Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1914-11-03
IMPORTANT WORK
OFLAST CONGRESS
Continued from page u

communities provided commission 70
considerable subject Of national aid
for vocational education.
An act in the interest Of cotton grow
ers was passed. which places a tax on
the sales Of cotton for future delivery
1t is intended to prevent speculation
and the manipulation Of the price of
cotton.
A law was passed extending the pc
riOd of payment on reclamation prof.
ects In the western states. The extern
sion will enable the locators to get
their irrigated lands under cultivation
before the payments fall due. Another
law was passed which allows a Sec
ond homestead entry on desert lands.
Alaska Legislation.
Alaska occupied great deal Of time
during the last session Of congress
and one OF the bills passed may b.
farreaching In its effect upon the
whole country. 1t provides for the
expenditure of $35. OOO. 600 for the con-
struction Of railroads in Alaska, the
roads when completed to be operated
by the government or leased. Ehis Is
the first time that congress has direct.
~ taken an affirmative action in fa.
vor of government construction and
ownership Of railroads.
While it was emphatically asserted
by men who supported the bill the!
they would not vote for any measure
fer construction Of railroads in the
United States and that conditions IN
Alaska made this an exceptional case.
vet the precedent was established
which may be used with effect when
sentiment in favor of government
ownership becomes stronger.
Another Alaska act of great impor-
lance because Of the effect it will
have upon legislation relating to the
public domain provides for leasing
coal lands in that territory. 1t es-
tablishes the leasing system of public
lands, and, while the bill passed re-
lated only to Alaska and to coal lands,
the debates showed cOnclusively that
it is the intention to extend the leas-
ing 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 public 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.
1t establishes commission to investi-
gate labor troubles and to act as inter-
mediaries in the settlement of disputes
and disagreements between employers
and employed.
Two bills were passed relating to
opium. One levies q prohibitive tax
Of $500 pound on al opium manu-
featured for smoking purposes. The
other relates to the importations of
opium and is a much more stringent
law 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 $2,750O00 for
the relief of Americans abroad who
we're stranded and without means of
returning home as a result of the Eu-
ropean war. $4,000 for the relief and
transportation of American citizens in
Mexico, $2OO,OoO for the relief Of the
fire sufferers of Salem, Mass: $4,000
for the storm sufferers in Alaska and
100000 for the eradication Of hog
cholera.
The total appropriations for the year
were $115,90S,777.
Emergency Revenue Act.
The :;ixty-third congress began with
revenue legislation. The first session
was called 10 revise the tariff, and the
second ended with the enactment of q
law to raise $1OO,OOO,OOO additional
revenue by an emergency measure. It
was entitled war revenue act on &C.
count Of the European war causing a
falling off Of importations. The Re
publicans, however, asserted that the
loss Of revenue caused by the war was
comparatively small and that the tariff
law would have created deficit. a
large part Of the money to be raised
by the emergency act will come from
increased taxes on whisky. beer. wines
taxes imposed by the Spanish war rev
enue act of 1898 have been imposed
including most of the stamp taxes.
The last reycnGc act Ike the first
bate, the Republicans taking occasion
to criticise the former tariT bill for
failing to produce sufficient revenue
and also coIGcmning tn" extravaganza
Of the party in power. TIE Democrats
defended their tariff bill. asserting that
unlocked for and extraordinary condi.
tons in Europe caused the falling Off
in revenues and that previous Repub-
lican legislation made large appropria-
tons by the present congress neces-
sary.
Bills Which Go 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 IL one of the