The Tulsa star. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1913-1921, 1914-12-19
CONGRESS PLANS
NIGHT SESSIONS
BOTH HOUSES ARRANGE LONG
WORKING HOURS TO CON-
PLETE PROGRAM.
POSTAL MEASURES PERFECTED
Postoffice Department Shows Surpu2
Purchase Of Telegraph and
Telephone Lines
Recommended.

Washington Administration lead.
ers have begun the concluding ses.
sion of the sixty-third congress with
a determination to complete the legis
lative tasks confronting them by
March 4 next.
The president made 1t known that
he wished to avoid an extra session
next spring and summer Arrange
ments have been made in both houses
for night sessions to clean up cal
endar measures.
While no special investigation OF
the military preparedness Of the
United States for war. as projected
by Senator Lodge and Representative
Gardner. eemcd to be in prospect,
the subject will continue to be dis.
cussed by regular congressional com.
mittees and the house committee on
naval affairs will resume its considera.
tion of the appropriation bill Monday
with Secretary of the Navy Daniels
again on the stand.
immigration Bill Up.
The senate immigration bill with
its literacy test for aliens is the un.
finished business. Debate on it will
continue as long as appropriation
measures which have the right of
way do not interfere. While consid.
cradle opposition to the passage OF
this bill at this time is developing, Its
champions insist that there are
enough vote to put it through.
The cons, rvation measures-the
water power site and the mineral leas.
Ing bills-are still before tho senate
committee on public lands, the pur-
pose being to report them early in
January. Hearings before the senate
committee on Philippine islands on
the house bill to give larger measure
of self government to the Filipinos.
Some part of each day in the senate
also will be given over to active con
sideration Of the safety-atsea conven-
ton.
Action on the District of Columbia
appropriation bill is the unfinished
business in the house. 1t will be fol-
lowed by the legislative and judicial
IHtdSuItS. ANiEHl StSolOuo Will
be held by the house to consider pri-
vate pension bills. The ship purchase
bills urged by the administration and
which Chairman Alexander of the
house committee expects to press at
the first opportunity is still in com
mittee in both houses. The rivers
and harbors appropriation bill will be
al hafOra hn Chricfpnoc rn
cess, as will the naval appropriation
bill. The house interstate commerce
commission has arranged for hearings
on the bill to regulate cold storage of
food products and on the proposal for
national sanitarium for leprosy vic
Tins.
Telegraph Purchase Proposed.
Further Investigation OF Postmas-
ter General Burleson's recommenda-
tions for government acquisition OF
the telegraph and telephone systems
Is proposed in the posjoffce appropria-
tton bill, which is practically COM
2leted.
BurIeson's Report.
Postmaster General Burleson has
submitted to President Wilson his
annual report. II records enormous
growth in the departments business
because of the parcel post and postal
savings bank divisions and recon-
mends a program of postal legislation
to increase the scope or the depart
ment's activities.
Mr.. Burleson features his report
with an estimate that surplus OF
$3,569,545, the second OF his admins
tration, will be shown fo- tho flsca'
year of 1914 when all claims and
charges have been met On that
ehowing he bases his declaration that
the department 'ias been securely
placed upon self-sustaining basis"
ut is safe to say" the report adds
that unless unusual conditions should
arise, resulting in abnormal depres
sion of business, there is no danger oI
recurring deficiencies"