Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1909-05-01
NEW NATIONAL LAWS


with heavy fine or jail sentence, or
both.
II has been reported that the disease
known as trachoma, or granular eye
lids, has been spreading rapidly
among the Indians. To check this
trouble, congress appropriated $4,000,
placing it in the hands of the commits
sioner of Indian affairs, for the imme-
date investigation and treatment of
the disease and to check its spread.
Porto Rican bay rum gets hard hit
in a law which went into effect some
two months ago. 1t is provided in that
law that bay rum or any other COM
modify containing alcohol, when COM
ing from Porto Rico, shall pay an in
ternal revenue tax of $1.10 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 further use,
he may transfer them to the life saw
ing stations of the United States. the
law seems to be a good one in its
aims, but the characters of the books
which will be so transferred does not
promise to give any especially thrilling
entertainment to the noble band OF
life savers. Government reports PROB
ably will constitute the bulk of the
books so transferred.
a law THAT mas Ildu6 IlOIG dll6AS Sch-
gressmen than anything else ever put
on the statute books is one relating to
the distribution of government docu-
ments and books ordered to be printed
by the Sixtieth congress. Although
the first session of the Sixty-first con-
gress is now sitting, its members who
have been newly elected will not get
taste of the thrilling pleasure of dis
tributing books and documents among
their constituents. The closing hours
of the Sixtieth congress saw the pass
age of a joint resolution granting the
members who were not reelected the
privilege of such distribution up to the
time congress meets next December.
Some of the retiring members are lame
ducks, and are DESTROYS of making the
fight over again. A constituent writes
to new member for certain publica-
ton. The new member cannot supply
1t, and perhaps explains why. The
constituent thereupon writes to the
former member, who is able to supply
his want. Result: That constituent
concludes the former member is man
of more influence than the new men,
Der, and gets ready to vote for him next
time, talking for him meanwhile. This
sort of thing is setting some of the new
members almost wild, and they are try
ing to borrow, buy, or wheedle from
some more fortunate man supply of
books and documents.
The law under which Niagara Falls
has recently been preserved from the
ravages of a vandal commercialism ex-
pires June 20 by limitation. It was ex-
pected that Great Britain and the
United States would be able to perfect
a treaty relative to the preservation of
the Falls prior to that time. But such
an expectation has not been realized,
and the recent session of congress
passed joint resolution extending the
operation of the present law until 1911,
in the hope that between now and then
a treaty may be ratified which will
hand Niagara unspoiled down to gener-
ations yet unborn. Renewed efforts will
be made to secure the adoption of such
a treaty.
The library of congress will hereafter
be the repository of the publications of
the legislative bodies of other countries.
A hundred copies Of the Congressional
Record have been placed in the hands
of the librarian of congress to be used
for an exchange list between the United
States congress and other legislative
bodies which agree to the exchange. 1t
is of course expected that all principal
legislative bodies will exchange with
the American congress. Another pub
lie resolution authorizes the census bu-
reau to extend its cotton statistics so
as to show the stocks of baled cotton
in the United States on November /,
January and March 1.
Mrs. Grover Cleveland and Mrs. Ben
tamin Harrison are now enjoying the
ranking privilege, sending their cor
respondence through the mails free, as
this privilege was extended them by
congress before it adjourned. 1t is in
teresting to note that Mrs Mckinley
was granted this privilege shortly after
the death of her husband, but that it
was not extended to Mrs. Harrison I'M
til recently. Why she was shown less
consideration than the widows of other
presidents is unexplained.
Matters relating to the navy and
shipping were well taken care of in
dozen different acts and amendatory
laws. A bill was passed authorizing the
refund of certain moneys to purchasers
OF stamps under the war revenue act
of 1898 and the remission of certain
duties collected on anthracite coal i'm
ported about the time of the big coal
strike several years ago. These mon
eys are now being returned by the
treasury department.
1t Is a remarkable fact that Theodore
Roosevelt signed away nearly billion
dollars OF the peoples money in
single twenty-four hours. Seldom in
the history of the country has there
been such a congestion of big appro-
as there was in March. Nearly every
one of the big supply bills bears the
significant statement that they were
approved on March or March 4. From
noon on the former date to noon of the
latter Mr.. Roosevelt by his signature
made the appropriation of some 5000
OO0, 900 the law of the land. 1t Is a
record which bids fair to stand for
many years, and it Is perhaps twice
as much money as was ever before
signed away by any ruler in the same
length of time.
Downright. 1903, by Frederic J. Hafkin)