Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1914-02-05
Leaders Awake to Need of
Maintaining Party Su-
premacy.
REFORM IMPOSSIBLE IN A DAY
Much Legislation Ahead ano
Hastily Considered Laws
Are Realized of SecOn-
Diary Importance.

Washington. FEB 1.--E.xtensun of arbi.
! tration treat dies and a general clearing up
! of the nations foreign relations; anti
trust legislation; rural credit enhance
mont through the establishment of land
mortgage banks for farmers; legislation
authorizing the government to build or
purchase a railroad in Alaska, and revi-
sion of the immigration laws, appear to-
day as the main guide posts for adminis-
ttation leaders in the course OF the pres
ent session Of Congress.
/ Though many other subjects are being
pressed by democrats for consideration,
leaders Of tho dominant party realize
that new administration cannot reform
| tn" whole statutory structure OF the ;o.-
/ c-nmcnt IN dar. 70 complete their p"o-
gram. they appreciate that continuation
"f rartv sn0ra'r1cv is necessary and that
recollection democratic Senate and
House nl, t.. B.. more important than
= long s"s.i"n of Congress clicked with
hastily considered legislation. President
Wilson is known to share this view.
Increaa'ng tho necessity for early party
activity is the fa". that the people nov
will elect ther own United States sena-
tors and senators must go ont with mem
bers of the House and make joint appeal
to the people for VOTES.
Besides regular departmental iegisla-
ton and the supply bills, some of the
subjects beina urged for action are equal
suffrage, through legislation amendment,
prohibition Of liquor traffic; a law to
guarantee hank deposits: government
regulation of stock exchanges and many
others. June has been set as the prob
able date of adjournment. The party lead
crs intend. as soon as possible to map
out a program of work for the remainder
of the session and White House confer
ences on this subject probably will hs
held this week
Renewal of arbitration treaties witt
eight foreign countries will occupy tina
attention of the Senate during the week,
after the passage of the agricultural
extension bill. The treaties that have
expired are with Great Britain, Japan
Italy. Spain. Norway, Sweden. Portugal
and Switzerland. Considerable dis
cussion is inevitable but ratification Of
the treaties is confidently anticipated
by party leaders.
Involved in the treaty questions will.
be the Panama tolls dispute with
Great Britain and the California alien
controversy with Japan. The admin
]
practically settled, but. with the rati-
hcaton of the British arbitration
treaty, there will follow some action
in Congress on the subject of canal
tolls, either through repeal of the sec
, tions of the Panama Canal act which
cNempts American coastwise ships
from tolls o. by suspension of thai
provision for a period of years. Con
sideration of trust bills and their per
lection will continue during the week
before committees of both houses
Hearings will begin on Senator Owens
bill to prohibit the use of the mails
and the telegraph and telephone lines
for fraudulent or harmful stock ex
change transactions; and the Senate
Will dispose of the contest over the
seating of Frank p. Glass to succeed
the late Senator Johnston of Alabama
House leaders are bending every effort
to clear the legislative slate in time for
the proposed June adjournment
Immigration legislation will have the
right of way this week in the House.
The Burnett bill, featured by the literacv
test which has aroused considerable op-
position, will be taken up again to-mor-
| row. Representative Baker of California
was at work to-day perfecting his bill
, through which he hopes TO effect the
exclusion of the japanese and other
As.atics and the certifcaton of the
limited number OF them that may be
allowed entry.
PerpeXins problems oc the battleship
program. ratification or the big Norfolk
navy airy dock project, government con-
otruc,ion Of armor and fuel OF! producing
plants and the creation of the grade OF
ice-Hdn!ral, are up to the House naval
Affairs CON lnttee TO" decision IN the next
few days