Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1908-05-25
PRESENT CONGRESS
HAS BEEN BUSY ONE
DECIDED MORE BIG QUESTIONS
THAN ANY BEFORE
Numerous Bills Considered Affect
Labor, Though In Form Presented
UnIonists Were Not
Behind Them
BY Associated Press.


WASHINGTON May PA resume
OF the present session of congress elic-
its the interesting fact that there were
more important questions presented TO
and disposed of by congress on winch
the public generally, or sectlons' oe
manded action than ever before IN us
history. A majority of these We're OF
President Roosevelts making. The ag-
gregate of appropriations were great,
and when final figures are obtainable II
is not doubted they will exceed those OIL
any previous session IA times OF peace
Standing conspicuously above all 9TH
er questions with which congress dealt
was the effort to pass an emergency
currency bill Thrust upon the atLen-
ton of legislators at the opening or the
session by a financial depression that
had not fully subsidized, it was the nrst
great question to be considered. Like
wise it was the hardest to meet ana
did more to delay appointments thaii
any other measure.
The senate and house failed to agree.
with the result that a committee OF
senators and representatives whose
duty 1t is to study the subject ana re-
port at the next session was the alter
native adopted.
Bills Affect Labor
Numerous bills affecting labor were
considered In the form in Whlch the
bills were presented organized LABOR
was not heartily behind them, ana
questions concerning the constitution
aIity of many of the measures, IN the
light of recent decisions by the supreme
court of the United States, raised other
barriers.
1T is conceded more legislation would
have resulted had 1t not been Tor the
pending national elections. The cleo
lions placed the majority in dei1cate
situation, a fact not overlooked py .ile
Democrats in the house, who furtner
complicated the Republicans position
by a. filibuster to compel the passage Oh
measures demanded by President
Roosevelt and opposed by majority
of the Republicans in both branches OF
congress.
Ont of this condition of affairs was
steered new employers liability law.
to take the place of that declared I'M
constitutional by the supreme court
and there Is pending a bill proVldlhg
for the compensation of government
employees in hazardous occupations VINO
are injured in the line of duty. Other
matters of equal or greater Importance
tn organized labor failed. These include
an anti-injunction law, provision Tor
tbe exemption of organized labor from
the treble penalty clause OF the Sner-
man antitrust law, and other amend
ments to relieve the labor unions from
the operations of this law.
Four Battleships
The construction of four battleships
was urged in special message to con-
gress, and fight for this program was
led by administration members or DOM
the senate and house, which contest re-
suited in failure An appropriation was
made for the construction of two bat
tleships, and the policy of authorlzlng
two each year was announced by tie
publican leaders, which was generally
regarded as a concession to the presi-
dents big naval program. Authority
to name a tariff commission and TO APP
noint experts to gather data with
view to the revision of the tariff at the
next session was strongly advocated.
AS a result resolutions were adopted in
the senate authorizing the committee
on finance and in the house authorizing
80 committee on ways and means to
conduct individual Investigations on
tariff revision.