The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1917-03-09

VI SHIPS 10 De leased to private indi-
viduals in an effort 10 restore the
american merchant marine.
Inc Adamson e~ight-hour railroad
law was enacted on the eve of adj
Journment of the first session of tha
iast congress. The enactment of
the measure prevented a nation
vide railroad strike. 1t, however.
a never become effective, Be-
tween the time of its enactment and
the time for the commencement of IFS
operation, January / last. the constitu-
tlonality of the measure was chal-
lehged 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. 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 it's iteracy test was accomplished
over President Wilson's second veto.
The literacy 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 We
toed immigration measures because
they carried the literacy feature,
which all three presidents thought was
not a proper measure of the fitness Of
aliens, for admission to the United
States.
The federal farm-loan act, commonly
called the ruraf-credits bill, created
II 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.
lions. 1t will meet more particularly
the needs of agriculturists in the West
and South.
Under the vocational educational act
the federal government on a 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.
It's 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.
1t also closes the mails to all liquor
advertising, including newspaper adj
vertising. Neither can letters solicit
ing liquor orders be carried in the
mails.
Sixteen Senators Retire.
Sixteen senator's have now discarded
their togas and prefixed their titles
with tex" This disturbance Of per-
sonnet reduces but does not upset the
Democratic control of the upper house.
The Democratic majority of 16 is cut
to II, leaving out of consideration such
senator's 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 %, 1895 Moses e. Clapp
of Minnesota, n of the original Pro-
gressiyes Luke Lea of Tennessee, now
only thirty-seven years old, known as
the Baby Senator !" James E. MARITIME
of New Jersey. who acquired fame
early In his senatorial career by his
stanch defense of applejack as a bev-
erage, and John w. Kern of Indiana,
who has been Democratic leader of the
senate.
Needing no Introduction among the
new senator's are Hiram Johnson of
California, Frank B. Kellogg, "trust
buster" of Minnesota, and Philander
@. Knox of Pennsylvania. Unlike the
rest of the senators-elect, 'their repu-
tations are made;' all they need to do
is to live up, to EN-"
WRITER'S BEHIND THE TIMES