The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1913-12-03
CONGRESS- AGAIN
Gets TOGETHER
Special Session Ends and Regu-
lar Starts
ONLY FEW MINUTES ELAPSE
Edge" Taken of Mondays Cere'
monies Because of Long Protracted
Special Session-Much Work Ahead.


monies Because Of Long Protracted
Special Session-Much Work Ahead.
For the first time in many years
congress on Monday stepped over
from one session into another with
out break in the routine and in con
sequence the interest usually sur
rounding the opening of a new con
gress wGs absent.
The second or regular session OF
the sixUy-third congress was ushered
in by formal proclamation of the vice
president and speaker in the senate
and house
President Wilson appeared at l
o'clock on Tuesday to read his annual
message at a joint session in the house
chamber. Aside from this formality
the first days of the new session Will
be scarcely distinguishable from the
closing days of the old.
The extra session just ended was
limited, by informal agreements with
President Wilson, to the considera'
tion of tariff and currency reform, and
nothing that might interfere with
these issues was taken up. The cur
rency bill still dominates the situa-
tion as the new session begins but the
administration program of antitrust
and railroad legislation, which Is TO
follow, must share the field with Il
score or more of other important sub
jects.
1t is the hope of the Democratic
leaders that the currency bill can be
disposed of in the senate by the end
of December and can be completed
by both houses of congress and signed
~ the president in January. In an
ticipation of this the plans for anti
trust legislation will be taken up this
week by President Wilson, in confer
ence with Representative Clayton,
Senator Newlands and other members
of the judiciary and interstate com
merce committees of the two houses
Other important projects include:
Further regulation of railroads as tc
} rates and stock issues, government
owned railroads for Alaska, regulation
of trading in cotton and grain futures
federal aid for vocational education
establishment of a system of rural
land banks, independence of the Phil
ippines, constitutional amendment foT
woman's suffrage, regulation of work
ing conditions of merchant sailors
legislation to promote safety at sea
two battleship naval program, estaD
lishment of a federal armor-making
plant, good roads legislation, inyesti
CATION of cost-of-living problems anc
all the annual appropriation bills.
The bill to give San Francisco
water supply rights in Hetch-Hetchy
valley, over which a conservationists
fight has waged for more than year
is set for a vote in the senate Dec. 3
Another agreement calls for consider
alton Immediately afterward of the
bill to authorize construction of gov
ernment railroads in Alaska. A similar
measure has been favorably acted
upon by committee of the house
These bills, with the 'seaman's servi
tude" bill which recently passed the
senate, probably will be the first meas
ures of a general character considered
by congress.
investigations to determine the
cause of increased prices in food prod
ucts are expected to begin soon
Resolutions demanding such inquiries
are now before congress.
President Wilson has indicated hi;
keen interest in the development of
system of rural land banks or credit
agencies that would meet the needs
of country districts more adequately
than can existing commercial banks
The recent recommendations OF th'
commission that studied rural credi
systems of other countries have EN-
phasized the need of such system
II is expected that soon after the pas
saCe of the currency reform bill th'
work of devising an adequate system
of rural banks will be undertaken b!
congress and an effort made to enac
/ legislation before adjournment mex
!. summer.
. Plans have not yet been matured b,
J. the administration for the handling o
;. the Philippine problem. 1t is expecte
:. that renewed efforts will be mad
early in the senate to pledge congress
to a measure giving early inde
pendence to the islands. This iigh
!. will be led by Representative Jone
of Virginia, chairman of the hous
bmmittee on insular affairs.
;, The new session probably will wit
|. hess more activity prior to Christina
/. than any session of recent years. Dem
|. ocrat:3 leaders propose to hold tn
l. senate to thirteen-hour sessions, wit
no Christmas vacation unless this cul
d rency bill is passed before the tim
o set for the holiday. In the hous
@ meantime an effort will be made &
/. dispose of several of the annual az
q preparation bills before Christmas s
r that appropriation legislation will II
4. terfere as little as possible with tn
a consideration of other matters.
No Union Of Brotherhoods.