Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1910-04-07
The Week
in Congress


The Senate Monday adopted a Joint
resolution authorizing the state Of Ore
gon and Washington to establish a
boundary line between those states As
no one vas prepared to speak On the
administration railroad measure, the
Senate took an early adjournment
The passage Of bills relating to the
government OF the District Of Column
bia occupied almost the entire session
Of the House. Attorney General Wick
ersham's formal denial to the charge
that he had ever been counsel for the
sugar trust" the denial being con-
tanned in letter written by Mr.
Wickershaw to Representative Bennett,
of New York, was read in the House
in reply to a speech made by Mr.,
MartiE, of Colorado, several days ago.
In the Senate Tuesday Senator
Chamberlain spoke in support Of a
bin providing for tie withdrawal from
entry of the public lands of the coun-
try. When the Senate adjourned early
in the day out Of respect to the mem
DRY of the late Justice Brewer, Mr..
Bailey suggested that such an ad-
journment esIa blished an awkward
precedent. The House gave full au-
thority to committee TO investigate all
charges concerning the existence of
lobby to Influence ship subsidy legisla-
ton. Mr.. Fowler in an extended
speech defended his plans for cur
rency reform and spoke vigorously
against the establishment of a central
bank OF of postal savings banks. Mr.
Martin, of Colorado, suggested that
the Attorney General IN his denial that
he had acted as counsel for the sugar
trust had not informed the country of
the amount of the fee paid to his part
ner, who acted in that capacity, and
whether he had participated in that
fee. The failure OF the Attorney Cen
eral to enforce uDle fully the Sher-
man antitrust law was the subject of
remarks by Mr.. Martin, of South Da-
kota, while the Improvement Of the
Mississippi River was discussed by
Mr. Thistlewood, of Illinois,
After an Intellectual effort to pass the
House bill amending the employers
liability law, the Senate Wednesday re-
sumed consideration of the administra-
ton railroad bill Senator Root sup
ported the railroad bill in a speech
lasting two hours He devoted him
self exclusively To the commerce court
provisions of the bill In the House a
decisive vote was cast against the
Hobson bill to appropriate one-twen-
tieth of 1 per cent Of appropriations
for armament for the purpose Of pro-
moting peace. Democrats and Repub-
Iicans alike joined in defeating the
measure on the ground that the meth
Od it proposed was not a proper one
for the promotion of arbitration and
universal peace.
Senator Root continued, but did not
conclude his speech on the admins
tration railroad bill in the Senate
Thursday. He defended the merger
and traffic agreements provisions CT
LIE Measure. L IGl z WdS luI LIlC1 IIo-
cussion of the proposed amendment Of
the Cum.mins employers liability law,
but the Senate took no action upon it.
The naval appropriation bill pending
in the House, offered an opportunity
to members to discuss various sub
jecfs Mr.. Sherley of Kentucky ex-
planned at considerable length his res
olution to permit majority Of the
House to bring before it at any time a
bill which might be pending in COM
mittee Mr.. Padgett of Tennessee and
MIR Gregg of Texas, minority mem
bers Of the house naval committee,
each delivered a speech in favor Of a
one battle ship year policy, Objec-
ton being made to an increase by the
Senate to the extent of $4,000 Of the
appropriation under which the State
Department may encourage trade rela-
tions, the diplomatic bin was sent
back to conference by the House after
all amendments except that one had
| been agreed to-
Senator Root Friday concluded his
speech in the Senate in support of the
administration railroad bill and the
further consideration of that measure
was postponed until Monday. The
Senate passed the bill amending the
employers liability law in respect TO
the jurisdiction of State courts in rail-
road damage suits. The liability bill
ROW will go to conference The pub
Ifcity feature Of the corporation tax
law was under discussion during the
entire session of the House to-day. The
Senate had provided, in an amend
ment to the legislative, executive and
judicial appropriation bill, for pub
licity of corporation reports upon ap-
proval of the President alone under
regulations to be formulated by the
Secretary of the Treasury. After the
bill had been completed Representative
Fitzgerald of New York attempted to
recommit it with instructions for a re-
port forthwith with an amendment re-
pealing the Payne-Aldrich tariff law.
By a strict party vote, 80 to 116,
Speaker Cannon's ruling that this mo-
ton was out of order was sustained.