The Washington herald., 1912-08-25

| which will go fine in the home district
| this summer and early fall.
! By far the best part of the record
made by the House was its course II
| regard to tariff legislation. It started
out to either put the President in a hol.
or make him sign bills calling for rea
tariff revision downward. Mr. Taft die
\ not sign 'them, and the Democratic lead
ers are just about as well satisfied as il
he had. They passed two of them ovei
his veto in the House. and failed in botf
cases In the Senate, largely because tht
Progressive Senators who had voted witt
the Democrats on the original passage
Of the bills refused to stay in the same
camp when it came to jumping the Presi
dents veto.
The Democrats were careful not to put
themselves in the position of refusing tC
compromise. They enlisted and held the
Progressive support in the Senate by
their willingness to compromise, and THU
fact will stand them in excellent stead
before the country. 1t was the White
House that refused to compromise. Mr.
Taft standing firmly upon his insistence
that tariff bills be drawn in conformity
with tariff board reports as he inter-
preted them
Labor Measures Full.
The House passed several bills affect.
ing labor which failed of consideration
in the Senate. Chief among these is the
Clayton bill providing for jury trials in
cases of indirect contempt. the Clayton
anti-injunction bill and the Sulzer bill
proposing the creation of a Department,
Of Labor.
The session was prolific of vetoes by the
President He wrote his disapproval over
at least eleven bills. including the WOO
and steel tariff bills, and the Legislative
bill. which was vetoed twice.
The contest over the legislative bill
was spectacular in the extreme. Not in
many years has Congress and the Execu-
tive engaged in such a controversy over
supply measure. AS the bill reached
him in the first instance II contained a
provision fixing a limited tenure in the
government service in Washington and a
section aimed at the existence of the
United States Commerce Court Both
proposals were distasteful to the Presi-
dent. and he disapproved the bill. The
house thereupon dropped the tenure pro-
vision and repassed the measure. Like
action was taken by the Senate.
The President again vetoed the bill
because of the Commerce Court provi-
sion. The bill was then passed in the
House over the veto. 1t failed in the
Senate. The Democrats then gave up
the ISHI. dHltIlutu Dlll "
20 the wishes of the President, and in
that form the measure was returned TO
the hite House. where IL was approved.
Summar, of ments.
Some of the things actually accom-
plished in the session are summarized as
follows:
Appropriations approximating 81. COO co.,
90: the passage of the Sherwood bill
charging the annual pension budget by
So, 900, 600: the creation of a children's
bureau in the Department of Commerce
and Labor: the enactment of a law i'm
posing a prohibitive tax on the manufac-
ture of white PHOSPHORUS matches; the
creation of an industrial commission to
study the causes of industrial unrest and
the relations between capital and labor:
the treaty with Russia was abrogated be-
cause of the refusal of that country to
honor American passports issued to
Americans of the Jewish faith.
law was enacted prohibiting the
interstate shipment of prize-fight pic
lures or films: a resolution was passed
making effective the fur seal treaty
between the United States, Great Brit
ain. and Japan, providing for a closed
period of five years in the killing of
seals off the Alaskan coast; an author
ization for the establishment of an eN-
perimental system of parcel post. The
Alexander bill to regulate wire teleg-
raphy was passed. Emergency appro-
priations were authorized for the relief
of the Mississippi flood sufferers and
for the aid of American refugees flee
ing from Mexico. An eight-hour law
applying TO all government work was
enacted.
AS a result of the Titanic disaster.
a bill was passed requiring ocean going
vessels to keep a wireless operator
constantly on duty. Bills were also
passed providing additional safeguards
for life and property at sea.
Final approval was obtained for the
resolution providing for an amendment
to the Constitution to bring about the
direct election of United States Sena-
tors. The House passed a bill, which
was not considered in the Senate. pro-
viding for publicity of campaign con-
tributions before as well as after con-
ventions.
The Senate adopted a resolution de-
that this government would re-
sent the occupation by any foreign cor
poration' of strategic military or naval
bases on American coasts, thus reaf-
firming the Monroe doctrine, but actu-
ally establishing a new policy.
The Senate unseated William Lorimer
of Illinois, and the House declared va
cant the seat of Theron Catlin, of Mis-
souri,.
The House passed articles of impeach-
ment against Judge Robert w. Arch
bald. OF the United States Commerce
Court. who will be tried by the Senate
In December.
The House expended 100000 in its va
rious investigations. OF this amount
s39. 900 was allotted to the special Steel
Committee which kicked nm a ht0 duS,
but brought about no legislation.
An inquiry into the affairs of the so
called Money Trust, now In progress,
was authorized by the House.
Arizona and New Mexico were admit
ted to Statehood.
The Tariff Board was legislated out
Of existence through the medium of the