Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1904-05-10
WHAT CONGRESS DID.
LONG SESSION DESPITE Early
ADJOURNMENT.
Cuba and Panama Treaties Ratified
Economy Was Practiced-TotalA ppro-
priations Are $7sI,574, 1927. 99-Ex-
pected Surplus $50, 100000.


pected Surplus s35 100000.
Two legislative acts staxd out as the
principal accomplishment Of the two ses-
sions of the Fifty-eighth Congress. The
reciprocity treaty with Cuba was chang
ed to bill having its origin in the House
because one of its provisions touched the
matter of revenue, and therefore it was
held that under the constitution the Rep
resentatives should take the iniatitive.
The pledge of the United States to Cuba
was fulfilled by means of this bill. The
House passed the measure during the ex-
traordinary session and sent it to the
Senate, where it was debated and passed
early ia the second session.
The treaty with Panama was the sec
ond of the chief legislative labors Of
Congress. The Senate ratified the treaty
without amendment, though while it was
under discussion it gave rise to yirulent
attack and debate on the part OF the
Democrats, who declared the President
had exceeded his authority in the recog-
milton of the republic of Panama.
The Senate ratified the Chinese COM
mercial treaty, by means Of which the
United States secured two open ports in
Manchuria. Congress also undertook leg
islation for the governmert of the Pan
ANA canal zone, a subject which led to
many differences between House and
Senate
There was marked conservatism
throughout the session in the matter of
supply bills. They were handled quick
ly and with the economy which often
marks the methods Of Congress prior to
a presidential campaign. All told, the
money appropriated for government uses
amounted to nearly S700,000,0o0. The
revenues of the government are estimat-
ed at $704 100000.
Appropriations Are 1871, 574,6
Chairman Hemenway of the House
committee on appropriations on the clos
ing day issued a statement showing the
appropriations made by Congress at this
session amount to $7S1, 574, 629.99. This
amount includes S26,S01, S43.93 appropri-
ated for deficiencies and $56.5O00 600 sub
mitted under the estimates of permanent
appropriations for application out of sur
plus revenues to the sinking fund. The
whole sum of apparent appropriation is,
therefore, S69S, 272, 1906 The estimat-
ed revenue for the fiscal year 1905 is
| S704, Az, O60.72, an excess over expendi-
lures of Sc. 1919, 27466.
1t is further estimated that the usual
growth of revenue and the usual expen-
ditures of the government, which aver
! age 3 per cent less than the estimates,
| will further increase this surplus to at
| least $50, 100000. The expenditure per
capita in the United States is shown to
| be $797, the lowest of any of the great
! powers by wide margin. The appropri-
atoms in the aggregate this session are
more than $20,000000 less than last ses-
! sion.
Estimates Were Cut.
Heads of the various government de-
! partments sent in estimates of their
needs, and these estimates exceeded the
! estimated revenues by about SO, 100000
! The figures will show what Congress did
! in the way of cutting down the estimates
as presented. No general measure carry
ing provisions for new public buildings
was allowed to pass. Ordinarily an om-
nibus bill is put through which provides
for postoffices and other government
buildings in towns all over the country
which have congressional influence
enough to get what they ask. The ma
jority refused likewise to consider any
river and harbor bill which had for its
| object new work and the expenditure of
large sums of money.
There was agitat ton for service pen
sion bill for war veterans involving the
expenditure of a huge sum, Congress,
however, refused to consider it at this
session, and the nearest approach to rec
! ignition of the one fact of service as be-
ing sufficient for a pension was in allow
ing an appropriation of 81, 100000 for the
payment of pensions to men who came
under the provisions of the general or
der of the Secretary of the Interior, which
made age an evidence of physical dis
ability to perform manual labor. This
age pension order was provocative of
Democratic assaults, but the Republicans
succeeded in showing to the discontinue
of their enemies t.,at like recognition
of age disability and a like order were
made 10y the Secretary of the Interior
under the administration of Crow Cleve-
land.
The postal frauds occupied the atten'
ton of Congress and the Oyerstreet re-
port, which seemed to implicate represen-
tatives in pernicious activity on behalf of
their district postmasters, caused row.
An investigation ordered by the House
cleared every member of the suspicion
of improper conduct
A resolution introduced by Representa-
tive Martin of South Dakota resulted in
an order for the investigation of the al
legged beef trust by the Department OF
Commerce and Lac or.
In the House impeachment proceed.
ings against Federal Judge Swayne OF
-. Il gf,. ;ot - do
gun, but tie matter finally went back to
the next session.
The House passed a bill admitting
Oklahoma and Indian territory as one
State and Arizona and New Mexico as
another, but the Senate took no action
on the matter.
AS far as the labor world is concern
ed the eight-hour bill was shunted by the
House to the Department of Commerce
and Labor for an investigation and the
anti-iniunetion bill introduced by Repre-
sentative Grosvenor was put over to the
next session.
The right of Reed Smoot, Senator from
Utah, to a seat in the United States
Senate is stil under investigation.
The report of the naval board which
gave 4 preference TO Lake bun, ILL.,, Il:
the site for the great lakes naval training
station was thrown out and there wa:
substituted in the naval appropriation
bill an amendment providing for board
TO select site. The amendment carrie:
6 with it IN appropriation of S250,OO0 t
I purchase land and begin the work o.
| founding the station for the training o.
! sailors.
Congress passed bill authorizing th'
lowering of the government dams TIVE
feet at Ksupsyille and LaGrange, ILL.,
Illinois Senators ari Representative
succeeded in getting into the postofilcI
{ appropriation bill an item of none.
I which will allow the use of the tunnels
of the Illinois Telegraph and Telephone
Company for the transmission of mails
By electric power from station TO sta
u . -