The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1914-12-29
.CONGRESSS[TTLES
DOWN TO BUSINESS
President wilson Pas Both
Branches Of National Legisla-
tive Body Under Control
By Ernest q. walker.
lMail speeIal % The AdyortIserl

The iinpcriohs requirement for action
every day IN discharge. Of Legislative
tasks is conceded on every side. Agi
tations Of the various sorts that attend
the opening Of the national congress
have been received with impaticnce
and are being waived aside. As he's
been much reiterated senators aud
representatives nre beset with the
dominant idea of preventing an extra
session next summer.
President Wilson Is selection Of d few
bills, all Dut one Of which has passed
the house, for enactment this session.
has put a great qnietus, on mass Of
from last .ssssion. Ordinarily there
would be earnestness in bringing meas.
urcs before committees. A copsplc,
nous example is the Rural Credits Bill
Certain senators came to Washington
expecting TO advance il by hearings
and otherwise this winter The Presi-
dent barely mentioned this bill IN his
anuual message and made II clear he
did not expect IL 70 be passed at THE
session. With discouraging pros
pect, so distinctly spoken, rural credit
bills are being put away On the shelf
President 0ulines Program
Two or three scores of other general
bills might be mentioned in the same
category. Many an industrious and
thoughtful representative has some
| idea for the statute books, He oe
cupies himself as best he can In adj
yaneing IT, But now the President
has outlined quite little program for
himself. II Is recognized that that
program alone win take every bit Of
time congress can spare from appro
priation bills Hence it is not only
useless TO strive for anything else but
| il will be next to impossible for one 10
get an audience In senate or house OF
at the committee table for schemes 81
Legislation. Eurthermore, with the
unusual volume Of legislation there has
been in the last eighteen months, the
general congressional attitude is hos,
tile 4.t. ts ig AZ
As to things the President has asked
for, there is little hating. The senate
Is at length going through the preliIhs
mary motions Of trying to comply.
Its public lands committee started
forthwith hearings on the house leas
ing bills. These heari ngs seemed in
Indispensable, because of decided d.
versity Of views and large number
of letters recciyed, The. first week Of
a regular session Of congress brings 9
throng Of people from various parts Of
the country TO Washington. 1t is N
propitious time for such. hearings o.
the public lands committee has beei
holding, But with the hearings, there
has proceeded much discussion amons
individual congressman. The exchange
of views has been spirited and con
clusions are forming over the POSSIBLE
fifty of granting the Presidents re-.
quests.
ship Purchase Bill ~
This is substantially a senate prob
lem. That will be the forum Of main
interest for the next two months and
half The house, with its enormous
Democratic majority, can and, prob
ably, will pass the ship purchase bill
All other matters, outside Of apprp-
priations, are Cup TO the senate sole
Ily. Consequently parleys among Dom,
oeratic senators chiefly affect the stu,
alton. IL the President is TO meet
with congressional refusal, it will he
aenate refusal. Democ ratio represent.
atives, who declined point blank last
session 10 support the ship purchase
bill, are less positive now.
80 might aecede, 7 said one Of these
Democratic antagonists of last session,
"by going out into the lobby for o.
smoke when the vote was being tax
en-. - III
II is easy TO say the senate might
comply but the senate is body Of
rtrOng individual opinions. Any kind
of time limit upon senate session
il attractive to opponents there, wheth'
or these be Republicans or Democrats.
I.ie minority in the senate is decidedly
hostile TO certain of the proposed
measures, especially ship purchase. ~
win be necessary first TO determine
whether the Democratic majority, can
be mustered with anything like nnanfI
unity That was one Of the purposes
of the Democratic caucus late last
week. if the administration party
can be swung into line for the Presi
dent 3 program, which, after all is no'
very formidable, there would be a de
eided step forward. III
Republicans Feel Very Well
Incidentally there is a lot Of talk
around the capitol just now about mat
tors that have 10 do with the next
congress, which win cover the span Of
the last two years Of the present ai
ninistration. Republicans have re-
turned TO Washington feeling very
woll indeed. Democrats, one could
add, are not as blue as they might ~
They realize, OF course, how much their
majority in the house will be reduced
after March 4 next. That realization
Is yielding results One is a determining
ton to form compact and harmoni
ops Democratic Organization. Speaker
Clark will be reelected for a third
term AS presiding officer without oppp
sition. Representative Kitehin Of
North Carolina, viii be made chairman
of ways and means and majority lead
or. likewise WITHOUT opposition. 4
owe might have started another
candidate for speaker said one Of
the forceful and, experienced Demo