The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1914-10-24
CONGRESS COMPLETES IT'S
WORK

CONGRESS COMPLL iEfo II .
/ WORK
The United States congress has
been for some time making sincere
not to say desperate, effort to Wlnt
up the business of the long-draW
! out special session and vote on tfle
motion to adjourn, which is always
/ in order according to parliamentary
raIes, but mighty hard to get a
when sehooImaster like Presiden1
Wilson shakes his finger at tbs
boys on the benches and warns then
| to stick there until the work cut ou1
/ for them has been finished
With the passage of the conference
report on the Clayton anti-trusi
bill by the house Of representatives
on the 8th instant, the administra
tion's antitrust program for the pres
ent session was completed, leaving
only the war revenue and Philippines
! bills to be disposed of before ad
| journment.
| The house passed the war mea
sure a couple of weeks ago and ex
pected to reach vote on the
Philippines bill early this week, but
/ it is probable this. expectation was
not realized. Debate on the wal
| measure was begun in the senate on
the 10th instant, and a vote was
reached on the 18th, when the bill
was passed after having been amend
ed in a good many particulars. The
senate, according to general under.
standing, made no attempt to reach
the Philippines bill, leaving it for
consideration at the opening of the
regular session in December.
The war revenue bill was taken UP
in the house on Monday, and after
brief debate, disagreement with the
senate amendments was voted and
the measure went to a joint confer
ence committee of the two branches
OF congress. The conferees reached
an agreement late Wednesday, and
the bill as amended was passed by
both houses on Thursday and signed
by the president. 1t had been ex-
pected that the notable 1914 session
of the national legislature would
come to an end that night, but a fill
ibuster led by Senator Hoke Smith
in the interest of legislation to re-
lieve the cotton situation prevented
adjournment. An agreement for a
recess until after the November elec-
ton may be reached today.
In the war revenue act as finally
adopted the tax on beer remains at
$150 per barrel, as fixed by the
house of representatives, the sen
ate's amendment increasing the levy
to $175 having been eliminated.
Among the senate amendments re-
tanned were those reducing the tax
on bank capital and surplus from 81
to 81 a thousand, levying 8 cents a
gallon on sweet and dry wines, and
SIS cents a gallon on brandies used in
the fortification of wines. Stock
brokers will be taxed $50 a year in
stead Of $50, and the graduated tax
on theatres is slightly reduced, the
rates being $25 year where the
seating capacity is $50 or less, $50
for 500 capacity, SIS for 500 and
500 for seating capacity in excess
of 800.
Southern members fought hard for
the bill to authorize government de-
posts of $3.50, 100000 in national and
state banks in the cotton and tobac-
co states, but the measure was de-
feated decisiVely. By a vote Of I23
to 81 the house also rejected the
measure to provide for quarter Of
a billion additional currency through
the issuance of United States notes
or Panama Canal bonds.
The Clayton anti trust measure
passed tAa--ho use 44-syeas 81
nays, all the Democrats, twenty two
Republicans and six. Progressives Vot-
ing in the affirmative This act
fixes guilt upon individuals connect
ed with corporations that violate the
antitrust laws; prohibits unfair price
discrimination and interlocking di-
rectorates of two or more competing
companies, or of railroad companies
with stock supply companies, and linn
its the interlocking of bank direc-
torates; prohibits the existence of
holding companies which would sub
stantially lessen competition; for
bids exclusive and tying contracts;
liberalizes the law relating to injunc-
ton and contempt, and exempts agri-
cultural, horticultural, fraternal and
labor organizations from. prosecution
under the antitrust laws.