The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1918-04-27
WHAT CONGRESS- IS DOING

-. UII0V OVsuOSsIOO ~ DOUuuO
The senate public buildings COM
mittee has ordered favorable report
on the housing bill appropriating $780,
100000 for workers in munitions
plants and $10,O00,000 for govern
ment employees in the city Of WASH
ington.
The senate Judiciary committee has
favorably reported Senator Kings
resolution to revoke the Federal
charter of the German ALI
ance.
Representative Miller of Mime
sofa has introduced bill providing
drastic penalties of fine and impri-
sonment for interfering with war in
dustries. It is patterned after an act
passed by the Minnesota legislature,
and not only provides penalties for
actual damage done to plants manu-
featuring war supplies, but reaches
conspiracies designed to do such
damage.
In brief speech on the floor of
the house former Speaker Cannon
declared that CONSUMPTION of labor
will be necessary unless the president
is given power to withdraw strike
! privileges to men engaged in war
work.
The Shipping Board has asked con-
gress for total appropriation of $780,
100000 for the construction of con-
! crete ships, of which it. urged that
$15,O00.000 be made. Immediately
available.
The senate has passed the bill in
tended to expedite the Naturalization
ton Of more than $4,000 aliens now
fighting under the American flag.
Senator Chamberlain has introduced
a bill providing that all violators of
provisions of the espionage act shall
be tried by a military court-martial
instead of in the civil courts.
In response to resolution of in
quiry passed by the senate recently,
informed the senate that there were
1872 army officers within the draft
age who have received commissions
since the outbreak of the war and are
holding staff commissions in the city
of Washington.
The senate has passed the legisla-
tive appropriation bill carrying total
of about $7o,0o0,00o. The Borland
amendment providing for an S-hour
day for government employees was
eliminated. The bill also provides a
flat increase in pay for government
clerks of $3.50 a year.
Before District of Columbia COM
| mittee subcommittee Representative
Heating and a delegation of social
welfare workers advocated minimum
wage bill for women and children in
the District of Columbia. A similar
senate District of Columbia commit
tee with the same object.
The senate bill giving the presi-
dent power to take over trolley and
other transportation lines leading to
shipyards for the transportation of
shipyard workers has tbeen passed bv
the house.
The senate has passed the Pittman
bill providing for the conversion of
350,000,000 silver dollars into bull
lion and authorizing the director of
the mint to purchase silver at 81 an
| ounce. The bullion is to be sent
| abroad to meet trade balances.
After a four hours debate the
house by a vote of 1877 to SO rejected
the senate amendment to the agricul-
tural appropriation bill increasing the
guaranteed price of wheat for the
1918 crop to $3.50 a bushel. An
amendment to fix the price at $3.50
at the terminal markets also was re-
/ jected. The agricultural bill was
then sent back to conference.
At a hearing of the Chamberlain
| court-martial bill before the senate
military committee last Friday,
Judge John F. MCGEE of the Mime
sofa Public Safety commission de-
! clared that Ku Klux Klans, multi
! piled thousand times, will spring
up all over the country to root out
treason unless congress provides fir
ing squads to work overtime to make
| up for lost time.
The legislative appropriation bill
has been sent to conference, the
chief differences between the two
houses being the elimination by the
senate of the Borland eight-hour day
for government employees.