The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-01-19
WILSON ANXIOUS TO
SHORTEN SESSION AS
MUCH AS POSSIBLE
Much Business Before Body
Before Considering Anti
trust Legislation
ALASKA NRAILROAD
BILL UP THURSDAY
Kern Will Today Submit Report Rec
ommending Blair Lee of MARYLAND
Be Seated as Senator-va-
cancy Still in Alabama

cancy Still in Alabama
IS
Washington, January 1S.-Cong EE as
much business to transact befos -cS an
dertakes consideration of anti OS leg
islation concerning which PrelcSo Will
son will address it on Tue.S and it
Is the aim of democratic lca.e short
en- the session as much a .ibe
With the congressional . align COM
ing next fall and the ,llcans and
progressives already active, the majority
leaders are insistent that all legislative
business be disposed of before July /.
at the latest, in order that every man
can be in his district to fight for re-
tention of a democratic majority In both
houses of the next Congress. The fact
that senatorial contests under the direct
elections amendment to the constitution
are pending in many states makes the
situation more urgent from a campaign
standpoint.
President Wilson, as the leader of the
dominant party. Is as eager as the chief
tains in Congress to limit the session
as much as possible and all are pulling
together to expedite legislative matters.
Conferences on legislative programme
will be held in the near future.
Important Measures Pending
II is practically certain that appropria-
tion bills and many other important mat
ters will be out of the way before the
trust programme is ready. Almost the
most important measures pending are
the Alaskan railroad bill. which will pass
the Senate nexg Thursday, rural credit
legislation, to be undertaken by the bank
ing and currency committee soon, regu-
lation of stock exchanges as proposed
in the owen bill, upon which House
hearings will begin February 4, and the
Panama canal tolls question, which will
come UP in a joint resolution introduced
by Representative Adamson. chairman of
the interstate and foreign commerce COM
mittee, which would suspend conditional
~ for two years the provision of the
Panama canal act granting free passage
to American coastwise vessels.
All proposed legislation. 1t is now prac-
tically agreed, can be crowded through
at this time, but what bills are to be
sdetracked has not been determined and
this will be the subject of legislative con-
ferences from time to time between party
leaders, and the President as the session
Alaskan Railroad Bill
iht <Adshdil Idlifodu Dill ana tne aEIl-
cultural extension bill Will occupy the
attention of the Senate most of this
week. The Alaskan bill. which was urged
by the President in his last message
would provide for a government built
and operated railroad into the interior
of the territory is certain to pass Sem
ator Chamberlain secured unanimous con-
sent for vote for Thursday. There is
little opposition to the bill and the House
already has the same subject under con-
sideration to be taken up aagin Wednes-
day. With the Alaskan bill out of the
way, Senator Smith of Georgia will pre-
sent the agricultural extension bill, which
would provide ultimately an annual ap-
preparation of 100000 ia be expended
through the state agricultural colleges
in educating farmers on advanced agri.
cultural lines. An amendment to increase
the ultimate appropriation to 5000 900
offered by Senator Simmons of North
Carolina is pending.
Lee Case Up Today
Senator Kern, chairman of the priv
ileges and election committee tomor-
row will submit the report recommend
ing that Blair Lee of Maryland be seat
ed as the successor to Senator Jackson.
The majority will attempt to reach a vote
on the report as soon as possible. How
far republican leaders will go in oppos-
iilB lllt Sealing OI MI. Lee naB not Deen
indicated. Favorable action would give
the democrats a majority of seven in
the Senate, There still is a vacancy in
Alabama, the committee having voted
adversely on the credentials of Frank
P. Glass to succeed the late Senator
Johnston.
| In the House appropriation bills are
well under way. The District of CO.
lumbia bill already has bt en- passed and
is nan6ipp In the fa rba
postoffice bill, the largest of them all,
Is being debated, complicated by the
rider exempting assistant postmasters
of the civil service, and a second amend
ment to provide s25.00O,o00 annual ap-
preparation proposed by the roads COM
mittee for distribution among the vari-
Gus states on condition of equal local
appropriations. The military. fortifica-
tions, agricultural and Indian bills are
ready to bring in at a moments notice
and the field is being cleared for new
legislative enterprises.
Caucus Being Agitated
A caucus of House democrats on the
question of creating a House commit
tee on suffrage was being agitated by
western members today. They declared
If the full committee ON rules should af-
firm the democratic majority of that
committee in voting adversely upon the
ly to the party In caucus.
The naval affairs committee in the
House Is about ready to wind up its
hearings. starting off the week with
the chief of ordnance and closing It by
hearing Secretary Daniels in support of
the two battleship programme. The rivers
and harbors committee is wrestling with
host of big enterprises, including the
general development of New York har-
Dor and the proposal to purchase the
Chesapeake and Delaware canal as part
of an intra-coastal waterway chain for
commercial advancement and national de-
fense. The immigration committee will
take up the matter of exclusion Of Ash
atics at hearing Thursday. The rules
committee Tuesday will vote on various
bills proposing investigation of the Col
orado and Michigan mine strikes, al
ready voted against by the democratic
members of the committee; the rule to
expedite the immigration bill, passed over
by the democrats. and the plan to bring