The bee., 1908-03-26
CONGRESSIONAL

The senate, without division, passed
the ocean mail subsidy bill
Senator La Toilette Friday intro
duced a bill providing for the appoint
ment of a tariff commission. In offer
ing 1t, he said there was some ques
ton as to whether it could properly
be presented as a senate bill, but be
cause it Incorporated his views he
proposed to address the senate upon
II in the near future Meanwhile he
wanted IL to lie on the table.
The house committee on naval af-
fairs Friday decided to report favor
ably the bills introduced by Mr.. But
Ter OF Pennsylvania, establishing the
rank of machinists in the navy as war
rant officers and increasing the pay
Of mates to $1,000 at sea, s1,0S0 on
shore and $460 on leave or waiting or
deTs
The house committee on the Dis
trict of Columbia reported favorably
a bill to provide for registration OF all
cases of tuberculosis in the district
for free examination of sputum in sus-
pected cases, and for the other meas
ures to prevent the spread Of the dis
ease in the district.
A house bill increasing the pay OF
persons engaged in the life-savings
service OF the United States was
passed by the senate Friday, with an
amendment giving to dependent
mother the same pension allowances
as the bill gives to a widow.
The Notifications bill, carrying a
total appropriation of sS,210,S11 in
stead Of the sSS,443,945 asked for by
the war department, was reported to
the house committee on appropria-
lions by Chairman Smith Of the sub
committee felt, aside from other con-
Hiderations, that to recommend an ap-
preparation OF $4,000, 900 for fortifcs-
lions at this time was an action which
might be reasonably construed by
Japan as an official declaration that
the United States was preparing
against a war with that nation.
Providing that appeals from the dis.
trict court OF Alaska may be heard
either at Seattle, Wash, Portland,
Ore, or San Francisco, CAL; granting
to local steamboat inspectors author
ity to pass upon the fitness Of officers
and crews of steam vessels; reOrgan-
ing the consular service, and amend
ing the game laws of Alaska so as to
substitute the license system for the
present permit system.
The senate considered the confer
ence report on the Indian appropria-
ton bill and after some criticism of
the action of the conferees on minor
provisions the report was disagreed to
and another conference asked.
Senator Bacon of Georgia, in the
senate, Friday spoke of executive en-
croachments on the legislative power
Of the government and read freely
from newspaper reports to show that
legislation is being mapped out in the
White House at conferences at which
congressman are not even present.
Declaring that the recent financial
etringency was brought about by the
Influence Of STANDARD Oil" and j.
Pierpont Morgan, Senator La Folletts
Of Wisconsin, in a speech practically
closing the debate on the Aldrich cur
rency bill Tuesday denounced men
high in the financial world.
The senate Thursday passed the
widows pension bill, providing that
every soldiers widow now receiving
less than $12 per month shall receive
a minimum of $12 hereafter, upon
proof OF her husbands death, and
without proof that his death was from
causes incident to his military service.
The bill mas already passed the house.
Senator Lodge OF Massachusetts
Thursday strongly Endorsed the pend
ing currency bill in the senate and de-
clared that il would be serviceable as
an emergency measure and would not
prevent the enactment of a general
currency law which. he declared. he
hoped to see realized in the future on
the basis of a central bank.