The Carlisle independent., 1917-03-08

viduals in an effort to restore the American merchant marine.
 The Adamson eight hour railroad law was enacted on the eve of ad- | jOurnment of the first session of the last congress. The enactment of the measure prevented n.tion- wide railroad strike. It. however, | has never become effective. Be tween the time of it's enactment and the time for the commencement of its operation, January l last. the constitu- tionality of the measure was chal- lenged by the railroads, and the whole matter is now pending in the Supreme court.
 Supplemental railroad legislation. proposed by President Wilson in his annual message last December. failed of enactment. This legislation would have provided for the prevention of strikes by compulsory legislation. It was heartily opposed by all of the bodies of organized labor which had previously sought the eight-hour rail- road law.
 Si'iio GdDOf dHu
 The child labor law barred from in terstate commerce all products of chill dren under sixteen years of age in mines or of children under fourteen in factories.
 The passage of the immigration bill with it's literacy test was accomplished over President Wilson's second veto. The iteracy feature had been a subject of controversy between the ex- ecutive and legislative branches of the government for the past twenty years Presidents Taft and Cleveland both ve- toed immigration measures because they carried the literacy feature, which all three presidents thought was not proper measure Of the fitness of aliens for admission to the United States.
 The federal farm-loan act, commonly called the rural-credits bill, created F federal land banks with S75O.OOO capital each. The bill provides a sys- tenn whereby loans may be made to farmers for productive purposes through national farm-loan associa- tions. It will meet more particularly the needs of agriculturists in the West and South.
 Under the vocational educational act the federal government on gradually increasing scale covers every state ap- propriation dollar for dollar for secon- dary school instruction in agriculture and the mechanical and industrial arts.
 On the eve of adjournment congress passed the post-office appropriation bill, with an amendment making 'bone dry" all states having prohbitOry laws. This measure was introduced in the senate by Senator Reed of Missouri. Its unexpected enactment had the ef- feet of absolutely prohibiting the ship ment in interstate commerce of intoxi- cants into states or territories which forbid the manufacture or sale of liquor.
 It also closes the mails to all liquor advertising, including newspaper ad- vertising. Neither can letters solicit ing liquor orders he carried in the mails.
 Sixteen Senators Retire.
 Sixteen senators have now discarded their togas and prefxed their titles with "eX.' This disturbance of per s0nnel reduces but does net upset the Democratic control of the upper house The Democratic majority of 16 is cut to 12. leaving out of consideration such senators and senatOrs-elect as La Fol lette. Hiram Johnson, PoindeXter and Norris. officially classed as Republic ans but not always voting according to classification.
 Among the nationally known sena- tors now retired to private life are Clarence D. Clark of Wyoming, who has served in the senate continuously since January g. 1895; Moses E. Clapp of Minnesota, one of the original Pro- gressives; Luke Lea of Tennessee, now only thirty-seven years old. known as the Baby Senator;" James F. Maritime of New Jersey, who acquired fame early in his senatorial career by his stanch defense of applejack as bev- craze, and John W. Kern of Indiana, who has been Democratic leader of the senate.
 Needing no introduction" among the new senators are Hiram Johnson of California, Frank B. Kellogg. trust buster" of Minnesota, and Philander c. Knox of Pennsylvania. Unlike the rest of the senators-elect, their repu tations are made;" all they need to do is to Hive up to 'em."