The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1911-08-17
LOAF|NG ON THE JUB
Senate Not 0verheating Itself
by Hard Work.
Upper House in Session Only 1873
Hours and II Minutes in Three
Months Time-Has Done
Little.

Washington.-It has been general.
ly circulated throughout the country
tnat the senate OF the United States
has loafed on its job at this session of
congress. Members themselves have
pleaded for greater expedition in bust
ness on the ground that the country
was anxiously waiting for something
to be done. The details of the indict-
ment have never been set forth, but
they seem to substantiate the charge
An authority on proceedings of the
senate at the capital keeps, among his
! other records, detailed account OF
the time in which the senate remains
| in session daily. This record shows
that between April 4, when this spe-
c1al session convened, and June %,
both dates inclusive, the senate had
| been in session total of 1873 hours
and q minutes. During that time "a
legislative days passed, but on 81 of
these days the senate held no session
at all. On the forty-three days it did
| meet it was in session an average of
little over three hours each day.
When the senate is really at work
the average session begins at noon
and closes at or about 6 o'clock On
this basis it has really been in ses-
sion % days of hours each in ap-
proximately three months time.
Carrying the Indictment a step
further, the senate accomplished lit
tie or nothing in that time. 1t passed
the proposed constitutional amend
ment for the direct election of sena-
tors, and it appointed a committee to
reinyestigate the election of Senator
William LOrimer of Illinois 1t also
passed bill 10 correct mistakes in
the enrolment of appropriation bills
at the last session. Both the former
and the latter bills are in conference,
the senate having amended them aft
er they passed the house.
One of the pleas made by senators
| who moved frequent recesses or sug-
gested meetings at o'clock instead
of noon was the alleged time taken by
committee meetings. The principal
basis for this excuse was the hearings
given by the finance committee on the
reciprocity bill. The delay in report
ing that bill amounted to three weeks
or more, and as a result of the hear
ings the best the committee could do
was to report the bill back without
any recommendation whatever These
hearings occupied the time of not
more than Is members, most of whom
~,
Furthermore, the calendar does not
bespeak any undue activity on the
part of the remaining rs members. At
the top is bill providing for the
proper observance of Sunday in the
District of Columbia The next bill
provides for the retirement of petty
officers and enlisted men of the navy
or marine corps and for the efficiency
| of the enlisted personnel. The third
bill is intended 10 correct loan
shark evils in the District of Column
bia. Fourth on the calendar is a bill
to order the regulation respecting
the manner of holding elections for
senators, and the fifth is the Canadian
reciprocity measure. The next two
bills relate to the District of Column
bia, for which congress sits a a city
council occasionally. erG Ire o'g''+'2
d proposed amendment to the house
bill regulating campaign expenses Of
the nine remaining bills on the calen-
Oar, one is to improve navigation on
river in Alabama, another to author
iZe the codification, revision and
To-
judiciary, another creating new
Judge in West Virginia, another re-
lating to the administration of the
Philippine islands, two more increas-
ing the free list and reducing the
duty on wool, still another to revise
the laws relating to The judiciary,
and the last two relate to affairs of
the District of Columbia
On the table, awaiting call, is a
resolution instructing the committee
on rules to report rule or rules to
secure more effective control over pro-
cedure. The next resolution ia one
declaring that Senator Lorimer was
not duly and legally elected. The
last resolution is one instructing the
attorney general to prosecute the
Standard Oil company and the Amer
lean Tobacco company.
Under the head of Resolutions
Over Under the Rules" there is one
declaring what matters ought to be
considered by congress during this
session. Another resolution is one
to abolish certain ofces in connec-
! ton with the senate
! According to the present outlook,
the senate will not reach final vote
on any question before it for some
time to come. 1t Is the expressed de-
| termination of the opponents of the
Canadian reciprocity bill not only to
offer large number of amendments,
practically all of general tariff ma
ture but to debate them at great
| length. While the indications are
that none of them will be adopted.
there is no rule to curtail debate and
until the opponents Of reciprocity
have thoroughly aired their views and
have pointed out what they think
ought to happen, no vote can be taken
either on the amendments or the bill
itself. Furthermore, when the hill