The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1910-12-02
CONGRESS TO MEET
NEXT MONDAY
WHAT WIEL BE ACCOMPLISHED
AT SHORT SESSION Is
PRoBLEMATic.
Much to Depend on Character OF Mes
saoe Submitted by President Taft
Defeated Members Not Apt to Be
Inclined to Help Much.

IstH
Washington, Nov. 2S.-When Con-
gress meets week from today 1t will
have three months in which to perform
whatever may be the demands Of a
Republican administration. After that
the fate of the Taft legislative pro-
gram will depend on the will OF q
Democratic house and Republican
senate
The success or failure of the an
proaching short session of Congress- ia
believed to rest with the character Of
the executive message to be sent to
the legislative bodies.
May Be Unruiy.
Many of the Republicans, defeated in
the recent elections, are not expected
to carry with the best of grace the
blows so harshly administered, and
this gives the president a difficult task.
Realizing that he will be criticised
if he fails to demand of congress fur
Their revision of the tariff especially
of the wool and woollen schedules
and fully cognizant that the prospects
will be all against the success of such
a program if submitted, the president,
it is said, has not made up his mind
definitely what his course will be.
President May Wait.
The chances are that he will not in
sist upon action within the approach
ing session, but that he will offer to
the Democratic house and the Repub-
lican senate, year hence, a program
for tariff revision which will be boil
stored up with facts and figures gath
cred by the tariff beard.
Within the short session fourteen
regular appropriation bills, carrying an
aggregate of billion dollars or more,
must be passed. Otherwise there
would be necessity for an extra session
next spring. The result of such SEES
sion would be to bring the Democrats
face to face with the necessity of doing
something nine months in advance of
the time they would ordinarily be
called upon to assume responsibility.
For many reasons neither Democrats
nor Republicans want to precipitate
this situation.
Democrats Might Have to Help.
Leaving the appropriation bills out
of consideration, the Democrats are
disposed to take the broad position
that legislation of a general character
should be postponed until they come
in.
But the Democratic leaders are much
embarrassed by the presidents posi-
ton in favor of beginning the revision
of the tariff by schedules. They go
even further than Mr.. Taft in their
denunciation of the woollen schedule,
and while preferring themselves to
designate the way of its amendment,
they admit that they will find it diff.
cult to resist an effort at reduction
whatsoever and by whomsoever It
might be undertaken. Such also is the
case with reference to other schedules;
they could scarcely do less than co
operate in reductions at any time.
Canal Forts Mooted Point.
Among the measures to be pressed
are those providing for the fortified
ton of the Panama canal, and this, II
Is conceded, will provoke controversy
the amendment of the postal laws SC
as to provide for parcels post along
rural delivery routes and for increased
postage on the advertising portions o.
magazines; the granting of ship sub
sides; the pensioning of superannuat
ed employees of the civil service; the
creation of a public land court, ano
the establishment of forest reserves
IN the White mountains in the NORTH
and in the Appalachians in the South
Opposition to the naval program
for the addition of two battleships te
the navy may be expected, but it PROB
ably will not be effective in the ap
preaching session.
The forest reserve bill occupies "a
pOoAIAOuS GaAO pAOUssSAJ ~ -
come law. 1t has passed the house
and day for vote on it by the senaIs
has been fixed.
Ship Subsidy Means Fight.
The ship subsidy bill is the unnn
lshed business in the senate, but some
OF the Democrats say even now ina
any present effort to pass It would re
suit in an extra session. they ar
ready to talk it to death.
This bill also is expected to pc pre-
sented to the house for q vote 10 IN
session, and the chances there Fl
doubtful. The measure has once passe'
the house, and has been once deieate'
by that body. the majority being sma'
IN both instances.
State to Receive Rebate.