Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1907-03-05
CONGRESS HAS PASSED
BILLION DOLLAR MARK
National Body Spends Peoples $
Money Freely.
SHORT ON REFORM LEGISLATION

Maintained-The Trusts and the
"standpatters" Not Much Injured
by Congress.
Washington, March 4.-The fifty
ninth congress, which expired on
Monday, March 4 at noon, has been
most liberal in the matter of appro-
priatons. The budget for the ex-
| penses fthe government for the fis-
| cal year 1908, is in excess of 81 900, =
600 900.
The river and harbor bill alone pro-
| vides for an expenditure of $83 900, :
| 600, and this work will probably
come closer to the people at large
and have more beneficial effect upon
business conditions generally than any
other government enterprise unless it
| be the postal service.
| The Appropriation bill also provides
for the construction of two new bat
| tleships at an expense of about $40, :
900, 444. It includes a raise of sal
aries for cabinet officers, the vice
| president, the speaker of the house,
senators and representatives 1t also
grants an increase to ambassadors,
ministers and consuls.
1t carries a loan of one million dol
lars for the jamestown exposition and
an appropriation for the Alaska Yu-
| k0n exposition. 1t grants more pay
to the rural free delivery carriers and
increased remuneration to postal
| clerks.
AS far as reform legislation is con-
cerned, the last session of the fifty
ninth congress did not maintain the
| pace set by the first session, at which
the railroad rate bill was enacted in
to law.
The railroads, the packing houses,
| the express companies, the high tariff
| interesCs and the protectionists have
little to regret as the result of bills
enacted by congress the past few
| months.
Not only were bills put through ia
vorable to the Interests, bat rene
| dial legislation in the interest of the
people and urged upon congress by
| the president, were nos acted upon
A significant feature of the pres
| ent session has been the exposure OF
the power of legislation, lodged in
| conference committee. So numerous
have been the occasions that it l.
| hardly worth while 0 enumerate them
| here, in which this anomalous condi-
| tiOn has been demonstrated For
| instance, the senate passes an impOr-
| tant measure, it goes to the house
and is amended. The bill then goes
into conference after discussing the
| question few days or a few weeks
bring in report. AS likely as not,
| it is reported under a rule limiting
| the time of discussion and forbidding
amendments. Matter is injected into
| the conference committees report
which has not been in dispute be-
| tween the houses and is not always
germane to the subject of the bill.
1t is brought in and rushed through
| while the democrats make some flu
tile attempt to defeat it, or quash
their teeth in important rage.
In the immigration bill and in the
16-hour bill, for the protection of
railway employees, has this freak Of
legislation been resorted TO by the re-
publicans to embarrass and astound
the minority. In its final analysis
1t means that five or. six or seven
members of a conference committee
practically assume the power of leg
isiating in place of the senate and
house of representatives
An important feature of the pres
ent session has been the failure to
pass any extensive legislation af-
fecting the railroads. The LaFol-
lette bill, providing for a reduction of
81 900, 900 per annum in the payment
to railroads for carrying the mail,
was introduced in the senate as an
amendment to the postal appropriations
bill 1t was defeated in the house,
and after a bitter struggle in the con-
ference committee was reduced about
81 900, 900 annually.
Also the fight made to alter the ar
rangement by which a false divisor
is used to secure the daily average
weight on mail carried on railroads,
was defeated and the weeks haul
will continue to be divided by 6 in
stead of 7.
Senator LaFollettels bill directing
the interstate commerce commission
to submit valuation of railroad prop
critics for use as a basis in rate-mak-
ing and taxation, was also defeated
The agitation to prevent trading byI
express companies in the commodities
transported by them. in competition
with commission merchants. The rate
bill of last year denied this privi-
lege of merchandising to railroads,