The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1914-12-10
SHORT SESSION MUST BE DE
VOTED LARGELY TO ANNUAL
APPROPRIATION BILLS
BIG PROGRAM.
ME- MIXERS OF HOUSE AND
SENATE ARE VERY BUSY
Fifteen Bills Appropriating More Than
q Billion Dollars Must Be Passed
Without Delay-Many other
Important Measures Are
Now Pending.

Washington, Dec. Calling into
action the final session of the Sixty
third congress-, the gaVels fell in the
senate and house at Dol today, and
the legislators took up the tasks they
abandoned late in October. Crowded
calendars confronted both houses, al
though it is apparent that the short
session, expiring March 4 by consti-
tutional limitation, must be devoted
largely to the annual appropriation
bills.
Little time was lost in preliminaries
in either house today. Except for the
hand shaking and the jibes of both
Republicans and Democrats concern
ing the results of the last election, the
business of le~gislating began without
special ceremony or incident. There
was not the excitement attendant up
on the converting of a new congress-,
when members are sworn in for their
terms.
Crowded galleries were present in
senate and house. chief interest at
taching, however, to the lower body.
where the membership is larger and
where there was promised a renewal
of the co%tton-relief filibuster which
tied mp congress just before adjourn
ment in October.
Heavy Program Prepared.
A survey of the calendars shows al
most a record-breaking legislative pro-
gram, the features being as follows:
Fifteen appropriation bills must be
passed. This means that 81
must apportion more than one billion
dollars between December Z and
March 4. There will be approximately
sixty-five working days, making the
average appropriation per day about
seventeen million dollars, estimating
that the total appropriations will be at
least s1,1OO, 0O0, 900, as compared with
S1,116,OOO, 000 for the long session.
Ii the fight for a public buildings
bill succeeds there will be 16 supply
measures and as extended fights are
imminent over rivers and harbors, the
naval increase and the army appro-
priation bill, night sessions probably
will be the rule during the short ses-
sion.
"A filibuster against any of the appro-
priation bills will result in the report
of a special gag rule in the house.
A %cloture rule is impossible in the
senate.
Two Unfinished Currency Bills.
When the house adjourned late in
nctnhar thara uroro nnpJ;,, - -
ished business two bills to amend the
currency law and the Henry cotton.
relief amendment to these bills.
The passage of these bills was pre-
vented by the Henry cotton loan
amendment directing the placing of
$3.50, 900 900 in southern banks to be
loaned on the cotton and tobacco
crops.
AS soon as these bills are disposed
of, the District of Columbia a%ppropria-
tion bill, the first of the annual bud.
gets, will be ready for report from the
appropriations committee. 1t will be
followed by the legislative, executive
and judicial appropriation bill.
If the house should have a breathing
spell on appropriation bills it has on
the calendar bills of major importance
which 1t can consider. They are:
The administration bill for a govern
m~ent-owned steamship line, with a
capital of $50, 000, 900. A rule is ready
to bring this bill up.
The coast guard bill, to combine the
revenue cutter and the life-saving
services.
The Foster bill to conserve the ra.
dunn supply, already made in order
under a special rule which was tenn
porarily withdrawn.
Senate Also to Be Busy.
One of the principal bills sent over
to the senate by the lower body is the
Burnett immigration bill, which con-
tains the literacy test that brought
about n veto by President Taft nearly
two years ago. This bill will bring
on a ~protracted senate debate.
Prince of Siam in America.