The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1912-08-12
CONGRESS READY
FOR 0BsEQU|ES
Majority Leader Believes AID.
journment Will Take
Place This Week.

Leader Underwood of the house pre-
d'cts the adjournment of congress this
week unless President Taft vetoes the
legislative and judicial appropriation
Dill. The president has said he would
Veto n measure because of the
amendments to abolish the
court.
congress has been in session over
700 days. Since the organization of
the government there nave been but
seven continuous sessions of greater
length. Measured by The standard Of
ne" laws enacted. This one has not
been fruitful II much general legis-
la'ion; Its Interest is from the stand
point OF great issues fought out,
Political activities have helped to
pfolong 1t; and political differences
petWeen the house and senate. the one
aehlocfatlc and the other controlled
by an Independent element of the re-
puollcan party, have served to tie up
appropriation bills and impede the
progress OF much general legislation.
Many huge annual appropriation
hllls that should have become effective
|ulE | stlll are AZ ISSUE between the
TWO houses. Minor legislation and i'm
lortant questions of general interest
are 10 he laid aside in an effort to
prlnS abodt adjournment ny next Sat
80 "'. VI At tIe ldlSSl NY IIlG emu OIL
tie following week.
The more important developments
mat have marked the session, many
OF them outside the record of general
legislation are:
The decision OF the senate that Will
liam Lorimer was rot legally elected
senator from Illinois.
The beginning of Impeachment pro-
ceedings against Judge Robert w.
4 ltlb3 li of the nplr1 marco count
A~brogation of the Russian treaty
following the agitation in congress
over the Jewish passport question.
substantial defeat by amendment of
President Taft's arbitration treaties
with Great Britain and France.
Notice by the senate to foreign ma
tions that the United States will per-
mil none to acquire naval or military
sites in the western hemisphere.
Approval of a constitutional amend
n.ent for direct election Of senator's.
Decision of both houses in favor of
tree passage for American ships at
Panama. in face of Great Britain's
protest that this would be a violation
OF the treaty rights.
Admission IF New Mexico and Ari-
iona to statehood.
Veto by President Taft of tariff bills
passed by democratic progressive alli-
nee
Creation of a c%hildren's bureau in
the department OF commerce and la
Dor.
Increase of civil war pensions
through the Sherwood service pension
law.
Important questions remain to be
settled this week between the two
houses. or between congress and the
president. Many of them, incorpor-
ated in the annual appropriation bills
are.
Propose abolislmcnt of the tariff
commission and commerce court.
Battleship building program for
1918.
Reorganization plans for the army.
partly rejected by the president when
lie vetoed the army appropriation bill.
establishment of a parcels post sys-
tenn.
Restriction of civil service employees
TO seven e terms.
"Details of the Panama canal admin
istration law.
Creation Of a federal departrent oP
labor.
Tariff plans of the ~eraocra met
the veto of President Taft again at
this session as they did at the special
session of 1911. The house passed
wool. cotton, steel and iron. chemical
and sugar tariff bills, and an excise
tax Dill to Increase revenues. Only the
wool and metal revisions have gone to
the president, The former was vetoed
last week, and Il veto is expected on
the metal schedule. The tariff bills
rassed the senate by a renewal of the
alliance of democrats and progress
slves. an alliance which took the lead
ershlp in that body away from the So
called regular republicans and made
any attempt AT a legislative program
impossible.
The democratic house has continued
much OF the investigation work that
marked the special session last year.
The steel trust" committee. which
made its divided report recently to the
house, recommended marked changes
in the antitrust laws: but no progress
toward new antitrust legislation has
been made.
investigating committees appointed
a wear ago, have practically all re-
ported. covins the inquiries into vari-
Gus so-called trusts, the shipping
combine" Alaskan affairs. agricultural
department operations, the secret
fund Of the state department. the
Titanic disaster" and many other
subjects. Few Of them have resulted
in new laws or regulations.
Inquiry into campaign expenditures
has resulted in the perfection of cam
paign publicity bills that probably will
be passd mex winter. Agitation for a
vice president is also expected to re-
suit in favorable action next session
or a constitutional amendment.
New Investigations have been start
ed into the money trust" the alleged
financing Of Cuban and Mexican in
surrections by Americans the dam
ages sustained by Americans in the