Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1908-04-24
WORN Or
CONGRES S
N~N~~~~~~

The Senate was not IN session Friday.
Instead of ~interminable roll calls and
clashes of party leaders on questions Of
ga parliamentary law in the House, there
was an orderly session devoted almost en-
lirely TO the consideration of the naval
appropriation bill. Chairman Foss Of Hi
nois and Mr.. Padgett of Tennessee made
exhaustive speeches justifsing the action
If the committee in reportia: what they
cha as a conservative naval pro-
gram for the next fiscal year. Messrs.
Fayrot of Louisiana and MclNinlay and
knowland. California. pleaded Tor a navy
of such size as TO be capable of uphold
ing at all times the honor of the country
at home and abroad. while Mr.. Bartholdt
ST Missouri advocated a halt in naval in
.rease and the substitution for 1t of arbi-
tration in matters of international dis
mites. Consideration Of the bill had not
been concluded when the House took a
recess until II 30 Saturday.
-
Thu Senate was not in session Satur-
day. Debate on the naval appropriation
bill in the House resolved itself into 4
discussion of the possibilities of a war
between the United States and Japan.
| Mr.. Hobson of Alabama pleaded for four
battle ships instead of two for the next
lSC1l wear. ~ war DSlNfVh Nv s'iio"
and the white races he regarded as inev-
| table, and he asserted that Japan's pres
| ent military activity was with a view to
the supremacy of the Pacific, and as a
natural consequence there would be a
! clash at arms with the United States. On
! the other hand, Mr.. Burton, Ohio, and
| w. w Kitchin, North Carolina. disputed
| that contention. each of them avowinS
that the clash would not come. but that
! the United Stntes should remain in the
| forefront of modern civilization as the ex-
| ponent of peace.
The brief session of the Senate Mon
day was devoted to the transaction or
routine business and the delivery of a
speech by Senator Scott of West Vir-
ginia. urging adequate appropriations for
public buildings so that official business
NAV be transacted with the greatest efh-
cheney and economy. When the naVai
bill was laid aside for the day in the
House it had been one-half disposed Of
The hopes of the officers OF the navy ana
marine corps for an increase in pay were
dashed to the ground when, on a point OF
order by Mr.. Madden of Illinois. there
was stricken from the bill the provision
for s,ch increase. On d similar point by
Mr. Mudd of Maryland, an amendment
by Mr. Rartholdt of Missouri prohibiting
naval or marine bands accepting private
employment in competition with civilian
musicians was lost.
Thu two features OF interest IN the
Senate Tuesday were the speech OF Sen
ator Foraker on the Brownsville AFFAIR
and the Presidents message advocating
the building of four more battle shlps-
The delivery of the speech and the read
inc of the message consumed practically
the entire time of the session.. Ihe eX-
pected fight in the House over the qres-
tion whether there shall be two or four
battle ships authorized tor the coming
wear did not materlalize, While the naVal
apnropriation bill was under considera-
ton, Instead. most of the session was
devoted to a lively debate in regard to
naval stations in the Philippines. TIL
sum of $780, 900, as recommended by the
committee for improving and developing
the naval station at Olongapo, Sublg Bay,
wis allowed TO stand. The special mes
Sooa from President Roosevelt urging
four battle ships elicited. loud applause.
The naval bill was not concluded when
the House took a recess until III 90
Wednesday,.
Tho Senate devoted its entire time
wodnesd,y to considering bills on the
no lon1,r Among the measures passed
were those suppressing betting on races
and Games of various kinds in the Dis
trict of Columbia, providing for the pur-
chase of land between pennsylvania ave
nue and the Mall in Washington as sites
\ for government buildings, creating a~b:son
range in Montana, and enlarglns nome
-, ;tr,hlo lonIS Tho
Sw,mn land reclamation bill was con-
sidered for Il time and was made the I'M
finished business of the Senate. The
House devoted the entire session to the
novv increase provision of the naval APP
nronriation bill and chief interest CEN
tered in the question Of two battleships,
nc recommended by the committee, or
four. as urged by President Roosevelt.
The vote was 100 to SO to sustain the
committees recommendation.
THE Senate was not in session Thurs
dav. The long existing controversy as to
whether the United States navy should
have submarine torpedo boats of the Hol-
land type. as recommended by the COM
rnittee on naval affairs, was settled in the
House when the proviso limiting the
Secretary of the Navy to purchase MY
boats of the Holland type was stricken
out. The effect of this action was to give
the Secretary a free hand in the selection
of submarine boats. A humorous speech
by Mr.. Williams, in which he had sew
eral friendly clashes with Mr.. Hobson of
Alabama over warships and balloons,
commanded the attention of the House for
some time. After agreeing to take up the
diplomatic and consular appropriation bill
,ext, the House adjourned.
MAnroNA cnpunr. NOTES