Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-01-11
Possible Complications With
Nearby Country Adds to
Seriousness of Outlook.
HOUSES TO ASSEMBLE
AT CAPITOL TOMORROW
President and Lawmakers to Take
Up Legislation of Far-Reach-
ing Importance.
BY N. o. MESSENGER.

BY N. u. MESSENGER.
Congress buckles down to work anew
tomorrow. the President returns to the
capital and Washington again begins tC
look big on the map.
Legislation of far-reaching consequence
awaits action in committee and chamber
No more ambitious program of lawmak-
ing has been prepared for any regular
session of Congress in a decade. The
Importance as well as the volume of
proposed enactment promises to dfstin-
guish the session.
The possibility that the legislative
branch may be called upon to support
the. xecutive in energetic measures deal
ing with a neighboring country adds to
the gravity of the outlook. Without such
eventuality, proposes changes in deep
rooted practices and institutions are suf-
ficient to invest the work of the law
makers with profound earnestness.
The acts of the past and pending ses-
SiOnS will be craven sharply in the pros
perity and welfare of the country. Men
vino participated in them will live in his
tory.
No primrose path of dalliance opens be-
fore the statesmen tomorrow On the
contrary. it is a long, steep. uphill climb,
with new ground to be broken. Work,
hard work. calling for patience, perse-
verance and wisdom, is ahead of them.
Legislation of First Importance.
Every one knows, of course, that the
proposed legislation considered of first
Importance is the amendment and eiabo-
ration Of the antitrust law and new laws
relating to interstate corporation man
agement. Bills to the number of nearly
100 upon these subjects are pending.
House and Senate committees will prune
them down for actual consideration IN
til they may be counted upon the fingers
of one hand.
In the end President Wilson will, it is
expected, formulate the exact legislation
to be enacted and it will be passed as he
indicates. The spirit of benevolent au-
tocracy and party solidarity which cs-ys-
views of an unwieldy majority into prac-
uca1 1egiS alton is expected to again ami
mate and direct action
The appropriation of something more
than a billion dollars of the public moneys
and distribution to meet the public needs
viii OF Itself be no small task. To square
the sincere aim of economy with the ex-
igencies Of demand will not@be n
this effort the absence of a budget WIFI
again be emphasized and an attempt to
change the system will run along with the
consideration of the appropriation bills.
A long step forward in practical, con-
SefyaUOn OF natural resources belonging
to the whole people will be undertaken in
the consideration of an Alaskan railroad
bill To unlock the storehouse of vast
mineral forest and agricultural wealth
of Alaska, not to the key of private mo-
nopoly, but to the opportunity of all, is
the object of the pending bill, which will
certainly be urged to final enactment
Farm Credits One Feature.
The creation of a system of farm cred
its will be another serious work early un-
dertaken. 1t will be designed as corol-
larry to the new banking and currency
system primarily for the benefit of one
class, the farmers, but in the end expect
ed to ameliorate the cost of living and
thus react to the good of the general
public.
A good roads appropriation bill will be
proposed. Its enactment will depend
largely upon its freedom from odium as a
pork barrel measure. Good roads are
now recognized as utilitarian institu-
lions and not utopian theories. but re-
form Congress on the eve OF general
election Is a sensitive body and shrinks
from criticism.
Public building and river and harbor
improvements will be confined this ses-
sion to providing for the continuance of
projects already authorized. This policy
Of non-expansion will be seized upon by
the advocates of good roads as a fav-
orable argument for their plans, the
leaving of that much money in the till
for their use.
Regulation of speculative dealings in
cotton futures and grain Options
is on the program. The declared iy-
tention is to regulate and not prohibit.
although there is vigorous sentiment
for absolute prohibition.
Immigration is to be further regulated.
the point at issue being the literacy test.
Political considerations will probably
enter the decision. that same specter OF
coming congressional elections holding
up a menacing hand.
Contest Over Naval Expansion.
There will be the annual contest over
naval expansion--two battleships or one
The administration. with large problems
OF possible foreign complications. will in
sist upon an adequate naval policy. The
militia and the equipment and organiza-
tion of the military arm will receive at.
tention.
Woman suffrage agitation will be mucf
in evidence. The Senate has before il {
proposed amendment 10 the Constitu
ton giving the vote to women, and tn,
House will at once be called upon to ap
point committee to deal with this ant
other suffrage questions.
Additional. safeguards for railwa,
travel, installation of steel cars and NOR,
adequate employers liability laws will b.
urged The seamen's bill. vetoed b.
President Taft and widely criticised b,
coastwise and lake lines, will be care
fully considered.
The investigation wave which sven
the last Congress and the last session ap
pears to have abated. No sweeping probe
in sight. The last echoes of tn
lobby investigation will be heard in tn
adoption of the report of the committees
Inquiry into labor troubles in CoIorad
and Michigan may be urged, but will b
resisted as setting dangerous prece
dent. A threat to urge cloture upon tn
Senate, II carried out. will provoke acri
monious debate and stout resistance.
BY and large, the session promises to b
full of incident and action. and is nkel
to run far into the summer.
Bill for Alaskan Railway
Before Senate Tomorrow