The Calumet news., 1911-08-22
Measures Of Great Importance to
Country Passed, While 9th
ers Meet Disapproval
Of the President
TARIFF SLASHING PREVENTED
Trust and Other Investigations Start
ed by Democratic House Have Not
as Yet Produced Promised
Sensations.


traordinary session of the slxty-sec-
ond Congress. the most active session
for many years, closed at o'clock
this afternoon.
The measures enacted and approved
by the president were:
Canadian reciprocity.
Campaign publicity and corrupt
practices act.
Reapportionment
Statehood for Arizona and New
Mexico.
The direct election OF United States
senators was held up by the Senate,
and the tariff bills passed by both
houses were vetoed by the president
who takes the stand that no tariff re-
vision should be attempted until the
data of the tariff commission is at
hand.
A Democratic house, the first since
1875, seized upon this session as
vehicle to convey to the country the
views of the Democracy on the SUBJ
ject OF tariff revision, but executive
disapproval rendered futile all efforts
to impress those views upon the stat
ute books.
Two tariff bills materially reducing
the existing duties on wooden goods
OF all classes and the other placing
on the free list articles of machinery
and tools used by farmers, and amend
ed to include some other articles, was
vetoed by President Taft. He based
his disapproval upon the grounds that
the bills had not been scientifically
prepared and that tariff revision
should walt until reports on the diff
ferent schedules had been made by
the tariff board. A cotton revision
bill awaits a similar fate.
The house, under the leadership of
Representative Underwood of Ala
bama, chairman of the ways and means
committee, and Speaker Clark en-
deavored TO pass the bills over the
veto. but the necessary two thirds
vote could not be mustered. These
failures to overthrow President Taft's
veto message were d strong factor i'm
determining leaders to bring the ses-
sion to speedy close and II is mot
likely that the congress will be In ses-
sion to receive a like message To the |
cotton revision measure.
Many Investigations Started.
Trust Investigations without num-
ber were instituted during the session
and some OF them-notably those |
bearing upon monopolles I'm steel and |
sugar industries-were prosecuted with |
vigor and they still are in progress.
Constructive legislation to bear on |
federal regulation of corporations is
regarded as certain to come as a re-
suit of these inquiries. and plans al
ready have been Instituted to revise |
the anti trust laws.
Charges were revived that Senator |
Lorimer was elected by the Illinois
legislature through the medium of
bribery and a second investigation by |
the senate was gotten well under way.
A senate inquiry into the election of
Senator Stephenson of Wisconsin was
ordered.
Senate Was Jealous.
General arbitration treaties with
Great Britain and France were sent to ,
the senate by President Taft. but they
received frigld welcome because the
upper house contended that one pro-
ision of the treaties usurped its con-
stitutional prerogatives. Presentation
of the treaties strained heretofore cor
dial relations between the foreign re-
lations committee and the state de-
partment and as a result President
Taft has made IL plain that an issue
has been raised which he will carry To
the courts In the hope of procuring |
ratification when congress reconvenes.
Friction in the department OF agri-
culture over enforcement of the pure
food laws has been recorded by many |
Investigations originating in the Demo-
cratic house and a country wide is
sue is raised over the question Of
whether the activities of Dr. Harvey |
w. Wiley. the governments pure food
expert, have been made Ineffective.
Made Strange BedfeIlows.
In the senate, with many of the old
leaders missing, a remarkable alliance
was formed between the Democrats
and insurgent Republicans led by La
Toilette. Cummins and Bristow. After
the first week of the session II work
ed harmoniously until the closing
week when occurred one of the most
spectacular legislative upsets In many
years.
The severance OF the coalition came
on consideration of the cotton bill.
When Senator Cummins withdrew an
amendment to attach iron and steel re-
vision to the cotton bill. the Democrats
seized on IL as their own and were able I
10 paas Ii Mhnn raolllar Rnnnhllcans