The Washington herald., 1911-02-13

tremendous volume of business re-
mains to be transacted by Congress in
the seventeen legislative days OF the ses-
sion that remain. Before the lawmakers
put up the shutters on March T. con-
sideration must be given a dozen or so
measures of general public concern, and
in addition the finishing touches must
be put on the budgets that provide the
wherewithal to keep the wheels of gov
eminent in motion.
The expenses of the various ramifica-
tions of the three branches of the gov
eminent are provided in fifteen supply
bills. They are the legislative, sundry
civil, general deficiency, urgent deficiency.
fortffcations, pensions, District Of Co
hmbia, Indian, army. Military Academy,
navy, diplomatic, pensions, post-office, and
agricultural bills. Nine of these measures
have already passed the House, and all
of them are either pending in the Senate
or in conference committees represent
ing the two Houses. Only one of the
budgets, namely, the legislative bill, has
gone to the President for approval.
Six Supply Bills Remain.
. Only six Of the supply bills remain
to be acted on by the House. They
are the bin for the maintenance of the
Military Academy, the sundry civil bill.
the diplomatic bill, the naval bill, and
the measure providing for deficiencies in
the expenditures Of the various depart
ments, and the fortffcations bill.
OF the six measures enumerated only
two are likely to provoke extended de-
bate They are the naval bin and the
-sundry civil bill The latter measure will
carry money for the fortifcation of the
Panama Canal, if the friends of fortif-
cation are in the majority in the House.
1t will thus be seen that aside from
measures Of national import, Congress is
up TO its ears in routine business. with
only brief period remaining in which to
transact it.
OF the general measures, the Mccall bill, |
emhodyinE the provisions of the Cana |
dian reciprocity agreement stands fore |
most This will be brought up in the !
House to-day, and probably passed be- |
fore adjournment 1t win be transmitted |
to the Senate without delay. There is |
pending in the Senate the tariff board |
bill, an administration measure that has |
already passed the House. The Senate |
has also before it the Lorimer case, and |
the resolution proposing an amend |
ment to the Constitution whereby Sena-
tors may be elected by popular vote
These two propositions viii probably be
disposed Of this week
Fear Row in Senate.
There is a provision in the post-ofice |
appropriation that will kick up an awful |
row IN the Senate 1t is the amendment
providing for an increase in the second
class mail rates as applied to the maga-
zine press.
When the House has disposed of the
Canadian agreement it will turn its atten-
ton to the naval bill With that out
of the way, room will be made for the
sundry civil bill The big fight over the
fortifcatiOn of the Panama Canal will
be waged incident to the consideration
of this bin. That the House Commit
tee on Appropriations will report favor
ably on fOrtihcations is assured. The /
outcome OF the fight over this question is
problematicaI.
There is another administration bill
that is still behind the doors of a COM
mfttee room. 1t is the Senate bin pro-
posing the payment of subsidies to en-
courage the establishment of mail routes
to South America and the Orient 1t
may or may not be reported, depending
upon developments of the coming week
In addition to the legislation enumer-
ated, there is a mass of bills that call /
for consideration, and action on them
will be demanded by members.
The leaders of the Senate and the House
realize that they must work at double I
quick speed if the docket Is to be reason
ably clean when the time for adjourn
ment comes. Beginning Tuesday, the |
House will meet daily at II o'clock in
stead of L. Next week. night sessions
viii he begun in the House. The Senate
works along in a leisurely man
ner until the last week or so of the ses-
sion, and then it begins to put on steam.