The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1905-03-14
DOUBTS PROBABILITY
OF SPECIAL SESSION
STEVENSON Thinks Presidents
Previous Experience VIII
Prevent 1t

Judging from the experience of the
president in the past, Congressman
Halvor Stevenson of Crookston does
not think that President Roosevelt
will call a special session of congress
TO consider traiff revision and railroad
regulation.
Il confess 1 do not know whether or
not the president will call an extra
session or congress during the summer
TO take up tariff revision and bills for
enlargement of the powers of the inter-
state commerce commission said
Congressman STEVENSON, who was in
st. Paul yesterday, en- route home from
Washington. Il very much doubt,
however, that the president will call
the extra session. His experience with
consider the Cuban reciprocity treaty.
was such that l think he will hesitate
before taking the responsibility for
another special session.
Elkins in Conference
Just before leaving Washington L
called at the White house to present
Crookston friend to the president
found Senator Ell1ins, chairman of the
senate committee on interstate COM
merce, in close conversation with the
president, and it was afterwards re-
ported that their conference was in
relation to the Investigations to be
conducted by Senator Ell1ins' commit
tee this spring and summer, and the
possibility or an extra session to con-
slider the report
Because of the magnitude of the
question 1t is improbable that the COM
mlttee can complete its work until late
IN the summer, and my belief is that
the report will be made direct to con-
Sress when II meets next December
II IS possible that an agreement was
reached to that effect between Mr.
Roosevelt and Mr. Elkins, who is pop
uiariy supposed to represent the rail-
road interests of the country"
Congressman STEVENSON succeeded
In getting authority from congress for
a war department survey of the Red
river from Fargo to the Canadian
boundary line. The authority is con-
tanned in the rivers and harbors bill
passed in the closing days of the ses-
sion. The survey is to be made with
a view to Strengthening out the course
of the river and thus relieving many
thousand acres of overflowed lands.
Farm Land Destroyed
Originally great areas of this land Law
high enough TO be tilIable, and being
In the bottoms 1t was among the most
productive land in the valley" said the
Crookston congressman. But extern
S1Ve drainage operations in the valley
have resulted in draining into the Red.
the Buffalo and the Snake rivers great
volumes of water that used TO stand on
the fiat lands until it evaporated. The
result is that the Red river is unable
TO carry on the water that pours into
| II and 1t overflows and mandates some
OF the finest farming lands in the VAL
ley. By Strengthening out the river it
will easily care for the additional vol
ume given it by the drainage bitches.
L hope to eventually see the work
undertaken and completed by the war
| department" -
Mr.. STEVENSON succeeded in getting
| a bill through congress extending the
Communication laws to 1,054, 600 acres of
lands in the Minnesota Indian reser-
vauons which have been entered since
the so called "free homes" act of 1900.
By extending the communication laws
| the settlers in northern Minnesota are
able to get title to their homesteads
| by fourteen months residence and
| paying slips an acre Settlers in
eighty townships are affected by the
| terms of the Stevenson bill.