Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1906-06-25
WHAT CONGRESS DID
A Review of the Work of the
Present Session, Soon
to Adjourn
IMPORTANT LAWS ENACTED
Session Has Broken the Record for
Talk-RaIroad Rate and Meat In
spection Bills Most Important of the
session-statehood Bill Also Passed
-Denatured Alcohol Bill.

at the first session of the Fifty-ninth
congress, now rapidly drawing to a
close. The railroad rate and the meat
inspection bills will soon become laws
and before adjournment both houses
will have passed pure food bills,
which are both based on the same
principle of federal control. 1t is the
present intention to- try and adjust
differences in these before adjourn
ment.
There has been no marked division
on party lines in efecting these re-
suits, the differences being as to ways
I. and means rather than as to policy.
Besides branching off into this new
\ field of legislative erdeavor. the pres
gent session has made itself important
In other ways. 1t has added one and
perhaps two states 10 the union, and
\ by so doing has disposed of four ter
ritories Great results are expected
from the removal OF the tax on de-
natured alcohol and il predictions are
fulfilled, heat, light, and power are
to be supplied by alcohol made from
corn, sugar beets, sugar cane, fruits,
and various vegetables. BY deft turn
the perplexing questions regarding the
Panama canal have keen settled. The
president may dig lock canal as fast
4 as he pleases. Canal supplies must
y be of American manufacture.
Congress has not dealt with the for
eign situation to any extent. An act
oil dad
of the consular service was passed.
Nothing was done in the Santo Domin-
go controversy, and the legislation af-
fecting our colonial possessions was
meagre and unimportant, altho tariff
revision for the Philippines received
1 the attention and approval of the
house, and an act was passed revising
the tariff collected by the Philippine
government. A coinage act for the
islands also was passed.
But congress broke the record for
words. Not only on the floors has
the word record been heavy, but the
publications of committee investiga-
tons are larger than at any previous
time.
session
A large number of bills were intro
duced in the two houses. The calendar
records that the number of measures
reached nearly 20,500 more than
were introduced during the entire
three sessions of the last congress.
Despite the strenuous exertions of
an appropriations committee with a
new chairman Representative
Tawney - it has been impossible to
hold the appropriations down to much
less than $900,000.000 sltho economy"
was the watchword from the start.
The result has been the enactment
of restraining legislation on nearly ev-
cry appropriation bill. Much of this
proposed legislation was stricken out
on points of ORDER" but some of the
more important provisions became law.
First in this class is undoubted
that requiring the heads of all execu-
tive departments to aploortion the APP
preparations they receive into equal
parts to avoid deficiencies. This is
done under penalty. The only excuse
that can he offered is the happening
of some unforeseen event. Unless this
can be shown, the head of the depart
inent asking for a deficiency appro-
spriation may be summary removed
and be made liable to fire and even i'm
prisonment.
Another requirement makes it nee
essary for each department to submit
all Of Its estimates for appropriations
in the book Of estimates sent to con-
gress at the beginning Of each session.
Still another matter of economy is
the taking away from government
clerks the right to secure transfer to
another department at a, higher salary
until he has served three years in the
position he wishes to- abandon. The
prompt turning into the treasurer of
all moneys collected by heads of de-
partments as government revenue is
another safeguard. 1t was found that
during the past year ore department
had collected s730,0OO and disbursed it
without authority Of law.
"A strict accountinga Isl hereafter to
be received from all United States
clerks. A revelation that one such
clerk had received emoluments
amounting to 1895 in one day brought
about this provision.
Appropriations Increased.
Altho there has been an effort to pre-
vent the enlargement of what is
known as the "permanellt annual APP
llllS CudThClGI Oh eA-
spense has Increased during the session
to the extent Of nearly s5,000,00O, maxi
Ing total permanent annual appropri-
alton of more than $140,000,0 900 The
meat inspection bill carries a perma
nent appropriation of S3,000,000, and
the bill adding $1,0O0,Oo0 annually for
the support of the state militia was al
SO passed.
81 Organized labor has succeeded in Sc
curing the enactment of what is known
as the employers liability bill" This
enactment will make it possible for an
enploye to secure damages for in
jury, notwithstanding that his own
negligence may have been in part re-
spOnsible
Another bill which has received the
approval of the senate and will doubt
less become law before the end of
the session, is that limiting the con.
tinuous service Of railway trainmen to
sixteen consecutive hours, to be fol- |
lowed by ten hours rest The much |
agitated eight-hour bill received ii ia
vorable vote from the labor committee |
of the house, but too late 10 secure ac-
ton. The anti-injunctior bill was
postponed until the next session.
B One of the novel features Of the law
making was the enactment of meas
ure to preserve the scenic beauty of
Niagara Falls. This was in response !
! "