The Washington herald., 1914-02-28
Under the Capitol Dome.

4
The publication Of reports Of debate
In executive session OF the Senate has
led to the reference of resolution TO
Committee on Rules providing for the
appointment OF a committee to investi-
gate the sources from which newspaper
men obtain their information II has
been suggested that the Senate bar from
the press gallery Representatives Of pa
pers which print what purports to be
report of an executive session. There Is
opposition in the Senate, however. to
this.
That the pending interstate trade COM
mission bill will be amended to provide
against unreasonable search and seizure
of the books and records OF corporations
was indicated by members Of the COM
mittee. The assertion that the powers
given the commission are so broad that
the constitutionality of the measure Is
affected is given serious consideration.
"A clause in the Burnett immigration
bill which prohibits the payment OF re-
bates to steamship companies by ran
roads for emigrant traffic Is the on1ect OF
attack by a stron: lobby of Atlantic
shipping and railroad Interests. according
to Senator johnson. Of Maine.
AIbert III. Harris, vice president and
general counsel for the New York Cen
tral railroad. urged the House Interstate
Commerce Committee TO solve the
troubles Of the railroad In the Issuance
of stocks and bonds by gettlns a law
na ssed which would compel all railroads
To reincorporate with Federal charters
The pending antitrust bills were char
acterized as dangerous" by c. +. Maine
son, of New York, representing the Cnam-
ber of Commerce Of the United STATES
before the Senate Committee on inter
state Commerce at its hearing. He saio
that corporations would generally remedy
evils II the bad conditions were pointed
out by a competent commission.
hill prohibiting telegraph and tele-
phone corporations from interstate COM
merce in supplies and other commoolues
was offered by Representative Quin, OF
Mississippi. An association Of electrical
merchants and manufacturers Is back OF
the bill.
Bills making II unlawful for members
az the Senate and House to receive any
compensation or salary other than that
Maid them by the government and COM
peIling them to file statements annually
a. tn lust what compensation or fees
thew have received, were introduced by
Representative Lafferty. Of Oregon
An appeal for prompt action upon his
bill prohibiting the interstate shipment OF
the products of child labor was made
to the House Labor Committee oy rep
Iresentative Palmer, Of PennsylVania-
Palmer explained that the Beverage
and Kenyon child labor bills put the bur-
den upon the common carriers, and the
Coply bill Of the Progressive party Is
because II imposes upon the
Secretary of Labor the responsibility Of
saying whether a given product was made
under unsocial conditions
A bill providing a new scheme OF gov
ernment for Porto Rico and laying foun-
dation for future Porto Rican indepen-
dence was introduced in the House by
Delesate Hunoz Rivera. The bill gives
the MANAGEMENT Of Porto Rican affairs
into. the hands Of the State Department.
1t abolishes the United States District
Court and establishes Porto Rican
Supreme Court. 1t makes most OF
the acts of the appointive governor
subject to the approval OF the Porto
Rican Senate.
The Secretary of Commerce is given
power to supervise and control the Is
suance of stocks and bonds by all cor
porations engaged in interstate trade ex-
cept those now under the jurisdiction OF
the Interstate Commerce Commission un-
DER the terms of a bill introduced by
Senator Nelson. The bill provides that
interstate corporations must obtain
license to do business and that this
license shall be revokable for cause.
Senator Tillman, chairman of the Com
mittee on Naval Affairs, introduced a bill
providing that no man shall be appointed
chaplain In the Navy who is over thirty |
years old, and all appointees must be
twenty-one years old.
Senator Owen, Of Oklahoma, introduced |
a resolution for cloture in the Senate. !
1t is in the form of a proposed amend |
ment to the rules which would abolish |
filibustering by providing that one-fourth |
of the Senators may agree that any pend |
ing measure shall be voted on within |
forty-eight hours. by agreeing to divide |
the time for debate equally between those |
favoring and those opposing the measure. |