The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1914-01-12

Washington, Jan. 12-Congress got back. to work again today after a holiday play spell In the House, promptly at noon. Speaker Clark drop ped his gavel. and a similar scene was enacted in the Senate with Vice.. President Marshall in the chair. Fresh from a vacation which followed nine months of tariff and currency, mem bers of both Houses returned refresh ed and ready for work at a new point in the Democratic administrati tion. E For the first time since President Wilson ordered the special session last. April, Congress was without the over dominant issue cnch as tariff or cur rency reform, to be fought out tn the exclusion of other business.
 As 8 result, the work of the next few months in national legislative halls is expected to cover wide range of subjects Antitrust 1egis- lation remains an important factor in President Wilson's legislative pro- gram, that must be considered by Congress, but it will not diSplaces other important legislation. as it did the bills for tariff and currency re- visions.
 Four general subjects will embrace much of the work of the Senate and house during the coming months They are: r Control of the trusts and monopo-. lies, including legislation to prevent cold storage manipulation, unfair price cutting. and other abuses di- rectly affecting retail business.
 Rural credits and other legislation directly affecting farmers and land owners, such as good road improve ment and federal aid to vocational and agricultural education.
 
 Strengthening the national defense, through measures such as the tvolun- the House; the Hay bill to create a new aviation division of the army: the Padgett bill to put the naval militia on a war footing; the Hobson bill for a counsel of national defense; and the general administration pro- grom for two battleship addition. to the navy.
 Passage of the annual appropriation bills, carrying more than $1, GOO. GOO GOO for support of the government, and containing many items of geTterad legislation that must be fought over. in the House and Senate.
 F Aside from these general subjects, congress will take up early in the ses- sion the settlement of labor prob lems of far-reaching importance. members of both houses have announc- eA-I investigation of the strike, in the aIunet copper region and the for cible removal from Michigan of Charles 1T. Mover, president of the Western Federation of Miners.
 While many House leaders oppose the undertaking of special investiga- tfon, it is expected the Senate may be more disposed to authorize an in vestdgation similar to that which it conducted last summer into the coal strike in West Virginia.
 Government ownership of railraods, as proposed In the Alaskan railway bills, will be forced upon the atten- ton of members ofA both bodies as soon as they take up work. In each branch, a bill to authorize the gov ernment to build railroads in the northern territory has received the endorsement of committee, and has placed before Congress as s9un- finished business where it must be taken up without delay. While the principle of government ownership even as applied to Alaskan roads, has many opponents among the lead- CTS of both Houses, some leaders ex- pected that a. bill authorizing the proposed development will be passed after a short debate.
 President Wilson's influence is strong ly behind the plan for a. system of