Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1912-06-18
SENATE KILLS
COMMERCE COURT
AMENDMENT TO MAKE PRoVI
SION FOR TRIBUNAL VOTED
DOWN SO TO %.
MAY RUN UNTIL AUGUST.
Tariff Bills and Lorimer Case Will %
Considered After Convention
Deadlock Between House
and Senate.

Washington, June 12.-Only the sig.
nature of President Taft now Is re-
CURED to abolish the commerce court
of the United States. The legislatlng
out of existence Of that tribunal
created only two years ago and which
the supreme court of the United States
recently declared had exceeded It's
powers, finally and definitely was de-
termined upon when the senate. Dy
q vote of SO to %, defeated an amend
ment to make provision for maintain
ing the court in the legislative execu'
tive and judicial appropriation Dill.
By this vote the senate reversed It's
own appropriations committee which
had recommended the adoption OF the
amendment. This put both houses OF
congress in accord on the matter OF
abolishing the court.
There is q likelihood, it was assert
ed in official circles, that President
Taft would veto the bill because OF
the courts elimination.
OF the votes cast in opposition to
the court, 26 were by Democrats and
the remaining ten by Republicans.
The court is composed of five judges
who would be dispersed and take up
their duties as members Of the various
circuit courts of appeals, if they are
not dropped out of Office altogether
as proposed by some senators. The
cases heretofore passed upon by the
commerce court, which involved only
railroad litigation on appeal from de-
cisions of the interstate commerce
commission, again would be handled
by the United States district courts.
The court was attacked not only on
account of its novel position, but on
the charge of extravaganza. 1t also
was commended that its existence nulli-
fed the work of the Interstate COM
MERGE commission.
That congress will remain in session
at least until the first Of August and
possibly later ia now the prevailing
opinion among the leaders OF both
parties. The two weeks or more OF
the presidential convention season will
chiefly be occupied with uncontest.
ed matters and most of the time there
will be barely a quorum in either
house. The tariff bills and the Lori.
mer case will go over until after the
convention. and occupy the greater
party of the time during July. The
time during the conventions will be
occupied in efforts to get the appro-
priation bills through.
1t has became apparent that a dead
lock between the house and senate
over tariff bills is possible, following
the action of the house in rejecting
the Canadian reciprocity rider" in.
serted by the senate in the bill re-
vising the steel schedule. The house
refused to repeal the reciprocity agree
ment and the steel bill was returned
finally to the snate with a hint
that the house will stand pat on that
decision 1t is understood to be the
Intention of the senate to tack the re.
ciprocity rider" on all Of the Demo.
cratic tariff bills. II this is done. it
probably will defeat tariff revision at
this session as the house does not
propose to permit the attacking Of
the reciprocity on tariff bills.
The long planned house investiga-
ton of the beef trust" and other
trust questions will be conducted by
Chairman Clayton and a sub-commit-
tee.
Panama Bill FavorabIy Reported.
The senate committee on inter.
oceanic canals favorably reported the
house bill to open, protect and operate
the Panama canal and to govern the
canal zone. The bill retains the house
provision exempting coastwise vessels
from canal tolls, and embodies an
imendm ent strictly regulating railroad
NWned vessels