Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1906-05-19
TO ADJOURN SOON
PRESENT SESSION OF CONGRESS
HAS LITTLE TO DO AFTER
RATE BILL is PASSED
Only Two Appropriation Bills of Any
Importance Before the House-The
Public Building Bill and Philippine
Tariff Bill.


ciaD-With the passage of the rate
ton will clear up to some extent But
for the prospective canal matter it
would be possible to forecast, with
reasonable accuracy, the final winding
up of the business of this long session
OF congress.
The house is in good shape Only
two appropriation bills of great import
ance now remain on the schedule for
consideration, the sundry civil and the
general deficiency. The former is
about ready to report and can be
passed by the house by the end of next
week. The general deficiency will be
ready for consideration when the date
Tor adjournment is in sight. This bill
Is always the last one of Importance to
pass congress. 1t is the catch-all and
is supposed to clean up everything al
most tothe day of adjournment There
Will be no delay on account of this bill.
Pure Food Bill.
The pure food bill is on the calendar
of the house and awaiting a favorable
moment for action. 1t can be passed
under the rules of the house in two or
three days. 1t is understood the big in
es''rF Mrs. H ave opposdd, to the bill are
,asaaztsafe --esi isy-.s amendments in the
~S4Ss.aFs mat will lessen the effectiveness
OF the measure that passed the senate
For years the committee on the re-
vision of the laws has been working
on bill providing for such revision.
The. committee has made it's report
and the bill is ready for consideration.
1t is great mass of literature, making
several hundred pages in print 1t is
proposed by the house to take this bill
up at night sessions and consider it.
1t is claimed that this proposition will
not be permitted to interfere with an
early adjournment.
The public building bill will receive
attention in due time. There is no dis
position to sidetrack this measure. 1t
is an omnibus bill and when a rule is
brought in for it's consideration 1t will
be one OF those alright, bomb-proof,
copper-riveted, Harveyized types of
bills that will linger in the house
brief two hours and then go on its way
rejoicing to the north end of the build
ing.
Through by June.
It may be said, therefore, that the
house will be ready to close the books
and sing the last song-the doxology--
on or before the first day of June. The
date of adjournment is now entirely
contingent on the action of the senate,
The house will be ready as soon and
In fact before the senate has cleaned
it's legislative slate
AS suggested, with the rate
bill out of the way the only
matter before the senate that is likely
to prove troublesome, is the bill pro-
viding for matters on the canal zone
This question involves the type of ca
nal, whether it shall be lock or sea-
level waterway; the question of ad
mfnistration; membership of the COM
mission, salaries, questions of policy,
etc. That it is a big proposition goes
without saying and if it is to come be-
fore the senate at this session, as now
seems likely, it is difficult to figure out
how it can be disposed of in less than
two weeks. This is on the assumption
that Senator Morgan is in good ply
steal condition at that time. 1t is we'll
known that the Panama canal is his
pet project, or rather perhaps it should
be said it is the object of his intense
dislike. He was for the Nicaragua
route, as was also Colonel Hepburn,
and Senator Morgan has never been
reconciled to the switch from Mica
ragua to Panama. During the course
of the hearings there has been much
bitterness displayed in the committee,
between members and between wit
nesses and members, notably between
Senator Morgan and Messrs Bigelow
and Cromwell. 1t is known that Nor
gan is loaded with cords of material
(which he will want to let loose on the
senate. The senate may adopt the
night session tactics proposed in the
house, in the event that Mr.. Morgan
becomes wearysome.
Philippine Tariff Bill.
Some sort of compromise appears
to be probable on the Philippine tariff
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