Pike County press. (Milford, Pa.) 1895-1925, 1910-07-01
NEWS FROM
WASHINGTON


record Of the present Congress has
seldom, II fever been excelled IN the
number and in the importance of the
bills passed. Thirty-siz thousand
bills we're offered during the sossion
twenty. seven Thousand by the
House and nine thousand by the
Senate, to say nothing Of hundreds
Of resolutions ON a variety Ofsubjects.
10 no previous session have so many
bills been presented.
With reference to those reform
movements which have become
known Gs the bills Of the Prssdent's
program. there are many instances
Of accomplishment.
Perhaps first Ia importance Is the
establishment Of postal savings banks.
Then a revision of the railroad
laws Involving the creation of = com.
mission court.
The admission Of the states Of New
Mexico and Arizona as separate
states. raising the number Of sover-
eign states in the Union to forty
eight.
A very important bill was that
giving to the President unlimited al.
thority to withdraw public lands for
conservation purposes. Under this
act the President was granted power
to withhold lands from settlement
and to conserve the water power, and
at the game time the act provided for
the agricultural entry of coal lands
which will open to settlement, it is
said, as much as sixty million acres.
reserving at the same time the GOAL
right to the government.
The increase OF the Navy, while
not Including many ships Of the first
class, was significant in the fact that
there were appropriations for two
battleships Of "a, 600 tons each. These
are to be armed with 14-inch guns,
which it is said will make them
more formidable than any battleshIps
on the seas. There were appropria-
tions also for four topedo-boa de-
str yers, two colllers and four subma.
rines. and an increase of three thous
and seamen was provided for in the
bill.
The publicity campaign bill is con.
sidered one Of great importance in
that candidates must within a short
time after election publish the a.
moant of campaign contributions.
A bill authorizing an appropria-
tion of twenty millions in certificates
Of indebtedness to continue reclama
tion projects was passed.
Also q bill creating q Bureau Of
Mines.
A bill appropriating S250,0O0 for
the support Of tariff board was an
, other Of the Presidents bills that had
much opposition before 1t was finally
passed.
Bills looking to the suppression Of
traffic in white slaves, providing q
new tariff system for the Philippine
Islands, promoting prohibition in the
Hawaiian Islands, creating a com,
mission to consider economies in ths
management of the national govern,
ment, were other important enact
, ments.
100000 was appropriated for th'
raising and removal of the wrecked
battleship Maine in Havana Harbor
: Cuba.
Among the measures which failet
10 pass, although II was well know
that the President favored them, wa
ship subsidy bill an anti-inJune
tion bill; a bill for q new form of 60
ernmens In Alaska and also In Pana
ma; also bills to create q bureau @
: health, providing increased rates Q
postage for second-class mail matte
and to establish the the AppaIaehIal
Forest Reserve.
= Taken all in all, this has been a re
, markably strenuous Congress. an
= there is no doubt but that a recoT
! has been set which will bs q stimu
lating example TO succeeding Coz
gresses. Apart from the reformatiy
and progressive legislation above II
= ferred 10, Congress has In a conspi'
!, uOus way reformed Itself as a deiibs
- alive and parliamentary body. Il hi
I. taken power from the Speaker.
has reformed its system OF eonduc
- ing business, aud its organization Il
work Is more effective now than
i. was at the beginning of the sessio
The Speaker has bean removed fro
the comniittse on Rules and a ne
rule has been adopted which, 1t
thought, will prevent .withholdiI
bills by committees when such bI
~ have the approval OF the majority
y, the House without regard 10 party
n WANTED