The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1916-09-08
Session Which Adjourned
Today Has Appropriated
Nearly Two Billions
EMERGENCY REVENUE
BILL WAS PASSED
And in the Closing Hours the Senate
Ratified the Danish West Indies Pur-
chase Treaty Republicans A1lege
Extrava rance

WASHINGTON, Sept. s.-Congress
adjourned sine die this morning at l0l
clock, concluding a session record
breaking in many respects with appro-
priations and authorizations for the fu-
ture running well toward two billion
dollars. Only q small proportion of
members were on hand to watch the
session die. Most had hurried to their
homes at the end of the late sessions
last night or even days before and a
month after the political campaign is
finished in November they must return
for the short session.
Last night both houses accepted the
conference report on the emergency
revenue bill without record votes and
the senate before recessing An hour
after midnight ratified the Danist
West Indies purchase treaty, the gen
eral deficiencies appropriation bill also
was approved as reported by conferes.
Today's session was neeessitated
| only by the necessity for time to re-
print the measure in the proper form
| to be signed.
IN the closing addresses while await
| ing the arrival of President Wilson
reference to the long program of leg
| islative activities dominated chiefly by
the national defense preparations at a
cost of more than $600,000,000 were
made.
Democrats lauded the record of the
session and commended it to the coun-
ltry while Republicans allege waste and
extravagance in spite of the appropri-
ations for defense.
AL = 4 I
(which with obligations and authorize
ltions for the future makes the total
I$1,S5 1884 ,4S5. These figures, an
nounced in speeches by Representative
Fitzgerald, New York Democrat, and
lGillett, Massachusetts, Republican,
were defended by the former and at
tackled by the latter as half billion
. dollars greater than any session of a
! Republican congress.
A resolution by Senator Curtis OF
| Kansas directing the senate lobby
, committee to investigate the activities
: of the alleged foreign lobby opposing
: retahatory provision of the revenue
, bill against the Canadian fisheries wa:
passed by the senate before adjourn
ment and Senator Owen announced that
he would not further his corrupt prac
tees bill at this session but would le
it remain as unfinished business befor'
0 that body and call it up again mex
session.
When the gavel fell congress had di
n reeted reorganization and re-equipmen
a of the Army and Navy for defense o
+ the country at the unprecedented COS
of $655, 900 with authorization
n that will increase the total IN thre
Years to nearly $S00,000,000.
Expenditures, necessitated by pre-
Iparedness and the calling into actio
of military forces to meet the Mex
L can emergency demanded revenue les
islation in the closing days of the ses
sion. Congress responded by doublin
IS the normal tax on incomes, creating a
n inheritance tax, munitions tax an
t miscellaneous excise taxes to rails
L $205, 100000 and by directing sale G
$3.50, 100000 Panama Canal bonds.
= Congress established a tariff con
mission; government shipping boar
4 to rehabilitate the American merehan
marine; workmen s compensate
! commission to administer new un
form compensation law, farm loa
l banking system; child labor law; el
larged system of elf-government
the Philippines and enacted many otl
er important laws which had been col
l templated by the administration.
/ The session was disturbed through
out bv frequently recurring threats
foreign complications from the Eur
pean war and imminence at one tin
of a diplomatic break with German,
| interference with American mails an
l commerce, invasion of American SO
and killing of Americans by Mexica
l bandits, and danger of actual war wi
l Mexico.
Later in the session trouble arose
the senate over the nomination
Louis ID. Brandeis, of Boston to su
ceed the late Justice Lamar as mei