Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1910-06-23

The conference report on the rail
road bill was presented to the Senate
Tuesday. The Senate divided its at>en-
ton between the public land with
drawal bill and Senator Owens motion
dlscharging the committee on privi-
Ieges and elections from the further
consideration of the resolution provid-
Ing for the election of United States
Senators by direct vote of the people.
Action was taken upon neither of these
measures. Speeches against the admin
lstratlon's conservation policy were
made by Senator Hughes. of Colorado.
and Hepburn, of Idaho. The House also
received the conference report on the
railroad bill, but the greater part of
the day was devoted to political speech
es. Representative Randell, of Texas,
created sensation by moving that the
House recall from the committee on
the judiciary bill to prohibit Sena-
tors, Representatives and Judges from
accepting gifts, compensation, ETC., from
railroad, telegraph and other similar
corporations on the ground that Rep
resentative Parker, of New Jersey.
chairman, and other members of the
committee were accepting such gifts,
and by so doing were disqualified from
action on such a measure. Mr. Ran
dell, seeking action on his motion as
privileged, met opposition and The
Speaker sustained a point of order
which ! TIL
action was upheld by the House
The public land withdrawal bill was
passed by the Senate Wednesday after
debate upon that measure which COW
cred the entire session. Just before
adjournment the statehood bill was
laid before the Senate as the unfinish-
ed business. The land bill was so
amended as to provide for the issuance
of S30,000,000 worth of certificates of
Indebtedness with which to complete
irrigation projects already in course of
construction. The bill providing for a
new civil government for Porto Rico
was passed by the House This meas
ure is planned to take the place of the
Foraker act, under which the island is
now governed, and provides for more
representative government than is adj
ministered under the present law.
After two and a half hours of con-
sideration the Senate Thursday passed
the bill granting statehood to Arizona
and New Mexico. Upon the final pass
age of the bill a roll call developed a
unanimous vote of sixty-five Senators
in favor of the measure. The confer
ence report on the railroad bill was
taken up, but action was postponed.
A number of minor bills, including
many public building measures, were
passed. The consideration of the de-
ficiency bill occupied the House. Cen
eral debate was concluded and it was
partly read for amendments. Mr.. |
of Washington, spoke upon
combinations by foreign steamship
lines for the purpose of keeping up
rates upon goods shipped from ports
of the United States. He said the |
Standard Oil Company, the steel cor
pOration and the harvester combine re-
ceived preferential rates which de- |
stroyed competition with them.
By vote of 80 to Il the Senate |
Friday agreed to the conference re-
port on the railroad bill Before adj |
journing, the motion to concur in the |
House amendments to the postal saw |
ings bank bill was made the unfin- |
ished business The House concluded |
it's session by adopting new rule by |
which a majority of its membership |
may at any time recall from a COM
mittee any bill or resolution referred
to it and place the measure upon the
calendar for consideration. Advocates
sf this new rule claim that it will eff
prevent the pigeon-holing Of
any proposed legislation which has
the approval of majority of the
House. The adoption of the new rule
was by unanimous vote. The de-
1ciency appropriation bill was under
during most of the ses-
sion, but was not disposed Of