West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1905-12-21
NATIONAL NEWS.
More Than 5000 Bills Before the
Present Session OF Congress.
Bill for the Creation OF n Parcel Post
VIII Cause Severe Fight.
From our Regular Correspondent.

~ NkAAoA SbiiNaIbuuGuAs
WASHINGTON, ID. c., Dec. IL, 1908 -
OF course there is nothing much thought or
talked of in Washington these DAYS except
the new Congress and the new bills intro
duced. Since the speaker was sworn in on
the meeting of the House there have been
little over 5000 bills presented in the House
and Senate. OF these II is said that about
400 stand some show of passing. 1t will be
nearly 200 by the time the session closes and
OF these few will he of national interest.
Many of the bills are old regulars, private
claims and the like that come up at eyery
session and have been before Congress for
generation with no more show of passing
now than they had on the day they were
hTst introduced. Others are bills of interest
10 only particular locality, and then there
are scores OF bills all covering the same
ground. There are half a dozen Railroad
rate bills, several pure food bills and other
measures duplicated many times over. Some
are bills introduced 10y the opponents of the
very measures they are supposed to repre-
sent for instance, one pure food bill is The
creation OF clique of manufacturers who
nave anything but pure food legislation al
heart and hope merely if their bill passes il
viii throw the enforcement of the law into a
department that has little interest i'm il and
VIII make the measure die a death of
hamilton
There are barely half dozen measures in
which the country at large is really interest
ed Chief OF these are the Panama Canal
and the Rate Bill. The Panama Bill which
VIII appropriate $40. 500. 600 for the imme-
date work on the canal has already been
taken up ia the House by unanimous consent
and there is every prospect that il will he
passed before adjournment for the Christmas
! holidays. As 10 what rate bill will pet the
J right OF way IS more debatable question.
he Townsend bill has been introduced
! again IN a little different form from The
Esch- Townsend bill Of the last session and
/ there IS the bill Of the Interstate Commerce
/ Commission which has been amended bv the
| Senate Committee on Interstate Commerc.
There are also six other bills To the same
end, none Of which have receive the siamu
OF unqualified approval from the White
House. In fact the Presidents messape VAS
/ beautifully vague nn this important point
and it left the matter uf rate control aim, s,
as much up IN the air as !, was before the
message went ~ There Is a good deal Of
talk that the President is already thinning
on the rate question and that he is willing 10
take best thing that offers in that line
/ Certain 1t is that the message made no con.
crete recommendation, but as in all the
other paragraphs OF its 10000 words. was
| devoted TO moral precepts and generalities
which Congress might be assumed TO nave
already acquiesced 10 which has matter Of
Tact they have not lived up 10 IN the past by
a good deal
There are good many bills already In.
uoduced that indicate a tendency TO centra.
lie aiiaus under federal control. Repre-
sentative Hearst Of New York has bin for
the federal control q Telegraph lines: repre-.
sentative Murdock has another for the CON
| tol OF hie insurance companies by the
Treasury Department; another is for The con.
troll Of corporations doing either an inter
slate or foreign business, several measures
are 10 prevent money contributions bv cor.
Pofaiions 20 campaign funds and two Go
prevent The unlawful use Of private cars ON
railroads for the purpose Of covering up re-.
bate giving another IS io establish a Parcel
post aud another to create a governmental
postal saving bank There are many other
measures Of cen'ralil.ng tendency but these
are among The most prominent and which
ouch most nearly the life ~ the average
citizen
10 is said chat Speaker Cannon has little
fear n any ~ ihe bills tlat be- is opoorsd fo
az De has placed very conservative men. that
is 'o say Dis own men. 40 Tie head ~
al ihe Important committees of Che House
and any HiI fIai does NOT meet his personal
approval aiil stand a good chance ~ being
pgenhpIed or If getting io che House I'M
s1ch shape ihat DO viii bs killed -uber fHere
| Jr bon fhe Senate.
The bI for ihe creation ol d, parcel pas,
H Que inat NiI cause severe hgHt ffit ever
I gets rut NJ fhe committee There are fp.
/ merse interests auay I both fsr snI against
/ BE-. As he case stands. the United States d.
] f.f only ONE rI Obj. GREAT r...f...f -