The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1918-05-04
WHAT CONGRESS- IS DONG

Rejecting all amendments designed
to limit the presidents authority, the
senate Monday passed the Overman
bill by a. vote of ,63s to'13 with its gen.;
eral grant of power for the executive
to coordinate and reorganize govern
ment departments and other agencies
during the war.
The house has. passed an anti-rent
prof1teering bill to be effective in
the District Of Columbia. Rent in
creases are limited to 10 per cent over
the rent paid during the year ending
Sept. 30, 1916. Rent for new prop
erty is limited to 10 per cent over
valuation, with allowances of Is per,
cent for furniture. Where light, heat,
service, etc., are supplied, an allow
ance of actual cost Of such service
over the 10 per cent provision is per-
mitted..' Penalty for violation of this
law would be 100 per cent OF all rent
ais in excess of those allowed.
The naval appropriation bill, car
rying total Of, 100000 has
been passed by the house.
Without amendment and exactly
as it passed the Senate, the House
has passed the bill for the CONVEX
sion into bullion of 350,000,0O0 silver
dollars and authorizing the director
Of the mint to purchase silver at 81
an ounce.
Chairman Sherley, of the house
committee on appropriations has re-
ceived a letter from Chairman Hurley
OF the Shipping board, asking that
the employees of the Shipping board
be included. in the fiat $3.50 a. year in
crease granted to government en-
ployes in the legislative appropria-
ton bill. Mr. Hurley said that en-
ployes in no other. department work
such long hours as those in the Ship
ping board.
Representative Macarthur, of Ore
gon, has introduced bill to give
soldiers a preferential status in the
filing Of homestead claims. Relatives
of soldiers would be permitted to
file claims during the absence of the
! soldier, and would deduct from the
time for proving claims the time
known as Liberty day.
Senator Smoot of Utah has intro
duced a bill making April 6, the day
upon which the United States entered
the war, national holiday to be
known as Librety day.
A favorable report has been made
from the senate committee on bank
ing and currency on the bill of Sen
ator Shafroth providing for the guar
antee of national bank deposits up
to $1,000 in any bank which becomes
insolvent.
At the instance of Senator Hollis,
the statement of President Samuel
Gompers, of the American Federation
of Labor, protesting against strikes
as protest against the conviction
of Thomas Mooney was printed in
! the record.
A. C. Townley, president of the
Nonpartisan league, will appear be-
fore the senate military committee
some day this week at his own re-
quest. Mr.. Town1ey has informed
the committee that he desired to ap-
pear and reply to statements made
before the committee at a recent
hearing by Judge MCGEE of the Min
nesota Public Safety commission.
The house debated the bill giving
the government control over the pro-
| duction and distribution Of ores es-
sentia1 in the manufacture and pro-
duction of war supplies. The bill was
| amended to limit the government
! control to d period Of six months af-
ter the war. Mines and plants would
be licensed under the bill; regulations
fixing terms of production and for
| bidding boarding provided; prices
! fixed; and where agreements can be
| taken over by the government. Slim
ulation Of production in the United
States and a saving of 100000 tons of
shipping were promised by those ad-
vocating the measure.