Omaha daily bee., 1909-08-09
SESSION OF CONGRESS
Meeting, Which Has Just Closed, By
No Means the Longest
REFORM IN PRINTING OFFICE
Joint Committee Expects 90 save GOV
eminent Large sum-TO En-
large the District of
Columbia.
(From a staff CnrresnondentN

CFrom a staff Correspondent)
WASHINGTON, u. c., Aug. s-(Special)
The extra session Of congress, which has
just closed. is by no means the longest
on record. During the last fifty years
congress has been convened in extraordi-
nary session a great many times. TIL
first session of the Fortieth congress was
convened at noon on the 4th of March,
1867. and did not adjourn, sine die. until
the date fixed for the meeting of the
second session, December 2 following, but
there were recesses from March 30 until
July 1 and from July 20 to November l.
The regular session was called to order
on December 2 and remained in session
until November 10 following, but in that
period there were two recesses aggregating
e~iEhty-nine days. The Fortieth congress,
according to the records, was in session
COS days out Of a possible 100 days, and in
this respect is unique in history.
There was an extra session OF the For
~ty-first congress convened on March 4,
1869. but It lasted only thirty-seven days.
Again, the following congress was called
into session on the 4th of March. 1871, and
sat for forty-seven days. Then for six
years there was no extra session, but in
October, 1877, President Hayes convened
the Forty-fifth congress, and fifty days
were required to complete the work cut
out.
The Forty-sixth congress met in special
session March IS. 1879. for a session OF 1O6
days, but no necessity arose again for an
extraordinary session until President
Cleveland convened the lawmakers on the
7th Of August. 1893. That session lasted
until the Sd of the following November.
Immediately after his Inauguration In
1897, President Mckinley called congress
to meet in extraordinary session on March
ID, when the currency question was taken
up and the gold standard OF currency
adopted after a session OF 1871 days.
The next was called by President Roose-
welt for November Q. 1903, and remained
until the date for the regular meeting, and
thereby arose the question whether a pc
riod Of time could elapse between 70 o'clock
noon on one day and IL o'clock noon on
the same day. That fine point was de-
clded in the affirmative. with the result
that each member received mileage for
the extra session.
The session Just closed has been a siren
uous one, and has drawn to Washington
a bigger crowd Of manufe cturers and pro-
ducers than has been seen here before in
two years. The effect Of the labors Of
the lawmakers is still problematical, but
every one, in business from Maine to
Texas and from Florida to Alaska, is glad
that the agony is over and that CONNER
cial conditions can now settle down to a
normal base to remain undisturbed for a
few years.
Reform I'm Printing office.
Senator Smoot Of Utah, who has been
most actively engaged for the last six
months on the framing of the tariff bill,
Is entitled to a few months of substantial
rest. but the chances are the senator will
not have very much recreation this sum-
mer. He has laid out a task for himself
which is herculean in its proportions. The
senator Is the chairman OF the Joint oom-
nittee on printing, and the Investigations
which he has made up to the present time
have convinced MIN that q radical change
should be made in the management of
the printing office. which will produce
economical results, followed by the saving
OF nearly $1,000, 900 annually to the govern
ment, without reducing the efficiency OF
the service In the slightest degree.
Some OF the methods in the government
printing office are complicated to a marked
degree. This, 1t 10 said, is especially true
Of the system Of accounting, and 1t is
believed that the senator will bring about
some changes In that particular branch
Of the vast printing establishment which
will result In the saving of hundreds OF
thousands OF dollars annually.
He has decided to so at the printing
office thoroughly and to bring to bear
upon the labor which he has assumed all
that energy and force which has made him
so successful as a business man.
The Joint committee on printing has to
all intents and purposes absolute power
over the conduct OF affairs in the print
ing office, 30 hat whatever may be agreed
upon In the way OF changes, whether in the
mechanical, auditing, purchasing or ad-
ministratlve departments OF the office
when endorsed by the joint committee, will
have the effect Of direct legislation. Con-
gress will not OF necessity be compelled 20
endorse the recommendations OF the COM
mittee, because those recommendations
will practically become law without fur
ther congressional action.
To EnIarEe District.
President Taft, who will from this time
forward for At least q month, be installed
at the summer capitol, Beverly, Mass, will
during that time outline a portion Of his
message to congress and will take up the
subject OF recession to the district OF CO.
lumbia OF that portion of the original ter
ritory which receded back to Virginia in
is4a.
All the old school Biographies show the
District OF Columbia to be q square, BIZ
sected by the Potomac river Containing
100 square miles, practically half Of which
was taken from the territory OF Maryland
and the other half from Virginia. The
VII ginia portions OF the District OF Co
lumbia are ceded back to the old dominion
by act Of congress in ts4s, President Taft
Is understood TO be Of the opinion tina;
recession was Illegal and unconstitutiona
and therefore void. Already bills have
been introduced TO restore the original
boundaries OF the district, but this will
meet with emphatic objection on the part
Of the people Of Virginia generally, and
OF the residents Of the city OF Alexandria
and Alexandria county in particular. The
state lost q considerable portion OF its
territory without it's consent when West
Virginia was carved from it's western Sec
ton during the civil war. and II President
Taft undertakes TO take another pIeec
away from the old state there is sure to
be a vigorous protest and a hot time in
congress. Opinion is divided as TO the