Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1914-01-13
CONGRESS BACK .
FOR MORE WORK
Three Weeks Vacation Over
and Legislators Return
to the Capital City
REGULAR BUSINESS
TO BE TRANSACTED
Among Important Measures
to Come Up Is Program
Against Trusts

Washington, D. G., Jan. 12.-Con.
gress got back to work again today af.
ter holiday play spell. In the house,
promptly at noon Speaker Clark drop
ped his gave1, and similar scene was
enacted in the senate with Vice Presi-
dent Marshall in the chair. Fresh
from a vacation which followed nine
months of tariff and currency mem
bers of both houses returned refreshed
and ready for work at new point in
the democratic administration.
For the first time since President
Wilson ordered the special session last
April, congress was without the over
shadowing influence of any single
dominant issue such as tariff or cur
rency reform, to be fought out to the
exclusion of other business.
AS result, the work of the next
few months in national legislative
halls is expected to cover wide range
OF subjects. Antitrust legislation re-
mains as an important factor in Presi-
dent Wilson's legislative program, that
must be considered by congress, but
it will not displace other important
legislation, as did the bills for tariff
and currency revisions. .- ...
Four general subjects will embrace
much of the work of senate and house
Control of trusts and monopolies, in.
Guiding legislation to prevent cold
storage manipulation, unfair price cut
ting, and other abuses directly affect.
ing retail business. s-4 ~
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 of the national de-
fense, through measures such as the
volunteer army BILL already passed
by the house; the Hay bill to create a
row aviation division in 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 program for a
two-battleship addition to the navy.
Passage of the annual appropriation
bills, carrying more than 81 900, 100000
for support of the government, and
many items of general leg
islation that must be fought over in
house and senate
Aside from those general subjects,
congress will take up early in the ses-
sion the settlement of labor problems
Of far-reaching Importance. Members
0f both houses have announced their
70 fol@
CT the strike in the Calumet copper
mining region and the forcible removal
from Michigan of Charles H. Meyer,
president of the Western Federation of
Miners. While many house leaders
oppose the undertaking of special in
vestigatiOn, it is expected the senate
may be more disposed to authorize an
investigation similar TO that which it
conducted last summer into the coal
strike in West Virginia.
Government wnership of railroads,
as proposed in the Alaskan railway
bills will be forced upon the attention
of members of both bodies as soon as
they take up work. IN each branch, a
bill to authorize the government to
build railroads in the northern terri
tory has received the endorsement of
a committee, and has been placed be-
fore congress as unfinished business"
where it must be taken up without de- |
lay. While the principle of govern !
nent ownership, even as applied to
Alaskan roads, has many opponents
among the leaders OF both houses, :
some leaders expected that bill
the proposed development
will be passed after a short debate. !,