The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1918-05-18
WHAT CONGRESS- IS Dol|ho.

! MhI. GUn6ktSSs Is uWnU !
49,,
The passport bill giving the govern
ment board authority to close the
boundaries OF the United States to
et1emyaasents2a and greatly strengthen
ing the passport system has been
passed by the house. An amendment,
which would have permitted Ameri-
can and Canadian citizens to cross the
border. between the two countries
without permits, was rejected.
From the house agricultural COM
n1ittee a favorable report made on the
bill to increase food production and
an appropriation of $19,730,S93 put in
the measure With that end in view
The bill would authorize the depart
ment of agriculture to put the great
plains regions OF the West on live
stock basis and provide for extensive
supervision of war-garden work. The
proposal also conten1plates work in
the Northwestern and Western states
to place every acre of ground under
cultivation.
All interstate traffic in alcoholic
liquors and in fruit or foodstuffs for
the manufacture Of alcoholic liquors
would be forbidden during the war
under the terms Of bill introduced
by Representative Randall of Califor-
MIA.
Representative Emerson of Ohio
has introduced bill designating prof
iteers as traitors and prescribing the
death penalty.
The senate committee on privileges
and elections has favorably reported
bill to penalize corrupt practices in
the election of senators and represen-
tatives in congress. Penalties Of $1,000
fine or one years imprisonment or
both are provided. The bill is In
tended to strengthen existing law.
An agreement on the bill extending
the selective draft law to youths who
have reached Fl since June S, 1917
has been reached by senate and house
conferees. The amendment of Rep
resentative Hull, Iowa, providing that
the additional registrants shall be
placed at the bottom Of the present
eligible lists. was retained.
The senate postoffice committee dis
posed of the effort to revise the Sec.
ond-class mail rates in the war rev.
enue tariff bill by refusing to cons1-
der legislation to suspend or modify
the increased rates which become ef-
fective July 1. Individual senators
said they would make an effort later
in the session to suspend or reduce
these rates so far as they relate to
newspapers.
Senator Kenyon of Iowa has intro
duced resolution which, if adopted
by both houses, would cancel all OBJ
legations by France to the United
States on account of money loaned or
advanced o. account of the present
war, including the interest on all such
sums. The adoption of the resolu-
ton would. make the moneys adj
vanced to France a gift from the peo-
pie of the United States
With only Cong. London dissenting,
the house has agreed to the confer
ence report on the sedition bill. 1t al
ready had been approved BY the. sen
ate. '.. -: - -.
Representative Cooper of Wiscon-
sin in a speech defending his state
against insinuations of disloyalty, de-
clared that the xoversubscription to
the Liberty loanefurnished sufficient
evidence of the character of it's citi-
zenship. He also referred to a recent
casualty list which included SO men
from Wisconsin.
The census committee of the house
has reported legislation for taking the
decennial census of 1920. It will be
restricted to information relating to
population, manufactures, agriculture,
forestry, mines and quarries.
The senate has passed the bill
Strengthening the passport provisions
for the duration Of the war. The bill
gives the government full power to
prevent the entrance into or depart
IRE from the country of any person.
The pension committee has report
ed to the house the largest pension
bill in history. It carries a total of
$1S5,050,000, this being an increase
of 81, 100000 over the bill of last year.
The committee report shows there are
now on the roll total OF 673,111 pen
sioners
Representative Gard of Ohio has in