The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1912-08-28
Leader Finds Little
to Commend and Much to
Censure in Work of the
Majority.
BOAST OF ECONOMY
Is UNWARRANTED
Practically All of the Laws
Passed at Recent Session of
Congress of Republi-
can Origin.

.TATASHINGTON, Aug. 27.--Ineth-
NM cient, disorganized, unpro
Wv gressive and inactive, were
words used today to describe
the work of the Democratic house by
Republican Leader James R. Mann. In
O. statement reviewing the accomplish
ments of the lower house of the Sixty
second congress Mr.. Mann character
lied some of the Democrats majority
work as stingy and silly and other Of
its acts as pure eXtravagance.
"The boast about economy went by
the board said the minority leader.
"The main work in tho house on the
Democratic side has been a constant
boasting Of what they were going to
do at the next session,
Proved to Be Right.
"I said last December that this ses-
sion of congress would last longer and
do less' than any other regular session
of recent years. My forecast proved
correct This session Of congress has
enacted laws fewer in number and of
less Importance than any session in re-
cent years. The laws passed are in the
main of little importance and generally
| local In character. The Panama canal
bill is the one Of greatest Importance
and In the main that was bill pre-
pared by me in a prior congress
"The claimed reformation of the
rules has proven a farce. That the
| house has been inefficient is shown by
the fact that over two hundred bills
| which passed the senate remain un-
acted on in the house.
Untrue Boast.
! "It is constant boast that the Dem
ocrats at this session passed law pro-
viding for publicity of campaign con-
tributions. Such is not the fact. They
only passed an amendment to the law
which had previously been passed by
Republican house and the principal
part is one relating to primary cam
| paign expenses that was inserted in
the law by the Republicans against
the protest of the Democratic side.
Somewhat similar is the bill relating to
eight hour law which is only an amend
ment of previous law and only made
a slight change in the provision of the
original act.
"Practically all the laws of any i'm.
portance passed at this session were
either bills prepared in a previous con,
gress and left over for lack Of time to
consider. or else they were bills pre-
pared by officials in President Taft S
administration.
Mr., Mann referred to the public
health laws, the homestead laws, the
bill creating a children s bureau and
Others as being within that classifica-
ton.
No Credit Due.
"The Democrats were forced TO
agree to parcels post which only a
short time ago they insisted they
would not agree to- continued the
statement. "They are entitled to no
credit for it.
"Outside Of money expended for the
Panama canal, which cannot be consid-
cred as ordinary expenses, the appropri-
ations for this session Of congress ex-
ceed those Of the last Republican ses-
| sion.
"Not only is this so, but the Demo-
Gratis have appropriated money in many
places where 1t was pure extravaganza
and where the money was not needed,
and have refused to make appropria-
tions where they absolutely were essen
tial for the conduct of good govern
meut.