Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1910-05-20
CONGRESS IN SESSION.
In the Senate.

Continuing the consideration OF the
railroad bill, the. Senate on the 10th
heard arguments by Senator BristoW
ia support of the Dixon amendment pro-
hibitiEg a greater charge for short than
for long hauls on the railroads, and by
Senators Lodge and Piles against it.
There were many Interruptions and much
sharp collOquy. Toward the close of
<ne session a resolution authorizing an
investigation into alleged abuses of the
+ranking privilege was adopted.
In a personal explanation to the Sen
ate on the 18th, Senator Piles of Wash
lngtOn dIsavOwed any responsibility Tor
the appointment of Richard A. Ballinger
as commissioner of the general land office
or later as secretary of the interior. This
action resulted from intimatiOns in the
BallingerPinchOt investigation that Mr..
Piles had Influenced the appointment in
the interest of the Cunningham coal
claimants. Senator Simmons OF North
Carolina spoke in favor Of the Dixon
long and short haul clause, after which
the railroad bill was laid aside. The
theory that the President may withdraw
from entry the public lands without au-
thOrity Of Congress was cOmbatted by
Senator BOrah in an extended argument.
The Senate on the 18th reached an
agreement to begin voting at o'clock
on the 18th on the long and short haul
abIsndments to the railroad BILL and to
meet daily at II o'clock, beginning
MONDAY. Inc Young agreement 1Of To-
morrow provides that all amendments
relating to the long and short hand shall
be disposed of before the end of the
Legislative day, but the understanding
does not preclude the taking of a recess
from one day to another in case the
amendments should require more time
that can be given them tomorrow. All
of the speeches of today were in support
OF the Dixon long and short hand amend
ment. They were made by Senators
Clapp, Smoot and Nixon. The Senate
passed the House omnibus lighthouse
bill, which, after receiving the consider
alton of a conference committee, will
go to the President for his signature
The feature of the consideration of the
administration railroad bill in the Senate
on the 10th was the vote taken on an
amendment by Senator Cummins to
strike out the sections of the bill to pro-
vide for the establishment of a commerce
court. This was defeated by a vote of
% to 81. The affirmative vote was cast
chiefly by Democrats and "nsurgent'
Republicans. A number of other amend
ments were offered to the sections but
all Of them were defeated.
In the House.
BY a vote Of 200 to 1926 the House
on the 10th passed the administration
railroad bill, with many Of the original
provisions stricken out. A proposition
Quisitiou of competing lines was voted
down before the bill was finally placed
upon its passage. Some of the New
England Republicans joined with the
Democrats in voting down that provi-
sion. The bill now goes to the Senate
where a bill similarly introduced as an
administration measure has been pending
for nearly three months. The House
passed several resolutions calling for
identity of the real purchasers of the
Philippine frar lands and adopted the
conference report on the bill to create
the bureau of mines and mining which
now goes to the President for approval.
In the House the entire session on
the 18th was taken up by the consider
alton of bills affecting Indian lands
In the House on the 10Th Representa-
tive Payne of New York delivered an
extended defense of the Payne-Aldrich
tariff bill, arguing that the recent adj
vance in the cost Of living was not due
to that legislation. Representative Cox
of Ohio spoke, denOuncing conditions in
national military homes.
The 10th being unanimous consent
and suspension day in the House. a large
number of bills were passed. Among
the more important measures passed was
a Senate bill providing for a system of
parole fOl United States prisoners SEN
fenced for more than one year and who
have served at least one-third of their
terms, a resolution, introduced by Mr.
Henry OF Texas, to change the date of
inauguration Of the President from
March until the last Thursday in April
was defeated. Only one vote was lack
ing OF the tWO-th rds of the House neces-
Sary to provide for the submission of q
constitutional amendment for that pur-
pose 10 the several states of the Union.
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