The San Francisco call., 1909-12-08
CONGRESS HAS
ONLY MESSAGE
ON ORDER
Finds Itself Out of Work After
Reading of the Presidents
Communication
Both Houses Adjourn Until FRI
day to Await Business
From the Committees
IN THE SENATE

IN THE SENATE
Presidents message is received, read
and referred to committee.
Report of Secretary of the Treasury
MacVeagh is received.
senator Borah Introduces bill provid-
ing FOR s3e.OOO.o 900 for irrigating prof.
eetS.
Senator SmoOt gives notice of intro
ducing bill appropriating $4,000 for
teaching domestic science.
senator Borah introduces bill to pre-
vent senators and congressman acting
as corporation attorneys.
Senate holds brief executive session
and adjOurns until Friday.
IN THE HOUSE
Presidents message is read and re-
ferred to committee.
Representative Hitchcock Introduces
resolution calling for valuation of hold
ings of telegraph companies.
House adjourns until Friday.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 7.-Having as
sembled and received the presidents IS
annual message, congress today found
itself literally 'out. of work" and. in
consequence, both houses adjourned un-
til Friday, when, if some of the various
committees fail to provide something
to do. adjournment will be taken until
Monday.
The formality of reading the message
aloud consumed an hour and half in
each house When its conclusion was
reached the house Immediately ad-
journed. but the senate went into ex-
ecutive session.
Little fault was found with the mes
sage among republicans, who seemed TO
agree that il was as satisfactory a
document as the president could pre-
pare and remain consistent with the
party's campaign pledges.
DEMOCRATS APPROVE ECONOMY
The democrats approved the presi-
dents effort TO economic, but depre-
Gated his suggestion that the Monroe
doctrine had practically become obso-
lete.
The message is written in the presi-
dents customary terse, vigorous style.
commented Representative Payne, ma
jority leader in the house. while Rep
resentstive Clark, minority leader
thought about all that could be said
about the message was that 1t was
comparatively brief. .as discussion OF
almost all important matters is rele-
gated to special messages"
In both houses the message was sub
ject to most careful scrutiny.
Following the custom. the message
- L
whole to be prepared for ''vivisection'
by the various committees whose bust
ness it is to deal with subjects dis
cussed by the president in his message
SENATE PAYS TRIBUTE
The senate adjourned at 2:30 o'clock
out of respect to the memory of Rep
resentative de Almond of Missouri and
of Representative Lassiter of Virginia
The house adjourned at 1:45 o'clock
In his message President Taft made
known to the world his wishes regard
ing legislation and his opinion respect
ing many questions of public interest
The message had been anxiously antici-
pated and general interest was mani
tested in its reading in the two bodies
The portions which attracted mos-
attention were those relating to the
complication with Nicarag qua, the dimi.
mutton Of public expenditures, the Gus
tom house frauds and the tariff act
4 The one phrase most discussed was
4 found in connection with the president.
! treatment of the Zelaya incident, Of
which he spoke ''as the sad tale of un-
speakable barbarities.'
For More Army Officers
WASHINGTON, Dec. 7.-Secretary o
War Dickinson today received littl,
encouragement in regard to his recon-
mendation for an increase in the mum
Der of officers for the army. With th'
view of impressing upon congress hil
ideas on this subject as embodied il
his annual report he had conference
with Chairman Hull of the house com
mittee on military affairs today. Mr.
Hull was not sanguine over the out
come of the attempt
why, as late as 1901 we gave then
as many officers as they said thel
would need for an army of 100 ,00i
men, said Mr. Hull as he left tn,
secretarys Office Now they wan
about 700 more. How long Will thes,
be sufficient?Y