Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1917-03-08


continental army to be recruited and
trained under the universal military
training principle. Representative Hay
of Virginia. then chairman of the DOW
erfHl house military committee, OBJ
posed the Continental army idea and
substituted for it in the national de-
Tense act. the liberalization of the Ma
tiOnal Guard. Mr.. Hay won President
Wilson over to his way of thinking
the FederaliZed National Guard be-
came the second line of the land de-
lenses and Secretary Garrison re-
signed from the cabinet.
Other Notable Acts.
Although preparedness was the key
note of legislation, the Sixty-fourth
congress found time also to enact 4
ship purchase bill, the AdamsOn eight
hour railroad law, child labor law. a
measure to forbid the immigration of
illiterate aliens, a rural credits bill, q
vocational educational bill and an act
recognizing the government of POr-
to Rico and extending citizenship to
the islanders.
The ship purchase bill established
government shipping board to su-
pervise shipping matters generally 1t
appropriated S50,0O0,000 to be OBJ
tanned from the sale of Panama canal
bonds for the purchase or construction
Of ships to be leased to private indi-
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 a nationwide rail
road strike. 1t, however, has never
become effective. Between the time
of its enactment and the time for the
commencement of its operation, Janu-
airy l last, the cOnstitutionality of the
measure was challenged by the rail
roads, 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. 1t
was heartily opposed by all of the
bodies of organized labor which had
previously sought the eight-hour rail
road law.
Child Labor and immigration.
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 its literacy test was accomplished
over President Wilson's second veto.
The literacy feature had been a sub
ject OF controversy between the ex-
ecutive and legislative branches of the
government for the past twenty years.
Presidents Taft and Cleveland both We
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.
ly called the rural-credits bill, Gre
ated II federal land banks with $780,
600 capital each. The bill provides a
system whereby loans may be made to
farmers for productive purposes
through national farm-loan associa-
tons. 1t 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-
preparation dollar for dollar for secon-
Diary 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 prohibitory laws.
This measure was introduced in the
senate by Senator Reed of Missouri.
Its unexpected enactment had the eff
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 newspapers ad-
vertising. Neither can letters solicit
ing liquor orders be carried in the
mails.