The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-02-16
CONGRESS MERELY
 PLAYS WITH TAT l Not a Single Measure Favored By Taft Is Yet Passed BILLS ARE HANGING FIRE Many Measures Have Got to Committee Rooms And There They Stay,
 some of Them Almost Talked
 Out of Existence
BILLS ARE HANGING FIRE
By RALPH M. wHITEsDE

Washington, February 15.-tspeeiaL)-ls Congress playing with President Taft!
 There are reasons to suspect the answer to this question should be yes Although there are urgent political req sons why an early adjournment is most desirable and though the extra session got an early start, not a single legisla- tive proposal submitted by the President has been passed by either branch of Con gress The House did pass statehood bill for Arizona and New Mexico but it was not the administration measure and the work will have to be done all over again when the senate finally passes the bill which accords with the views of the President.
 Legislatively speaking, the recommen- cations of President Taft as expressed In bills pending before Congress are in the following position: Amendments to the Interstate Com merce Act-Bills introduced in both branches and hearings just begun on the subject in the House. Consensus of opin- ion in both houses is that there will be legislation on this subject before ad- journment.
 Postal Savings Bank Bill-Carter bill re- ported favorably to the Senate, debated at length and may pass at any time Several such bills introduced in the House but no activity displayed by the postof- flee committee as yet. Carter bill may pass the House at this session if suffi- cient pressure is brought to bear.
 Conservation Bils-Nine bills intended to legalize Roosevelt conservation poli- cies have been introduced in the Senate and two have been introduced in the House and one more is ready for intro duction. One bill legalizing the authority of the President to set aside reservations in the government domain subject to Con- gress has been reported to the Senate. Some of the conservation bills are ex- pected to become laws before adjourn ment.
 shib ubsidy-Humphrey bill in dorsed by the President; reported to the House; similar bill has been in u oduced in the Senate. Not believed this legislation can pass the House this session.
 Federal poration-Introduced in both houses but probably will not be acted upon at this session.
 Alaska Government Bill-Introduced In the Senate; favorably reported by the Senate committee on territories. and now the unfinished business of the Senate.
 
 Hearings before the House committee ing reported to the House.
 Anti-injunction Legislation-Various bills introduced in both houses but no effort being made to press tn em.
 Complaints are being made by leaders of Congress because of the slow pro- gress of the appropriation bills through the House this session None of these bills has yet reached the President for signature.
 Last year the appropriation bills pessed the House as follows:
 Legislative. executive, judicial, De- cember II. District of Columbia, Jan uary IA. Pensions and urgent deh- ciency. January 19. Naval, January 22. Fostoffice. January 27. Army. Febru- ary 2. Agriculture, February II. In- dian, February 16. Fortifications, Feb ruary 19 Diplomatic and consular, rilitary academy and rivers and har- bors, February 20. Sundry civil, Feb rUary. 26, and general deficiency. Feb ruary 27.
 The following bills were in confer ence in the last session before Febru- ary 1c: Executive, legislative and 1u- dicial; urgent deficiency and army.
 Only five appropriations have passed the house, as follows: District of Co., lumbia, December 20; army, January II; Notifications, January IS; urgent defi- ciency, January 24, and agriculture, February 3.