The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1912-01-12
PANAMA LAWS
coNeREss TO PREPARE FOR THE.
OPENING OF THE INTER.
OCEANIC CANAL.
LoR 'l1;1' TO TESTIFY

In Investigation Of His Own Election
Bryan Turned Down by ;,
Democratic House
Leaders.
Washington, d. C.--Legislative
machinery to provide for operation of
the Panama canal and control of the
canal zone will be started when the
house committee on interstate com.
MERGE will hold its first meeting to
frame a program for hearings and
preliminary work as a basis of the
bill which will be reported out to the
house later in the session.
Chairman Adamson and his commit
tee have returned from a trip to
Panama where they conferred with
Chief Engineer Goethals and other Of
ficials who are working to put the
great isthmian ditch into active opera
ton by Jan. 1, 1915, and perhaps, as
they say, a year sarlier. Mr.. Adam
son has voiced the opinion that the
progress and quality of the work done
, there is entirely satisfactory.
Appropriation Bills Ready.
| Two appropriation bills are about
ready to emerge from the committee
of the house. The District of Column
bia bill, which last year carried S12,-
| 100000. will be completed and re-
ported to the house early this week,
and it will be followed quickly by the
pension appropriation bill which runs
usually close to $l50,O00,000.
The arbitration treaties with Great
Britain and France probably will be
called up in open session of the SEN
ate within fortnight.
Lorimer Testifies.
Senator Lorimer will testify under
oath for the first time since the SEN
ate ordered IN investigation of his
election. If necessary, his counsel in
tends to let the senator tell his story
in his own way. He may take two
days to do so. Then the cross.exam-
nation will begin. Following his
testimony, the committee is expected
to begin work on it's report to the
senate where the final fight will come.
Bryan Is Turned Down.
Future caucuses of the Democrats
OF the house of representatives will
be conducted under new rules which,
while they do not answer the demand
Of William Jennings Bryan for an
open caucus, satisfy the Democratic
leaders in the house. The Democrats
met in secret session for three hours
After protracted debate, a resolution
proposed by Representative S. Mitch.
ell Palmer of Pennsylvania, COM
promise on the Bryan plan was adopt
ed by vote of 103 to ~. The q
who voted against it favored opening
the caucus to the press.
The new rules provide that rec.
ord vote be taken on demand of one
fifth of those present and that a jour.
nal be kept for publication Debates
and other incidents to the meetings
will not be made public.
The rules were proposed by com.
mittee appointed several months ago
Speaker Clark, one OF the committee
owing to his illness was not present at
the caucus. Mr.. Underwood, floor
leader, answering to call and engin
eered the movement by which the
Bryan faction were defeated. The
feud between Mr.. Bryan and Mr. I'm
derwood has lasted for many months
and the defeat of the Bryan open eau
Gus movement at this time is taken
as another victory for the Alabama
leader.
Washington, D. c. - There are in
dications that the senate hopper viii
be full of pension bills of various
kinds. The house and senate are
divided as to the sweeping general in
crease bills that have been consid
cred in both houses
Senator Nelson has presented bill
intended to deal more literally will
soldiers who were MANNED in war.
All hope of agreement between con
|
on the resolution providing for cleo
ton of United States senators by d.
rect vote of the people has vanished
The difference between the hous
and the senate conferees is based o.
a question of congressional supel
vision. AS passed by the house tn
resolution placed the control of sens
torial elections in the hands of tn
state legislatures. The senate ament
ed the resolution, leaving the contrt
, in the hands of congress. This que
ton has been debated by the confe
ees since the extra session and afte
many meetings representatives o
each side have been unable to offe
concessions which would be a
.. ceptable.
Senator Newlands of Nevada pr
,, cipitated a lively debate when he q
tempted to force upon the senate h
resolution providing for legislati,
program. He sought Intellectually