The Miller sun. (Miller, Hand County, S.D.) 190?-19??, 1908-01-11
{Ess|HILIgTnpa
'gl Gossip.
~N~~~~~~~~

There could not be more horrible
example of legislative inertia than the
first session of the sixtieth congress,
which began on Monday, Dec. 2, and
ended on Saturday, Dec. 81. The pc
riod 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 and public business would
have been expedited to such an extent
that an adjournment could have been
taken about month earlier than will
now be possible. Both the house and
senate were in session at frequent in
tervals, and for 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
In and put in box while the house
was not in session, for the introdu ction
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 a 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 were 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 the first real business
session of the sixtieth congress will be
opened Monday, Jan. 6, 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
bluff" trains with view to capturing
mail tonnage and later abandoning
them. This fact is disclosed In the re-
port Of the department regarding the
transportation Of the mails for the cur
rent 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
trains with view to capturing the
mails. Having been successful, such a
road, under the present law, must re-
ceive pay for that mail during the ST G.
ceeding four years wehther it contin-
ues to carry it or not. Accordingly
some of the railroads have been accus-
toned to take off their bluff" trains
soon after Tie reweighing, allowing the
mails to be diverted to another road,
but continuing to receive pay for trans
porting them until the next reweighing
period, when the trick is repeated.
80
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 next
years expenses being over 100000 coo
over the estimates for the current year,
and said this would mean deficit Of
SS3,OO0060 Hence the necessity OF
rigid economy and the avoidance Of