Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1912-07-18
CONGRESS STILL RUNS ON
No One Knows When Session will
Adjourn.
tOmplctcd-OnIy Three Appropri-
alton bills HIVE Passed 10th
branches and the Executive.

DO a question that arises annually-this
question that WASHINGTON Is asking It.
self to-day: When will Congress adjourn?
Last year at this time Washington.
sweltering in the most terrific heat of
years. was making the same inquiry.
During the Fayne-Aldrich summer WASH
ington had the same problem to face.
And IN this campaign season. with at
least two parties all prepared for tho
fray, with congressman impatient to re-
',lrn home ana mend political fences the
national capital plan,ively asks ITSELF
When viii CONGRESS adjourn?
Tho answer is like the answer to many
other questions hearing Il Washington
de- feline 1t is: No one knows time
alcnc can tell. II don, call myself an
oracle" ono senator Is quoted as saying
relative to adjournment. "but can tell
YOU that wen run through August"
While can only guess" said a mem
hcr OF the lower House, II should think
that at the present rate the Senate and
the President could easily occupy most
OF the time between now and Labor day"
God knows was the brief grunt Of
an old-timcr in Washington when APP
preached for his opinion.
1t was the hope and belief of many
that. when the conventions should have
passed Congress would speed up and
pass enough laws to mako "A respccta bic
showing and then go home. But to-day.
with the last convention nearly a week
on the road to antiquity. tho congestion
in the Senate is as great as ever before.
ana the senators far from being spurrcd
n n ac hov to bo \ oil
by what confronts them and to pursue
the tenor Of their way evenly and slowly
as before. At any moment. of course.
something might happen which would
change this program, but that something
is not in sight now.
AS for the appropria ton bills, which
should have been wholly cleared away
by tho end of June the House has done
its duty by them all. but only three have
passed the Senate, been agreed to in con-
ference ana passed muster at the White
House. These are the District of Column
bia appropriation bill, the Notifications bill,
and the diplomatic bill. One. the army
bill, was voted by Mr.. Taft promptly re-
passed by the House. and now awaits
difficult consideration again by the Sem
ate. to which body everything difficult in
Washington sooner or later seems to be
put up. All in all, the record of compile
ton Is not large.
OF the other appropriation bills little
more can be said. The pension bill was
sent to conference June g. The agricul-
tura bill went into the hands Of the con-
ferees on the 10th OF May It contains
some provisions. which may explode. not
nII i,,ip 70 ha
forest service which have already sent
the friends of conservation busting about
IN alarm. The rivers and harbor bill went
TO conference May II. The Indian bill
passed the Senate only last week. The
legislative bill has been in committe e
since June q. The military academy bill.
reported nearly month ago, has not vet
been considered in the Senate The naval
bill has just passed. The sundry civil has
not yet been reported. and the postoffice
bill. one In which the popular interest is
large, Is in the same passive condition.
Add to all this the fact that matters OF
grave policy are included in these sup
ply bills, matters ranging all the way
from parcels post to a battleship program
and the continuance of the commerce
court and the soiourner in Washington
cannot be blamed If he is a little pessi-
mstic over the possibility Of speedy
ending to the second session of the Sixty
Second Congress. Possible Impeachment
proceedings also threaten.
The Senate calendar-and this IS the
only one worth considering, since this /.
the place where trouble lies--shows. ir
addition to the appropriation bills. sew.
One of these is the I-orimer case. and thai
may take all of seven days. for the gen
eral opinion Is that the Illinois senator's
friends see their last chance before the
beginning Of campaign to defend theil
course, while his enemies see their las
opportunity to blast corruption in thu
highest place. save two, where corruption
might enter. Another notice or warninl
Of an event which may take a days tim,
il that of Senator Page of Vermont, whc
has Il pet bill entitled "A bill to cooper
ate WITH the States in encouraging in
struction in agriculture, the trades anC
industries and home economics in second
airy schools, IN maintaining instruction
IN these vocational subjects In State nor
NAL schools in maintaining extension de
partments In state colleges of agricutur,
and mechanic arts. and to appropriat,
money and regulate IT'S expenditure.
This measure. which Is only one OF many
bills to which there is little objection. bu
for which there Is no enthusiasm, he
cause they are not of widespread inter
est. may never he considered. But, lik,
other matters in Congress, the yer,
threat to bring It up causes CONSERVATION
at nd dali a M brr oP No
| sort is the bill. introduced by Senator
Smith of Georgia, ito establish In tn,
bureau of statistics in the department o
agriculture a division OF markets" Shout,
the Senate take up either or both of thes,
| bills, to mention no more. all dreams o
adjournment would have to be dreame,
over again. and the legislative clock
| wound up to the limit.
To-day Washington has the aspect OF
| sleepy, slow. contcnded Southern cit,
which Is perfectly happy to be where It Il
| and cares not for change. At the Hous
end Of the Capitol democratic statesmen
their eyes fixed on Sea Nrt. are restin,
| on their laurels and devotins their officia
| hours to cleaning UP the odds and end
| Of the long session. At the Senate en-,
| there is a quiet "on-ths-job" feeling II
the air which may be Interpreted as list
lessness or as thoroughness or as OBJ
stinacy. At any rate. even with one o
tho most important party wars of half
century on its hands the Senate does no
exhibit any unmistnkable signs of want
ing to shut up shop and go forth to bat
tle-either at Armageddon or Beverly.
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uA1rY NOM nEANu