Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1908-01-10

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There could not be a more horrible
example Of legislative inertia than the
drst session Of the slxtieth congress-,
which began on Monday, Dec. 2, and
ended on Saturday, Dec. 81. The Pc
Rod between those dates nominally in
cludes three full legislative weeks. Had
congress been so minded it might have
done an immense amount Of work dur
ing that time M public business would
have been expedited to such an extent
that an adjournment could have been
taken about a month earlier than will
now be possible. Both the house and
senate were in session at frequent in
tervals, and for a brief time during
part of several days the Congressional
Record shows that the time Of congress
was almost absolutely wasted. Moth
ing Of permanent value was done ex-
cept to perfect the organization of the
house and senate. The money of the
people was thrown away, and for all
the value to the country both houses
might have met on Monday morning,
gone through formal organization, lis
tened to the Presidents message Tues
day morning, and adjourned Tuesday
night to meet again after the holidays.
Thousands of bills were introduced in
the house, but all of them were handed
In and put in a box while the house
was not in session, for the introduction
Of bills in the lower house Of congress
Is not part Of the legislative program.
In the senate one statesman after an
other rose and presented n bill, which
was read by title and referred to the
appropriate committee, the same proce-
dure being taken in the house. The
committees of the house We're not an
nounced until Thursday, Dec. 10, and
final adjournment came two days later.
After having done nothing for three
weeks congress displayed its Christmas
spirit by adjourning for two weeks
more, SO that h first real business
session of the sixtieth congress will be
opened Monday, Jan. G, five weeks
after the day set by law for the repre-
sentatives of the people to begin to
represent things.
The Postoffice Department is going to
seek the aid Of Congress to prevent the
railroads from putting into service
blur trains with a view to capturing
mail tonnage n later abandoning
them. This fact is disclosed in the re-
port Of the department regarding the
transportation Of the mails for the cur
rem year. 1t is alleged that prior to
the reweighing periods, which deter
mine the routes and compensation ev-
cry four years, it has been the custom
Of some railroads to put on new fast
yrains with a view to capturing the
mails. Having been successful, such a
road, under the present law, must re-
ceive pay for that mail during the sue
ceeding four years wehther 1t contin-
ues to carry it or not. Accordingly
some of the railroads nave been accus-
toned to take off their "bluff" trains
soon after the r~eweighing, allowing the
mails to be diverted to another road,
but continuing to receive pay for trans
porting them until the mex reweighing
period, when the trick is repeated.
Speaker Cannon announced his ar.
rangement Of the new committee on
appropriations, with Tawney of Mime,
sofa at its head and Livingston OF
Georgia as the ranking Democrat. Taw.
ney has come out squarely for the pol
icy of retrenchment, which the Speak,
er was known to favor. and he will be
the recognized watch dog of the treas
ury'' during the life Of this Congress
In a statement Chairman Tawney re-
ferred to the estimates for the rex!
years expenses being over $1OO,OOO;OOC
over the estimates for the curreIN year
and said this would mean a deficit OF
SS3,OOO,O0o. Hence the necessity OF
rigid conomy and the avoidance OF
new enterprises.
The roller skaters Of Washington are
an interesting sight. There are 10000
children of skating age in Washington
and 10000 are whizzing round the
streets mounted upon two skates, while
the balance CT them, more or less con
tent with an equipment of one skate {
child, are doing a complicated hoI
whiEz, u~ndismayed by the frequent
complications which ensue. The asphalt
streets are really a temptation no
easily resisted, and after dark b roll
er skaters seem to have grown sudden
ly and mysteriously taller.
:-:
Before the swearing in of the twf
new Senators from the new State o
Oklahoma they drew lots in the pres
ence Of the Senate to determine whic
should have the long term and whic
the short. The blind Senator, Corr
! drew the two-year term, and smilingl
congratulated his colleague, Senate
Owen.
49,
In the Senate the committees hav
been changed 50 as to fill vacancies an
make places for the new members
Knox goes to the front, as expected
I, by becoming chairman of the rules con-
mittee, where he will have the duty o
defending the legality of the measure
+ proposed by the majority. Other IN
portant c~hairmanships are: Approprsa
!, lions, Allison finance, Aldrich; foreigl