The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1906-05-09
CONGRESS AFFECTED
BY DISASTER.
mail Special to the Advertiser)

mail Special to the Advertiser)
WASHINGTON, D. G., April "a
Everything legislative in Washing
ton has halted in interest the past
week, because of the San Francisco
fire and earthquake. The Senate and
House have held their usual sessions,
measures have been debated and pass
ed. But everything, except the partic-
ular bills, which were ready for con-
sideration, has been abandoned for the
time being.
The big fight over the railroad rate
bill in the Senate continues and the
forces concerned therein are as much
demoralized as ever. The desire for a
vote is now very strong. because it is
realized that the country will soon be-
come impatient. Hitherto the debate
has been a profitable one, and has
contributed materially to the informa-
ton of the Senate and the country.
But now it seems to have reached its
natural end. The President is holding
firmly to his demand for bill with
limited court review, but the broad re-
viewers are most numerous in the Sem
ate. The difficulty with them, how
ever, is that they have not been able
one specific measure.
The Philippine bill, perhaps, is the
most important measure now pending
from the Hawaiian standpoint. A mo-
ton has been made in the Philippines
committee to reconsider the vote by
which the McCreary amendment to al
low free trade with the islands, i'm /
mediately, rather than in 1909 has been |
entered. The three Republicans, SEN !
ators Lodge, Beveridge and Long, who |
voted against it are now willing to
vote for that amendment for the pur-
pose of getting the bill before the SEN /
ate. But they would not vote for that /
amendment in the Senate and accord |
ingly it is doubtful whether the Demo-
Gratis of the committee would cooper
ate to pull their chestnuts out of the
strong effort late in the session to get
the bill disposed of in some manner.
The House Committee on territories
has been considering a few bills of
to permit of the sale of territorial prop
erty. There have been no developments
In the refunding bill, except that its
prospects are as good now as ever.
1t, is gradually dawning upon Off
cial Washington that a very intense
struggle, for. social reforms in the
broadcast sense is to be injected into
politics of the near future. With Pres
ond crusade against trusts, the abil-
ity to get at great industrial combina-
tions through the courts is likely to
become a more absorbing topic than
Tariff
This has been very strongly impress
I'd upon everyone here by the events
of the last week The Presidents ad-
rocacy of a graduated inheritance tax
came as a bolt out of the clear The
Republicans, who COM
prise most of the Republicans in Con
sress. have not recovered from it yet,
few who always agree with the
President and the administration,
fastened to cry grand, grand. that is 4.
Just what We have thought for. a long ;
line should be done" But they are
lot the leading men in the party.
Most of them hasten to express assent
because they are. in close political I
places and are following the Tavorlte 7
use of trying to win out on the pol-
Ilarity of the President.
But the older and more experienced
.---.:-------.----.----...---.-.--..----.--- {