The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1904-04-25
WHAT CONGRESS
ACCOM- LISHED
Important Action Confined to
Cuba and Panama Canal.
TOTAL OF APPROPRIATIONS
ECONOMY ON ACCOUNT OF PRES.
DENTAL ELECTION.

''SlSldliNe accomplishments Of the ses-
sions of the Fifty-eighth congress were
cohiined to two subjects-Cuba and
'ahama The reciprocity treaty be-
tween the new island republic and the
United States, initiated by President
Mckinley. was made operative by a
legislative enactment. The ratification
OF a treaty by the senate and the sub
Sequent initiation of legislation of the
government for the canal zone commit
the United States to the construction of
the Panama canal connecting the wa
ters Of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.
The special session, now denOminated
Inc iirst session. was called for the ex-
press purpose of carrying out the
pledge of the nation to Cuba. The Pan
anna development was one which arose
suddenly and received decisive and i'm
mediate action at the hands of Presi-
dent Roosevelt and the senate The
conservatism incident TO the approach
Ing presidential campaign as usual was
manifested by those responsible for the
acts of the national legislative body
The annual supply bills weNe made
with an an eye to economy. Inciden-
tally they were passed with greater
dispatch than heretofore has been the
case with a long session.
The senate ratified the treaty negO-
mated with Cuba 10 carry out the terms
of the Platt amendment.
II also ratified the China commercial
treaty, which provides for two open
ports in Manchuria.
Financial Statement.
Chairman Hemenway. of the house
committee on appropriations, in a
statement compiled under his direction.
gives the total of all supply bills Sub
Ject TO sltght changes in pending bills)
90 81 81
$e4-9I,6lO for interest on the public
\, debt The estimated revenues are
N 4iOl,4I2,O6O. BY these figures the ex-
penses are so, 0O0. 900 less than the rev
enues- The estimates of the various
government departments on which the
appropriation bills are based, exceeded
the total estimated revenues By $40
S45,S62 No river and harbor bin was
undertaken and no omnibus measure
carrying provision for new public build
came laws during the two sessions less
ings was allowed to pass
While a total of over 1.40O bills be-
than $50 of them are public bills and
of this number one-half simply auth
orized the bridging of rivers. the dam
ming Of streams, the regulation of fed
eral courts and the ordinance of the
District of Columbia.
Land Laws Amended.
Several amendments have beer. made
10 facilitate the administration Of the
public land laws. The allotments in
SeVeralty' OF lands owned collectively
by Indian tribes in various sections
of the country has been provided for
IN a number of acts. a step in the di-
rection Of world peace has been TAX
en- through the formation Of an Amer
lean group affiliated with the inter-
parliamentary union for international
arbitration and the official recognition
of this group by the passage of a
joint resolution extending an invitation
10 the union 10 hold its next annual
meeting at st. Louis and apprOpriating
$4,000 for the expenses of the same.
a joint resolution was enacted provid-
ing for the transportation aboard a
government vessel Of not exceeding 500
OF the public school teachers of Porto
Rico to the United States during the
coming summer, for the purpose OF
broadening their views by travel and
q course in summer school for teach
ers in this country.
BY the terms of a joint resolution the
president is authorized TO arrange a
convention with Great Britain to
which the assent of Japan and Russia |
are to be obtained, if possible, TO pro-
tect the fur seals of the north Pacific !
seean and Boring sea.
Coastwise Shipping Laws.
Provisions were made for the extern !
sion Of the coastwise shipping laws e
the United States 10 the Philippine /
islands after July I, 1906.
Hawaii was granted the right 10 have |
q superintendent of public instruction /
and TO have statistics compiled by the /
United States commission of labor re- !
Earding commercial. industrial. social /
educational and sanitary conditions, be I
ginning next year, and every four /
years thereafter.
1t was made Il crime TO "crimp" sea-
men Of the United States by soliciting +
them as. dodgers or charging a fee for
shipping them.
The ~nly general pension legislation /
which became a law makes the pen
sion of those who totally lost their
sight in the military or naval service /
500 per month. Agitation for a serv- I
ice pension bill resulted IN the intrrs /
duction Of many such bills. II was de-
cided. however. that no such action 4
should bc taken ut the present sessio1. |
after which the general order making
age an evidence of physical disability ,
e. perform manual labor was issued .
By the secretary of the interior and /
Recognized by congress i'm a deficiency
appropriation of s1.50OoOO TO make 1t 4
effective.
Loan to St. Louis Fair.
The Louisiana Exposition company
received "A loan of $4,000, 600 from the
government S450,000 was appropriated I
Tor government exhibit at the Lewis
and Clark exposition at Portland, and
$4,000 for an Alaskan exhibit at the
latter fair.
The only direct dealings had with the
postal scandals was the investigation
by the house Of the connection Of it,
members with clerk hire increases On /
third and fOuTth-class pOstoffices and
representations regarding leases This
investigation cleared every member
from any improper conduct in the mat
ter.
The house. by independent action di-
Iected an investigation Of the beef
trust by the department Of commerce
and labor
The attorney general was given the
benefit of the uneXpended appropriation
made by the congress for the prosecu-
tlon OF the trust, an amount aggregate
ing $40 .O0O
ihe extension or the east front OF
inc capitol building was provided for
hhd provision was made for an office
hulldlng for senators to correspond
win the proposed office buildings for
members Of the house Of representa-
ives. These buildings are 10 cost in
&C. q |