qll) designated Mr.. Sulrer'l
amendment as a crudely drawn section
| which the house could not accept
H. c. Smith (Mich.) and Mr.. Thayel
| @Mass.) favored the amendment,
Mr.. Sulzer denied the bill he offered wal
crude. He said e. had been drawn by on,
| of the creates wyers IN the country
| and was genera supported by labor or
| ganisations,
The amendment was defeated--T5 to 20.
| A motion by Mr.. Corllss (Mlch) to strik'
out the provision for the creation OF
bureau Of insurance led to protrscted dis
! cussion.
| purpose of the section was TO bring insur
| ance companies under the domination OF
| bureau In Washington and allow them 4
| escape State regulations.
| Mr. Hepburn Uowa) denied this most elm
phatically, declaring sareastically that h
! did not wonder nj the gentleman from New
| Jersey seeking TO defend the vile and In
| famous corporations" created by his State
| The purpose Of the bureau, he said, was T.
| collect and disseminate information regard
| ing the business and solvency Of compHnle
in which the people of the whole countr
| were interested.
Mr. Corllss' amendment to strike out tn
| section carried-9S to ST.
The section relating to the bureau o
| corpora tons created no comment. II wa
amended without debate to make the chile
| OF the bureau an appolntee OF the pres
| dent An amendment by Mr.. Oversize
! qnd) TO section 81, to allow the presiden
order the interstate commerce commissio
TO the department OF commerce wa
adopted.
| An amendment wgB adopted provtdin
| that the transfer of the old bureaus to IN
new department shall not take effect unit
! July 1, 1903
ported to amend the house substitute 10
the senate measure, Mr.. Hepburn, by
parliamentary maneuveh succeeded
bringing the house to 9 direct vote on IN
substitute, with the original sections reii
tive to the bureau Of insurance incol
porated In IT, Instead OF moving the adoI
ton of the amended substitute, he move
the adoption Of substitute which ne o
with the insurance bureau sections T,
stored. II also included Mr.. oyerstreet
amendment authorizing the transfer or IN
interstate commerce commission 10 the me-
Mr. Hepburn's motion was lost,
Mr. Richardson (Aln) moved to reoornn1
the bin az, agreed on IN COMMITTEES OF "a
amended 80 as to create two Department.
one OF commerce and one of labor, and
incorporate Mr. Suffers provision for
on his motion the roll was called. IN
motion 10 recommit was lost-s5 to us,
narty vote with the exception OF hessr
Alpin CMich) and Tompkins .oniol rspu,
, ltoans. who voted ave, and Messrs Hoy
ard and Maddox tGa), democrats WI
The The vote then required upon Mr.. CO
uss' motion, and. on roll call, the SUI
s sit was adopted and the DIN passed
J The republicans voted sohdly for y
: bill. The following democrats voted vii
Z Mes,rs Brantley CGa). Breszeale down
conroy odass3, Feely Ill9, Fleming ,Gss.
) Glass Val. Gordon ohio; Griffith llna.
99G9 s lloyd (Nio.). McAndrews, qlll; NJ
Eieiisr ~ ". McCulloch (Arkl Malone
dI9' MAYNARD Cva.l, Mickey IND MOI
. trsnnN Shphen tMass.) Padgett (Tenn
' - rnny, krennJ Robertson 0,al. Rys
i * w Lowell N. ca, sulzer ~,
TSoro,s N. c.). Wiley (Ala.), sman q
. ~ and Williams qllJ:
IL s:o5 the house adjourned