The Washington herald., 1912-07-08
CONGRESS CANNOT
YET SEE THE END
Rank and File of Members Discon
solate Over Prospect of Belated
Adjournment.
MANY PLANS FOR AN
EARLY GETAWAY DISCUSSED
House Blames Senate for Delay and
Upper Body Equally Certain
Blame Rests Elsewhere.

With the Senate once more in action
and the House ready 10 start In on a
wind-up period to-day. leaders in Con-
gress as well as the rank and file of
members admit that adjournment day is
almost as uncertain a time as IL was at
the beginning of the session. Some say
that getaway day will fall, not later
than the middle of August. Less opti-
mistic members predict that September
will find the members still sweltering
in Washington.
All sorts of plans for an early ad-
journment are being discussed and each
plan begins and ends in uncertainty.
Congress wants to get away. The House
is particularly anxious TO put an end
to the present session. The hot weather
is beginning 10 tell on the members
and the political fences -oack home"
are in many cases in a sadly dilapldated
condition. The tearing OF party lines
and the possibility of a third party in
the field makes the presence OF many
members in their districts almost Wit
ally necessary.
Houses Blame Each Other.
The House blames the delay on the
Senate and the Senate replies that IL
the House had kept its nose closer to
the legislative grindstone earlier in the
session the present condition would not
exist
But whichever body is to blame II
one is more at fault than the other. the
fact remains that the real work of the
session is, to a large extent, yet unfin-
isned. Some of this may be left unfin-
ished at adjournment time, but the
greater part must he completed before
the members may shake thh dust of
Washington from their stone-worn
shoes
The appropriation situation alone
would be a serious obstacle in the way
Of rapid progress but when to this tangle
is added the tariff legislation yet TO be
disposed of in the Senate. the Panama
Canal bill. and the impeachment pro-
ceedings against Judge Archibald. ard
possibly against Judge Hanford. too. the
most pessimistic view seems to be justi-
fed.
Appropriations situation Serious.
The appropriation situation is the most
serious. The veto by the President of the
army bill and its reintroduction and
passage by the House with many of the
objectionable features still retained-the
clause legislating Gen. Wood out Of Office
being omitted-promises a long deadlock
in conference and the possibility OF a
" dTEeIl. WHO IN
duced the conferees over the first bills
to permit him 4 free hand in shaping the
conference report to suit his ends. is not
expected to give in to the House bill
readily, particularly as the measure does
not contain appropriation for the main
renance Of some twenty-five army posts
which the House, acting largely upon
the advice Of Gen. Wood believes should
be eliminated. The House conferees. on
the other hand. remembering the un-
kind things which were said of them
from both sides of the Chamber as the
result of their conceding Senator Warren
an open track before. are not as liable
to yield this time
The legislative. executive and judicial
appropriation bill still is in conference.
The conference fight over this measure
is not expected to be prolonged. as the
most important piece of legislation in
1t, the abolition OF the Commerce Court.
is aimed at in both House and Senate
bills. The Senate conferees are expected
to recede on the proposition to legislate
the judges from official life at the same
time. But the veto of this measure by
the President is taken for granted and
with both houses feeling very strongly in
favor of the recall of the Commerce
Court. a prolonged struggle is expected
over this bill
Sundry Civil to Cause Fight.
The sundry civil bill has passed the
House, but will not be considered in the
Senate until after the Lorimer vote is
taken this week. 1t has not yet been re-
ported out by the Senate Committee on
Appropriations. This bill fails to appro-
riate for the tariff board. and the regulars
in the Senate expected to make stif
fight to have this item reinserted. In this
fight they may enlist enough progressive
support to control the situation as far as
the Senate is concerned, in which event
a long conference fight may be expected.
The naval bill, carrying about SIS, 900, 90