NEWS WORTH REMEMBERING

...News Notos At this writing it seems extremely likely that the budget contest in England will result in the election of a Parliament about evenly divided on the great issue...

...Thus far little has been done by the Senate committees on the President's measures...

...The National Civic Federation called the conference for the special purpose of discussing uniform state legislation...

...The progressive Republicans opposed this action, arguing that the minority had a right to name their representatives on the committee...

...The government charges that a combination involving the packing firms of Armour, Swift, and Morris exists in violation of the Sherman anti-trust law...

...Lloyd tried to resign but was prevented by parliamentary proceedings...

...It will be remembered that a caucus of the Democratic members of the House was held on the 15th to select the minority representation on the committee...

...Cooper of Wisconsin led the debate against Speaker Cannon...

...News Worth Remembering NOW that Congress has received the President's recommendations regarding conservation and other legislation, and is getting ready to grapple with a task of great responsibility, the interest of the country has centered for the time being upon the congressional investigation of the Interior Department and the Forest Service...

...Ballinger Again Attacked...

...These laws are: 1. The Negotiable Instruments Act...

...Danger in Caucus ilule The events leading up to the selection of the members of the committee to conduct this investigation aroused keen interest and formed the chief topic of conversation at the capitol last week...

...Charles McCarthy of the Wisconsin Legislative Reference Library, described the evils of carelessness in law-making and urged that more scientific methods be employed to make our statutes intelligible and effective...

...The first election returns favored the Liberals, standing for tax and land reform, but the Tories gained steadily, and it may be necessary for advocates of the budget to force through their reforms by coalition with the Irish members...

...At this caucus Representatives James of Kentucky and Rajney of Illinois were chosen...

...But while the movement indicates the feeling of the people on this subject the government is attempting to attack the question in another way...

...For this reason it should not be extended...

...Resolutions favoring uniformity in state legislation on the following subjects were adopted: water power control, court procedure, forestry, workmen's compensation or employers' liability, child labor, traffic in narcotics and habit forming drugs, probating of wills, transfers and conveyances, insurance code, vital statistics, practice of medicine, taxation, municipal accounts, certified public accountants and mining laws...

...Congress Urged to Work On January 21, President Taft called a conference of the Senate committee chairmen having in charge the administration bills and urged that consideration of these measures be expedited as much as possible, without awaiting the action of the House...

...Taft desires passed...

...4. The Bill of Lading Act...

...President Seth Low of the Civic Federation, in opening the the conference on the 17th said: "The instrumentalities ar« at hand for securing uniformity of legislation by the States on as great a scale as public opinion will support...

...The Senate members of the joint committee were appointed s on Thursday by the Vice-president...

...The Republican members from the House are: McCall, Olmstead, Denby and ; Madison...

...This movement has in fact proceeded so far that CeB^ missioners on Uniform Laws have been appointed by forty»f§p states, by two territories, by the District of Columbia, and byS™ Government of the Philippines...

...It is expected that the measure will be strongly opposed...

...The action of the Republican caucus was sustained and James and Lloyd became the Democratic members of the House committee...

...This would relieve the government of further responsibility in the development of the power, and would give the respective states control over these resources...

...Cannon and his followers tried to have Clayton and Lloyd substituted for James and Rainey...

...The caucus resulted in the rejection of Rainey and the substitution of Lloyd...

...The progressives, however, look upon this suggestion with alarm...

...Pinchot, the controversy over the official acts of the Secretary of the Interior has not wholly abated...

...The President on January 18 issued a proclamation declaring that the countries of Italy, Great Britain, Russia, Spain, Turkey and Switzerland are entitled to the minimum rates imposed by the tariff act...

...They are Senators Nelson, Flint, Sutherland, Root, Paynter, and Fletcher...

...In all sections of the country movements were organized whereby many people pledged themselves to refrain from the use of meat until prices should be reduced...

...Hitchcock addressed an affidavit...

...Negotiations between the United States and Germany are now proceeding...

...that it controls the...

...2. The Warehouse Receipts Act...

