Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-01-01
BIG SHOW OPENS AGAIN
Congress to Resume Opera
tions Next Thursday.
BOTH HOUSES ORGANIZED
How the Situation May Be
Scheduled.
WORKING FOR NEXT ELECTIONS
First in House Will Be Statehood Bill
and in Senate Railway Rate
Matters.
BOTH HOUSES ORGANIZED
How the Situation M
Scheduled.
WORKING FOR NEXT ELECTIONS

The big show opens again at noon next
Thursday, when Congress reassembIes for
a session that is likely to run far into the
spring or summer. The committees In both
houses have been organized, issues are
clearly defined. the new statesmen are fair
ly broken in and there is nothing to do but
work
After hemming and having for a full
year over various propositions, after back
Ing and filling and baking and shying, the
national lawmakers realize that they will
have to face the music now and do things.
The hold over" problems, surviving from
the last session, have been thoroughly in
vestigated and ventilated, and there will be
demand for action. The situation might be
scheduled in this fashion.
Railway rate legislation; fully discussed
by a subcommittee of the Senate during
the recess-having been previously gone
over by House committee. What about
action?
Ship subsidy legislation; fully discussed
by joint commission of the two houses
and report submitted. What about action?
Joint statehood; discussion worn to fraz-
zle in the last session and looked into by
various statesmen during the recess. What
about action?
Panama canal; prelminaries pretty well
threshed over up to the question of lock
or sea-level canal What about action?
Publicity in campaign expenditures; every
body apparently for it but the bosses. What
about action?
Elections Next Fall.
Back of these considerations for prompt
resolution looms the fact that congressional
nominations come on next fall, with an cleo
tion in November. The new statesmen have
not actually warmed their chairs before
they have to begin to bestir themselves to
hold their seats in the succeeding Congress.
That means making a record in the next
few months-lots of hay will have to ne put
in and the period of sunshine is brief for
these politicians.
So there is every reason to believe that
this will not be a ''do-nothing'' Congress-
but in order to avoid deserving this label
there will necessarily be lively times in the
House and the Senate, adding to the gayety
of politics and the interest of the news
columns.
The ball will begin to roll In the House
promptly. The plan IS to have the commit
tee on rules bring in rule, ironclad against
amendment, providing for the consideration
| of the joint statehood bill in the House,
| probably commencing on Monday and fix
! ing day for vote. The discussion of that
rule will be brief but pointed. About twenty
! minutes on a side will probably be allowed,
| but in that time the opponents of the COM
| bination of New Mexico and Arizona will
! have their say and on the vote develop their
| strength.
| The statehood bill will be followed in the
! House by the Philippines tariff bill. That
will open up tariff discussion and some
I talk about sugar and repeating the Cuban
/ reciprocity legislation.
The House leaders will confine the debate
| to as brief limit as possible in order to
| shut off general tariff talk, but there are
! bound to be some explosions from the muz-
| zled revisionists. By the time the Philip
| pine tariff bill is out of the way an appro-
| priation bill will probably be in
Trouble in the Senate
| In the Senate trouble Is to commence
| from the jump. 1t will center about the
railway rate bill. The administration sup
! porters in that move will demand action by
| Senator Elkins' committee. That commit
=, tee has been putting off and putting off
| upon one plea and another, the last post
| ponement being until after the holiday re-
/ cess
| We want showdown and we intend to
| have it," one prominent republican senator
| is known to have remarked
How can you force it?' he was asked.
| I'VE can move to discharge the committee
/ from further consideration of the subject
| and-to report the Dolliver bill to the Senate
| for instance was the reply.
| But back fire will be kindled against this
| contingency. There are two questions on
| the hooks In the Senate which can be lifted
| off al convenient times. The nominations
| of the Panama canal commissioners can be
| discussed at some length, if necessary. The
| Santo Domingo treaty presents some oppor-
| tunities for delaying other busfness?"
| The only difficulty about utilizing the
| Santo Domingo treaty for discussion and
| delay is the fact that the talk Is all In Sc
| cret session None of the fine indignation
| of senators gets into print until after it has
! gone through filter which relieves 1t of
| much Of its strength. Even in executive ses-
sion a man is liable TO talk to empty
seats for the most part especially If his
| colleagues think he is trying to work off
| some politics on them But, with all that,
| the treaty will come in handy when delay
| Is wanted.
The main point of the situation. however,
| IN the belief of well-posted men in Con-
| eress is the fact that Congress win have
| to act on these long-delayed questions at
| this session. 1t is difficult to see how fur
| ther delay can be demanded, they say, and
| they look for practical results. either af-
! firmative or negative, between next Thurs
| day and cherry time.