The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1905-01-06
THE OUTLOOK
In CONGRESS
Statehood Bill Now Order Of
Business.
THE PURE FOOD MEASURE
Not Likely to be Considered Changes
in the Canal Commission Favored
Little Hope for Sub
sidy Bill.
THE PURE FOOD MEASURE

Washington, Jan. 1.-The breyity Of
the present session dominates the out
look for congressional business The Re-
publican leaders have the votes to pass
many more measures than they expect
to reach, or in some instances desire to
reach
The two-state bill, which is now the
order Of business, is hardly likely to pass
in its present form. Many persons ex-
peet compromise which will admit
oklahoma, combined with Indian Terri.
tory, but win leave Arizona and New
Mexico unattended to. The Foraker
amendment, requiring the approval Of
each Of these territories before the pro-
posed merger could become operative,
would result in such an outcome, since
the original opposition in the two more
northern territories to consolidation has
largely disappeared, under the feeling
that they win not get statehood any
other ways while in Arizona the resist
ance to any union with New Mexico APP
pears undated Many influences, such
rs the threat OF Mormonism in the far
southwest, the fear that these commu-
mites would not be so well governed UNI
der self-rule, and sympathy for the
American element in Arizona contribute
toward the likelihood of this compro-
H. u,
alone, if anything is done.
The pure food bill which this measure
displaced win not be heard from further
in this session, although Senator Hep
burn is still trying to bring pressure to
bear on the steering committee in its
favor. Most of the senators agree that
there should be some federal protection
against dangerous food adulterants, but
they profess to fear the pending bill on
the ground that it calls for such an
extensive and costly corps of administers
tors We have no Federal police. The
Estates have the police powers, and the
method of reaching this subject by the
National Government, through its control
Iof interstate commerce, is cumbersome.
These are the arguments commonly pre-
sented in favor of greater deliberation
in the preparation OF the far reaching
measure.
Ii Congress gets around to it, there
will be reorganization Of the Panama
Canal Commission, since sentiment runs
strongly in this direction. The Difficult.
ty now is that the functions OF admin
istration and OF engineering are not
properly separated. The Presidents
plan would be to have commission,
consisting Of three men, who would be
administrators strictly, and one chief
engineer under them, aided BY board
Of four consulting engineers, who wonld
not be members of the commission. This
scheme Of control would seemingly re-
store a working harmony which has
been lost By the present commission Of
four engineers, two retired officers, Of
army and navy respectively, and bus
mess man. Representative Mann Of
Chicago, who is leading in the work of
reorganization, desires TO emphasize
that he is not opposed to the existing
commissioners, whose engineer members
stand high in their profession, but that
he thinks that accountants should not
supervise engineering problems, or en-.
gineers decide on questions Of admins
tration, and bookkeeping. The cum
bersomeness Of the existing arrange.
ment is what he regrets. Personally, he
does not favor the sea-leyel canal, at
least on present terms; he calls atten.
ton to the value Of business carried
through the 500 Locks, and the COM
parative economy of operation OF the
locks at Panama, by utilizing the wa
ter power at dams which will have to-
be built anyway.
The Republican leaders hardly dare
hope that their shrewdly devised subsi-
| dy bill win be enacted at this session.
although the Democrats have not dis
closed their line Of opposition as vet, or
given any Indication Of the degree Of
their resistance to it. A conference Of
the Democratic members failed to result
! in any announcement Of the programme,
! 1t is informally understood, however,
that they will oppose the subvention Of
the cargo-carrying ships, steam and sail,
on general principles, but they will fa-
vor the extension of the mail contracts,
giving as these do, such a prominence to
lines out Of gulf ports, and that they
will not seriously oppose the naval re-
serve provisions, or to increase OF the
tonnage taxes, if this turns out to be
I the programme, the South and North
west viii be brought into antagonism,
since they like different provisions Of
the pending BILL Opposition in the
past has been largely confined to the
representatives of these sections.