The Newport miner. [volume] (Newport, Wash.) 1899-current, 1910-06-09
NEWS FROM OUR
NATIONAL CAPITAL
What Our Lawmakers Are Do
ing and Other Items of
importance.

weeks during which practically no
other business except appropriation
bills were considered, the Senate
passed the Administration railroad
bill Only twelve votes, all by Demo
Gratis, were cast against the bill. The
practical unanimity was due to radical
changes made in the measures from
the form in which it was drafted by
Attorney General Wickersham after
numerous conferences at the White
House on the subject of amending in
terstate commerce laws. All the Gin
surgents," who opposed many features
Of the original bill, voted for it.
Through the elimination of the pool
ing and merging sections and by rea-
son of the adoption of many amend
ments in the interest of shippers, the
progressive Republicans claim a sig.
nal victory and most of the Demo
Gratis express themselves as favorable
to the large portion Of the measure.
The bill places telegraph and tele-
phone lines under Jurisdiction of the
Interstate Commerce Commission.
The Commission is authorized to de-
termine the reasonableness of rates,
and a penalty is imposed of from 500
to $4,000 against granting franks or
passes for the transmission of mes.
sages. Special night and press rates
are authorized.
Six States Ratify Income Tax.
Six states thus far through their
Legislatures have ratified the income
tax amendment to the Constitution,
five have rejected it and two have
postponed action.
Friends of the income tax express
the fullest confidence that the amend
ment ultimately will be adopted, and
believe that one or two of the States
now on record against it will reverse
their attitude when new Legislatures
are chosen.
The six States that have voted to
ratify this amendment are Alabama,
South Carolina, Illinois, Maryland,
Kentucky and Mississippi. The
States voting adversely are New York,
Rhode Island, Massachusetts. Virginia
and Louisiana, while Georgia and New
Jersey have postponed a vote until
the next session Of their Legislatures.
Land Grant Brief Filed.
After fourteen months of prepare
ton, B. D. Townsend, special prosecu-
tor for the United States, has filed a
brief containing the case of the
United States in it's suit against the
Oregon & California Railroad Com
pany ct al, suit by all odds the most
important ever filed in Oregon, and
one involving the ownership of about
100000 acres Of Oregon land valued
at between $45,OO0,0O0 and $50,0O0,-
900.
The suit of the Government is to
set aside the grants of 1866 and 1870
to the railroad, consisting of about
100000 acres of land, and to regain
possession of the 100000 acres OF
unsold lands on the contention that
the railroad company has fagrantly
violated the conditions of the grant.
Rorah's Bill Is Favored.
The conference committee in charge
Of the Borah bill, extending the pro-
visions OF the enlarged homestead law
to Idaho, has reached an agreement
and will report the bill substantially
as It passed the Senate. Senator b.
rah expects the report to be adopted
in the near future. AS agreed upon,
limited number of nonresident home
ateads may be made in Idaho.
President Gets New Cow.
Senator Isaac Stephenson OF Wis
consin has informed President Taft
that the new presidential cow that
will furnish milk for the White House
will soon be in this city. The new
cow will take the place OF the late Ia
mented "Muley" and her name is
Pauline" Pauline is some cow, as
COWS go. She is worth $4,000 on the
hoof and is a full blooded Holstein.
State Department Acts.
The State Department has taken
cognlzance Of the Associated Press
dispatches from San Juan del Sur,
that William Pittham, the American
captured by the Madriz troops, wouio
be tried by court martial. A telegram
to the Madriz Government IS being
sent, stating in effect that this GOV