The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1911-04-03
CONGRESS AGAIN
lREASSEMBLE
TOMORROW
Democrats Will Be In Control
of the Lower House
REPUBLICAN EMPLOYEES FIRED
Places Will Be Filled Up BY Demo
Gratis Gradualiy-New Chair
men Of Committees

Washington, April 2.-The last
hope for a short extra session Of con
gress went glimmering with the an
nouncement of the Democratic pro-
gramme for the work of the new
House. The most that the president
expected to ask was the adoption of
the Canadian reciprocity agreement
and the ratification of the proposed
arbitration treaty with Great Britain
with the possible addition of the per-
manent Tariff Board bill. Since his
return from the South he has even
decided against urging the adoption
of the board bill, which would have
had no chance in the Democratic
House.
The Democratic caucus however,
has left the way open for legisla-
tive programme that might we'll oc-
cupy the attention OF Congress Tor
the whole of a regular long session
by adopting Mr.. Underwood's pro-
gramme providing for the considera-
ton of popular election of Senators,
Canadian reciprocity, tariff revision,
investigation, Congressional reappor-
tionment, Statehood for Arizona and
New Mexico, general deficiency ap-
preparations, District of Columbia leg
islation, and publicity of campaign
contributions.
Champ Clark admits that he scarce
ly expects an adjournment before
September / and other leaders in
both Houses are not more optimistic
The one hope of an earlier end to the
session seems now to lie in the un-
likely possibility of the House per
hitting Canadian reciprocity to be
disposed of first, which would be fol
lowed at once by a disagreement as
to further action between the Demo
cratic House and the Republican Sen
ate as to the date for adjournment. In
that contingency, if he thought the
game worth the candle, the president
might exercise his constitutional
right and prorogue congress.
Leaders of the House, however,
have no intention to give the presi-
dent that opportunity. While they
are not absolutely decided to take up
bills under all of the eight general
heads, it is certain that they will
make a serious fight for the immed-
late enactment of more than half of
them. Their plan is TO hold out the
Canadian reciprocity agreement,
which will again have to originate
in the House until the Republican Sen
ate has acted on the other bills the
Democrats wish passed 1t is not
necessary that the Senate shall pass
all these measures In fact on some
they would wish adverse action. They
realize that in a presidential fight 1t
is important to have something left
to fight for, and would be glad to see
some OF their stronger measures held
up by the Republican Senate.
The programme for the first week
or so of the session now calls for the
introduction in the House of the pop
ular election of Senators resolution
which was defeated in the Senate at
the last session. That resolution al
ways passes the House, and it Will do
so again with little more than perfume
tory debate. The House Reapportion-
ment bill which was defeated in the
Senate at the close of the last session
will also be taken up.
1t is only after these two measures
have been sent to the Senate that the
House will take up tariff matters and
even then it will not be the Canadian
agreement. The Democratic leaders
are determined to get the cotton and
wooden schedules and the isolated
additions they expect to make to the
free list from food products and other
items purchased by farmers out Of
the way before the Senate is allow
ed to pass the Canadian measures.
The one favor the President gets at
Democratic hands in all this pro-
gramme is that after passing the sep
arate tariff measures the Canadian
agreement will be passed without
amendment
II Is probable that while measures
relating to the tariff are under con-
sideration, such other bills as the rat
ification of the constitutions of New
Mexico and Arizona, deficiency bills
and matters affecting the District of
Columbia will gradually be worked
of
One of the important measures that
will be introduced the first day OF
the session is the bill providing for
publicity of campaign contributions
before as well as after election. The
executive committee Of the National
Publicity Law Association met today
and Perry Belmont, who has long
pushed the matter before Congress,
arranged for Mr.. Mccall Of Massa-
chusetts to drop the bill in the bas.
ket.
The complete harmony that seems
to prevail among the house Demo
Gratis is not yet apparent among the
Democrats In the Seante. The minor
ity leader, Mr.. Money Of Mississippi
retires, to be succeeded by John
Sharp Williams, formerly minority
leader OF the House. Mr.. Williams Of