The searchlight., 1909-03-05
Sixtieth Session Acc0lnplishes
Little, but Makes Record Is
Z Spendef.
IGNORE PRESIDENTS POLICIES
vsey Few ei Ssslestisas 0utlieed b
Executive Were nsedel by
Tie Lawnakeu.


co0gress viii come to IN END next
TAursday at noon, with the inaugurar
taen Of Taft and Sherman. Until that
tame business in both the senate and
house win be In = hurly-buriy condi-
tios. with conferences on appropria-
lions the special order of business.
An OF the big supply bills have been
passed BY the house. and al but the
sundry civil. military academy and
general deficiency bills have passed
the senate. The supply measures in
conference are the legislative, execu-
tive and judicial. the pension. army.
agricultural, fortifcations and rivers
and harbors appropriation bills.
Now. that billion dollar sessions Of
congress are the rule, little other
than appropriation legislation can be
enacted during the short session. and
the one to end this week Is no excep-
ton to the rule. The appropriations
for the session probably win be the
largest on record, even exceeding the
81 900. .000, 900 provided for at the nrst
session.
A. 70 the Roosevelt Policies.
Early in the Sixtieth congress the
president outlined what has been
termed his policies. They were in the
main:
a national child labor law: IN en-
ployer's liability law; anttinjunction
legislation: amendments to the Sher-
man antitrust law for good corpora
tion and for labor unions: financial
legislation: postal savings banks; re-
vision Of the tariff; waterways COM
mission: regulation Of water rights ON
navlgable streams.
When the congress ends there will
be no national child labor law. no
postal savings bank and no additional
regulation Of water rights. However.
a child labor law was enacted for the
District Of Columbia. and 1t Is hoped
by the supporters Of the movement
that 1t will have national influence.
An employers liability law has re-
placed the one declared unconstitu-
tional. A commercial currency law
was enacted and monetary commits
sion is investigating the subject Of
further financial legislation. Active
steps looking to q revision OF tho
tariff have been taken. A waterways
commission Is now In existence and
an investigation has been made look.
ing toward the better regulation Of
water rights on navigable streams.
Navy Boosters Score.
The adoption Of greater naval pro-
gram marked the congress. In each
session two giant battleships were au.
thorized. Aerial navigation, however,
was not recognized In the appropria-
tion bills.
The increase In pay Of those In the
government service was another fea-
ture Of the congress. This included
men and officers In the army and navy
and kindred branches Of the govern
ment. the salaries of the president,
the vice president. the speaker, the
members OF the supreme court OF the
United States. cabinet officials, sena-
tors and members. At the same time
the purse strings to the treasury were
lo0sened SO that widows OF the men
who have fought for the nation would
be assured q pension.
The congress has also been distin.
guished by the number OF investiEs-
taons inaugurated. Among the more
prominent ones were the investiga-
lions Of the Brownsville affair. the Sc
cret service. submarine legislation and
the paper industry. The waterway.
immigration. monetary. Brownville
and postal commissions were created.