The enterprise. [volume] (Harlem, Mont.) 1899-1926, 1910-06-30
LEAVES RECORD FOR LEGISLA.
TON SELDOM, IF EVER,
EQUALLEO.
MANY A HARD FOUGHT BATTLE
Insurgency and Democratic Minority
Was Active Force.-Taft's IRE
form" Measures Successful
in Many Instances.

, important measures was delayed b.
conflicts between insurgent and regu
} lar Republican factions in both branch
es, and that the Democratic minorit,
was an active force, congress is ex
pected to conclude it's long session to
day, with a record for enacting legisla
ton that seldom, if ever, has beer
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
MERGE 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 $20,000,000
in certificates of indebtedness to COM
plete reclamation projects.
Creating bureau of mines.
Extending the activities of the tariff
| board and appropriating $250,0OO for
| it's 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-
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,
but failed of passage.
They were measures on the subjects
of ship subsidy, anti-injunction, for
new forms of government in Alaska
eIAu OA IAC L cloIuC CcIlttA AOAV, w C1C-
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 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-
viously been credited with dominating,
and 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 affiliation.
The enormous proportions of the de-
nands for legislation which are press
ed upon congress is shown by the
TACT 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.
;erned, is without a parallel.
The Railroad Bill.
More time was consumed in consid-
sring the railroad bill than was taken
by all other subjects of legislation.
This measure not only creates a COM
merce court, but it embodies authority
Tor commission to inquire into stock
and bond issues of railroads, extends
the provision for the interstate COM
MERGE act to telegraph and telephone
and gives to the interstate
commerce commission power to post
bone increases in rates until the COM
mission shall have found the proposed
Increases to be reasonable.
An act, also, was passed to compel
'ailroads to furnish to the interstate
commerce commission reports on acct
Tents, so that congress may be better
as to the need of further
egislation.
Under the withdrawal act the presi-
lent was given almost unlimited pow
r to withhold lands from settlement ,
nd 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 60,O0O,000 acres, and at the
anne time reserve to the government .
he right to the coal.
Opening Indian Lands. ,
BY providing for the opening of | |
ortion of the Pine Ridge and the G
losebud Indian reservation in South
dakota and the Fort Berthold reserva. t
ion in North Dakota, more than |
100000 acres of agricultural lands I
ill be available for homestead set. +
ement. Y
The sum of $4,000 was appropriate n
for the gauging of streams with r