...and the Governors' Conference, the first held since the memorable meeting called by President Roosevelt to discuss conservation measures, grappled with various phases : of the same problem...

...This was left to a committee...

...When the matter came up in the House on Thursday, Mr...

...The Governor's Conference adjourned without making definite arrangements for a subsequent meeting...

...Later in the day Mr...

...and, as a result of the action taken by it, many of the States have already appointed Commissioners on Uniform Laws...

...Cooper expressed the position of the progressives as follows: "It has been my judgment from the beginning that the Democracy in the House ought to be allowed to choose their members of the committee on investigations...

...The packers deny that such a combination exists and claim that the high prices of meats are due to the inadequacy of the supply...

...The federal incorporation act advocated by the President is meeting the most opposition of any of the measures which Mr...

...Senator Elihu Root advocated the establishment of an annual conference of states to work out uniformity in legislation...

...The measure is objected to on the grounds that it may not be constitutional, that it will infringe the rights of the states, and that it will foster monopoly...

...It is generally admitted that wages have not kept pace with the increase in the cost of living and the demands of railroad employees and labor generally for higher pay must be granted or great strikes, involving hundreds of thousands of men seem likely to be precipitated...

...Ballinger and Mr...

...The President is said to fear that the contest in the House between the insurgents and regulars may prevent the carrying out of his program...

...Packers to be Prosecuted The climax to the popular revolt against the excessively high prices of practically all the necessities of life, was reached last week, when workingmen of most of the larger cities of the country joined in a boycott...

...While Congress has been struggling with the appointment of a committee to investigate the conduct of Mr...

...It is possible that a tariff war may develop between the two countries unless the conflicting demands can be satisfactorily adjusted...

...In case the Democrats selected a man whom any individual member of the House thought was unsuitable for a place on the committee, Mr...

...but it was not at all proper for the majority to attempt to dictate the action of the minority...

...Ballinger denied the charges and this phase of the controversy will be taken up by the Committee on Expenditures of the House, to which Mr...

...Caucus rule, they assert, in undemocratic, and has been the cause of many of the evils in our government...

...price of meat and prevents competition...

...That during the last eight years coal lands to the extent of more than 50,000 acres have been obtained by fraud, and that the lands so obtained are worth more than $10,000,000 were the statements made by Commissioner Dennett of the General Land Office on January 23...

...These Commissioners organized themselves into a National Conference on Uniform Legislation a number of years ago, and last autumn they held their nineteenth annual conference...

...In these nineteen years, this Conference has perfected Ave laws, which it has recommended to all the states for adoption...

...Representative Hitchcock of Nebraska, speaking in the House on the 17th, made the charge that Mr, Ballinger had expended the funds of the Interior Department in a reckless, improper and extravagant manner...

...On Wednesday, the 19th, the Republican caucus was held...

...France, Great Britain, Russia and Japan have rejected Secretary Knox's plan for the neutralization of Manchuria...

...Twenty years ago* more or less, the American Bar Association called attention to this subject...

...Uniformity of state legislation was the subject of earnest discussion by delegates from the various states and by the governors...

...On January 24, proceedings were begun against the National Packing Company,—the "trust...

...Cooper contended, it was the member's right and duty to oppose his selection...

...While in some instances this has been accomplished, the reduction has not been material nor is there any indication that it will be permanent...

...Senator Carter has prepared a bill authorizing the issuance of patents to the states in which the government holds lands chiefly valuable for their water power possibilities...

...When this was announced, word was carried from the White House that President Taft was not satisfied with the selection of James and Rainey since they were "too partisan" and would make of the investigation "a political sideshow...

...He also said that adverse reports covering more than 700 entries on the coal lands of Alaska had been made and that the Cunningham claims were now being considered...

...3. The Sales Act...

...5. The Stock Certificates Act...

...It is reported that the result of the Republican caucus was so satisfactory to the President in this instance that he is seriously considering using the caucus as a method of securing the passage of administration measures...

...Important Meetings in Washing ton Several conferences of nation-wide importance were held in Washington last week...