The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1921-06-03
bills PRESENTED
BY. THE THOUSAND
SENATORS AND REPRESENTA-
TVES BUSY FILLING THE
HOPPER OF CONGRESS.
NOTHING SEEMS OVERLOOK
President Harding Shows No Sym
patty for General Amnesty Move
ment-coinaqe Of Roosevelt TWO
Cent Piece Meets Opposition.
BY EDWARD 3. CLARK.

| SSnS FleCe "SSIo SPPooss'S's
BY EDWARD 3. CLARK.
Washingtpn.-Up to the present
writing senators and representatives
have put into the congressional hopper
$500 bills, and they still are going
strong.
The first house measure to start on
the road to consideration was the Dill
of Chairman Fordney Of the ways and
means committee, providing for bo'
nus for service men, with the alterna'
tives Of land settlements, insurance,
education and home building: This
measure left out the proposition for
taxation which appeared in the bill at
the last session. Another measure,
however, was introduced by Represen'
tative Gallivan Of Massachusetts.
Democrat, which was duplicate OF
the bill as it, was passed by the house
in the last congress.
Every sort of human endeavor
seems to be covered by the bills which
have been presented. There are meas
ures affecting the railroads. immigra'
ton, taxation, budget, banking and
currency, coinage, the buying Of Low
err California from Mexico, prohibition
Of so-called gambling in grain and cot
ton, exemption Of American vessels
from Panama canal tolls, the with
drawal of American troops from the
occupied area in Germany, to prohibit
foreign language newspapers from
printing anything in a foreign tongue
unless the English translation accom-.
panies it, and literally something more
than three thousand and one other
things.
Senator France of Maryland is the
father of q measure which looks to
amnesty for many men now in prison
for violations Of the wartime laws.
The other day bunch Of amnestyites,
whose endeavor it was to secure the
pardon Of all the tOO-free-talkers and
the dodgers Of military service who
are imprisoned under the provisions of
the law during the war, called on the
President with request that he open
the cell doors.
Harding Against General Amnesty.
The President apparently was not
altogether amiably inclined toward the
request. He declined to commit him.
self to any course which would look
toward general Jail delivery, but
said that the case Of each prisoner
would be taken up by the Department
of Justice separately and decided on
Its merits. If this is done it means, Of
course, that some Of the men now in
prison for anti-American activities
while their free brethren were fighting
the Germans, will be compelled to re.
main in durance for some time to
come.
Que bill which has been introduced
into congress provides for the coinage
Of a 2-cent coin with Theodore Roose-
yelt's face upon it. There has been
what amounts almost to propaganda
i In behalf of such a coin, but recently
opposition has come to it from certain
quarters. 1t seems that since the
street car fares have advanced from,
the old nickel rate to six, seven or
eight cents on some city and interurban
lines, coin boxes have been introduced
which are so constructed that 2
cent piece Of the size prescribed will
not slip into them. 1t is urged that
these coin boxes cost much money
which will be lost If the receptacles
must be thrown onto the scrap heap.
! Railroad Problem TroubIous.
The railroad problem is one which
is vexing congress as it is vexing the
country. Senator Cummins has intro.
iduced a measure which calls for an
Investigation Of the whole railroad sit.
uation in the United States, and 1t
may be adopted. The President paid
considerable attention to the railroad
matter in his message to congress-
There are all kinds Of charges and
counter charges affecting the problem
as it exists. The labor end Of the
controversy says the roads are not
economically managed, ana that If
they were there would be no necessity
of cutting down wages. The railroad
managers say economy Is the rule and
that wages must come down. In the
meantime high freight rates and high
passenger rates are in effect, and the
shipping and travelling public, as their
views are voiced in congress, are de.
manding that something be done.
/, II there is an investigation under
the provisions Of the Cummins reso.
tuition, the facts may be discovered
and legislation or executive orders, II
the latter are possible, may result
which will straighten out the situa.
lion.
Edwards Heads Promotion List.
Nothing has happened, not even
the diplomatic semidenial which
which came recently, to change the
opinion that General Pershing Is
ito he given the job Of looking after
the reserve forces of the United
States army, u work Of building up
and coalescing. 1t will be big job
and one which even ranking officer
OF the United States army can under
take without loss Of prestige or
dignity; .1' :z-..-''$.'-.. 81 -