The Washington herald., 1909-04-20

session Of the Sixtiesh Congress are now
going into erect, and all OF them viii be-
come operative within few months.
That session was not as fruitful Of i'm
portant laws as some OF It's predecessors.
but it added about T75 public acts TO the
statute books. Most OF these are local
in their nature some OF them relating TO
the District Of Columbia, others au-
thorizlng the presentation OF sundry OBJ
solete brass cannon 10 various munic.-
paIities for park decoration purposes. and
others relating TO the holding Of terms
Of Federal courts in various States.
One OF the most interesting Of the laws
which has recently gone into effect relates
10 the Importation Of opium After
crusade Of great persistence. the church
people and their allies were able 10 Sc
cure the passage Of an embargo act
against all opium inportations. except
such as IS intended for medicinal pur-
poses. The measure went into effect on
April /. and is very drastic IN its pro
visions. Any one who IS directly or in
directly a willing and knowing partner
IN the importation OF opium not used for
medicinal purposes. its transportation
concealment. OF sale. is made liable tc g
fine Of not more than $500 nor less
than so. or Imprisonment not 10 exceed
two years, or both. Furthermore. the
person who is caught with the goods
on him is 70 be assumed guilty unless ne
can establish his innocence
There are a number Of new laws with
reference to the public lands Of the na-
ton. One OF these provides that where
a company agreed TO build a railroad IN
exchange for public land and has not
done so in compliance with the act au-
thori5ing such agreement. all right and
title thereto shall end. and the govern
meut resume ownership. Where these
lands have been sold by the government
subject to the prior claims OF the rail
roads, the new law provides that It's
operation shall free them from the cloud
Of any such prior claim Another land
law provides for the enlargement Of the
homestead IN certain localities 70 go acres
instead OF 80.
This IS. done to encourage the settlement
o. the less desirable lands Of the public
domain. There are millions Of acres OF
this domain where the gift Of l65 acres
would not suffice 10 bring actual settlers
With the 220-aCre provision il is believed
that even these remnants OF the great
American desert viii be rapidly trans
formed into lands flowing with the milk
and honey Of prosperous agriculture
Another land law relates TO the Canal
Zone. and authorizes the leasing OF the
government lands there 20 bona fide set
tiers for q period OF twenty-five years
The government retains al mineral. gas,
and oil rights IN the lands 70 be leased
While the lands along the line Of the ca
uaI are not desirable for settlement. when
one gets few miles away from the big
ditch he finds fine table lands covered
with q wealth OF grass as good for graz
ing as the finest blue grass OF Kentucky
Whether a twenty-five year lease viii be
a sufficient fnducement 10 Ill I'D the out
living districts Of the Canal Zone with
Americans remains to be seen. Another
new law. now effective. gives homestead
ers the right 10 prevent prospecting for
coal OF other deposits unless the pros
pectcr gives the necessary indemnifying
security 10 prevent loss 70 the homestead
er through prospecting work The law
gives homesteaders the right 70 mine
coal for domestic consumption until such
times as this right is sold by the gov
eminent.
The days Of the outlaw on the MIssis-
sippi are numbered. For many years the
unsettled condition OF the river bound
ares between the States Of Mississippi
and Arkansas, Mississippi and Louisiana.
and Tennessee and Arkansas. has served
10 put a twilight zone" along the river,
ton for criminals as any ancient city OF
refuge. Congress has now given the con-
sent the Constitution requires for per-
hitting these States to determine for
themselves the question OF Jurisdiction
over this territory, and the States VIII
speedily act under this authority.
On the first day Of next July the new
copyright law viii go into effect This
act amends the existing law IN number
OF particulars, especially with reference TO
canned music. and cOnsoIidates the va
rious acts relating 10 copyrights into one
homogeneous law. The Register OF Copy
rights has copies Of the new law for
gTatituitous distribution to all parties in
terested.
The railroads are required TO tell "the
truth, the whole truth, and nothing but
the truth" hereafter in the keeping of
their records. a new amendment TO the
interstate commerce act sets. forth that
any one who wlllfUlly makes a false entry
IN any memorandum OF record kept by q
carrier, or who shall willfully destroy
Tnutilate, alter, OF by any means falsify
FIch records or memoranda. or who shall
fail 20 make fun, true, and correct ac-
count OF all transactions. shall be punish
ed with a heavy fine or a jail sentence,
or both.
Il has been reported that the disease
known as trachoma. or granular eyelids,
has been spreading rapidly among the
Indians. To check this trouble Congress
appropriated $1,000. placing Il IN the
hands OF the Commissioner Of Indian
Affairs. for the immediate investigation
and treatment Of tEe disease and TO
check its spread.
Porto Rican bay rum gets hard hit in a
law which went into effect some two
months ago. II Is provided IN that law
that bay rum OF any other commodity
containing alcohol, when coming from
Porto Rico. shall pay an internal revenue
tax OF S1-10>per proof gallon. Another
law provides that whenever there are
any books in the Library OF the Treasury
Department for which the Secretary OF
the Treasury thinks there will be no fur
theT use. he may transfer them 20 the
iife-saving stations Of the United States.
The law seems 10 be a good one IN It's
sims. but the character OF the books
which viii be so transferred does not
promise 70 give any especially thrilling
entertainment TO the noble band OF life