The Hawaiian gazette., 1914-06-30
FR8N
VVASHINgT0N
STARTS
Lawmakers Anxious to Get Away
from Heat Though President
May Keep Congress in Session
All Summer = Courts 70 Take
Rest ~ Interstate Commerce
Commissioners Also will Have
Vacation Until October.
By Ernest a. walkor.

NAHA0A D'tNidl W Mt AuNNENlHrIl
WASHINGTON, June I5.---Those y. Q
closing out days and shutting down
days for quite a portion or the gov
crnment. When others arc going
away, IL is easy to understand why
those who have to stay End their dn-
tics irksome. IL accounts IN some de-
gree for terrific protests which 20 up
about congress being forever IN SEES.
sion, producing trouble and Acxins
business enterprise. senator Lodge,
Of Massachusetts, sand the other day
that men remaining IN Washington so
long grow stale at this time OF year.
Therefore IL is that numerous men in
congress who can get away from the
Oppressive heat for n little do so and
for 4 reason other than to look after
the home fences, which, Of course, is
the stock excuse.
There is a big congressional exodus
just now. The house has Just con.
cluded with the antitrust bills; the
senate with the canal repeal biii. The
remainder Of June goes for appropriq.
tion bills, in which, be, IL said, there
IS not the liveliest kind Of intcres,.
Consequently The quorum problem be-
gins to wax in intensity. Sesgeants.
alarms Of senate and house haze rev.
son to Worry, for there is no telling
when quarrel on tho floor will come
and demands for a quorum be made.
Those who stay and brave the hert
are likely to become fretful becaase
others have been taking tic easier
way.
Courts 10 Take vaestiors.
The federal courts have none Of
those troubles. June is their quitting
time. The Supreme Court has not
actually recessed but will do so short
.ly, The court mas been in session very
little during the last fortnight but tho
justices have. been busy in the eoii-
salvation, room and have been writing
opinions S11ifeie are several fcilcr1l
e6nrts ia washington. All the judges
are likewise concluding for the term,
having linen covers put upon the
bench, and themselves are fastening
away to quiet SUMMER places for rest
and recreation. The Customs Court,
the Court OF Claims, anu two District
Of Columbia Courts, which are federal,
are in the category, N.
The Interstate Commerce Commits
sion, that regards itself properly as a
court, is also making ready to put up
the shutters. The commission itself
with hundreds Of clerks and examiners
and minor officials goes right on but
the commissioners will leave Washing
ton about July | and not return tn
early October. All in all they are
hard worked, for the tasks Of the
commission have increased enormously
in recent years and apparently the end
is not yet. The tendency is TO give
the commission more authority and al
ready the vclufre of work and also the
Importance Of that work are beyond
those of several of the departments,
which are represented by cabinet ,ofii-
Gals, The commission is quite as in
dependent as any court. g.,
, Railroads Are Glad. a..
Railroad officials throughout the land
will be glad that the commissioners are
through for the present, AT least until
along in the autumn there will be no
more distressing disclosures about rail
road management. The cause celebre
of the year has been the New Haven
Railroad investigation with the testi-
mony of former President @, 8. Mel
len. He opened doors through which
the public had not previously, been
permitted to peer. Ideas of high fin
anciering in, railroad management were
brought to light. One can not easily
exaggerate the Importance Of that in.
vestigatioh in its influence upon the
supervision of railroad affairs at Wash
ington.
Members of the commission, at least
certain Of them, are convinced there
has been only beginning. They say
that what has been with the New
Haven has boon dohe, in some degree,
with numerous other railroad proper
ties, The commission seems disposed
to bring these matters into the open
and to compel more honest and eqnif,
able management Of railroads the
country over, The story Of the Chi,
cago, Hamilton and Dayton railroad
will be told more fully in the autumn
when the Commission fesumes.N After
II. probably, viii come other f6asls and
the next twelve months promise in
teresting disclosures wv. ,...,.
This carries the inference that fur
ther legislation, increasing the author
'ity Of the commission, may be expect,
Cd. Many bills to that end have been
introduced but not pressed vigorously
at this session. Sentiment has not
fully chrystalized and investigations
which the eonlmissiot plans for the
next year, may make clearer what
should be done. One important pro-
posal is to give the commission physical
power over railroad management. One
lesson which some of the commissioners
have drawn from the New Haven I'M
vestigatibn IL the necessity of requir,
ing specific and detailed vouchers for
every penny Of expenditures II Is
claimed that would check a lot Of ex,
travagahee. If the commission were
I . .E y. HuN A q