Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1910-07-07
CONGRESS ENDS
LEAVES RECORD FOR LEcysLA.
TON SELDOM, If EVER,
EQUAtiED.
MANY A HARD BATTLE
Insurgency and Democratic Minority
Was Active Force.-Taft's ere
form" Measures Successful
In Many Instances.


Washington, D. G. - Notwithstand-
ing 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 con-
cluded it's long session with a record
for enacting legislation 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 a COM
merce 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 a bureau of mines.
Extending the activities of the tariff
board and appropriating $250,000 for
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,
but failed of passage.
They were measures on the subjects
of ship subsidy, anti-inJulction, 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 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 afflliation
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 $1,000
bills have been introduced in the
house and more than 5000 in the SEN
ate, in addition to hundreds of resolu.
tons on various subjects. This record,
so far as the number of bills is con-
cerned, is without a parallel
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
merce court, but 1t embodies authority
for commission to inquire into stock
and bond issues of railroads, extends
the provision for the interstate COM
merce act to telegraph and telephone
companies and gives to the interstate
commerce commission power to post
pone increases in rates until the COM
mission shall have found the proposed
increases TO be reasonable.
An act, also, was passed to compel
railroads to furnish to the interstate
commerce commission reports on acct
dents, SO that congress may be better
informed as to the need of further
legislation.
Under the withdrawal act the presi-
dent was given almost unlimited pow
er to withhold lands from settlement
and to conserve the water power. On
the other hand, the act providing for
the agricultural entry OF the surface
Of coal lands will open to settlement
at least 60.C00,000 acres, and at the
same time reserve to the government
the right to the coal.
BY providing for the opening of a
N. 8 81. I. PASSES DIVIDEND.