Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1908-01-30

WORK OF
CONGRESS
%~~~~~~~~~~


The bill revising the criminal laws OF
the United States was taken up as I'M
finished business in the Senate Aouday.
and its discussion occupied the greater
part Of the session. A letter was receiy-
ed from Secretary Cortelyou explaining
his delay in giving the financial figures
which had been asked for. Cnrestrained
opportunity TO express views on the i'm
migration question was afforded members
of the House by the decision, soon after
converting, to take up and consider a bill
appropriating S250,OO0 for an immigra-
ton station in Philadelphia. and so many
took advantage of it that the code of laws
| bill. which the managers of the House
had planned TO take up, was also side
tracked for the day. The entire session
was devoted to a consideration of the bill,
which was passed.
-
The Senate Tuesday discussed the pro-
priety of authorizing one of its commit
tees to investigate the circumstances con-
| nected with the issuance of an injunction
in the case of the Hitchman Coal and
Coke Company versus John Mitchell, by
Judge Aston G. Dayton of the United
States Circuit Court of the northern dis
trict of West Virginia. Senator Culber-
son asked to have a resolution for that
purpose adopted. and Senator Hale
thought it should not harass judges in
their decisions, and he did not favor
such a resolution unless there was con-
ci1 orn,,n1 hol hot q
judge had exceeded his authority. Con-
siderable time was spent in considering
the bill to revise the criminal code At
the close of day of excitement in the
House of Representatives an amendment
was added to the penal code bill making
it a criminal ofense for any officer or
employe of the government to give out adj
vance information regarding any crop sta
tistics authorized by law to be prepared
The original amendment was by Mr..
Burleson of Texas, who made a strong
plea for its passage, but a substitute
by Mr.. Sherley of Kentucky. with brief
addition by Mr.. Olmsted of Pennsylvania,
was accepted. Earlier in the day interest
attached to tilt between Mr. DalZiel of
Pennsylvania and Mr. Randell of Texas
over the latter's amendments prohibiting
Senators or members from being employ
ed by public service corporations.
-
The Senate spent over an hour We'd
nesday in discussing resolution offered
By Senator Hansbrough of North Dakota
directing the Department of Commerce
and Labor to suspend its investigation
into the affairs of the International Har-
vcster Company. which was ordered by
resolution over year ago. During this
discussion Senator .Hansbrough declared
that the harvester trust is attempting
to control the selection of delegates to
the next Republican national convention
and is especially plotting to defeat him
for reelection TO the Senate. The reSolu-
ton finally was referred to a committee.
The criminal code bill was again consid-
cred for over two hours. Rapid progress
was made in the House of Representa-
tives in the consideration of the bill to
codify and revise the penal laws of the
United States. The only amendment of
any Importance which got through was
one by Ollie James of Kentucky, making
it a criminal offense, under heavy penalty,
to falsify government crop statistics, the
object of the amendment being to protect
the cotton and tobacco growers from
spectators. Over fifty pages of the bill
were disposed Of
In the Senate Thursday Senator Stone
presented statistics of government de-
posits in national banks to show that
the distribution of money during the re-
cent currency stringency was not "equita-
LOFT 6 l,r tho law Uov
erning the Treasury Department. He de-
clared that the West and South were
Disseminated against, while New York
and Boston were favored Senator Teller
followed with brief comment upon the
action of the Score cary of the Treasury.
declaring that the placing of money in
New York City during the panic was
fully justified. The Senate devoted the
latter part of the session to considera-
ton of the bill to revise the criminal
code, and adjourned until Monday. The
urgent deficiency appropriation bill occu-
pied the attention of the House 10 the
exclusion of all other business. A sur
prise was sprung when Chairman Tawney
of the appropriations committee warned
the members that the country was con-
fronted with the certainty of Sl00,OOO,-
coo deficit unless the estimates for the
next fiscal year should be cut down mate
rally. A discussion on tariff revision
was injected into the proceedings, in
which leaders on both sides of the House
tried to commit one another to a definite
announcement as to whether. if success
full at the November elections, there
would be tariff legislation.
- -
The Senate was NOT in session Friday.
Although the urgent deficiency bill was
technically up for consideration in the
House, not a word pertinent to the bill
was spoken. Under the privilege of gen.
eral debate several members addressed
the House on a variety of subjects, but
the speech which attracted most attention
was a criticism by Mr.. Hitchcock of Ne
braska of a political forecast by Gen.
Charles II. Grosvenor of Ohio. The de-
bate brought to their feet numerous Dem
ocrats, who sprang to the defense of Mr..
Bryan, while Gen. Keifer of Ohio. sup
ported by several other Republicans. IN
dertook TO refute all the arguments con-
corning Mr.. Bryans two campaigns. Adj
iournment was taken until Monday.
TELEGRAPHIC BREVITIES
Republican members of the Oklahoma
Legislature Endorsed Secretary Taft for