El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1916-09-08
CONGRESS ENDS
LONG SESSION
Revenue Bill Passes and
Both Houses Cease La
bors; To Campaign.

Continued from page II
of the United States residing in neutral
countries abroad OF in subjectlng 10
any particular person, company, tirn
or corporation o. any particular De
scriptiOn of traffic in the United states
or its possessions. or sub1ectng any
citizens of the United States residing
in neutral countries abroad - any un-
due or unreasonable prejudice, dlsao-
vantages. injury or discrimination IN
regard TO accepting, receiving, trans
porting or delivering or refusing 10
accept receive. transfer OF deliver any
cargo. freight or passengers, or In any
other respect whatsoever He IS mere
by authorized and empowered to direct
the detention Of such vessels by with
holding clearance or by formal notice
forbidding departure and TO revoke;
modify or renew any such direction
May Use Army and Navy.
It also would give authority to the
president to deny American facilities
Of commerce to citizens in the United
States of an offending belligerent ma
tion and would authorize him TO use
the land and naval forces Of the gov
eminent to enforce the retaliatory pro-
visions.
Appropriations Break All Records
The first session of the saith congress
was concerned chiefly with national de-
fence
when the gavel fell. congress had
directed reorganization and reequip-
1ent of the army and navy for defence
of the country at the unprecedented
cost of $685.. 900 600, with authorizations
that will increase the total IN three
wears to nearly $500. 00O. 900 With all
other expenditures. appropriations were
brought TO the grand total of S1-65f--
SIS. $50. the greatest aggregate IN the
CoCntry's history and exceeding that Tor
the last fiscal year by more than half
z billion dollars.
For expenditures. necessitated by pre-
paredness and the calling into action Of
military forces TO meet the Mexican
emergency. congress doubled the nor
NAL tax on incomes, creating an inheri-
lance tax. munitions tax and miscel-
1aneous excise taxes to raise S2O5-OOO,-
200 and by directing sale of $4,000,
600 Panama canal bonds
New Commissions Created.
Congress esta blished a tariff commits
sion. p government shipping board to
rehabilitate the American merchant
marine a workmen's compensation
commission to administer new uni
form compensation law: q farm loan
banking system: a child labor law; en-
1ar1ed the system of self government in
the Philippines and enacted many other
important laws which had been contem-
plated by the administration
The session was disturbed throughout
By frequently recurring threats of for
elgn complications from the European
war: the invasion Of American soil and
killing of Americans by Mexican ban
dts. and danger of actual war with
Mexico
Later in the session trouble arose in
the senate over the nomination of Louis |
D. Brandeis. Of Boston. to succeed the |
late justice Lamar as ? member Of the |
supreme court It ended in confirma- !
ton of Mr.. Brandeis by a large ma |
Jority.
Important Legislation
Most important legislative enactments !
of the session. exclusive Of laws for I
national defence. included the follow
ing
Government ship law Appropriating
S50.0OO.OO0 to operate ships in foreign
and cosstwise trade when unable to
lease them TO individuals or private
corporations
Child labor Law: Denying interstate
commerce to products Of mines and quar-
ries employing children under Is years OF
age and factories. mills. canneries and
other establishments employing chill
dren under l. years
Rural credits law Establishing
farm loan in control of q system Of 4
farm loan mortgage banks
Workmen's compensation law Pro-
vidinE uniform sick and accident bene- /
fits for employees of the federal govern 1
nent. and benefits TO dependents in case /
Of death.
Railroad eight hour law establishing |
eight hours as standard for reckoning |
compensation of railroad employees /
operating trains
Emergency revenue law: Providing |
for doubling the normal income tax on /
the lowest class; making an additional |
surfax ranging from one percent on |
that portion Of incomes exceeding 500 1
600 to I5 percent on amount Of incomes /
in excess of 81. 900 900: levying a gradu- /
sred tax of one to ten percent on inherit I
tances ranging from $4,000 to S5,O00,-
600: 4 10 percent net profit tax on manu-
facturers of munitions. five percent net
1.rofit tax on manufacturers Of ma !
terials entering into munitions; a IL (
cense tax on actually invested capital /
more than $4,000; wine, beer and Il
ouor excise taxes and miscellaneous
stamp taxes
Good roads law: Providing for CO.
operative federal aid 10 the states for
construction Of highways. and appro-
priating SIS, 100000 TO be spent in five
increase in Postal Deposits
Postal savings law Amendment in
creasing the amount which individuals
nav deposit from $500 to $1,000 with in
ferest and an additional $1,000 without
interest
Federal reserve: Amendments includ-
ing amendment to the Clayton antitrust
law permitting officers and directors of
member banks TO become officers and
directors of not more than two other
ron competing banks; amendments per-
hitting national banks to eSta blish for |
eizn branches, liberalizing regulations
for discounting commercial paper and
permitting members banks in towns of
5000 or less population to act as agents
for insurance companies
To Study Government OwnerShip.
Railroad legislation: Creation of A
JOINT subcommittee Of senate and house !
interstate commerce committee to in
vestigate necessity for further legisla-
ton for railroads and the interstate
commerce commission. question of gov
eminent ownership Of public utilities
and comparative worth of government
ownership as against government regu-
1ation-
Tariff Legislation.
Tariff: Creation Of a nonpartisan |
tariff commission Of five members to
The only place in Ell PasO for genuine