The Bemidji daily pioneer., 1914-12-05
CONGRESS READY
FOR SHORT TERM
Victors and Vanquished in Recent
Senatorial Elections Trooping
Into Washington.
TAKE BRIEF HOLIDAY VACATION
Expected That Session Will Be of I'm
portance - Several Meritorious
Measures Not to Be Reached.

portance - Several Meritorious
Measures Not to Be Reached.
Victors and vanquished in the re-
cent senatorial and congressional
elections are trooping into Washing
ton today in readiness for the final
session of the Sixty-third Congress,
which will begin at noon Monday.
Outward and visible signs are
abundant that long hours of hard
work are in store for the members
at both ends of the capitol this win
ter. Many night sessions will be
held. Both houses will sit six days
each week Indications are the holi-
day vacation will be made brief
Some talk is heard of cutting it out
entirely, but this probably will be
found impracticable.
No Big Legislation.
It's to be an important session,
though no big constructive legisla-
tion is expected in the brief period
remaining before constitutional lmi-
tations bring it to an end and turn
many of it's members back into pri-
vate life. Fermeating it all will be
skirmishing for political advantage
in the 1916 presidential campaign.
Indications are that the house par
ticularly will be the scene of some
lively proceedings.
The appropriation bills will be
passed if all goes we'll. There is no
dearth of other important measures
awaiting consideration many of
them Of considerable national con-
Germ But it would be a physical i'm
possibility, Notwithstanding the eff
fort that is to be made to hasten the
passage Of the regular supply of ap-
preparation bills, to get the decks
cleared in time to transact much gen
eral legislation before the gavel falls
at noon on the 4th of March, even
If there was the desire.
Realize Situation.
Realizing the difficulties of the
situation, Democratic leaders in both
houses and the administration will
bend their energies towards expedit-
ing the appropriations. 1t will be
the policy to force these through the
house as rapidly as possible, send
them to the senate, get them acted
on by the appropriations committees
and hasten them to enactment.
However, granting the most opti-
mistic hopes of exploiting business,
there are several meritorious meas
ures, many of them we'll considered,
upon which the discussion has pro-
ceeded until both houses are suffi-
GENTLY Informed to vote, which will
not be reached at all this session.
Hanging in the balance is the fate
of the Philippine bill, the ship pur-
chase bill and conservation legisla-
tion, all of which are specially de-
sired by the administration.
The fight over rivers and harbors
legislation is to be renewed where it
was abandoned following the defeat
of the $53,OOO,00O bill in the recent
session. This defeat was featured
by spectacular filibuster led by Sen
ator Kenyon of Iowa and Burton of
Ohio.
Factions to Battle.
A contest equally as determined is
to be staged over the resolution of
Representative Gardner of Massa-
chusetts calling for an inquiry into
the army and navy and the entire
question of national defense. A third
sharp contest is likely to occur be-
tween the big and little navy fac
tions, battle involving the entire
government naval program appear
ing inevitable.
The insistence of members from
the South on cotton legislation will
be factor and it is likely that some
of them will not be tractable toward
other bills if no relief for the cotton
interests is voted.
Other measures that may or may
not furnish fodder for the congress
sional mill at the present session, all
depending upon the time at hand,
are various labor bills, the prohibi-
tion amendment, immigration meas
ures and rural credits bills.
This being merely the continuation
Of an existing congress, there will be
no work Organization called for
on Monday Following a little pre-
liminary routine and the presenta-
tion of the presidents message both
houses will enter upon the real busi-
ness at hand without delay Then
the country can watch them thrust
and parry and intermittently legis-
late for the next three months, bar
ring the time of recess over the
Christmas holidays.
President Wilson will follow the
precedent he set at the ginning of
his term by reading his message be-
fore the two houses. The message