Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1906-07-06
WORK OF CONGRESS
More Important Legislation Than
in Any Session in 80 Years

Nations.
The dominant feature of the first ses-
| sion OF the 59th Congress. which ended
Saturday night, has been the broader in
! depreciation placed on the clause of the
| constitution which confers on the federal
| government the authority to regulate COM
| merce between the states and with for
eign nations. Three great laws, based
| on this clause, have been enacted and IL
is strikingly to the credit Of the President
and OF the Republican party that in every
| instance these measures have had for their
purpose the protection of the people from
the exactions of corporate greed and I'M
| restrained monopoly.
First in point of importance and breadth
| Of effect comes the railway rate bill
| whereby Congress DEGREES that all com
| mon carriers must not exact for
any service a charge which is not just
| and reasonable and delegates to the inter-
| state commerce commission the authority
| to examine into every rate and practice
| of a common carrier engaged in inter-
| state commerce with view to determine
| ing what is just and reasonable and pro-
| hibiting any charge or practice which is
| not both. Important provisions of this
| measure are the declarations that Sleep
ing car companies, express companies and
| owners of pipe lines are common carriers
and must therefore submit to the author
| ity conferred on the interstate commerce
| commission.
Second in Importance only to the rail-
way rate bill is the pure food bill, where
| by interstate commerce in foods drugs
and liquors. which are either adulterated
| or misbranded is prohibited and authority
| Is conferred on the secretary of agricul-
ture TO enforce its provisions. By the ops
| GRAFTON of this law the consumer will be
protected from every adulterated and
| spurious article intended for human con-
| sumption. The enactment Of he hill
after a campaign which has lasted for IA
years reflects exceptional credit on the
Republican party, which was able, be-
cause of its large majorities in both houses
Of Congress and its determination to con-
serve the interests of the great majority
Of the people, to place the measure on the
statutes.
The third important measure of this
session is the meat inspection amendment
TO the agricultural bill. 1t is a distinct
law TO all intents and purposes which
provides that government inspectors shall
watch the killing of food animals and the
production OF meat products, but shall
see that the animals are not unhealthy or
the meats prepared under unsanitary con-
ditions. While the law specifically applies
only to products entering into the inter-
state commerce it will in practice operate
on almost all meat products.
| of less Importance only by comparison
is the free alcohol bill, whereby alcohol
for use in the arts may be denatured and
then exempted from the internal revenue
tax. which has hitherto worked a hard
ship out OF all proportion to the revenue
produced.
The disposition of the statehood uues-
ton, which has occupied an extraordinary
number of legislative days and perplexed
and harassed both houses of Congress for
the last few years, will prove of meal
culable benefit to the million Americans
living in Oklahoma and Indian territory,
and renders optional the acceptance or
rejection of like benefit to the great num-
Der of residents Of Arizona and New Mex
leo.
The enactment of a uniform and care.
fully devised naturalization law, whereby
| immigrants to this country are to be reg
istered on their admission and their appli-
cations for citizenship compared with the
records, will make for the publication of
elections and obviate the corrupt practices
which have attended the naturalization of
foreigners, especially in the large centres
on the eve of important elections.
OF the utmost importance is the legisla-
ton affecting the Panama Canal, where
by the hands of the President have been
| loosened, a high level lock canal has been
determined upon and funds have been APP
propriated for the prosecution of this
great enterprise on lines proportiorate to
the benefits destined to confer not only
on Americans but on all the South Ameri-
can nations ana TO a considerable extent
on all the nations and the navigators of
the world.
A giant stride has been taken in the d.
! rection OF perfection the consular service
of the United States, step rendered i'm
perative by the fast increasing foreign
commerce of the nation, and one for which
the President has stood champion from
the beginning of his administration.
Business methods will hereafter be ap-
piled to the appointment of consuls and
consular agents, and effective supervision
of their work and the conditions main
tanned at American consulates is provided
for.
Nor has the fact that both houses OF
Congress have been dominated by large
majorities selected from the North pre-
vented the enactment of legislation OF
especial value to the South. Foremost in
this stands the national quarantine law
which is destined to save Southern cities
a vast proportion of the fearful losses
which they have hitherto suffered when
ever an outbreak of yellow fever has
necessitated the enforcement of "shot-
gun" guarantees, which have democrat
lied trade and resulted in exasperatine
inconvenience and heavy pecuniary loss
Numerous other laws of comparatively
less importance, but Of great value, have
been enacted.
In the judgment of the leaders Of both
houses OF Congress, the veterans in leg
| ASiaNoi anu III pohNiIos NiG idIOiu VI lllAs
Congress, in it's first session, is such as
to insure the continuance Of great Re-
publican majorities in both legislative
chambers and to pave the way for great
Republican victory in 1908. The utmost
gratitude is felt TO the President, to whose
leadership so much of the good work per-
formed is due.
Among the measures left over to the
next session are the treaties with ref
erence to Santo Domingo, Isle of Pines
and Morocco, bills for reduction of Phil
ippine tariff preservation of Appalachian
and White Mountain forest reserves, copy
right revision, modification of Chinese ex-
clusion law, anti-injunction bill and eight
hour law.
Among the propositions killed by Con-
gress were federal regulation of insur-
ance, making representatives term foul
years sea level canal plan for Panama.
The President vetoed eight acts Of Con-
gress: Four changing jurisdiction OF
courts, two Indian bills, one pension bill
on account of benefciary's DEATH and the
bill allowing carriage, of dangerous ex-
plosives on passenger Vessels.