The Newport miner. [volume] (Newport, Wash.) 1899-current, 1912-01-04
NEWS FROM OUR
NATIONAL CAPITAL
Revision of Tariff Expected to
be First Thing on the
Program.

customary breakfast given by the Sc
cretary of state for the foreign diplo-
mats, and the exchange of visits by all
persons prominent in official life.
Congress reassem ed Wednesday,
| The big business of the immediate
future promises to be the tariff, as far
as the house Of representative is con-
cerned. Messages are expected from
the president at an early date dealing
with Alaska, the cotton schedule and
the report of the tariff board on that
subject, the postal commissions re-
pert and probably one on financial
and monetary reforms.
The senate interstate commerce
committee, which is investigh ting
trust problems, will resume it's ear
| ings shortly, but the Lorimer investi-
eating committee, the Stanley COM
mittee that is investigating the steel
trust and several other committees
of similar nature will not resume
their activities until the next week.
Steel Schedule Is First on List.
| du1e Is likely to be the first thing on
the tariff legislative programme of the
| House. Representative Underwood,
chairman Of the ways and means COM
mittee, made it known on his return
that the committee would postpone
consideration of the wool schedule
report on the subject had been studi-
| ed thoroughly. In the meantime it
will press it's work on other tariff
measures, with a view to adjourn
mont in time for the national con-
ventions.
After the introduction and consid-
Grafton Of the steel schedule the Dem
ocratic leaders contemplate present
ing to the House revised chemical
schedule and a sugar tariff bill. 1t
also is possible that cotton schedule
will be submitted with the wool bill,
dependent, OF course, upon the report
of the tariff board. This is not ex-
pected till late next month. If cotton
is not included in the wool BILL it will
be submitted as soon afterwards as
possible.
Railroads Must Pay Overcharge.
The announced purpose of the in
| terstate commerce commission to pro-
secute under criminal indictments
railroads which fail to make repara-
ton to shippers upon notice of obvi
GUS overcharges above published
freight rates, putting the shippers to
the expense of a hearing before the
commission, will result in the COM
mission doing a land Office business
collecting fines, unless the roads dras-
tically change their ways.
The commission reminds the rail-
roads that an overcharge is las illegal
as a rebate" The commission has
assumed that such charges above the
Il gal rate are the result of ignorance
end oarelessness on the part of clerks
and agents. For that reason there
have been no criminal prosecutions
Iefore the commission.
| Labor Commission Urged.
Using the McNamaras as an illus
tration of what might be expected
again in this country if labor condi-
tons are not improved, delegation
of social workers urged President
Taft to create a labor commission"
Such a commission, the delegation
told the president, would have powers
co-extensive with those of the Inter
state commerce commission and
should be able to compel testimony
President Taft promised to do all
Lcssible to create such commission.
1t was said he might incorporate
suggestion for labor commission in
one of his post-holiday messages.
National Capital Brevities.
Representative Oscar w. Under
wood, of Alabama, Democratic leader
of the House of Representatives, is
confined to his bed in his Washington
apartments, threatened with appendi-
citis.
The forest service has decided to
make a material cut in grazing fees
to be charged for the range in nation
al forests during 1912. The new sche-
dule will reduce the rate on sheep 1
to IL cents head, with proportion
ate reduction on cattle.
American pulp and print paper
manufacturers are bringing pressure
to bear upon President Taft to induce
him to refuse to yield to the demand
of European governments for the free
admission of their pulp and print
paper on terms of equality with the
Canadian product
1t was credibly reported at the CAPT
toll that the Democrats of the House