The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1918-03-30
WHAT CONGRESS IS DOING


Congressman STEVENSON of Mime
sofa has introduced a. resolution ask
ing Tor a. congressional Investigation
of the Tuscania disaster, The resolu-
ton was the result Of charges that
the crew. Of the transport, recently
sunk In European waters, abandoned
the ship without efforts to save the
soldiers. of whom 143, were drowned.
. . =.
The postoffce committee of the sem
ate has ordered favorable report on
the post office appropriation bill, there
having been added ~$33,OO0,000 to the
measure as it passed the house. The
Dill provides for a fiat increase of Is
per cent in all alaries of postal en-
ployes, whether employed on an an!
nual salary or per diem basis.
Congressman Miller OF Minnesota
has introduced bill requiring rail-
roads to reduce their passenger rates
to military and naval officers and men
to one-third the regular. fare, and to
prohibit the hotels Of Washington
from charging army and navy officers
and men more than So for. a room and
81 for meal.
Senator Owen of Oklahoma Thurs
day addressed the senate on his plan
for a league of nations to force Ger
many to immediate peace by threat
OF complete economic and CONNER
cial isolation after the war. His speech
was based upon the resolution intro
duced by him last summer.
The judiciary committee of the
senate has ordered a favorable report
on the Overman bill giving the presi-
dent power to consolidate and co-or-
d1nate executive departments and
other agencies for the better prose-
cution of the war.
Joseph P. Cotton, head of the food
administrations meat division, testi-
fed before the agricultural committee
of the senate the meatless days have
not conserved the meat supply.
A bill to lease all Geographic and
telephone agencies, to be operated by
the post office department has been
introduced by Congressman billiard
of Colorado. Instead of direct COM
pulsory ownership, the bill proposes
a lease under eminent domain and
thus. the author of the measure stated
eliminates the necessity of. large
financing by purchase. Under the bill
the owners of the systems would be-
come the lessons and would be paid
rental as lust compensation sub
stantially as is done with the railways.
BY vote of 500 to 2, the war
finance corporation bill designed to
furnish financial assistance for the
American industries necessary to. the
war work was passed by the house
Thursday. The senate has passed the
measure. The corporation is to be
capitalized at $500,000,00O either by
private subscription or by funds from
the United States treasury. Secretary
McAdoo is chairman and four other
members compose the corporation.
The agricultQEak appropriation bill,
carrying a total. Of $2S, 600, was
passed by the senate late Thursday
afternoon; After a fiwe-day debate
the amendment proposed by Senator
Gore, increasing the guaranteed price
OF wheat to $3.50 a bushel, was adopt
ed by a vote of 40 to IS. The Bor-
land amendment, written into the
measure in the house, providing for
eight hours work a. day from govern
ment clerks employed in the agricul-
tural department, was rejected by a
vote Of 40 to 2s.
A resolutions has been introduced
by Senator Thomas of Colorado anu
referred to the military committee.
asking the war department for in
formation as to the number of men
who have been commissioned in the
army and assigned to duty as non
cOmbatant officers. Senator Thomas
in presenting the resolution said he
understood the number amounted to
about $4,000.
The house Thursday afternoon con-
sidered bill to reclassify the grades
and salaries of postal employees In the
field service and increasing the SAL
aries of other postal employees not in
cluded in the fiat increase in the legis-
lative approximation bill.
Congressman Norton of North Da-
kota has introduced a bill authorizing
the president to fix prices of gasoline.
Kerosene and fuel OIL.
A general price-fxing proposal in
Guiding all necessaries was offered in
the house last Saturday by Congress-
man Ayres Of Kansas as an amend
ment' to the food control bill.
The house Monday night passed a
bill granting permanent increases
from 10 to 20 per cent in the salaries
OF virtually all postal employees, pro-
viding for postal savings stamps"
appropriating 100000 for expert
ments in motor truck service, prfnci-.
pally to transport food. to the larger
cities. and setting "a cents an ounce
as the maximum price to be charged
for delivery of mail by airplane.
Total cost to the government for
constructing; the shipyard at. Hog
Island, Pa where 100 = fabricated