Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1914-04-28
CANT SH|RK WORK
CONGRESS is NOT LIKELY TO AD-
JouRN AS EARLY AS HAD
BEEN EXPECTED.
MR.. WILSON IS INSlsTENT
After the Senate Has Disposed of the
Canal Tolls Exemption, the Rural
Credit Bill Must Be
Taken Up.
BY GEORGE CLINTON.

BY GEORGE CLINTON.
Washington. - President Wilson,
Representative Underwood, leader Of
the Democracy in the house of repre-
ser tatives; Representative Fitzgerald,
chairman of the house committee on
appropriations, and Senator Kern,
leader of the party membership in the
upper house, all have declared at one
tine or another in favor of an early
adjournment of congress. Since he
first spoke on the subject, however,
President Wilson has intinlated to the
newspaper correspondents assembled
before him that there would be no cur
tai ment of the legislative program SO
as to secure an early moving day.
1t has become evident from the at
titiIde of the president that no mat
ter how the congressman may feel
about 1t, they are to be expected to
enact antitrust legislation and then
to add rural credit accomplishment
to the legislative list before adjourn
ment must be given consideration
1t looked while ago as if congress
might get away by June 1, but that
was before it was kno-I, tilst there
would be such strong fight on the
question of the repeal of the tolls ex-
emption provision of the Panama canal
act. When the majority members of
congress were talking about getting
away they also seemed to have an
idea that the president would not ask
that the rural credits matter should
be considered before next December.
Now the members generally are talk
ing about July Is, while Washington
observers of past situations very much
like the present think August / would
be nearer the mark
Election in Fall May Hurry Them.
Recently the senate has become
mere quickly responsive to public
opinion, the direct touch Of the people.
This is one of the things which makes
it seem to some people that congress
may get away earlier than the old
time observers believe will be the
case. Senators, like the representa-
tives, hereafter will be elected by pop
ular vote and this may mean much in
the way of securing fairly quick action
by the majority senators on measures
to which the president has given his
sanction
1t is held by Some that adjourn
ment may not be put off to late day
because there have been intimations
that if the senate should show signs
of a desire to be laggard in its work
the representatives can be depended
upon to remiYd the upper house men
that this Is election year and that
while only one-third Of the senators
are affected, the entire membership
of the house has much at stake. This
1t is thought may result In accelerat-
ed action.
The deep interest in the repeal bill
and the interest always present in
antitrust measures may have caused
sight to be lost of the rural credit
proposition. At any. rate it may be
that Washington has lost it's sight
while the great country districts have
not done so. President Wilson is de-
termined that rural credit legislation
shall be enacted at the present ses'
sion.
Flood Control Fight Due.
Recently in a communication
from President Edmond T. Perkins of
the National Drainage congress, he
said that at the next session
President Wilson would ask congress
to appropriate money to control the
floods and to regulate the flow of nav
igable rivers in the interest of inter
state commerce.
Now it would seem that thing like
this is such Pm entirely proper econom-
ic thing that the president ought to
be able to put his program through
without difficulty, but it is known in
Washington, from happenings present
and not far past, that when he takes
up the subject of river and harbor ex
penditures, Mr.. Wilson will find his
party in congress and the other par
ties, too, for that matter, divided in
to two camps of opinion on the sub
ject. One set of lawmakers favors
one method of procedure and another
SCI favors another method, and each
seems to be militantly aggressive in
purpose.
About Equally Divided.
Now unquestionably the president
has his own views, or at any rate is
going to study the subject as he has
studied others in order to obtain in
formation upon which he can base his
recommendations to the lawmakers
When the president takes up the sub
ject, particularly of the Mississippi
river improvement and of the proven
ton of floods which have devastated
the Mississippi valley in recent years,
he will find that he will have about
as many advisers on one hand as on
the other.
In the United States senate Joseph
e Ransdell of louisiana and Francis
G. Newlands of Nevada, both Demo-
Gratis, disagree radically as to the rov-
ernmentai methods to be employed in
controlling foods and in regulating
ns.vigable streams for commercial pur-
poser Each man is a thinker on the
subject and each one is convinced that
he is right. They have had sharp en-
Ia III