The Hawaiian gazette., 1906-05-29
CON GREsS IS
ANXIOUS TO
ADJOURN
cMan Special to the Advertiser.)

WASHINGTON, d. c., May 13.-Con-
gress is now trying to get through
with its business as rapidly as possi-
BILE and adjourn. The railroad rate bill
has all but passed the senate. BY the
time this letter reaches Honolulu 1t
may be on the Presidents desk. The
Senate has had a most strenuous week
with 1t and has added amendments
which the older Senators say are not
only radical but rabid. 1t has made oil
pipe lines common carriers, decreed
that common carriers shall not law
fully engage in the mining and trans
portation of coal in interstate COM
merce, included express and sleeping
car companies under the provisions of
the bill. and enacted also other like
sweeping amendments.
So absorbed has the Senate been in
this legislation the past week, that Its
members have been giving practically
no attention to other business. There
has been a little dickering over the
Philippine bill, in which Hawaii is con-
siderably concerned. The President
has been entertaining the proposition
TO limit the importation of sugar to
300 900 tons a year. The Fordney
amendment to make the limit 100000
tons has been discussed in the same
connection. The beet sugar growers
put the suggestion forward. They
would like to have the question out
of the way so that 1t would not re-
turn to trouble them for n few years
at least. But it has been impossible
10 ascertain definitely what prospects
such a proposition has, simply because
Senators are unwilling to give 1t care
full thought till the rate bill is out of
the way.
THE PHILIPPINE BILL.
The dominant idea of Congress to ad-
journ now as soon as possible will
make for the defeat of the Philippine
bill. Senator Bailey, of Texas, has
told some of the Republican leaders
that, II the Philippine bill is brought
into the Senate, months talk on the
tariff may be expected. He is not OPP
posed to the principle of the DILL on
general lines, although certain Texas
interests are. But he does want a re-
vision of the tariff and the Philippine
bill would give the Democrats excuse
for making campaign tariff speeches.
The standpat Republicans Will make
the most of that. Senator Hale, who is
a standpatter as well as the leader of
the opposition to the Philippine bill.
says 1t can not pass. II the friends or
the bill wish test on Senator Lodges
motion to discharge his committee
from the consideration of the Dill, Mr..
Hale says he will welcome 1t. He and
those standing with him still believe
they have votes enough to defeat Sena-
tor Lodges motion.
The friends of the bill would un-
doubtedly now welcome almost any
compromise for the sake of getting the
bill passed. Secretary Taft has been
on the floor of the Senate several days
the past week and, part of the time,
consulting with Senators about the
Philippine measure. He and Senator
Lodge claim they can not advocate any
compromise but the understanding Is
clear that they would be entirely will
ing to accept one. There has been con-
, siderable talk about eliminating the
free trade clause altogether. The OBJ
lection to that among opponents of the
bill is that it is only temporiZing with
the question, which would almost cer-
tainly come to the front in the next
Congress.
BILL FOR ELECTION OF DELE
GATE