New-York tribune., 1908-05-17
THE WORK OF CONGRESS-
1T IS WE'LL IN HAND.
Many important Bills already
Passed, and Others IN Conference.
IErom The Trihune Rrreau.l

| IFrom Tn. Tribune Bureau
Washington. May 16-With final adjournment
| still week away, the first session Of the 60th
Congress has its task almost completed. and
| rarely has the work been so well In hand at this
stage Of a long session. OF the fourteen big
| supply bills. four have become laws, all but one
have been passed by the House. and that is now
under consideration, and only two remain to
pass the Senate, neither OF which is likely to
cause extended debate. The total appropriations
contained in the bills passed and pending
amount approximately to sl,o2s, 100000. These
figures include the continuing appropriations"
for the payment of interest the public debt
and other purposes.
Although the session promises TO be little
over five weeks shorter than the first session of
the last Congress, surprising amount of work
has been accomplished. especially in the Senate.
where. in addition to legislative enactments
thirty-one treaties have been ratified. besides
six or seven which have been considered but
not approved. The total number of bills intro
duced already exceeds the number presented at
the long session of the last Congress by close
thousand, and Congress has passed sew
enteen omnibus pension bills, providing for ap
proximately two thousand pensioners. and one
omnibus bill is stin pending
Among the important bills which have already
been approved by the President have passed
both houses are the widows pension act rails
ing widows pensions from IS 10 S1c month
and facilitating obtaining them: the consular
hili. the measure reorganizing
the medical dc partment of the army the en-
ployers liability bill. bills increasing the pay of
tie army and navy, increasing the efficiency Of
the life saving service. Increasing The revenue
cutter service. an amendment to the rate law
extending the pass privilege to d larger number
of railway employees. and child labor bill and
al anti betting bill for the District of Co
lumbia-
Some of the important measures of the
session are still in conference have passed
only house as. for instance. the financial
bill the Overman bill regulating iniunctions
the campaign publicity bill, the Shanghai code
bill. the White Mountain and Appalachian for
est reserve bill. the measure giving legal exist
ence TO the Inland Waterways Commission the
postal subvention bill etc.
OF the appropriation bills six still in con-
ference. but most of them considerable work
has been done and an agreement is regarded s
not far off The Senate still has two bills to
pass the general deficiency and the military
academy both of which could be disposed OF in
a day were it necessary. The House has only
the general deficiency bill to pass. In fact,
were il not that the leaders intend to provide
ample time for extended conferences. and if
possible an agreement the financial bill, the
work of the session could easily be completed
by next Wednesday, but the leaders now ex-
,ect TO defer adjournment until Saturday, May
g.
While a large amount Of unfinished business |
will be left for completion next winter. it is
-egarded as certain that the close Of this ses- |
,on will present record OF achievement far !
n excess of the popular impression and dis ,
inctly creditable to the Republican majorities I
n the two houses.
On Monday the House will consider the gen
raj deficiency bill, and the Senate. provided |
ar Foraker is well enough to be present, win
ee,,rne consideration of and probably pass the
,IkIns resolution deferring the application Of
he commodity clause of the rate law, although
avorable action by the House Is hardly eI-