The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1913-02-25
Leaders Have Had to Shut
Down All Preparatory
Work for Extra Session
WORK NOW DRAGGING
Loafing Policy of Congress
Shown by Important Work
Not Attented to.
(National News Associat on)


WASHINGTON, D. c., Feb. 25.-
Washington is rapidly DOMINIC her
gayest robes for the approaching in
auguration of Woodrow Wilson.
But all the flags and bunting in the
world seem in vain against the cheer
lessness which still pervades the
camps of the Democratic leaders here.
Unable to get the slightest intima-
ton from the President-elect concern
ing his tariff views and his plans for
a general legislative program, the
leaders in the House, headed by Chair
man Oscar w. Underwood of the ways
and means committee, have shut down
on all preparatory work for the special
session, and are waiting for the actual
arrival and Inauguration of Mr.. VIII
son. Once they get his firmly planted
in the White House, they hope to have
better luck in finding out what he
wants and how he wants it done.
No Time For IdIeness.
In the meantime, however, they
have little opportunity for real idleness
The legislative program of the pres
ent session is far too big for the few
short days that remain for its compile
ton. week and a day are all that
they have left to clean up the states
of the Sixty-Second Congressman
still only one of the appropriation
bills, representing less than one-fourth
of 1 per cent of the total amount to
be appropriated, has been sent to
President Taft for his signature.
&c living
around loose to blockade many of the
bills that remain.
Chairman Underwood, as the MAORI
ty leader of the House, announced last
week that he would see that all of the
bills are passed before midnight of a
week from tomorrow he had to
call back to life the most drastic of
the old Cannon rules and force the
measures through by most vigorous
force. But the new complications that
have arisen may even make such a
program futile.
The pork barrel public buildings
bill, with almost s5o,OOO,0OO of appro-
priations, and touching more than half
of the districts of the country, was
loaded to the sinking point by the
Senate committee. Even if it passes
1t is sure of the veto of resident Taft.
The defeat of that measure, however
would in no way interfere with gov
ernmenta1 procedure, for it is devoted
entirely to new building projects and
carries no appropriations for the cur
rent work of the government.
The other bills that are in danger do
carry current administrative accounts.
If they are not passed the depart
ments affected will be penniless on
July 1. The same thing happened a
year ago, but a general measure was
hurriedly put through extending the
appropriations Of the past yecr for an
extra month.
This year the appropriation bills
merely would be sent over to the spec
ial session to make trouble there for
the new administration and to clog up
the wheels that ought to be busy
grinding out tariff revision.
One of the measures that has been
put into blockading position is the
District of Columbia appropriation
measure, onto which a kind Senate
tackled prohibition" rider, rewriting
the saloon license law of the district
in such drastic fashion that it is claim.
ed it will practically make the district
"dry." The Senate passed the same