The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1908-05-30
MANY IMPORTANT MEASURES
WERE DISCUSSED BUT FEW
WERE PASSED.
Conceded Results Would Have Been
Greater but for Impending National
Eiection-Democratic Filjbuster Also
Had Some Effect-Senate and House
Not in Accord.

its the interesting fact that there were
more important questions presented to
and discussed by congress on which
the public generally or sections or
classes demanded action than ever be-
fore in its history. A majority of these
were of President Roosevelt's making.
Comparatively, the enactments were
few. On the other hand, the aggregate
of appropriations was great and when
the final figures are obtainable it is
not doubted that they will exceed
those of any previous session in times
of peace
Standing conspicuously above all
other questions with which congress
dealt was the effort to pass an emer
gency currency bill. Thrust upon the
attention of legislators at the opening
Of the session by financial depression
that had not fully subsidized, it was the
first big question to be considered.
Likewise it was the hardest to meet,
and did more to delay adjournment
than any other measure. The senate
and house failed to agree, with the re-
suit that commission of senators and
representatives in congress, whose
duty it is to study the question and re-
port at the next session, was the al
tentative adopted.
Labor Bills Considered.
Numerous bills affecting labor were
considered by both the senate and
house. In the form in which the bills
were presented organized labor was
not heartily behind them and questions
concerning the constitutionality Of
many of the measures, in the light Of
recent decisions by the supreme court
of the United States, raised other bar
riers.
1t is conceded that more legislation
would have resulted had it not been
for the pending national elections.
The elections placed the majority in a
delicate situation, a fact not over
looked by the democrats in the house,
who further complicated the repub-
leans position by a filibus to compel
the passage of measures demanded by
President Roosevelt and opposedeby a
majority of the republicans in both
branches of congress.
Out of this condition of affairs is
sued a new employers liability law
to take the place of that declared I'M
constitutional by the supreme court,
and there is pending bill providing
for the compensation of government
employees in hazardous occupations
who are injured in line of duty. Other
matters of equal or greater Importance
to organized labor failed. These in
clude an anti-injunction law, provision
for the exemption of organized labor
from the treble penalty clause of the
Sherman antitrust law and other
amendments to relieve the labor I'M
ions from the operations of this law.
Four BattIeships Fight.
The construction of four battleships
was urged in a special message to con-
gress and a fight for this program
was led by administration members OF
both the senate and the house, which
contest resulted in failure. An appro-
priation was made for the construc-
ton of two battleships and the policy
of authorizing two each year was an
nounced by republican leaders, which
was generally regarded as conces-
sion to the presidents big naval pro-
gram. Authority to name a, tariff COM
mission and to appoint experts to gath
er data with view to revision of the
tariff at the next session was strongly
advocated. AS a result resolutions
were adopted in the senate authOriz-
ing the committee on finance and in
the house authorizing the committee
on ways and means to conduct indi-
vidual Investigations on tariff re-
vision.