Fair play., 1912-12-14
DOIhGS OF CONGRESS

Cor the present session numDer OF
important bills were introduced. Sen
ator McCumber of North Dakota in
troduced his promised bill retiring ex-
presidents OF the United States with
the rank of commanders of the army
and navy at a salary of $4,000 year.
The bill provides a pension of $1,000
a year for the widows of former presi.
dents.
Amended to authorize a complete
investigation into the question of in
terstale carrier corporations stock
and bond issues, the bill by Repre-
sentative Adamson empowering the in.
terstate commerce commission 70
make-u physicni valuation of the prop
erty OF railroads and other common
carriers, was passed by the house
without dissenting vote.
Representative A. Mitchell Palmer
in the house led a sharp attack upon
Whitelaw Reid, ambassador to Great
Britain, for some of the ambassadors
references to Thomas Jefferson In
speech, at the Welch university on Oc'
teber 81.
That there is satisfactory and rea'
sonably stable channel in the Missis-
sippi river at st. Louis and that there
ia no necessity for any revetment OF
the east bank opposite st. Louis, from
the south end of Cabaret island to
the north end OF Arsenal island, at
government expense, is the finding Of
the army engineers.
After sixteen years, record OF ser
vice in the cabinet, Secretary of Ag
riculture Wilson submitted to Presi
dent Taft the last annual report he
will make as head of the United
States department of agriculture. The
report reviews the last years work
and contains summary of the agri
cultural advance of the country dur
ing Wilson's service.
President Taft will make no further
effort to have congress revise the tar
III. In general message to CON
gress, submitted, the president clear
ly indicated his intention of leaving
further tariff revision to Mr. Wilson
and the congress just elected.
Senator Cullom of Illinois was much
gratifed when the senate committee
on library voted to report unanimous
ly the proposition of the Lincoln Mem
omial commission to construct the
$2,000,00O memorial to the martyr
prS<ident in Potomac park, near the
Washington Monument.
A, bill authorizing the government
to take over the farm and homestead
| in Kentucky where Abraham Lincoln
was born was introduced in the house
| by Representative Johnson. The bill
would allow the government to &C.
cept the memorial as gift from the
Lincoln Farm association and create
an endowment fund of $4,000 for the
maintenance of the farm as a national
reservation.
! A bill that would establish free
mail delivery service in cities having
second and third class postoffices was
introduced by Representative Griest
| of Pennsylvania. The bill would ap
propriate 100000 to be used by the
postmaster general in inaugurating
! the services in cities where there ID
no free delivery. The bill limits the
expenditure in each city to $500 q
| year.
David r. Francis, as president OF
| the Louisiana Purchase Exposition
company, formally invited the senate
and house to have committees attend
the dedication of the Thomas Jeffer
son memorial at st. Louis on April 80
next. The memorial was erected by
the exposition at cost of $450,000,
and Mr.. Francis plans to make the
dedication a national occasion.
Senator Clapp. chairman of the
committee investigating campaign
| funds, introduced a bill to prohibi,
one state TO another to aid campaigns
of candidates for president, vice.presi'
dent, national representatives or sen.
ators.
! Congressional investigation of the
recent raid by the postoffice depart
ment on druggists, doctors and Others
charged with improper use of the
mails has been asked of the house
committee on expenditures in the post
office department by the druggists
organization OF Ohio.
The committee on Indian affairs
| completed the Indian appropriation
bill. Representative Stephens of Tex
as, chairman, hopes to pass 1t before
the holidays The bill, besides cutting
down the departments estimates
about So 900 900, provides for the com.
pletion of the appraisement OF the In
dian surface lands of the five tribes
along new lines.
The new system of paying all sol.
diers on the pension roll direct from
Washington, instead Of through, the
eighteen pension agencies, which will
be abolished January 81, now is being
inaugurated by the pension bureau.
Senator Works of California pre-
sented "a point resolution submitting
to the states a constitutional amend.
ment to abolish the electoral college
and elect president and vice-president
by direct vote. Senator Penrose OF.
fered bill giving penny postage
within the limits OF any city.
William p. Jackson Of Maryland,
successor TO the late Isador Rayner,
and Kirkland l. Perky OF Idaho, sue
cessor to the late Weldon b. Hepburn.
were sworn in In the senate. The
credentials of Robert f. Broussard Of
Louisiana, now a representative, but
elected senator for the term begin.
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