The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1910-12-06
THE SESSION OF CONGRESS
Measures Which Will Probable be PuShed-Aldrich's Gen.
 tral Bank


 country. Three months will be spent in passing a few of the 36.0o0 bill: introduced in the two preceding ses' sions. There will be much maneu. yer ng for party advantage. and sev- eral presidential booms will be ad- vanced, as occasion permits. As the session will mark the loss of contro of the House by Republicans, the lat ter are expected to crowd througf bills in which they have special inter est and to be energetic in efforts te get liberal appropriations for home projects.
 Two new quest; ;ons that will test the fighting qualities of the Leg:sla- ture concern the establishment Of ' Central bank and the apportionmen of the country's population among Representatives in Congress.
 Senator Aldrich. (Rep.. R. I.,). chair man of the National Monetary Com mission composed of members and ex-members of Congress, Is the lead CT in the Central bank movement. He holds that the supreme remedy for the cure of the ills of the country currency system is a Central bank such as s at the head of the fnan- cial world in England and in France. A bank of that kind in the United States would control the issue of cur rency and have other important pow CTS.
 In official circles here and in the Wall street district the report is per siStent that Aldrich will try to drive a sb Il embodying his idea through the present Congress He is credited with the opin on that with Republi- cans in control, the present Congress offers a chance, perhaps only a des- perate. one, for the passage of the bill. With the Democrats holding the nO slight if there be any at all.
 Objection to the bill which will be pressed to the init, will have the backing of scores of Senators and Representatives. Their contention is that conditions in this country are so different from those in Europe that the English and French schemes would be inpracticable.
 A more serious protest is based on the claim that the adoptRon of the Central bank plan would throw com plete control of the business of the country into the hands of a few men in Wall street. It is suggested. too that these men in the operation of great trusts, financial institutions and railroads, have totled not for the benefit of the people, but at their ex- penSe. The appearance of the Ald- rich bill would be the signal for one of the greatest struggles in the h.s- tory of Congress-
 Apporticnment is a matter of poli- tics. It can be used to have an inn portant effect on party strength and is therefore a fit issue for strenu 'us contention. In some cases it touches State pride and of course. that inn pels Senators and Representatives from those States to reach for their war paint.
 In the natural course of events the # of the next ten years, based on the new cen sus. would be decided by Congress at the present session. Act on would be preceded by computations by the shrewdest party strateg sts to deter mine what number of people per Con- gressnan would produce the largest proportion of Republicans. Nobody knows. better than the Democrats the advantage of this apportioning privi- lege and they are relied upon to do everything possible to block action until the next Congress. X Demo- cratic House would then work out the problem with a Republican Senate and the former would be able to pro- tect their interests.
 During the past 10 years the House has had 391 members, each represent ing 193167 people. In the preceding 10 years there were 356 Congressman, each representing 17S.eo1 of the popu- lation. If the present number of members should be retained the ra- would cause a number of States f lose some Representatives. The pain full operation would be borne by none of these States without heroic resis- tance. If the number of members should be reduced the losses of the slow growing States would be larger and the'r protests much louder. Many members contend that the House with 391 representatives is now too large to be a deliberate body and is forced to do it's work through committees and accept their recommendations. Census Director Durand will prepare for the use of Congress statistics to House membership ranging from $50 to AZ
 An array of bills to be considered. and some Of them to be fought over. relate to: The Panama Canal; Fed eral incorporation: Ship subsidy; Is- Locomotive boiler inspection; Alaska form of government natural resources and railroads; Bureau of Public Health: Cold Storage law.
 As to the Panama Canal, Congress will be called upon to consider the question of fortif' cations. It is prob able that a large majority of Con-
 
 voring the guarding of the canal. The Zone is now governed by the Canal Commission. a make shift ar ransement Sto serve during the con- struction of the waterway. With the canal in operation the zone VII gradually acquire a population of considerable numbers large business interests will be established and there will be need for settled govern ment. Col. George W. Goethals who has charge of the work on the Canal. is sad to have recommended to the President the adoption of military control. President Taft has not in mated his opinion in the matter. Althoueh it is a little early. the ques- tion of tolls may be brought to the attention of the leeislators.
 Pres dent Taft repeatedly has urged the enactment of law providing that Federal charters he granted to corporations. Attorney General Wick ersham wrote bill to carry out the idea hut it has not been received with favor by Congress.
 An ocean mail subsidy to encourage the bu lding up of the merchant ma rine and especially 10 assist in the establishment of steamship lines to South America, is one of the blanks in the Presidents platform. An ef- fort to pass a subsidy bill at the last session developed a scandal and an invest 'gation by a House committee. With the result that no action was taken by Congress. A determined ef- fort will be made by friends of the proposit on to pass bill in the pres ent session.
 . The President is also strongly in fa- vor of a law to limit the power of