The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1909-02-10
LITTLE HOPE OF ANY lEGIsLA-
TIVE ACTION AT THIS SESSION
KEEP PLEDGES.
MAY LET CENSUS BILL GO
Appropriation Bills Alone viii BE
Passed Leaders Are Afraid TO
Fight the Presidents Measures, SO
viii Let Them Go by Default.

Washington. Feb. with less than |
four weeks of the session bcft con
gress is still marking time The ap-
preparation bills will get through, OF
course, but aside from these only one
measure of general interest seems to
have the slightest chance Of passing
That Is the national forest reserve
bill providing for the purchase on
! timber lands at the headwaters of
nayigable streams.
| IL is possible that the rivers and
! harhors measure will contain a provis-
! ion creating a national waterways
commission TO take the place OF the
commission constituted by executive
order But that will merely give leg
islatve authority for something al
ready existing
The postal savings bank bill may
be allowed to go through the senate
when It is too late for the house to
deal with II, should the senate leaders
believe such action would fool the
people into thinking that platform
TO admit Arizona and New Mexico
may go through the house, but 1t is
expected TO meet its fate in the sen
ate. 4 multitude of petitions have
come from farm organizations for
the establishment of parcels posts on
the rural free delivery routes, and a
good many protests from commercial
clubs whose members fear they might
lose business under such a plan. Con.
gress. of course. will let well enough
alone in that case.
Altogether 1t Is the dullest session
In years. The leaders have allowed
. the most trivial matters to occupy the
time with the understood purpose o'
y. preventing any more Roosevelt legis
lation. The senate found time yester
day. for instance TO pass bin requir
ing a fine for anyone keeping bool
OF the public library at Washington
more than thirty days. But It is too
e., busy TO consider strengthening thu
, railroad rate law.
But while the leaders can beat tn,
president by inaction, they hesitate
, to take direct Issue with him. Their
will be no attempt to pass the Jane
river power bill over his veto, though
It went through both houses withou
opposition. Tonight the leaders ar,
= trying to get line on their chanc
with the vetoed census bill.
If they find that the president
friends will make a stiff fight the.
are likely to let that go over. Unde
. the bin the enumerators Senate
Lodge estimated their number a
. 65, 900 - viii remain congressiona
patronage and the president did no
% attempt TO take this away. He merel,
objected 10 the organization of $50
clerks in Washington being handle'
y with the enormous wastefulness o
- the spoils system. Meanwhile tn
- president has been working just a
energetically as II this were the be
ginning of his first term instead o
- the ending Of his last He has not onl
" outlined To congress program 10
the general welfare, which that bod,
has utterly disregarded under tn
specious plea of lack of time, but h'
" has initiated these undertakings:
y 4 national conference on child wei
Il fare legislation; an internal canal con
y ference on the conservation of natura
- resources; a plan fo' the reorganiza
= tion of IN navy. In addition he ha
g taken radical action to keep the ma
ton on terms with Japan.