Bluefield evening leader. [volume] (Bluefield, W. Va.) 1906-1911, 1908-05-14
HAS DONE LITTLE
PRESENT SESSION OF CONGRESS
BEHIND OTHERS IN LEGisLa.
ton.

Washington, May 1.-THE long
session OF the sixtieth congress prob
ably Will pass into history with less
important Legislation to its credit
than any such SESSION In recent years.
Every effort is now being made to
effect an Adjournment by June /. a
week earlier than that date If such
thing be possible. In matters of
legislation, the Appropriation bills
are not to be considered. They
come along a sa matter OF course.
as opposition to the annual budget
never extends beyond the matter of
details.
Up to date there having been en-
acted 10 joint resolutions which
have all the force of law, and 1O9
public acts. The great majority of
these are bridge bills and matters
relating to the public lands. home
steads and the like.
Among the more important pieces
of general legislation, and most of
them have been written into the
statute books during the past fort
night. may be enumerated the fol-
lowing:
To provide for the safety OF life
on navigable waters during regattas
and marine parades: repeating the
act regulating shipping between
ports in the United States and ports
in the Philippines, so as to make
conditions easier for the merchants
and shippers OF the Islands: the en-
ployers liability bill for the benefit
of railroad employees: increasing the
pensions of widows and minor chill
dren OF deceased soldiers. granting
$l2 a month to each widow and 50
a month to each minor child: in
creasing the efficiency of the per-
sonnet of the revenue cutter service.
amending the interstate commerce
act by enlarging the free pass pro-
vision and extending the range of
charities. etc, to which free trans
portation may be extended: increas-
ing the efficiency and personnel of
the life-saving service, authorizing
the inviting of other governments TO
send representatives to the Interna-
tional Congress of tuberculosis: and
instructing the attorney general 70
institute certain suits against land.
grant railroads which have illegal
Iy sold lands allotted to them.
Little beyond this is to be ex-
pected, regardless to the pressure
the president is bringing to bear
upon senator's and representatives.
II is possible that an emergency bill
VIII be passed, coupled with a pro-
vision 10 ra currency commission to
study the entire subject OF national
finances and report at the next ses-
sion OF congress. The chances are
quite remote that any serious con-
sideration will be given to the pro-
posed amendment to the antitrust
law prepared at the presidents re-
quest by the Civ/' Federation. Nor
IS 1t possible, apparently. to enact
an anti-injunction law at this ses-
sion. Both these measures would
lead to endless debate in the senate.
where the absence of rules would
make 1t Impossible to close dSbate
when desired by the managers. Tn
the house closure is available. but
the condition Of anairs In the senate
makes it we'll nigh impossible to
take mp these measures for consider
ati1n. Congress might benin session
until the snow flies should debate
on them be opened up.
The records OF all sessions Of re-
cent years have been broken In. the
matter Of pension bills. new
scheme was devised this year In the
shane OF an omnibus pension bin in
which several hundred cases were
reported by the committee I'm one
Dill. Up TO date I'm twelve sVoh
measures. there have been 2.70O
pension bills enacted into law. while
at the entire first session Of the 59th
congress only 2,G75 such bills were