Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1904-12-30
CHRISTMAS RECESS.
AFTER HAVING MADE A GOOD
START FOR BUSINESS.

Change. and Pork Bills Stand Little
Chance-The Philippines to Be Given
Railroad Systematic Statehood Bill Will
Absorb Attention Of Consress-The I'm
parchment Trial of Judge Swayne
tant Expenditure for Rental Of Public Build
inss; It Would be Much More Economical
for the Government to Own Its Offices.
from our regular corrcspondent)
WASHINGTON, ID. c., Dec. %.
Congress has adjourned for the
Christmas recess having, apparently,
accomplished very little during the
two weeks ante-holiday session; but
actually many preliminaries have been
disposed OF and programme for the
rest OF the session has been mapped
out and tentatively agreed upon by
the leaders of both houses. Economy
is to be the dominant policy OF the
session and private legislation will
stand little chance, while the omni bus
appropriation bills popularity called
"pork bilks" will have difficult
course to sail These are the Public
Building and the River and Harbor
bills, 10th of which usually carry
numerous appropriations dear to the
hearts of the respective members, and
if the leaders carry their plans to a
successful issue both will be left
stranded on the 4th of March. Pri-
vate claims and pension bills will also
suffer from the narrow margin between
federal receipts and expenses, as the
administration leaders are determined
neither to increase taxation nor to
issue bonds to meet an unnecessary
Treasury deficit.
The most important legislation thus
tar accomplished is the PHILIPPINE Pub
lie improvement bill, whereby the
Philippine Commission is authorized
to guarantee per cent interest. for a
term OF thirty years, on bonds issued
to cover the actual cost OF construc-
ton of a railway system in the Philip
pines. This measure has passed the
Senate and will be approved without
change OF the House after the recess.
Although the President and Secretary
Taft both regard the bill as essential
to the development OF the Philippines,
1t came very near failing in the Senate
because of the loose manner in which
the railway clause was drafted and
was only saved from defeat at the
eleventh hour. by Senator Spooner
who is recognized as the best constitu-
tional lawyer in the upper chamber
and whose knowledge of railway law
enabled him to go redraft the railway
clause so as to eliminate the objections
of those who saw in the original meas
ure numerous loopholes whereby dis
honest railway officials might have
seriously defrauded the Philippine Gov
eminent.
There is now on the Senate calendar
q Statehood bill which will receive the
hearty support of large majority OF
the Republicans and which the major
lity hopes will become law. Sub
stantially, it provides for the old two
State proposition, making Oklahoma
and Indian Territory one State and
Arizona and New Mexico another, but
providing that each may resolve itself
into single State when it attains to
a prescribed population. The bill is
certain to meet with serious opposition
from the Democrats who believe that
the area OF these territories warrants
their being represented by eight in.
!stead OF four Senators and also from
Senators Alger of Michigan and Bard
of California, Republicans. 1t 10 i'm.
possible to predict the fate of the meas
ure but accomplish the ends OF the
leaders as it will render less desirable
legislation impossible.
Soon after New Year the House
will send to the Senate impeachment
articles against Judge Charles Swayne
OF Delaware and Florida. This will
be the first impeachment case tried by
the Senate since that of General w.
w. Belknap, Secretary of War, in 1867,
and that was never carried to q con-
clusion as Secretary Belknap's resig-
nation was accepted by President
Grant during the trial. 1t is roughly
estimated that the impeachment case
will reach the Senate about January
IL and will not be concluded for fonr
weeks. The present plans are to sit as
court OF impeachment from IL A. M.
to Or. NJ. each day and take up legis.
lative business at 2 P. NJ. The case is
likely to be attended with intense in.
terest not only because of its novelty
but because one OF the counts in the
( indictment is certain to be the falsifi-
. cation of expense accounts, a practice
which is freely charged is not uncom.
, mon among federal judges who are
allowed maximum of $40 day FOL
expenses whenever they leave home to
| hold courts, but who are compelled to
swear that their expenses have been
incurred as itemized." II Judge
Swayne is found guilty on this count
) there will doubtless be other federal
jurists who will be compelled to refec,
that they stand in slippery places.
An interesting specimen of national
> business methods was called to the
attention Of your correspondent to day
During the fiscal year ending with
;; last June the government paid for
rented buildings in Washington $341 ;
1864. tits estimated that this sum
represents not less than ten per cent
OF the value OF the property rented
while the government can borrow all
the money it needs at 2 per cent. q
year. Therefore, if the government
were wise enough to buy land and
erect its own buildings, even if COM
PEELED to borrow the money to do it,
it could procure the same OF better
! accommodations for $3,412,37O on
which the interest at per cent.
, would be Sos. 247 40, a saving OF $273,-
: 600 year, while the repairs and wear
, aud tear on the buildings would prob.
ably be offset by the steady increase
in land values which Washington is
: enjoying.
Instead, however. OF erecting the
} necessary buildings for the accommo-
. da.ion of the various executive de-