Mexico Missouri message., 1912-08-15
Congressional Notes

| Jingoes got another setback when
| the White House announced that the
| government of Japan had authorized
[ the expenditure OF S1,0O0.00O for the
| erection Of a building and tea grounds
/ San Francisco.
Representative Gardner of Massa-
/ chusetts (Rep), in the course of a
speech on the house steel trust" in
I vcstigating committees report, chal-
. lenged Col Roosevelt TO make plain
/ his attitude on the trust problem.
4 The Progressive party made its for
NAL bow in the senate Senator Pon-
/ dexter, as a member of the new party,
asked that Col Roosevelt's speech at
/ Chicago August 9 be printed as a pub
lie document.
Secretary Fisher has a plan TO al
low government coal lands TO cities,
which in turn may operate them un.
der certain regulations to supply mu.
nicipal needs as well as those Of citi-
Zens.
By unanimous vote the house dis
missed the contest brought by Charles
j. Mauer for the seat in congress held
by Representative Richard Bartholdt
OF st. Louis.
The Oldfeld bill TO revise the pat
ent laws to meet the recent patent
monopoly decision of the supreme
court was reported to the house by
Chairman Oldheld of the patent com.
mittee.
President Taft told friends he ex.
pected to veto the legislative-execu-
tive-judicial appropriation bill which
carries an amendment abolishing the
commerce court. In addition to his
objection to abolishing the commerce
court, Mr.. Taft is said to be opposed
TO the proposal to limit civil service
employees to seven.year terms.
The new policy of requiring all ma
tional banks to have an examining
committee for the detailed observa-
ton Of its business and conduct of its
employees, aside from the visits made
by the national bank examiners, is
proving its worth, according to a state
MINT llduC ny LdNltHCt ". murray,
comptroller of the treasury.
By vote of A to II the senate re-
fused to strike from the Panama canal
bill the provision eXempting American
shipsSfrom payment of tolls for pass
age through the Panama canal.
Favorable report on the senate res
olution appropriating 100000 for the
relief and transportation OF refugees
from Mexico was agreed on by the
house committee, which amended it
to make fund available for all points
along the Mexican border.
President Taft in a special message
to congress urged immediate enact
ment of legislation to provide an OPP
Grating force for the Panama canal,
the governing final zone and the fix
ing of maximum tolls. The president
indicated that the question of free
passage TO American ships might be
decided later.
President Taft vetoed the bill grant
ing the Dixie Power company fran
chise TO dam the White river at Cot
ter, Ark, in furtherance of water
power enterprise. That the bill men,
aces navigation interests and the gov
ernment's conservation policy are the
reasons set forth in the veto message
transmitted TO congress.
The fight to pass the $150000,000
pension appropriation bill was lost by
one vote in the senate and the meas
ure was sent back to the house for
further conference.
After a motion to agree to the house
amendment to abolish the seventeen
outlying pension agencies had been
lost on tie vote, the senate agreed,
% TO 26. to stick to its demand that
the pension agencies be retained.
The militia pay bill, which has been
favorably reported from the house
committee on military affairs, con-
tains provision which will settle
once and for all the mooted question
as TO whether the militia can be or
dered to duty outside the limits Of the
United States.
Il has been asserted by the presi-
dents friends in both houses that he
will veto all of the tariff bills that
reach him. Such action would be ac-
cepted as final by congress, and no
attempt would be made at this SEES
sion to repass the measures.
Much unfavOrable comment is heard
about the senate over what seems 10
be an organized effort to postpone
consideration of the Panama canal
bill until the next session of con-
gress.
Since the first Monday of Decem. !
Der, nearly q 100000 words have been |
put into the Congressional Record. |
II congress adjourns when expected, |
the chatty score will exceed 25,O0O,- |
600.
The investigation of the record Of |
Justice Daniel T, Wright in the Com |
pers contempt case has been begun
by members of the Nebraska delega- !
ton in congress in conformity with |
the plank of the Nebraska Democrat. |
ic state platform, which renounces the |