The total number of cars reported stolen in 18 western and mid-western cities during 1918 was 22,273. The city of Detroit, Mich., headed the list with 2,637 cars stolen; Chicago came second with 2,611, and St. Louis third, with 2.241. Kansas City, Mo., led in the list of a total percentage of stolen cars not recovered, 46 per cent. St. Louis was second with 40 per cent of stolen cars being lost absolutely. The following table gives, in addition to the cities mentioned, the record of the other 18 cities referred to:

The power of the Congress to enact this law and to punish the theft of automobiles in one State and the removing of them into another State can not be questioned, in view of laws of similar nature heretofore enacted by Congress and the decisions of the Supreme Court of the United States touching same.

The purpose of the commerce clause in the Constitution was to regulate and promote the freedom of commercial intercourse between the States and foreign nations. The power granted under this clause is absolute and practically without qualification. Commerce has frequently been defined by the courts as "intercourse," but not all intercourse is commerce. To render intercourse commerce there must be present the element of transportation. Transportation is essential to commerce, or rather is commerce itself, and the commodities transported may be tangible or intangible. Neither are they limited to those known at the time of the adoption of the Constitution.

In Pensacola Telegraph Company v. Western Union Telegraph Company (96 U. S., 1) the court said:

The powers granted by the "commerce clause" are not confined to the instrumentalities of commerce or the Postal Service known or in use when the Constitution

was adopted, but they keep pace with the progress of the country and adapt themselves to the new developments of time and circumstances. They extend from the horse with its rider to the stagecoach; from the sailing vessel to the steamboat; from the coach to the steamboat and the railroad; and from the railroad to the telegraph, as the new agencies are successively brought into use to meet the demands of increasing population and wealth.

Under this general principle the simile may well be extended from the coach to the automobile. The doctrine thus laid down has never been questioned. So communications passing between a correspondence school and its pupils are interstate commerce. national Text Book Company v. Pigg, 217 U. S., 91.)

(Inter

Over interstate commerce the Federal Government has, therefore, an authority equal in extent to that possessed by the States over domestic commerce or by the United States with reference to foreign commerce. This the Supreme Court has repeatedly declared. The control of interstate and foreign commerce being granted to the Federal Government without limitation, the grant is, according to a general principle governing the interpretation of grants of Federal power, construed to be plenary.

In Champion v. Ames (188 U. S., 321) the Supreme Court, in sustaining an act of Congress for the suppression of the lottery traffic through interstate commerce, said:

The cases cited show that the power to regulate commerce among the several States is vested in Congress as absolutely as it would be in a single government having in its constitution the same restrictions in the exercise of power as are found in the Constitution of the United States; that such power is plenary, complete in itsel, and may be exerted by Congress to the utmost extent, subject only to such limitations as the Constitution imposes upon the exercise of the powers granted by it; and that in determining the character of the regulations to be adopted Congress has a large discretion, which is not to be controlled by the courts simply because in their opinion such regulations may not be the best or most effective that could be employed.

Congress has enacted various laws for the regulation of interstate commerce which have uniformly been sustained by the courts. Among them are those relating to the use of safety appliances, hours of labor of employees, monthly reports of accidents, arbitration of controversies between railroads and their employees, the exclusion of impure goods and lottery tickets, employers' liability, etc. Specific reference may be made to the interstate commerce act, wherein interstate commerce railroads are forbidden to form combinations or pools for the maintenance of rates, and also the antitrust act of July 2, 1890, wherein every contract combination in the form of trust or otherwise, or conspiracy in restraint of trade or commerce among the several States was declared a crime, and made punishable as such. Larceny of goods from railroad cars being transported in interstate commerce has also been declared a crime by act of Congress. The purpose of the proposed law is to suppress crime in interstate commerce. Automobiles admittedly are tangible property, capable of being transmitted in interstate commerce. The larceny of automobiles is made a crime under the laws of all the States in the Union.. No good reason exists why Congress, invested with the power to regulate commerce among the several States, should not provide that such commerce should not be polluted by the carrying of stolen property from one State to another. Congress is the only power competent to legislate upon this evil, and the purpose of this bill is to crush it, with the penalties attached.

о

CONGRESS, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

FUNDS FOR CAMP A. A. HUMPHREYS, VA.

SEPTEMBER 12, 1919.-Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union and ordered to be printed.

Mr. ANTHONY, from the Committee on Military Affairs, submitted the

following

REPORT.

[To accompany H. J. Res. 208.]

The Committee on Military Affairs, having had under consideration House joint resolution 208, authorizing the Secretary of War to expend certain sums appropriated for the support of the Army at Camp A. A. Humphreys, Va., report thereon with a recommendation that it pass.

66th CONGRESS, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. 1st Session.

LOAN OF CAMP

CAMP

EQUIPMENT TO THE CITY OF
ATLANTA, GA.

SEPTEMBER 13, 1919.-Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union and ordered to be printed.

Mr. WISE, from the Committee on Military Affairs, submitted the

following

REPORT.

[To accompany S. J. Res. 95.]

The Committee on Military Affairs, to whom was referred S. J. Res. 95, authorizing the Secretary of War to loan to the city of Atlanta, Ga., tents, cots, blankets and other camp equipment for the use of the United Confederate Veterans in their convention from October 7 to 10, 1919, having considered the same, report thereon with a recommendation that it pass as amended by the committee.

The amendment referred to was to the title of said joint resolution and the title only. The words in said title, to wit, "horses and saddle equipments" were stricken out and the following words were inserted in lieu thereof: "blankets and other camp equipment.'

After the adoption of said amendment to the title of said joint resolution, as stated above, the committee thereupon recommended that said resolution do pass as thus amended.

O

66th CONGRESS, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. 1st Session.

STANDARD WEIGHTS AND MEASURES IN THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

SEPTEMBER 13, 1919.-Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union and ordered to be printed.

Mr. MAPES, from the Committee on the District of Columbia, submitted the following

REPORT.

[To accompany H. R. 8067.]

The Committee on the District of Columbia, to which was referred the bill 8067, to establish standard weights and measures for the District of Columbia and define the duties of the surerintendent of weights, measures, and markets of the District of Columbia, has had the same under consideration and reports it back to the House with the following amendment and recommends that as amended the bill do pass:

AMENDMENT.

On page 17, after line 14, insert the following as a new section: SEC. That no person shall sell, offer or expose for sale in the District of Columbia any food in package form unless the quantity of contents is plainly and conspicuously marked on the outside of each package in terms of weight, measure, or numerical count. The commissioners are authorized to establish and allow reasonable variations, tolerances, and exemptions as to small packages.

PROVISIONS OF THE BILL.

The bill is a redraft of the present weights and measures law for the District of Columbia, with new provisions added to require the inspection and regulation of weighing and measuring devices, the inspection of which is not now required, and to establish standard containers for the sale of fruits, vegetables, and similar commodities. It does not create any new position and does not change the salary or status of any employee of the District government.

The general purpose of the bill is to so regulate the sale of food and other commodities in the District of Columbia as to be fair and just to both vendor and purchaser by such provisions as will, as nearly as possible, enable the one to know exactly the amount he sells and the other to know the amount he receives.

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