Waterbury evening Democrat., 1904-02-25
CONGRESSrfEN LOOKING
 TOWARDS ADJOURNMENT
Senator Patt Who is Pretty Good Judge Says April l Will be the Date-The Large Appropriation Bills Will Surely be Passed-Much Other Bus- mess Will he Sidetracked--Labor Hearings Not Held Account of Illness of Chairman
Special to Democrat,

ntlhl QdScuSSiOn as to when congress will adjourn is now in order, and the members are discussing it pro and con- Many think that adjournment will come by April 1. in fact dit is stated thatthe leaders have practically agreed upon this date. Senator Platt of Connecticut predicted some time ago that the session would close as early as that. and Senator Platt is es- tablishing a pretty good record us a predictor, Earlv in the sesslon he made the prediction that the Panama treaty would be ratified some time in February, and that there would be only about ten votes against it. His prediction came true when the treaty was ratified on Tuesday, with only fl votes In opposition to it. 1t may be that Senator Platt is correct in nam inu April 1, or whereabouts, as the date of adiourning.
 If this is so, there is considerable work to be done in about five weeks. The appropriation bills are well under way and everything in relation to the immediate work on the Panama canal will be fixed up this week, but there are many bills cIamoring for passage aud some of them at least will he ta- ken up. The naval appropria ton bill has caused considerable discus sion, and many new points have been brought out. One of the sensational episodes of the session was the speech of Congressman Burton. chairman of the house committee on rivers and harbors, who, although strong repub- hcan, spoke in opposition to the bill. 1t was great surprise to the house, and many were sorry that NIT Burton broke with his republican colleagues in this way. One result that Is now being whispered around the corridors of this opposition may be that there will be river and harbor bill this session after all. Nothing definite has been decided upon, since the com mittee, under orders from the speak CT, announced that there would be no river and harbor bill. Many mem bers feel that some money ought to be spent on internal Improvements, and this was the keynote of Mir Bur- toms speech The Connecticut mem- bers would welcome niver and har- Dor bill, as all have important inter aests at stake.~~a41They have all along done what they could to bring it about, and still hope that some ap- preparations will be made.
 Another bill that is being pushed Is the good roads measure, which calls for an appropriation of S34,OOO, 600. The granges have taken up the ques- tion, and nearly every day the Con- necticut members are in receipt of petitions asking them to support the bills now before congress. These bills, however. have not the slightest chance of even being reported from the committed, and there is consider able opposition to any of these bills, especially from New England. The Connecticut members. except Mir Ldl- ley, are in accord with the sentiments of StTte Highway Commissioner Mac Donald, that the bills now before con- gress on this subject are not the measures that ought to pass. If any of them should pass, it would simply mean that New England would have to pay vast sums of money for the support of good roads in the southern and western states, where are no state provisions for good roads as in Connecticut and other New England states.
 The house committee on labor started out to hold numerous hear ings on the eight hour bill, but the chairman of the committee has been ill for several weeks, and nothing Fur ther has been done for some time. In former congresses the labor unions have had their own way with thds committee. but this year the manu- facturers are thoroughly aroused ana are making vigorous campaign against the bill It Is stated on ex- cellent authority that the commit tee will not report bill this session Still the struggle goes on, and the labor unions send thousands or petitions to congress. while the manu- facturers write private letters to the members. The Connecticut members get about dozen a day from the Con 'necticut manufacturers. In former years all the Connecticut members have voted for similar bins, and they have always passed the house by large majorities. Another labor bill that IS causing considerable stir is the anu injunction bill. Against this bill, too. the manufacturers are protesting. l, has not as yet been taken up by inc Judiciary committee of the house, ana propably will not be this session.
 The house committee on public buildings and grounds has held few hearings on new buildings, notably the one on the New Britain building, but it is hardly probable that general bill will be reported this session. The committee on claims has done very lit tie so far, and it is almost impossible to get the committee together, as 1t is felt these claims get only scant recog- nition from the house. A claim might be put on the calendar, but it cannot be called up except on stated occasions. About the only committee outside of the appropriation committees that con- tinues to grind out bills and gets them passed, too, is the committee on in valid pensions. The private pension bills that will be passed this session will foot up into the thousands. 1t is seriously considered in congress to put a stop to this continuous stream. but as yet no bill has been found that meets the demand. Considera ble thought has been spent on a service pension bill, but the committee feels that no bill has as yet been prepared that will meet the emergency. Hence there probably will be but little If any general pension legislation.
 It therefore looks as though congress would simply pass the large appropri- ation bills and then the members