Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1910-05-12

ne acceptance Dy congress OF
statue of Francis H. Pierpont from the
State of West Virginia, for the per-
manent exhibition in statuary hall at
the capitol, was the occasion Of eulo-
gies in the Senate Saturday. The
House accepted the Pierpont statue
and heard eulogies. Several hours
were also. devoted to the passage Of
several private claim bills.
In addition to considering the rail-
road bill two hours, the Senate Monday
discussed at length and passed the bill
creating a bureau of mines in the In
terror Department The bill had re-
ceived the sanction of the House and
now only requires the signature of the
President. The long and short haul
amendment to the railroad bill pre-
pared by Senator Dixon was the sub
ject of lively debate 1t was ''suspen-
sion day. in the House and numerous
bills were passed. Among them were
measures to increase the personnel of
the engineer corps CT the army, to pro-
vide for additional lighthouse equip
ment and to build monument at
Midway, Ga, to the memory of Gen
eral Stewart, Of revolutionary fame,
the Observation-Disclosures Of former
President Roosevelt
In the Senate Tuesday the traffic
agreement provision and section r.
dealing with the combination of rail
roads, were stricken from the railroad
bill. The Senate also passed a House
bill creating an art commission for
Washington. The House also re.
moved from the traffic agreement pro
vision from the rail bill. The House
agreed to the long-and-short-haul
clause of the House bill IN the form
that It came from the committee ex
cept that it provided for an investiga-
ton by the interstate commerce COM
mission of data relating to that class
of rates.
As no one cared to discuss the rail
road measure the Senate Wednesday
took up bills on the calendar. Mr.. ST
mons delivered a speech condemnina
the method of the Department OF Jus.
tice in its prosecutions of the cotton
pools. The Senate passed the pension
appropriation bill, carrying S155, 000,.
600. The House devoted much consid.
Grafton to bills relating to Indian
LANDS.
In the Senate Thursday Senator
DIXON gave voice to a complaint
against what he asserted was the prac.
tice of characterizing as "insurgent"
every Senator who did not agree with
Wat the so-called regulars demanded
He declared that the regulars" tafem.
selves We're as much inclined as others
to ally themselves with the Democrats
whenever an advantage was gained by
so doing. Senator Bourne of Oregon,
lauding the election laws of his State.
provoked a general discussion of rep
resentatTve government, in the course
Of which Senator Bacon entered a Wig
orous protest against the present meta
cd of selecting officeholders in the
South. AS a remedy for these com
plants, Senator Carter suggested the
elimination from politics of ,ne $4,000
postmasters of the United States. The
railroad bin was before the House dur
ing the entire session, and many
amendments being offered ard voted
upon. An amendment by Mr.. Know
land of California, providing that when
railroad reduces its rates, because of
water competition, it shall not raise
them unless the interstate commerce
commission finds that the proposed in.
crease rests upon changed conditions
other than the elimination of water
competition, was adopted
The postofice appropriation bill,
carrying about $4,000, 900, was pass
ed by the Senate Friday without
amendment. AS the result of this ac-
ton no conference will be required
upon this bill. A large number of
bills were passed, including one tC
provide for the division of the lands
in the Crow Indian reservation and
one granting pensions of $12 a month
to nurses who served in the Civil
War. The Seate adjourned until Men
day. The House practically conclud-
ed with the consideration of the ad.
ministration railroad bill for the adop-
ton of amendments before adjourn
ment aid agreed that a final vote
would be taken Tuesday. The section
authorizing mergers between railroads
was struck out by q vote of 131 to
128. Efforts of Democrats to strike
out the sections relating to the CAPT
talization of railroads were ineffect,
ual