The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1909-12-07
OPENING OF CONGRESS.

nc regular SESSION OF IHP 'NlNIN -nGSl
Congress began in Washington yestcr-
day. This session is known ms the
"long term - There is no limit TO the
time which This Congress may sit, cX.
cept the disposition of the two houses
themselves. The session may last till
next fall. or it may close early in
the summer The latter is the more
| likely, because the Representatives, viii
want TO get home to see about their
denomination and to "sct up the
pins - in their own behalf in the nomj
mating conventions. Even the Scna-
tors will want TO GET home and sec
about the legislative nominations, so as
to insure their own return. And so it
is likely that the session will close
about or soon after the expiration of
he fiscal year, June 30th.
There are many things waiting the
attention of Congress, but We doubt IL
very much viii be done. There will.
of course. be many measures proposed
on the tariff, ON the currency, on
trusts, on railroads, on combinations of
various kinds, besides the usual routine
of legislation. President Taft has given
out in the Eastern papers from time to
time a number of things which he will
urge upon Congress, and these are well
understood, That programme Is as fol.
lows;
ship subsidy, probably through the eX-
pertinent OF subsidized mail-carryinG YES
sells.
Unity OF the East and West as well as
the North and South, in business anG
policies.
Separate statehood FOR Arizona and
New Mexico.
Revision OF the Hepburn rate law. but
a square deal Tor the railways, with
nothing drastic i'm legislation 40 long as
they obey the law His railroad lcsisla-
ton includes control of Issues OF stocks
and bonds. prevention of the holding OF
stock in competing lines siXty-day
limit on the suspension OF an order OF the
Interstate Commerce Commission by
court injunction power TO institute com
plants. control over freight classification
and laws safeguarding railway employees
in their work,
Taxation of inherItances by States,
Pursuance OF the Roosevelt, conscrva-
tion policies. but within the law, and an
act OF Congress which vii! permit the
issuance by the Department of the In
terror OF bonds for the completion of irri-
cation projects which were begun under
n mutual arrangement between the Gov
crnment and owner. now held unlawful.
Control OF water power. coal. phosphate
and other mineral lands
Revision OF the monetary system during
the present administration.
Postal savings banks.
Statutes for tn" preservation In law of
the Roosevelt policies. but nothing revo-
lutionary or likely 10 unbalanCe business.
Appropriations for the continuance OF
the work now being done by the foreign
tariff board.
Assistance Of Congress in n broad for
eien policy which will Law down n stable
for trade in the Orient.
Reform OF the civil and criminal law
the investigation by a commits
sion OF It's alleged abuses.
A commission TO aid in the government
Of Alaska and an Alaskan bureau" In
one OF the Washington departments. but
no Territorial government.
Investigation of the cost feasibility.
and probable resulting commerce OF the
Improvement Of the Mississippi river from
the Great Lakes to the Gull.
Modification Of the sherman act 10 ex-
clude from It's drastic provisions corpora
tons not clearly In violation of the broad
intent OF the law and control of labor
hoyectts by injunctions, properly safe
guarded rather than through the clause
OF the Sherman act recently invoked
Undoubtedly these propositions will
all come up in Congress, and viii cause
more or less debate. The Tribune !
printed this same list on November
10Th, commenting upon ii at the time
We do not believe that Congress viii |
grant n ship subsidy, although il ought |
to-; nor do we believe that ii will re-
wise the Hepburn rate law; nor do any
thing about the taxation Of in
heritances by States. It may do some |
thing in the way of regulating the |
and forestry service, and |
ii certainly ought 10 do this by way of |
the interference of the |
forestry folk with the people s use of |
the resources round about them which |
are necessary to the development of the |
country The most of the other propo.
sitions will probably fall by the way
side.
II is abundantlv evident, however,
that it is to be busy session. and the |
members of both houses Will have |
ample opportunity to air their views
and TO present their multitudes of