Los Angeles herald., 1909-03-01
CONGRESS HAS
BROKEN RECORD
FOR EXPENSES
BlLLl0N-D0LLAR SESSION IS
ALL BUT ECLIfSED
OVER $1,oos,ooo,ooo ALREADY AP.
PRoPRlATED
Vast Allowance includes 100000 for
Italian Quake sufferers-vltal
Issues Yet to Be De.
termined
tBy Associated Press.l

H ASHINGTON, Feb 2S.-Now that
Nv billion dollar sessions of congress
W are the rule, little other appro-
priation legislation can be enacted DUR
ing the snort sessions, and the one to
end this week is no exception TO the
rule.
The appropriations probably will be
the largest on record, even exceeding
the 81 ,OOS, 100000 provided for at tbs
first session.
Scarcely any of the general policies
of the country were touched upon at
this session. The discussion of the Sc
cret service, the Panama canal, the
Brownsville affair and the Tennessee
Coal and Iron company purchase have
brought the Roosevelt administration
prominently into view.
The veto of the census bill, because
the employees for the taking OF the
uecennial census were not 10 Oe placeu
under civil service regulations, was
feature in another interesting chapter
This bill goes over to the special ses-
sion.
The appropriation of $S00.000 for the
relief of the Italian earthquake suffer-
ers has been spoken of as the most sig
nlficant enactment of the session.
An act of great Importance to west
ern homeseekers authorized enlarged
homestead entries in the arid region.
II TtHldlIS only III tbt WV hSNoNs, ~
approve the agreement already reached
by the conferees of the two bodies, and
the government will, through rider
enter the field of regulating the inter-
state shipment of intoxicating liquors.
The statehood bill, admitting Arizona
and New Mexico. is still in committee
In the senate. IL Is conceded that IL
cannot pass this session.
The fate of the Gallinger ocean mail
subsidy bill rests with the house, where
its passage through the house is prob
lematical.
Many important measures are re-
garded as certain to fail to pass
Among these are the Burke wireless
telegraph bill the Weeks forest re-
serve bill: the Currier copyright bill;
the $500, 900, 900 bond issue for improve
ment of waterways; changes in the
government of the isthmian canal zone:
federal inspection of naval stores ana
grain and suppression of gambling In
cotton futures.
A movement to amend the rules Of
both the senate and house has attracted
much attention. In the house there
has been an organized opposition fnsu. :
rection, but in the senate the opposi-
ton did not go beyond some sharp
criticisms by new senators.
About 3S000sbiils and 1900 resolutions
were presented in both houses OF
these about 275 public bills will be
enacted into law. About 175 private
bills will be enacted. About fifty reso-
lutions were agreed to.
Early in the congress the president
outlined his policy as follows:
Some Policies Overlooked
A national child labor law. an EN-
ployers liability law, anti-in1unction
legislation amendments to the Sherman
antitrust law for great corporations
and for labor unions financial legisla-
tion, postal savings banks, revision OF
the tariff, waterways commission and
regulation of water rights on navigable
streams.
When the session ends there VIII be
no national child labor law, no national
postal savings bank and no additional
regulation of water rights.
An employers liability law has re-
placed the one declared unconstitu-
tional A commercial currency law was
enactfd and q monetary commission Is
investigating the subject of further
financial legislation.
Active steps looking to revision of
the tariff have been taken. All through
the session the house committee on
ways and means has been considering
a tariff bill. A waterways commission
is now in existence, and an investiga-
ton has been made looking toward the
better regulation of water rights on
navigable streams.
The adoption of greater naval pro-
gram marked the congress. In each
session two giant battleships were
authorized.
Aerial navigation, however. was not
recognized in the appropriation bills.
The salary increase for those in the
government service was another fea-
ture. This included men and officers In
the army AVID navy and kindred
branches of the government, the salaries
of the president, the-vice president the
speaker, members of the supreme court,
cabinet officers, senators and members.
The congress has also been distin-
guished by the number of investiga-
tions inaugurated. Among the most
prominent ones We're the investigation
of the Brownsville affair, the secret
service, submarine legislation and the
paper industry.