Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1910-07-01
LEAVES RECORD FOR LEGISLA-
TON SELDOM, IF EVER,
EQUALLED.
MANY A HARD FOUGHT BATTLE
Insurgency and Democratic Minority
Was Active Force.-Taft's Gre
form" Measures Successful
in Many Instances.

imDOrtant measures was delayed Dy
conflicts between insurgent and regu-
lar Republican factions in both branch
es. and that the Democratic minority
was an active force, congress is ex-
pected to conclude it's long session to-
day. with record for enacting leglsla-
ton that seldom, if ever, has been
equalled.
In the matter of reform" move
ments for which President Tafts stood
sponsor there were many instances OF
success. Chief in the list of legislation
were the following:
Striking revision OF the railroad
laws, including the creation of a COM
merce court.
Admitting Arizona and New Mexico
as separate states.
Authorizing the establishment OF
postal savings banks.
Giving to the president unlimited
authority to withdraw public lands for
conservation purposes.
Providing for publicity of campaign
contributions.
Authorizing the issue of $20,O0O,O00
in certificates of Indebtedness to COM
plete reclamation projects.
Creating a bureau of mines.
Extending the activities of the tariff
board and appropriating $25O,OOO 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
economies in the administration of the
federal government.
Providing a new tariff system for
the Philippine islands.
Legislation which ultimately is ex-
pectad to give practically prohibition
to the Hawaiian islands.
Opposed to the foregoing formidable
list of legislation obtained were COM
paratively small number OF measures
which had administration sympathy,
but failed of passage.
They were measures on the subjects
of ship subsidy, anti-inJunction, for
new forms OF government in Alaska
and on the Panama canal zone; to Gre
ate a bureau of health, to provide in
creased rates of postage for second
class mail matter, to create the APP
palachian forest reserve, and increase
the engineer corps of the army.
Not the least conspicuous acts OF
congress were the strenuous measures
taken by the house of representatives
to reform it's system of conducting
business so that less power might be
reposed in the speaker and the organ
ization of which he is the natural
leader.
The speaker was removed from the
committee on rules, which he had pre-
yiously been credited with dominating,
and a new rule was adopted for the
purpose of preventing pigeon-holing OF
bills by committees when they were
approved by majority of the house,
regardless of party utilization.
The enormous proportions of the de-
mands for legislation which are press
ed upon congress is shown by the
@act that since the beginning of the
present congress more than 2,QQO
bills have been introduced in the
house and more than 5000 in the SEN
ate. in addition to hundreds of resolu-
tions on various subjects. This record,
SO far as the number of bills is con-
cerned, is without a parallel.
The Railroad Bill.
More time was consumed in consid-
ering the railroad bill than was taken
by all other subjects of legislation.
This measure not only creates COM
merce court, but it embodies authority
for a commission to inquire into stock
and bond issues of railroads, extends
the provision for the interstate COM
MERGE act to telegraph and telephone
companies and gives to the interstate
commerce commission power to post
pone increases in rates until the COM
mission shall have found the proposed
increases to be reasonable.
An act, also, was passed to compel
railroads to furnish to the interstate
commerce commission reports on acci-
dents, so that congress may be better
informed as to the need of further
leglSldIlOH.
Under the withdrawal act the presi
dent was given almost unlimited pow.
er to withhold lands from settlement
and to conserve the water power. On
the other hand, the act providing fol
the agricultural entry of the surface
of coal lands will open to settlement
at least 100000 acres, and at the
same time reserve to the government
the right to the coal.
Opening Indian Lands.
By providing for the opening of {
tportion of the Pine Ridge and the
Rosebud Indian reservation in South
Dakota and the Fort Berthold reserva
tion in North Dakota, more thar
100000 acres of agricultural lands
will be available for homestead set
Element.
The sum of $150,O00 was appropriat
ed for the gauging of streams. with |