Palestine daily herald. [volume] (Palestine, Tex.) 1902-1949, 1906-12-01
READY TO BEGIN
LEGISLATIVE WORK
CONGRESS WILL LINE UP FOR
WORK AT NOON NEXT MONDAY.
GREAT ACTIVITY.
Special to the Herald.


prepared for the season." Outward
and visible signs are abundant that
the opening of congress is at hand
The railway stations are thronged, the
streets are crowded, hotel proprietors
and boarding house mistresses of the
hash belt are beaming. The nations
lawmakers are back in town once
more, some of them elated over their
victory in the recent election, others
cast down by defeat.
At noon Monday the lawmakers will
line up for the last session of the
Fifty-ninth congress. The life of the
congress is limited to butt three
months at most. AS there is much
important business to be disposed of
the session undoubtedly will be a busy
one.
There are many great problems
awaiting solution at the hands of the
national legislators, but notwithstand-
ing this fact the brief space covered
by the coming session, which will ex-
pire by limitation March 4, precludes
the probability of much being accom-
plished beyond the passage of the reg
ular money budgets, and the disposal
of unfinished business that came over
from the recent long session. Three
months is hardly time enough in which
to pass the appropriation bills, let
alone dispose of legislation of general
Importance. The tariff will be let
alone for the time being, and in all
probability the presidents program
for rounding out his anti-corporation
legislation also will be withheld until
the SiXtieth congress. The Santo Do
mingo treaty, the Isle of Pines treaty
and the Morocco treaty await the at
tention of the senate. immigration
restriction, the Philippine tariff bill,
the Smoot case and several of the so
called labor bills VIII be brought up.
The many urgent advocates of the
ship subsidy bill will strive to secure
its passage before March, and they
may possibly be successful-if the
speaker is won over-but neither this
bill nor any of the other leading
measures which have strong friends
will be allowed to interfere with the
bills the passage Of which is deemed
aahsnlutely necessary
Members express determination
to take up the work of the session Wig
orously at the beginning with the hope
of having it well advanced before the
holidays. The appropriation bills are
to be given the right of way at both
ends of the capitol and pressed
through with all possible haste. Be
yond the usual formalities attending
the opening little will be accomplished
on Monday, but by Tuesday or We'd
nesday at the latest the house will
plunge into its work.
Intense interest is manifested in the
presidents message on account of the
great Importance of the many ques-
lions it will have to deal with. While,
of course, the usual secrecy has been
maintained with regard to the mes
sage and the customary precautions
taken to prevent its publication before
the opening of congress, the president
has shown the message to so many
of the Republican leaders and consult
ed with them in regard to it, that the
principal points of the document have
become pretty generally known. It
is believed the most important recon-
mendations and subjects the president
has made and discussed in his mes
sage are the following:
A system of progressive taxation on
great fortunes, so as to prohibit the
concentration of enormous wealth in
a few hands.
National assistance to labor through
laws making eight hours legal day
for all government work save on the
Panama canal; also limiting the hours
of labor of railroad employees; author
izing thorough investigation of child
and woman labor problem
Discussion of the negro problem and
emphasizing the necessity of both
races observing tolerance in their re-
lations.
Explanation of the causes which
compelled American Intervention in
Cuba and an announcement of the I'M
selfish policy the United States will
pursue with regard TO Cuba.
National regulation and supervision
of corporations engaged in interstate
commerce, either by act of congress
or through 2 constitutional amend
ment
Removal of all duties, save 25 per
cent, of the present rates on sugar and
tobacco, on Philippine products, ex-
ceDted duties to be removed entirely
in 1909.
American citizenship for Porto Ri
cans.
Increase of the navy and necessary
oh