The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1906-07-05
WHAT CONGRESS HAS DONE.

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first session of the Fifty-ninth con-
gress did more talking and accomplish
ed more work than any previous ses-
sion, with the exception of certain
sessions which dealt with the tariff.
The present session is notable for
the wide range of remedial legislation
and the extension of federal authority
over matters heretofore left to the
jurisdiction of the states.
With the Panama canal appropria-
tions eliminated, there was no re-
markable increase of expenditures
authorized at this session. 1t is es-
timated that the total permanent and
annual appropriations made at this
session will reach about 5000, 600, 900,
against $500, 100000 for the fiscal
year 1906, and s79l, 1000, 1000 for the
fiscal year 1905. In the figures for
this year are included the appropria-
lions for the canal. The principal
item of permanent annual increase
is s3,Ooo,oo0 for the inspection of
meat.
Congress at this session has dealt
almost exclusively with matters of
domestic concern. The extension of
federal authority has been debated
principally upon the specific questions
of regulation of railroad rates and
the inspection of meats, although
other important departures have been
made by the enactment of laws en-
larging the powers of the national
quarantine service, amending the i'm
migration and naturalization laws,
and imposing liabilities upon common
carriers for injuries to employees.
Further enlargement of the func-
lions of the national government is
proposed in the pure food, and
meat inspection bills. The tend
dency of congress to regulate corpor-
ations engaged in interstate business
was shown by the adoption of resolu-
lions for the investigation of railroad
determinations and monopolies in
coal and oil, and also for the investi-
cation of the relations between the
railroads and the elevator and grain
buying and forwarding business.
In the house 20, 500 bills were in
troduced during the present session,
and in the senate $500 bills of pub
lie character were enacted into law,
and about 1900 pension bills. The
official reporters of the senate and
house, both on the floors and in COM
mittees, assert that congress never
transacted as much business in the
same length of time as during this
session. The Congressional Record
has reached 10000 pages, and COM
mittee hearings have been enormously
voluminous. The heads of important
committees have been overworked,
and the Nestor of them all, Senator
Allison, chairman of the committee
on appropriations, succumbed under
the strain and is now ill.
The railroad rate bill, as passed
by the house early in the session,
was radically amended by the senate
after historic debate extending over
several months. The conferees,
after long struggle, agreed on a
strong bill. The bill as
agreed upon increases the member
ship Of the interstate commerce com
mission to seven, and increases the
salary to $4,000. The orders of the
commission fixing railroad rates are
specifically made subject to review by
the courts, which may suspend, alter
or annul them. Oil pipe lines were
made common carriers by the senate,
but a change was made in conference
which seemed to release them from
the operation Of the act. A stringent
anti-pass provision was also inserted
by the senate and changed in confer
ence. The pipe line amendment and
the pass amendment were the sub
ject of much controversy in conference.
Second only to the rate bill in pub
lie discussion was the question of
federal inspection of meat packing
establishments. Legislation is now
about to be perfected providing for
rigid government inspection, not only
of meats intended for export, but of
products intended for domestic con-
sumption. This legislation.is in the
shape of an amendment to the agri-
cultural appropriation bill. The
amendment was first offered in the
senate by Mr.. Beveridge, and was
passed without debate. 1t provided,
among other things, that the cost of
inspection should be borne by the
packers, and that cans of meat should
be labeled with the date of manu-
facture. The house committee on
agriculture, after public hearings,
proposed a substitute, which met with
strong opposition OF the president,
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