The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1906-05-20

vessels, especially those OF a smaller type,
| would be constructed on the lakes and
| that several shipbuildlng plants would be
! encouraged II they could have part In
| building the navy.
| The old problem as to whether the Gov
| ernment shall rent buildings for Govern
ment purposes is one that is constantly
| being agtated here, There arc two fac
| tlons In Washington which arc antagon-
| istlc to each other and which arc fight
ing oil the time. One owns or Is inter,
| ested In real estate which II wants to sell
| the Government for these buildings, ana
tho other owns or lis interested In build
| lngs which IL rents to tho Government
| OF course. the owners of buildings which
can be occupied by the Government ore
f., anxious to have the Government. as
| tenant. Uncle Sam IS prompt and sure
pay and generally can be madc to pay
moro than any ono else. A score or moro
landlords would not know where to look
for tenants IL the Government SHOULD
construct and Owl all the buildings which
1t occupies. 1t has been carefully inquired
out that the Government could borrow
money and construct It's buildings, ana
that the interest and cost of maintenance
would not be as large as the amount paid
for rents Several more public buildings
money II would save In the matter of
rent, but because the orderly transaction
OF business requires better facilities then
Is afforded for many important bureaus
md departments
Grumbling at Conferences.
Every session there breaks out in one
House the other fierce complaints
about the instrustlng or legislation 90
conference. When bin with two or three
hundred amendments Is sent to confer
ence II means that very Important legls-
lation Is intruSted to six men, three from
each House, and they have IL In tnelr
power to bring In Il complete olh %hISh
must be accepted rejected as whole
II very bad legislation has been put In or
accepted by the conterees the majority
will probbaly accept the bin because they
hayo got something In the measure that
they want to have passed. Conferees
haVe great power and they are always
the men longest In eerVice, tho men VINO
have reached ranking places on commit
tees This Is what makes long service In
Congress Of so much powSt. Conferees
aro generally the men who have handled
the bills when considered In open session
and they know Just what they want TO do
with amendments which may be adopted.
Complaint is often made that both Senate
and House put 1t beyond their power to
legislate when they send n bill TO confer
ence. As for instance, there is no possible
method OF obtaining a report on the
Statehood bill which Is In conference. 1t
simply stays there. The House cannot
amendments until the conferecs are ready
TO report No one is permitted 10 make
a motion to discharge the confereeS and
there the matter rests. Only by tying up
action and that Will not be attempted be-
cause there is really no decided pressure
anywhere for q Statehood bill save in
few Isolated sections. In the matter of
the annexation OF Hawaii the sentiment
was so strong that the whole business OF
until Speaker Reed allowed the bill to bo
considered. a majority. il determined.
could force a report on tho Statehood
bill. In fact a majority can do anything