Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1914-11-06

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tablishes the leasing system of public
lands, and, while the bill passed re-
lated only to Alaska and to coal lands,
the debates showed eonclusively that
Il L. the intention to extend the leas-
ihg system to other public lands In the
United States
The Alaska leasing law is In line
with demands Of conservationists, and
It Is expected to be followed by SINH
lar legislation for other pSblic lands.
In fact the house passed a number of
conservation bills which were not tax
en- up In the senate.
Miscellaneous Measures
A law was passed to promote medi-
alton, Cancellation and arbitration be-
tween railroads and their employees.
It establishes a commission to inyesti-
gate labor troubles and to act as inter
mediarfes In the settlement Of disputes
and disagreements between employers
and employed
Two bills were passed relating to
opium. One levies a p%rohibitive tax
Of $500 a pound on all opium manu-
fRctured for smoking purposes The
other relates to the importat1ons Of
opium and is a much more stringent
hw than heretofore existed.
An act was passed providing for the
election for senators under the new
constitutional amendment.
Congress has been quite liberal in
making appropriations for people in
distress. It appropriated $2.7J0,000 for
the relief of Americans abroad who
were stranded and without means of
returning home as a result of the Eu-
ropean war, 100000 for the relief and
transportation Of American citizens in
Mexico, $200,O1O for the RELIEF of the
fire sufferers of Salem, Mass; ss39.00D
for the storm sufferers in Alaska and
100000 for the eradication of hcS.
cholera
The total appropriations for the year
were S115,90S.777.
Emergency Revenue Act.
The Stxty-third congress began with
revenue legislation. The first session
was called to revise the tariff. ard the
second ended with the enactment of q
law to raise $1O0,000,0OO additional
revenue by an emergency measure. 1t
was entitled a war revenue act on ac-
count of the European war causing a
falling of Of importations. The Re
publicans, however, asserted that the
loss of revenue caused by the war vas
comparatively small and that the tariff
law would have created a deficit. A
large part of the money t o be raised
by the emergency act will come from
increased taxes on whisky, beer, wines
and tobacco. In addition many of the
taxes imposed by the Spanish war rev
enue act of 1898 have been imposed.
including most of the stamp taxes.
The last revenue act. like the first,
provoked a great deal of partisan de-
bate, the Republicans taking occasion
to criticise the former tariff bill for
failing to produce sufficient revenue
and also condemning the e~xtravagance
Of the party In power. The Democrats
defended their tariff bill. asserting that
unlocked for and extraordinary condi-
lions In Europe caused the falling of
In revenues and that previous Repub-
lican legislation made large %appr0pria-
lions by the present congress neces
sary.
Bills Which Co Over.
There are quite a number Of impor-
tant bills pending which have been
passed by the house, but have not been
considered by the senate. In addition
!. to the conservation bills and the rail-
road bill heretofore mentioned there is
the immigration bill, containing the lit
erary test. This is considered an i'm
portant measure and passed the house
last winter. 1t has been on the senate
calendar for many months, but has
never been taken up 1t is one of the
important bills which may be passed
during the short session.
The Philippine bill, giving the Filipi-
nos a larger share In their government
and promising more In the future,
which recently passed the house is not
likely to pass the senate next session,
as 1t will be debated at length and
meet with more determined opposition
than In the house.
The La Toilette seaman's bill is one
measure which passed the senate and
has been hung up In the house for a
long time. 1t has been materially
amended In committee and in going
over to the short session is likely to
fail.
The rural CREDITS bHl has been prom
ised consideration during the short SEES
sion. but as 1t has not been reported
from any committee nor received SON
sideration In either house 1t Is not
likely to be passed next winter.
The house passed a bill regulating
railway NAH pay, but it has not been
reported from the senate committee.
An effort win be made to have 1t con-
sidered when the senate meets In De
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