Evening star., 1914-12-25
Administration Program.

In addition to the appropriation bills,
the administrations legislative pro-1
gram remains to be considered by the
Senate. the so-called conservation bills,
the government ship-purchase bill and
the Philippine bill. Then there are the
Nicaraguan and Colombian treaties to
be disposed of. not to mention a num-
Der Of nominations over which the SEN
ate and the President have clashed.
Democratic Leader Kern spoke in a
hopeful tone of the situation. He pre-
dicted that the Senate would be able to
complete it's work by March 4, and
based his statement upon the ground
that republicans and democrats alike
were anxious to get through and get
away from Washington. He said, too,
that he believed there would be no
difficulty in keeping a quorum of the
Senate on hand, and that even if sena-
| tors desired to filibuster, with quorum
always on hand they could be tired out
! and a vote reached. He suggested that
the Senate might decide to hold daily
sessions from 10 o'clock in the morning
until 10 O'Clock at night in order to
expedite business. Senator Kern in
sisted there was no probability of an
extra session of Congress after March 4.
Other members of the Senate, how
ever, do not take the optimistic view
of Senator Kern. Some of them are
willing to wager that no legislation
whatever outside of the general ap-
preparation bills will be enacted into
law by March 4. They point to the
fact that after being in session for
two and a half weeks the Senate has
done nothing except debate the immi
grafton bill. a measure not included in
the administrations program.
Fight in Fash Measure.
They call attention to the fact that
every one Of the administration bills
has {, fight in it. The statement of
Senator Fletcher of Florida, acting
/ chairman of the commerce committee.
| which has reported favorably to the
| Senate the government ship purchase
| bill. that he intends to demand that
that measure be taken up and disposed
| of as quickly as possible, is taken with
| a grain of salt This bill has very
strong opposition on both sides of the
cham5e and Senators have stated that
they will do everything in their power
to prevent its passage. These Senators,
| has a majority of the Senate in it's
favor, may, and probably will, force
many days of debate on 1t.
The conservation bills will be bit
terly fought If they are brought into
! the Senate in anything like the form
| In which they passed the House, and
some of the Senators have declared
| there is no possibility of enacting tho
| Philippine bill at the present session.
No Show for the Treaties.
| The Nicaraguan and Colombian
| treaties, it Is asserted. do not stand
| the ghost of show of being ratified
| by the Senate. 1t takes a two-thirds
| favorable vote for ratification Of these
| treaties.
| Leaders of the Senate and House and
| the President have expressed them
| selves as being opposed to any extra
| session of Congress next-spring, but
! the belief Is growing stronger day by
day that unless the President is willing
! TO have all the bills which he has urged
upon Congress thrown into the discard
| because of lack of time for their con-
sideration, an extra session cannot be
| avoided.