Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1903-01-15
CONGRESSIONAL NEWS.

Washington, Jan. 6.-The day in
the senate was eventful because of
the speech by Senator Hoar on his
bill regulating trusts and an attack
by Senator Vest on protected indus
tries through the operation of the
Dingley law. Mr.. Hoar said that
nearly all thoughtful men in this coun-
try are agreed that some legislation,
state or national, ought to be had for
the regulation and control of what are
called trusts and of large masses OF
capital accumulated by corporations
or artificial persons holding property
and conducting business without in
dividual liability. There was, he said,
a general feeling of insecurity and
alarm about the matter and we were
dealing with real peril and not with
fancy or imaginary danger. He
argued that if his bill should become
a law and prove effective no corpora
ton engaging IN commerce which is
within the jurisdiction of congress
can keep it's condition secret. The
bill, he said, depends for it's validity
on the constitutional power of con-
gress to regulate international and
interstate commerce. Should the bill
not prove effectual it would be easy to
extend it's operation by imposing a
like personal liability on every stock
holder
Senator Vest used as text for his
remarks his resolution instructing the
committee on finance to prepare and
report a bill removing the duty on
coal. Feeble in the extreme and sup
porting himself on his desk. he called
attention to the condition of distress
which had arisen as the result Of the
shortage in the coal supply. There
was GREATNESS silence in the chamber
as he spoke and every senator on the
floor turned in his direction in order
to catch his words. He said the ques-
ton was no longer partisan one,
but one Of humanity and that we are
not on the verge of crisis but actual
ly in it, He charged the republican
senators with being silent and dumb
to the state Of affairs, having only in
mind the party cry "stand pat" He
characterized the Dingley tariff act as
sacred elephant" with which moth
ing was to be done. He sarcastically
remarked that if the whole question
was one of raising money for the next
presidential campaign that was the
end of the discussion. Senator Aid
rich took exception to some of Mr..
Vests statements and the resolution
went over
Washington, JAN 6.-The house
general staff for the army by vote
of 1913 to 50. Cooper of Wisconsin,
Lamb Of Virginia, and Morrell, Burk,
Cassell and Adams of Pennsylvania
denied the published reports to the
effect that they had joined with other
members 70 pool their clerical work.
A bill was passed to increase the pen
sion of soldiers totally deaf from $50
to $40 per month.
Representative Mann of Illinois re-
ported from the house committee on
interstate and foreign commerce a
IOI JIG oC1i1IO ciAA ~ S0NoD
lisb a new department of commerce
and labor. The report says that one
object of the new department is to
consolidate as far as possible all of
the statistical bureaus of the govern
ment in one department and to place
in that department all of the scientific
bureaus engaged in work relating to
commerce, manufactures and labor. A
report signed by Mr.. Rich
ardson Of Alabama and DR.. Davis of
Florida was filed in opposition to the
transfer of the department of labor to
the department of commerce as tend
ing to subordinate and take from the
formers dignity.
Washington, Jan. THE senate
discussed the bill for the reorganiza-
ton of the militia, also the statehood
bill. Senator Mallory of Florida led
the democrats in opposition to the Sec
ton of the 'litia bill providing for a
reserve force of trained men, the con-
tention being that it not only wanton-
ly infringed the rights of the several
states, but increased the standing
army by hundred thousand men.