The Thibodaux sentinel. (Thibodaux, La.) 1905-1912, 1910-07-02
REVIEW OF WORK
DONE IN CONGRESS
Record for Enactng Legislation That is Seldom, if
Ever, Equalled.

Washington.-Not Notwithstanding the
fact that action on many important
measures was delayed by conflicts be-
tween insurgents" and regular
Republican factions in both branches
and that the Democratic minority was
/. an active force, Congress concluded
its long session with a record for
enacting Legislation that seldom, il
ever, hasSbeenAqualed.
In the matter ns reform" move
ments for which President Taft stood
sponsor there were many instances
Of success. Chief in the list of leg
lslation for which the administration
contended were the following:
Striking revision of the railroad
laws. including the creation of a
commerce court.
Admitting Arizona and New Mexi-
co as separate states.
Authorizing the establishment of
postal savings banks.
Giving to the president unlimited
authority to withdraw public lands
FOR conservative purposes.
Providing for publicity of cam
paign contributions.
Authorizing the issue of $20,OOO,-
600 in certificates of Indebtedness to
complete reclamation projects.
Creating bureau Of mines.
Extending the activities of the
Tariff Board and appropriating $3.50,
600 for its use.
Looking to the suppression of
traffic in white slaves.
Authorizing the entry of the sur
face Of coal lands.
Creating a commission to consider
economics in the administration of
the Federal Government.
Providing a new tariff system for
the Philippine Islands.
Legislation which, ultimately, is
expected to give practical prohibition
to the Hawaiian Islands.
Opposed to the foregoing formida-
BILE list of legislation obtained were
a comparatively small number of
measures which had administrati ton
sympathy, but failed Of passage. They
were measures on the subject of ship
subsidy, anti-injunction, for new
forms of government in Alaska and
on the Panama Zone; to create bu-
Teau Of health; to provide increased
rates of postage for second-class mail
matter create theszAppalachian
forest reserve, and increase the en-
gineer corps Of the army.
Not the least conspicuous acts Of
ures taken by the House of Repre-
sentatives to reform its system of
conducting business, so that less pow
or might be reposed in the speaker
and the organization of which he
was the natural leader.
The speaker was removed from
the committee on rules, which he had
previously been credited with DOM
mating, and a new rule was adopted
for the purpose of effectually pre-
venting pigeonholing bills by COM
mittees when they were approved by
majority Of the House, regardless
of party affiliations.
The enormous proportions of the
demands for legislation which are
pressed upon Congress is shown by
the fact that since the beginning of
the present Congress more than H.
900 bills have been introduced in the
House, and more than 5000 in the
Senate, in addition to hundreds OF
resolutions on various subjects. This
record, SO far as the number OF bllls
is concerned, is without parallel.
More time was consumed in con-
sidering the railroad bill than was
taken on all other subjects of legis-
lation. This measure not only ere
ates a commerce court, but it en-
bodies authority for a commission to
INQUIRE into stock and bond issues OF
railroads, extends the scope of the
Interstate Commerce Commission act
to include telephone and telegraph
companies, and gives to the Interstate
Commerce Commission power to post
pone increases in rates until the COM