Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1910-07-01
CONGRESS CLOSES
A LONG SESSION
LEAVES RECORD FOR LEGlSLA
TON SELDOM, IF EVER,
EQUALLED.
MANY A HARD FOUGHT BATTLE
Insurgency and Democratic Minority
Was Active Force.-Taft's IRE.
form" Measures Successful
In Many Instances.

Washington, June 25 - Notwith
} standing the fact that action in many
important measures was delayed by
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 legsla.
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 com.
merce court.
Admitting Arizona and New Mexico
as separate states.
Authorizing the establishment Of
postal savings banks.
Giving to the president unlimited
" puDA1S 1oAAoo LII
conservation purposes.
Providing for publicity of campaign
contributions.
Authorizing the issue of $20,O00,00O
in certificates of Indebtedness to com
plete reclamation projects.
Creating a bureau of mines.
Extending the activities of the tariff
8Ds0 Fl,
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 new tariff system for
the Philippine islands.
Legislation which ultimately is ex
pected 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,
out 1alleQ 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 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 its 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-
viously been credited with dominating,
and new rule was adopted for the
purpose of preventing pigeon-holing OF
bills by committees when they were
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
fact that since the beginning of the
present congress more than $4,000
bills have been introduced in the
house and more than 5000 in the SEN
ate, in addition to hundreds of resolu-
ions on various subjects. This record.
so far as the number of bills is con-
cerned, is without 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
nerce court. but it embodies authority
Tor a commission to inquire into stock
and bond issues of railroads, extends
The provision for the interstate com.
nerce act to telegraph and telephone
and gives to the interstate
commerce commission power to post
Done increases in rates until the COM
mission shall have found the proposed
increases to be reasonable.
An act, also, was passed to compel :
'airoads to furnish to the interstate :
commerce commission reports on acct
Tents. so that congress may be better
informed as to the need of further
egislation.
Under the withdrawal act the presi-
lent was given almost unlimited pow
II to withhold lands from settlement
md to conserve the water power. On
he other hand. the act providing for
he agricultural entry of the surface
# coal lands will open to settlement
It least 6O,OOO.O0O acres, and at the
anne time reserve to the government
he right TO the coal.
Opening Indian Lands.
BY providing for the opening of a
'ortion of the Pine Ridge and the
Rosebud Indian reservation in South
Dakota and the Fort Rerthold reserva
ion in North Dakota. more than
acres of agricultural lands
viii be available for homestead set
lemept.
The sum of $15O,O00 was appropriate
ID for the gauging of streams with 4
urply
The increase provided for tho navy
as notable. Two battleshps ot27.0OO
ons each armed with 14-inCh guns.
laking them the most formidable
readnoughts afloat, were authorized.
he naval strength of the United
tates will he further supplemented